New service makes harmonised data from multiple sources available to developers

February 15, 2017 - London, UK: The GSMA today announced the launch of the ‘IoT Big Data API Directory’ that will make harmonised data sets from multiple sources worldwide available to developers and third parties, enabling them to create innovative new Internet of Things (IoT) services. The directory, which is the first of its kind, is designed to encourage a common approach to data sharing that will help the IoT to realise its full potential and encourage the development of new projects across transport, the environment and smart cities. Global mobile operators China Mobile, China Unicom, KT Corporation, Orange and Telefónica have already implemented solutions enabling them to share harmonised IoT data.

“The IoT generates a huge amount of data that is currently retained in vertical silos. However, in order for the IoT to reach its full potential this data needs to be released and made available to developers and third parties,” said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer, GSMA. “A common, collaborative and interoperable approach to big data will remove the commercial and technical barriers to capitalising on the IoT opportunity and usher in a new era of IoT solutions that will help the market to scale. We encourage mobile operators to collaborate with the wider industry to benefit from the big data opportunity.”

The IoT Big Data API Directory provides details of IoT and context data sets covering machines, devices, automotive, roads, environment, smart home and agriculture. All of the data sets are harmonised and can be viewed on github. A common approach to data sharing lowers costs and creates opportunities for IoT developers, data brokers and data providers.

Mobile Operators Key to IoT Big Data Delivery

The GSMA has also released a document called the ‘IoT Big Data Framework’ to define how mobile operators can approach the delivery of IoT big data services. It is designed to enable industry participants to work together collaboratively to deliver big data services and support an ecosystem of third-party application developers. Mobile operators are seen as key participants in the delivery of an IoT big data ecosystem, although much of the IoT data that is collected will come from a range of data provider partners. The document provides a framework for the delivery of IoT big data services that recognises the many different approaches towards the services that are offered and the technology choices that are made. The proposed architecture offers a degree of flexibility which allows IoT big data services to be offered in multiple ways.

IoT Big Data Demonstrations at Mobile World Congress 2017

The GSMA will showcase the work it is doing on IoT big data at the Innovation City (Hall 4 Stand 4A30) at Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona. Telefonica will demonstrate environmental monitoring and show how CO2 emission data is collected from ground sensors and satellites in Nantes and Valencia before being analysed. Orange will demonstrate how it can deliver harmonised public transport, weather station and air quality data streaming based on heterogenous and anonymised open data sources in India and France utilising FIWARE open source enablers¹ . KT Corporation will demonstrate a smart agriculture supply chain solution which is an information service that provides detail on cultivation history, distribution status as well as a guarantee of provenance of farm products, underpinned by an international standard for electronic data interchange, the GS1 standard (Global Standard One code, www.gs1.org). China Mobile will also demonstrate at Mobile World Congress Shanghai in June 2017 how its OneNET IoT big data platform is helping to monitor and analyse environmental factors such as wind speed, temperature and humidity in Chongqing City, China.