What does OCF mean in FOUNDATIONS

The Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) is an open standards body for unifying the IoT industry and creating a secure and interoperable environment for connected devices. OCF brings together technologists, companies, and innovators to develop global standards and infrastructure which will enable connected devices worldwide to talk to each other, regardless of form factor, operating system or service provider.

OCF’s mission is to enable secure interoperability for consumers, businesses and industries by delivering a framework of open standards backed by certification and a global ecosystem. We strive to be the bridge across different markets such as home automation, consumer electronics, automotive platforms, industrial automation, object identification, health monitoring and more.

OCF's members consist of a diverse group of technology giants such as Amazon, Apple, Microsoft; major OEMs including Asustek Computer Inc., Canon Inc., Flextronics International Ltd., HP Inc., Intel Corporation; semiconductor vendors like Atheros Communications Inc., Broadcom Corporation; software companies like CA Technologies; device/sensor manufacturers like Lantronix Inc.; mobile services providers like Deutsche Telekom AG; and many others from all corners of the IoT world.

The Open Connectivity Foundation was incorporated in July 2016 by Intel Corp. In August 2018 its first certification program was launched.

Currently OCF supports IP-based communication protocols as well as Bluetooth-Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks based on direct digital transfer between two devices without being routed through an intermediary server or cloud solution. The multi-layer support structure allows for scalability for different types of use cases in different markets.

No – all specifications adopted by the Open Connectivity Foundation are free for anyone wanting to adopt them into their product design or service offering. All companies interested in joining the OCF must become an official member however there may be associated fees with membership depending on membership tier levels.

Yes – products must pass a series of validations tests determined by the certification program in order to use any adopted technology from the foundation. Device manufacturers that desire certification can certify end products through accredited test labs around the globe that have been approved by select bodies within each region where applicable.