News

IPSO Alliance Announces Certification and Compliance Initiative for IP-based Smart Objects Used in Offices, Homes, Healthcare and the Smart Grid Infrastructure (9/10/2009)

Initiative focuses on interoperability to facilitate migration of applications directly to IP-enabled and secure embedded devices

The IPSO (IP for Smart Objects) Alliance today announced its new compliance and certification program. This program is aimed at accelerating the use of IP in embedded smart objects such as sensors and actuators in a wide range of emerging application areas that include smart grid and energy management, building automation, urban infrastructure, industrial and process automation, healthcare, and home automation - all of which require the scalability and interoperability that only IP provides.

Formed in 2008, the IPSO Alliance has emerged as the leading alliance of technology providers and end-users seeking to establish Internet Protocol as the standard of choice for the interconnection of physical objects. The new IPSO compliance and certification program builds on the foundation IPSO laid earlier this year when it hosted the world's first global interoperability event in March that successfully demonstrated IP-based global interoperability with IP-based sensors, networking infrastructure, servers and applications. IPSO conducted a second, broader and more encompassing, interoperability test successfully in May as well.

In addition, the IPSO Alliance intends to lead the industry in enabling the transition onto IP-enabled devices of existing or emerging application layer frameworks and plans to coordinate with appropriate groups and standards-setting bodies to accelerate this transition. "We have already shown that by using open IP standards (IPv6 and 6lowpan) we can connect small embedded devices - Smart Objects - from different vendors around the world. With our new program we are raising the bar of testing and certification to bring assured interoperability to the entire industry," said Geoff Mulligan, Chairman of IPSO. "The IPSO Alliance program covers all types of physical communications links, wired or wireless, including 802.15.4, 802.11, PLC (such as HomePlug). We are not limited to any single technology."

This is a key benefit of adopting and using IP - the proven ability to seamlessly tie together embedded devices, no matter the physical communications media, through the Internet without the complexities and costs of translators and gateways.

The IPSO compliance and certification program is an industry-wide and comprehensive effort that includes:

* Collaboration with the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to foster the development of basic standards for IP-based smart objects; adherence to which will ensure interoperability across vendor products and diverse communication media.
* Delivery of the testing and compliance programs to enable vendors to validate their products' compliance to IP standards
* Development of programs to encourage the rapid development of adaptation layers for IP over new communication links to ensure these systems are included in the inter-network of IP-enabled smart objects.
* Facilitating and accelerating the migration of existing or emerging systems onto IP-enabled devices and working with all willing peer alliances or industry associations towards that goal.

"I'm delighted to see IPSO taking the lead in the certification of IP smart objects, enabling vendor interoperability and sector-wide compliance to standards," says Alain Fiocco, Sr. Director, IOS Marketing and Architecture for Cisco Systems. "Stable and open standards are critical in making smart objects communicate and deliver the network value. It is vital that this industry can rely on these standards to blossom, but it is equally important for customers and vendors alike that these standards are in place to deliver end to end solutions and shorten the adoption cycle."

www.ipso-alliance.org