AT&T, Cisco, GE, IBM and Intel to Set Standards for Internet of Things

The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) is officially formed, founding members AT&T, Cisco, GE, IBM and Intel announced Thursday.

The IIC is a non-profit, open membership group consisting of researchers, companies and public agencies aiming to speed up the Internet of Things through adoption of Industrial Internet applications. It will allow its members to connect with each other easily and optimize data, assets and operations across all industrial sectors.

Its goal is to break down barriers of technology to make big data more accessible and integrate physical and digital worlds. According to its charter, it will support advancement byusing existing and create new industries test areas for real-world situations, convey the bestpractices and researches concerned in using connected technologies, influence global standards and conduct forums to share ideas and lessons with participating members, among others.

"The Industrial Internet Consortium provides an outstanding vehicle for transitioning into practice the foundational research that the National Science Foundation has long supported through investments in cyber-physical systems (CPS)," Farnam Jahanian, assistant director of the National Science Foundation for Computer and Information Science and Engineering said in a press release. "We believe adoption by the private sector of fundamental CPS advances is an important part of the R&D innovation ecosystem."

The Steering Committee is composed of all five founding members plus another four elected officials. It will lead, govern and help organizations benefit from this opportunity.

Believing in the technology's importance, the federal government will be providing over $100 million each year for research and development on cyberphysical systems.

"By linking physical objects to the full power of cyberspace, the Industrial Internet promises to dramatically reshape how people interact with technology," Secretary of Commerce PennyPritzker stated in the press release. "The Administration looks forward to working with public-private collaborations like the new IIC to turn innovative Industrial Internet products and systems into new jobs in smart manufacturing, health care, transportation and other areas."