The Internet of Things (IoT) is approaching quickly in terms of technological leaps and while network operators are preparing for the huge amount of devices they will most likely encounter, other branches of the industry are tackling different challenges. With even small objects like lightbulbs, switches and tiny sensors with nothing but microcontrollers embedded, it will be necessary to have very lightweight software running on those appliances, and Samsung has now decided to improve that side of the equation.
They recently opened IoT.js, a web based platform that allows to connect precisely such devices. To help with ease of use (for developers), Samsung decided not to reinvent the wheel, but they chose to strip down already well-known technologies like JavaScript and node.js, which are currently used in much heavier client-server applications. On the new platform, JerryScript replaces JavaScript and IoT.js itself is a much lighter version of node.js, allowing it to be run on many more devices and hence for much improved interoperability between all the things you might find in the IoT. Additionally, the entire system can be easily integrated with existing technologies, which means developers can use their usual tools and processes to develop for that new kind of device.
Rumor has it that Samsung is mainly upping the ante here in view of its own Tizen platform, wishing to spread and improve their own technology by making it accessible to a big number of already existing developers. As so often, acceptance and propagation of something entirely new by the public depends largely on the number of manufacturers producing and therefore developers writing software for it. Just think of alternate operating systems for smartphones, and how their success is mainly determined by the amount and quality of apps available.
Of course, Samsung is not showing us anything final or any products, they are just opening the doors for all kinds of software engineers and inviting them to join this latest movement. Any friend of the opensource idea will rejoice at this news and hopefully many of the gifted developers out there will join Samsung in their endeavor so we may soon live in an even more comfortable world with intelligent lights, heating, fridges, you name it.