Let’s talk to each other: new specification will enhance discoverability of IoT devices

Let’s talk to each other: new specification will enhance discoverability of IoT devices

The Internet of Things (IoT) is all about devices collecting data in order to make life easier. From wristbands that monitor heart rate and activity levels, to rubbish bins that tell the council when they are full and apps that tell city drivers where the nearest available parking space is, the intention is to create a more optimised and seamless experience of everyday life.

Unfortunately, until recently this ultra-modern experience often began with an initial bout of fiddling with settings to set up data links between connected objects and control devices. There was no standard in place to govern the automatic discovery of data from IoT-enabled objects, so software programmers often had to write a bespoke interface to enable devices to speak to one another.

A new Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 212, Automatic resource discovery for the Internet of Things – Specification has been developed in order to make it easier to discover IoT data and permit devices to interact. It is hoped that PAS 212 will lead towards open, international standards for IoT interoperability.

The IoT: overhyped or full of promise?

We’ve been hearing about how the IoT is going to change the world for a few years now. Will the much-vaunted revolution ever happen? The reality is that we’re still in the early days of the IoT and innovators are working out the best ways to develop, utilise and monetise the technology. However, the promise is great: calculations by Accenture have predicted that industrial IoT alone could add $14.2tn (£10.9tn) to the world economy in the next 15 years.[i]

There are many challenges to overcome. Companies need to find the best way to harness the mass of data generated by IoT devices to meet the needs of businesses and consumers. Security is another key concern; unless users can be confident that their information is private and protected, they will not embrace the new technologies.

How PAS 212 was developed

The new specification was developed by BSI in conjunction with the Hypercat Alliance, a consortium that brings together IoT stakeholders in order to develop standards for interoperability. Hypercat is supported by £6.4m in funding by the Technology Strategy Board.[ii] The organisation was formed when it became apparent that there was a common need among innovators to address the issue of interoperability and that a unified approach was required.

A wide range of interested organisations contributed to the development of the standard, including BT, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), the Greater London Authority, DevicePilot, Flexeye, King’s College London and IBM. A steering group was established to find a common solution to the interoperability problem.

Development of the standard was not without its challenges. For example, it was challenging to reconcile the need to ensure the PAS catalogue format was as concise as possible with the requirement to add detail that would enhance security. A compromise was reached whereby an annex was added to the PAS concerning security, giving developers the flexibility to incorporate tighter controls where appropriate.

The format of PAS 212

PAS 212 sets out a common catalogue format that can be used to discover data in servers. Rather than each connection requiring a hand-coded interface for each specific data server, PAS 212 provides a way of automating the discovery of data resources between clients and servers.

The catalogue uses lightweight, JSON-based hypermedia formatting to expose collections of uniform resource identifiers (URIs). These data resources are annotated with metadata. PAS 212 also sets out recommendations for catalogue access in file transport, subscription mechanisms, entry points and machine-readable hints. It also features an annex detailing security mechanisms to protect access.

What happens next?

PAS 212 is available as a free resource for innovators large and small who are working in the IoT field. As awareness of the benefits of interoperability becomes more widespread, the specification should become the default for software developers.

As Scott Steedman, Director of Standards at BSI said: “BSI is proud to have facilitated the development of the Hypercat specification into its new PAS 212 form, a standard which will underpin interoperability in the IoT. This standard has huge potential to unlock the economic and social value of data across all sectors of the economy, including cities, infrastructure, health, transport and manufacturing.”

Of course, this specification is only a first step in creating a standardised framework for IoT devices and software. Hypercat and BSI hope to collaborate further, finding consensus in other key aspects of IoT functionality, such as security measures.