Microsoft Is Putting Windows 10 and Cortana at the Center Of Smart Homes

Guest post by Adam Smith

Home automation is becoming increasingly popular among the tech savvy individuals. Information from progressiveautomations.com suggests that soon even some of the common tasks will be automated. With accessories such as linear actuators, people have been able to automate switches, doors, and even their stereo systems. Innovations in home automation technology have now made it easier for people even to use their phones to control linear actuators. Individuals with Android and iPhone devices currently have the opportunity of controlling their automated devices using their phones and tablets. Linear actuators have indeed revolutionized the home automation technology, and it is only a matter of time before homes become fully automated with even the simplest tasks being controlled by people.

Having seen Apple and Google make loud entrances in home automation, Microsoft also wanted a share of the spoils. However, Windows 7 and 8 did not quite fit but evidently, through Windows 10 and Cortana, Microsoft has managed to make a belated entry. Windows 10 has opened the door for Microsoft on many platforms, and during the company’s Build Conference in 2016, the intent was made clear through several internet-of-things announcements.

Microsoft plans to release the new Open Connectivity Foundation (OFC) protocols later this year. OFC protocols will make it possible for Windows 10 to work in tandem with a wide range of home appliances and devices. Cortana, which is a voice-activated digital assistant, will also help in automation tasks particularly when using mobile devices, the Xbox console, or a Windows PC. Through Cortana, people will be able to speak instructions which will then be actionized. Activities such as switching on the bulbs or locking and unlocking doors will become simple one-word or single phrase commands. The different activities or actions will be based on the information provided by a person such as time or temperature. One will also be allowed to attach the actions or activities to specific profiles which will be activated through Cortana. Just like how Windows discovers hardware components, the connected devices will have first to be discovered by the OS before a person can activate their functionality.

Currently, the Windows OS is only compatible with devices that are based on the AllJoyn protocol. However, with the development of the OCF protocols, the expectation is that the OS will become compatible with more devices and be able to unite a majority if not all of the IoT standards. With its completion, OCF will unite AllJoyn and Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC). The above will benefit consumers because they will be gifted the opportunity of using Windows 10 and Cortana to interact with Samsung and Dell devices. The development of OCF has brought together Samsung, Microsoft, Dell, and Intel and unified them in the development of tools that will be compatible with the protocol.

According to reports from Windows, OCF will provide devices with a common platform through which they will be able to interact with each other. If the reports from the 2016 Build Conference are to be believed, 2017 will be a big year for Microsoft, particularly in matters home automation. Firstly, the development of the OCF protocol will be complete, and this will be followed by integration of the protocol’s standards and tools in Windows 10. As is the norm with other standards, OCF will allow connectivity through Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Zigbee, and Bluetooth. The IoTivity is the placeholder for OCF, and through it, users have the opportunity of having AllJoyn devices interact with devices compatible with the OIC protocol.
Apart from the development of OCF, Microsoft also announced that it is working on an open-source project known as the Open Translator for Things. With this at hand, users are now able to create classifications for their devices which makes for easier identification of devices and will help in merging AllJoyn and IoTivity into OCF.