OCF Announces Completion of Universal Cloud Interface; Launches Industry’s First Cloud-to-Cloud Certification Program

Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF), a leading Internet of Things (IoT) standards body, today announced the completion of OCF Specification Release 2.2.0 and launch of the first ever Cloud-to-Cloud Certification Program. Specification Release 2.2.0 includes the OCF Universal Cloud Interface (UCI), the industry’s first solution to unify the IoT ecosystem through cloud-to-cloud connectivity.

Standardizing Cloud-to-Cloud Connectivity

Today, IoT devices can be connected in three different ways:

• Directly by the controlling device through local connectivity (Device-to-Device)
• Via an IoT Cloud (Device-to-Cloud)
• Through multiple clouds (Cloud-to-Cloud) in which a cloud connects to devices

The OCF UCI offers a standardized way for device manufacturers to connect their clouds, making OCF technology a complete connectivity solution along with the Device-to-Device and Device-to-Cloud standards previously published by OCF.

Amongst its many benefits, Cloud-to-Cloud interfaces enable immediate connection between existing devices from different manufacturers with no need for device modification or updates, while the OCF UCI enables multi-vendor ecosystems to interoperate.

In conjunction with the 2.2.0 specification, OCF is pleased to announce a comprehensive certification program and the availability of an OCF reference and open source implementation of OCF’s UCI, available under an Apache 2.0 license. This OCF reference and open source implementation has passed all UCI certification test cases, allowing vendors confidence to accelerate their development and certify Cloud-to-Cloud connectivity using OCF. The UCI certification program will ensure interoperability between devices on different clouds by communicating via a Cloud-to-Cloud API. This certification program will certify two types of clouds. A client-side cloud for mobile apps, TV apps, etc. and device-side cloud for sensors, appliances, etc.

“The OCF UCI not only simplifies collaboration between device manufacturers but also simplifies the development process compared to proprietary cloud APIs,” said John Park, executive director, Open Connectivity Foundation. “The OCF UCI Certification program is the industry’s most straightforward and effortless ways to enable device control and build deeper integration within the IoT.”

The OCF Specification Release 2.2.0 is now available for public download on the OCF Specification Page. An open source implementation of the OCF UCI is will be available this August.

In addition to the OCF UCI, Release 2.2.0 now includes support for low-power modes. This new feature enables the optimal use of sleepy end devices/endpoints (SED/SEP) for use with IoT protocols such as Thread. This support allows for battery-powered sensors and actuators and is another major milestone in OCF’s continued efforts to enable a more cohesive home and building automation market.

Additional details on the OCF Specification Release 2.2.0 and Cloud-to-Cloud Certification Program are now available at OpenConnectivity.org.