By J. Clarke Stevens, Shaw Communications
The Internet of Things (IoT) is driving new products and technologies—as well as customer adoption rates. This increased integration presents an exciting opportunity for cable operators to reinforce their value, and support customers as they transition to an increasingly interconnected home. With this opportunity comes a handful of challenges around network security, device interoperability and increased customer support requirements for installation and troubleshooting. The Open Connectivity Foundation (a consortium of CableLabs, Comcast, Shaw, Cox, Midco, Mediacom and over 400 other companies like LG, Honeywell and Cisco) has been formed to overcome these challenges through a standardized approach to IoT.
The benefits of cross-organizational collaboration include industry alignment, cost-savings and an opportunity to develop mutually-beneficial products and platforms. For the cable industry, this partnership promises a seat at the table with leading device manufacturers, as well as economies of scale for troubleshooting and alignment on security, interoperability and scalable remote manageability. The partnership’s work to develop an ecosystem which considers these impacts and allows for seamless integration of new devices will ultimately benefit customers and help usher in a new era of interconnectivity.