IoT organizations combine to bring new tech into industry

The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) and the OpenFog Consortium (OpenFog) announced that they have agreed in principle to combine the two largest and most influential international consortia in Industrial IoT, fog and edge computing. The move will bring OpenFog members into the IIC organization at a time when their complementary areas of technology are emerging in the mainstream.  

The Industrial Internet Consortium is the world’s leading membership program transforming business and society by accelerating the Industrial Internet of Things. The OpenFog Consortium was founded to advance fog computing and address bandwidth, latency and communications challenges associated with IoT, 5G and AI applications.

“This is great news for the industry. Both organizations have been advancing the IIoT, fog and edge computing, and their members represent the best and the brightest in their fields.  It makes sense to merge their expertise and work streams to continue providing the IIoT, fog and edge guidance that the industry needs,” said Christian Renaud, Research Vice President, Internet of Things, 451 Research.

“The Industrial Internet Consortium, now incorporating OpenFog, will be the single largest organization focused on IIoT, AI, fog and edge computing in the world. Between both of our organizations we have a remarkable global presence with members in more than 30 countries,” said IIC President Bill Hoffman. “This agreement will help accelerate the adoption of the IIoT, fog and edge computing.”

“We’re excited by the growth and advancement of fog technologies–from a technology, standards and general awareness standpoint - since our launch nearly three years ago,” said Matt Vasey, OpenFog chairman and president, and director, AI and IoT business development, Microsoft. “During that time, it has increasingly become apparent that we share so much synergy with the efforts of the IIC that it just made sense to bring the two consortia together. The resulting combination of memberships, resources and shared knowledge will only further the growth of the technologies, including fog, which will support IIoT ecosystems.”

The combined memberships will continue to drive the momentum of the Industrial Internet including the development and promotion of industry guidance and best practices for fog and edge computing. The organizations expect the details to be finalized in early 2019.