Sony joins the AllSeen Alliance for Internet of Things

Sony has joined the AllSeen Alliance, which is developing a platform for internet-of-things devices. The electronics giant joins Microsoft, LG and Panasonic, among others, in supporting the standard, which is based on Qualcomm’s AllJoyn.

The AllSeen Alliance will announce its membership at IFA 2014. The organization is committed to developing a universal internet-of-things platform, where internet-enabled devices should be able to exchange data with each other. There is a multitude of standards among electronics companies that cannot work together with each other. To remove that shortcoming, the AllSeen Alliance was founded in December 2013.

With Sony, a total of eleven companies have a premium membership, including Microsoft, LG and Panasonic. The premium status entitles you to more control. 53 other organizations hold a less prominent position. Together, the companies are committed to removing the barriers to the interoperability of internet-of-things applications.

The AllSeen Alliance uses the open source software AllJoyn, which was designed by Qualcomm and is available under Apache and BSD licenses. The system is not linked to any particular platform or IP network. AllJoyn is therefore suitable for WiFi, 3G/4G and Bluetooth as well as for Ethernet networks.

Samsung and Intel started a similar move in July this year called the Open Interconnect Consortium. With electronics giant Sony, the AllSeen Alliance is once again bringing in a major player, which is an important step in the mutual battle between the platforms.