NEW DELHI: After the success of digital public infrastructure (DPI) such as Aadhaar, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), DigiLocker, etc, the government is planning a homegrown Internet of Things (IoT) stack based on open source tools and software. The plan, officials say, is to come up with a low-cost and secured solution. This solution will help startups and other small companies to seamlessly integrate and group the technologies used in the connectivity of devices with data management as well as storage requirements.
The idea to build an indigenous IoT stack was floated at a recent meeting between officials from the ministry of electronics and IT, the department of telecommunications (DoT) and industry executives. The need for an ecosystem with connected devices and data storage with secured and trusted solutions is growing. As such, both the industry and government officials pressed for a stack that will seamlessly integrate all layers such as hardware, software, communication and cloud. These layers act as base for every IoT stack.
Officials said that it is crucial for the country to have its own standards for IoT so that it can build a homegrown and inclusive data economy. This will free the industry from the barriers put up by big technology companies providing IoT solutions.
The development comes against the backdrop of Tata Consultancy Services’ (TCS’) indigenous 4G, 5G stack, built in collaboration with Tejas Networks which is close to being deployed commercially. Other countries have also evinced interest in deploying DPI as well as the telecom stack.
IoT is a term used when a network of physical devices, such as home appliances, vehicles, hearables, etc, connect to the Internet.
The connectivity of these devices and their ability to perform tasks revolve around the IoT stack, which involves different layers. For instance, an IoT device such as a home appliance is connected to the Internet using telecom networks, Wi-Fi, etc. The device collects data from usage and shares it with cloud platforms such as Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services using communication protocol. The cloud platform stores this data and transfers it over cloud applications through which end-users interact with the system, and companies get to see the customer interface.
At present, feasibility studies are being done to develop tools that are required for data management, device connectivity and integration with third-party vendors, as well as APIs (application programming interface) to help startups and companies develop a low-cost IoT model, the official said, adding that this would help smaller companies save operational costs.
Even as the government is considering mainstreaming its IoT stack, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has already developed a Common Service Platform that is based on oneM2M standard for IoT devices or machine-to-machine connectivity. It is a standardised IoT infrastructure that provides a common service layer for devices to connect for different services such as healthcare, transportation and metering, etc.
Using the solution, the companies can save significant costs in finding, selecting, and integrating these IoT components. Further, a standardised framework will also help the companies do away with the need of different vendors when assembling solutions on a use-case by use-case basis.
Source: The Financial Express
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