Open Connectivity Foundation

Just brought to my attention,  The Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF). The breadth of corporate support does look to be good.

" ... Efforts led by ARRIS, CableLabs, Cisco, Electrolux, GE Digital, Intel, Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Samsung – Ensures IoT Solutions and Devices of the Future Work Together Seamlessly

Beaverton, Oregon – Feb. 19, 2016 – Today, major industry leaders who are invested in the future of the Internet of Things, announced they will unify as the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF), an entity whose goal will be to help unify IoT standards so that companies and developers can create IoT solutions and devices that work seamlessly together. Via cross-industry collaboration, the OCF will work towards unlocking the massive opportunity of the future global IoT segment, accelerate industry innovation and help all developers and companies create solutions that map to a single, open IoT interoperability specification. Ultimately, with OCF specifications, protocols and open source projects, a wide-range of consumer, enterprise and embedded devices and sensors from a variety of manufacturers, can securely and seamlessly interact with one another.

The OCF unifies the entirety of the former Open Interconnect Consortium with leading companies at all levels – silicon, software, platform, and finished-goods – dedicated to providing this key interoperability element of an IoT solution.  ... " 

Cortana for the Smart Home

Long ago we met with MS Research about their approaches to the smart home.  Seems they had dropped that approach since then. .  Are they back again pushing standards?

The Thread Group and Open Connectivity Foundation join forces to make it easier for smart home devices to connect   By Agam Shah 

Microsoft wants to put Windows 10 at the center of smart homes. The company wants users to be able to tell the operating system's Cortana voice assistant to switch on a light, open a door, release food for a cat and even check the contents of a refrigerator. ... "