Open-source Internet of Things platform could help spur smarter homes and cities

October 15, 2013
open_remote

OpenRemote’s software can connect and automate all kinds of devices. You can use its software to design a custom device controller (credit: OpenRemote)

If you buy several Internet-connected home gadgets — say, a “smart” thermostat, “smart” door lock, and “smart” window blinds — you’ll likely have to control each one with a separate app, meaning it exists in its own little silo.

That’s not how Elier Ramirez does it. In his home, an iPad app controls his lights, ceiling fans, and TV and stereo. Pressing a single button within the app can shut off all his lights and gadgets when he leaves, MIT Technology Review reports.

The software behind all this interconnection comes from a company called OpenRemote, which is plugging away on an open-source software platform for linking Internet-connected gadgets, making it easier to control all kinds of smart home devices, regardless of who made them.

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