

The Internet Of Things Will Need Millions Of Developers By 2020 - damian2000
http://readwrite.com/2014/06/27/internet-of-things-developers-jobs-opportunity

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onion2k
If IoT devices make their data open, accessible and work to a defined standard
with a machine discoverable, zero config interface[1], then, in theory, apps
could be built with no knowledge of whatever devices come along that could use
the new data as and when it appears. That way we wouldn't actually need more
developers, just developers willing and able to take advantage of the new
data.

But that's unlikely.

[1] Like WSDL is supposed to be.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Services_Description_Langua...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Services_Description_Language)

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rodion
There is a protocol called CoAP that has some traction [1,2]. It describes a
standard for accessing sensor data and also includes discovery. Technically, I
don't think there is a major challenge.

The problem, IMHO, is rather in who will pay for the physical devices. The
common view is that there is no money to be made from the sensor hardware
itself. Thus, the only way to sell hardware would be to bundle it with a
service that the user pays for. Assume that I, as a utility company, subsidize
a smart meter to be installed in customers' homes -- what would be my
incentive to open it up to other developers?

[1] [https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7252](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7252)
[2]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constrained_Application_Protoco...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constrained_Application_Protocol)

