Our founder, Dr. Steve Liang, recently co-wrote an article for Directions Magazine with Simon Chester. The article explains in detail why open IoT is so important, and why silos in IoT are counterproductive at best, and even destructive.
The authors describe the benefits of interoperable systems in IoT, explaining:
“… the true value of the IoT – from the collection of data for use in scientific studies, to consumers wanting to know today’s hyper-local air quality before going out for a jog – lies in a swarm of heterogeneous sensors all contributing to an accessible (albeit not necessarily free – but this is not the place to talk about micro-transactions), decentralised pool of data.”
They go on to say:
“… this can only happen if the devices, and the software powering them, are built upon open standards with interoperability at their core.”
Check out “An open Internet of Things for the benefit of all” for more on an ideal picture of the future development of IoT, in which we stop siloing information and begin connecting information!