{{Short description|Internet of Things industry organisation}} {{Infobox organization | name = Open Connectivity Foundation | image = Open Connectivity Foundation logo.png | image_border = | image_size = frameless | caption = | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | abbreviation = OCF | formation = {{Start date and age|2016|2|19}} | extinction = | type = Standards organization | status = | purpose = Promoting standards for the Internet of things | headquarters = | location = | coordinates = | membership = Many member organizations<ref name="MembersList"/> | leader_title = | leader_name = | main_organ = | parent_organization = | affiliations = | num_staff = | num_volunteers = | budget = | key_people = | website = {{URL|https://openconnectivity.org}} | remarks = }}

The '''Open Connectivity Foundation''' ('''OCF''') is an industry organization to develop standards, promote a set of interoperability guidelines, and provide a certification program for devices involved in the Internet of things (IoT). By 2016 it claimed to be one of the biggest industrial connectivity standards organizations for IoT.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://industrial-iot.com/2016/02/meet-the-open-connectivity-foundation-ocf/|title=IoT Standards Get a Big Push: Meet the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF)|date=23 February 2016|access-date=26 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531161545/https://industrial-iot.com/2016/02/meet-the-open-connectivity-foundation-ocf/|archive-date=31 May 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its membership includes Samsung Electronics, Intel, Microsoft, Qualcomm and Electrolux.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gigaom.com/2016/02/20/new-open-connectivity-foundation-combines-open-interconnect-consortium-and-allseen-alliance/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221090804/https://gigaom.com/2016/02/20/new-open-connectivity-foundation-combines-open-interconnect-consortium-and-allseen-alliance/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 21, 2016|title=Gigaom - New Open Connectivity Foundation combines Open Interconnect Consortium and AllSeen Alliance|author=Stowe Boyd|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/02/19/microsoft-intel-samsung-others-launch-iot-standards-group-open-connectivity-foundation/|title=Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, & others launch IoT standards group: Open Connectivity Foundation|author=Paul Sawers|work=VentureBeat|date=19 February 2016 }}</ref><ref name="MembersList">[http://openconnectivity.org/about/membership-list OCF Membership List]</ref>

The OCF delivers a framework that enables these requirements via a specification,<ref>[http://openconnectivity.org/upnp/specifications UPNP Specification Page]</ref><ref>[http://openconnectivity.org/resources/specifications OCF Specification Page]</ref> a reference implementation<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iotivity.org/ |title=OCF Reference Implementation Page |access-date=2016-04-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317104846/https://www.iotivity.org/ |archive-date=2016-03-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and a certification program. IoTivity, the open source reference implementation of the specifications, is actively developed by different members of the OCF.

==History== The Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) began as an industry group to develop standards and certification for devices involved in the Internet of Things (IoT) based around the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wolf|first1=Michael|title=Smart Home Show: The Open Interconnect Consortium|url=http://www.technology.fm/thesmarthomeshow/shs-2015-i02|publisher=TECHNOLOGY.FM|accessdate=6 March 2015|ref=fm|archive-date=10 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150310010502/http://www.technology.fm/thesmarthomeshow/shs-2015-i02|url-status=dead}}</ref> OIC was created in July 2014 by Intel, Broadcom, and Samsung Electronics.<ref>[http://www.cnet.com/news/intel-samsung-create-internet-of-things-group/ Intel, Samsung create Internet of Things group]</ref> Broadcom left the consortium shortly after it was established, due to a disagreement on how to handle intellectual property.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20141110152752/https://gigaom.com/2014/10/10/its-an-iot-standards-shakeup-as-broadcom-dumps-intels-open-interconnect-consortium/ It’s an IoT standards shakeup as Broadcom dumps Intel’s Open Interconnect Consortium]</ref>

In September 2015 a release candidate of the specification in version 1.0 for the core framework, smart home device, resource type, security and remote access capabilities was released.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20151014235001/http://openinterconnect.org/oic-news-releases/open-interconnect-consortium-unveils-cloud-native-support-for-internet-of-things/ {{!}}OIC Candidate Specification 1.0 released]}}</ref> By November, 2015, "diamond members" included Cisco Systems, GE Software, Intel and Samsung.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://openinterconnect.org/members/ |title=List of OIC members |access-date= October 28, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151113030957/http://openinterconnect.org/members/ |archive-date= November 13, 2015 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

On February 19, 2016 the OIC changed its name to the Open Connectivity Foundation and added Microsoft, Qualcomm and Electrolux.<ref>[http://fortune.com/2016/02/19/microsoft-qualcomm-join-rebranded-internet-of-things-club/ Microsoft, Qualcomm Join Rebranded Internet of Things Club]</ref>

In November 2018 it was announced version 1 of the standard was ratified by International Organization for Standardization as ISO/IEC 30118-1:2018.<ref>[https://openconnectivity.org/announcements/open-connectivity-foundation-specification-achieves-recognition-by-international-standards-and-conformity-committees-driving-secure-interoperability-across-the-internet-of-things-worldwide The International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission Joint Technical Committee 1 approved the Open Connectivity Foundation Specification as an Internationally Recognized Internet of Things Standard]</ref>

In November, 2019, OCF released a draft "cloud API" for cloud computing services in addition to device-to-device and device-to-cloud service specifications.

By 2021, "diamond members" were Haier, LG Corporation and Samsung.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://openconnectivity.org/foundation/membership-list/ |title=List of OCF members |access-date= October 28, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210507040555/https://openconnectivity.org/foundation/membership-list/ |archive-date =May 7, 2021 }}</ref>

==See also== * IoTivity, an open source reference implementation for the OCF specifications * AllJoyn, a similar, collaborating open source framework, also sponsored by OCF<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://securityledger.com/2016/10/open-source-iot-standards-iotivity-and-alljoyn-merge/|title=Open Source IoT Standards IoTivity and AllJoyn Merge|date=2016-10-11|newspaper=The Security Ledger|language=en-US|access-date=2016-10-18}}</ref> * Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) * Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), networking protocols for networked devices to discover and establish functional network services

==References== {{Reflist}}

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Category:Technology consortia Category:Internet of things Category:Open standards Category:Organizations established in 2016 Category:Standards organizations in the United States