What Are the Benefits of Open Source Industrial IoT?
The Industrial Internet of Things heralds a new industrial revolution and new tools and techniques for getting all kinds of work done. In manufacturing and warehouse operations, as well as the more massive supply chain and beyond, IIoT vendors are already increasing and promising to trim waste, boost responsiveness, and improve planning and forecasting. It’s all thanks to connected hardware and intelligent software.
One big question companies have to ask is: Should my IIoT build be open source or proprietary? There are some benefits to well-supported and stable proprietary IIoT protocols and applications. However, open-source industrial IoT technology may be the more advantageous choice for many.
What Is Open Source?
“Open-source software provides free or low-cost digital building blocks for creating almost anything we can imagine”.
The Android operating system, Firefox and Apache web browsers, Linux, and MySQL are well-known examples of software built on an open-source foundation. Apple has pledged to make macOS open source, and Microsoft says a similar move for Windows is possible.
Open source is best defined by what it does not do. Proprietary software is cordoned off behind copyrights, patents, highly customized parts or components, encryption, or tamper protection. Open-source software is offered freely by its creators for use as-is, or it can be modified for deployment in a different capacity.
Why Open Source for the IIoT?
There are many reasons why this business model can be advantageous for a wide variety of companies, and especially those involved in the world’s supply and manufacturing chains. In any industry with this many moving parts, businesses need to know they can tailor their IT builds any way they need to and unify all their hardware and software tools for maximum data mobility.
Open source meets these needs. It supports the development of tools like edge-programmable controllers, plus endless customizability, as programmable logic controllers designed with proprietary components.
Here are some of the other advantages:
- Less expensive: Proprietary software and hardware designs almost always carry higher price tags than open-source alternatives, which are usually free to use. End-users absorb costs like licensing fees, engineers’ salaries, company overhead, and more.
- No contracts or vendor lock-in: Freedom and mobility are additional concerns. Adopting proprietary digital tools may require a subscription, with or without a long-term lock-in clause that could prevent you from migrating to a different set of tools if you want to.
- Free to develop and modify: Companies with limited R&D or IT budgets can’t afford to build from scratch every time they need new apps or network services. Open source provides a reliable and peer-reviewed foundation on which to build custom features and unique functionality.
- Greater interoperability: Open-source IIoT solutions tend to offer improved interoperability and robust APIs and SDKs for integration with other systems and products.
- More extensive and more diverse developer base: If there’s a chief benefit to open-source technology, it’s that creating it is a much more democratic process than most competing proprietary products. Developers can come from anywhere, and they bring a broad set of skills and perspectives compared to isolated teams working on closed software.
- Potentially faster development: The teams behind open-source APIs, SDKs, and IoT protocols don’t have the overhead typical of software development companies and in-house IT teams. This means open-source technologies can see very rapid iterations and potentially incorporate new features at a faster pace.
Examples of IIoT in Warehousing and Manufacturing
MQTT and OMA LwM2M are two of the most relevant examples of open-source protocols in the IIoT world today. MQTT, or message queuing telemetry transport protocol, was developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO). OMA LwM2M, or lightweight machine-to-machine, is a device management protocol developed by the Open Mobile Alliance.
Node-RED is an open-source IIoT toolkit that’s paying big dividends. It provides programming tools for unifying various combinations of APIs, diversified hardware devices, and online applications and services. Secure Shell (SSH) is another open-source IIoT tool. It helps companies build reliable online services, even on unsecured networks.
Here are several real-world success stories made possible by adopting Node-RED, SSH, and other open-source protocols:
- Node-RED helped one warehousing company build a unified, cloud-based interface for battery data. It dovetailed seamlessly with Azure’s analysis functionality.
- SSH helped a developer add customized code to stock controllers and develop automated reclamation and material handling equipment with superior spatial visualization.
- One company built its P2P communication service for pumping equipment and other assets in the field using open source networking tools, MQTT and Node-RED.
- Many companies that have adopted open-source programs have benefited from additional help where cybersecurity is concerned. Source code that’s open to public scrutiny has a large, built-in QA team to spot bugs and exploits.
When a company needs to choose a new forklift or material handling equipment, there’s maximum load capacity, time-to-recharge, custom attachments, and the benefits of buying vs. leasing to consider. Customizing an IIoT build should offer just as much variation and customizability — and thanks to open source projects, it can.
Open Source Is an Ideal Match for the IIoT
Anyone who uses smartphones and personal computers have benefited from open-source software projects. It doesn’t just help the public access useful digital applications, however.
Open source provides a competitive advantage for companies with unique software and hardware requirements. Even specialized manufacturing and distribution processes can use available open-source tools to quickly and economically reach their development goals.
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