Your Internet-connected devices may be getting more cooperative, thanks to group of startups and established players who have come together to create a new nonprofit group called the Internet of Things Consortium.
The Internet of Things, for those of you who arent too familiar with it, basically refers to the growing trend of uniquely identifiable, Internet-connected electronic devices. Jason Johnson, the consortiums chairman, said that the term was first coined to refer to industrial technologies like RFID, but were now seeing a wave of consumer products, too, often funded on Kickstarter.
There are 10 initial participants in the group: Active Mind Technologies (which makes Game), Basis Science, Coin, Kease, Logitech, Movl (which makes KontrolTV), Ouya, Poly-Control, SmartThings, and Ube.
Johnson said the goal is to play a very active role in finding new ways for Internet of Things-related products and services to work together (in part by taking advantage of new technologies like Bluetooth Low Energy and Low Power Wi-Fi) and create a richer fabric of intelligent devices. For that reason, one of the key criteria for new members is an open approach to integrating with other companies. Johnson said a meeting of the consortium would be not unlike a standards body meeting, except that the group wont just focus on technology, but on business as well.