Towards Seamless Communication in the Web of Things: Are standards sufficient to ensure interoperability?

Abstract

A large amount of work is currently focusing on the development of standards for attaining interoperability in the Internet of Things (IoT). The numerous solutions and technologies reflect a fragmented landscape, in which the interoperability among heterogeneous and geographically distributed computer systems, ´things´ and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platforms remains unachieved. The Web of Things (WoT) initiative of the Web of Things Working Group aims at developing standards for the WoT to expose the potential of the IoT while addressing its current fragmentation, and encourage the growth of the market for the IoT devices and services. However, towards attaining seamless interoperability in the WoT, a challenging question is: Are standards sufficient to ensure interoperability in the WoT? Towards answering this research question, this article aims to identify existing WoT interoperability standardization initiatives and discuss the role and ability of standards to ensure interoperability in the WoT. Recommendations for moving forward towards attaining seamless interoperability in the WoT are advanced.