Berlin, Germany. May 29, 2012 — Fraunhofer FOKUS, supported by Technische Universität Berlin, has released a new M2M communication platform, OpenMTC. With the OpenMTC platform, the two institutions are providing an ETSI standard-compliant middleware platform for M2M-oriented applications and services, creating added value for telecom operators but also for equipment manufacturers and integrators.
This platform supports a variety of different sensor and device technologies via integration with other service platforms. OpenMTC also supports multiple vertical application domains and machine-to-machine (M2M) service sectors such as utilities, automotive, and health, as well as transport & logistics. OpenMTC is said to be a powerful state-of-the-art platform addressing the requirements and challenges of the emerging world of smart cities and the Internet of Things.
Dr. Sebastian Wahle (pictured), M2M Project Manager at Fraunhofer FOKUS, states: “We are very proud to publish the OpenMTC Release 1 and are already in contact with (the) first customers and partner institutions to make use of OpenMTC as part of various R&D projects. We envision that M2M communication platforms will act as nervous systems for the cities of the future, transporting information across a myriad of connected devices and forming the Internet of Things. Now that we have connected the sensors and actuators to our M2M nervous system, for me the burning questions are how to design it and where to position the human brain. Such questions will drive our research in 2012 and 2013.”
Technically, OpenMTC mainly builds upon the ETSI TC M2M specifications TS 102.921 and TS 102.690, which were released in February 2012. The architecture involves common service capabilities that have been specified for a device/gateway and network service capability layer. In addition to the functional architecture, OpenMTC Release 1 implements the specified interfaces that allow applications to connect to the M2M middleware abstracting from the underlying data transport. A “RESTful” and resource-oriented communication paradigm in addition to a subscribe/notify mechanism allow for highly flexible interaction with physical and virtual resources that can reside locally or be accessed through cloud technologies.
Fraunhofer FOKUS, based in Berlin, Germany, explores how communication networks can contribute to more convenient and more secure living. The institute addresses important challenges in society, including access to information, smart mobility and modern governmental administration that is efficient as well as accessible from everywhere.
Besides technical infrastructures, Fraunhofer FOKUS develops many practical solutions as well. As an independent research institute, Fraunhofer FOKUS is an important link between industry, governmental administration and the people. The institute is developing the communication architecture of tomorrow both on its own and together with its partners. In particular, Fraunhofer FOKUS is specialised in the development of multi-domain networks as well as interoperable, user-centric solutions.
