• by Chase Martin , October 10, 2016

Major brands are coming together to establish a new framework for universal compatibility between IoT devices and services.

A new merger between the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) and the AllSeen Alliance aims to increase standardization and cross-brand connectivity within the Internet of Things.

Both groups plan to merge under the OCF name and ultimately create a single standardized framework for IoT devices across the entire ecosystem.

“By coming together as one group, we are able to make IoT a more seamless, secure experience for everyone involved, from developers to end users,” Danny Lousberg, chairperson of the AllSeen Alliance, said in a statement.

Companies involved in the new standards groups expanded board include Samsung, Microsoft, AB Electrolux, LG, Canon, Cisco, GE Digital, Haier, Intel and Qualcomm.

The new standards group also includes Comcast, Dell, IBM, Bose, Lenovo, Honeywell, HP, Huawei, Nuance, Asurion, HTC and Symantec, though Google, Amazon and Apple are reportedly not involved.

“The AllSeen Alliance and Open Connectivity Foundation have been working together closely to deliver a technologically comprehensive solution that makes sense for the industry and our members.”

Both groups had previously been sponsoring their own open source framework projects called IoTivity and AllJoyn. Moving forward, the single standard will combine the two projects.

“We’re incredibly excited about this unification as both groups have been working diligently to make this possible,” said Mike Richmond, executive director of OCF.

“As we forge onwards towards this shared goal, we are focused on building the most robust, open IoT software solution to achieve our vision – complete interoperability within the IoT.”

“We believe this is a crucial move to unlock the vast potential of the Internet of Things for consumers around the world,” Jan Brockmann, chief operations officer of the Electrolux Group, said.

“Combining the best of these two organizations takes us one step closer to the vision of a home where our appliances can freely communicate with a wide range of other products and brands.”