GSMA announced the launch of the ‘IoT Big Data API Directory’ that will make harmonised data sets from multiple sources worldwide available to developers and third parties, enabling them to create innovative new IoT services. The directory, first of its kind, is designed to encourage a common approach to data sharing that will help IoT to realise its full potential and encourage the development of new projects.

The IoT Big Data API Directory provides details of IoT and context data sets covering machines, devices, automotive, roads, environment, smart home and agriculture. All of the data sets are harmonised and can be viewed on github. A common approach to data sharing lowers costs and creates opportunities for IoT developers, data brokers and data providers.

GSMA has also released a document called the ‘IoT Big Data Framework’ to define how mobile operators can approach the delivery of IoT big data services. It is designed to enable industry participants to work together collaboratively to deliver big data services and support an ecosystem of third-party application developers.

GSMA will showcase the work at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Telefonica will demonstrate environmental monitoring and show how CO2 emission data is collected from ground sensors and satellites in Nantes, Malaga and Santander before being analysed. Orange will demonstrate how it can deliver harmonised public transport, weather station and air quality data streaming based on heterogenous and anonymised open data sources in India and France utilising FIWARE open source enablers.

KT Corporation will demonstrate a smart agriculture supply chain solution which is an information service that provides detail on cultivation history, distribution status as well as a guarantee of provenance of farm products, underpinned by an international standard for electronic data interchange, the GS1 standard. China Mobile will also demonstrate at Mobile World Congress Shanghai in June how its OneNET IoT big data platform is helping to monitor and analyse environmental factors such as wind speed, temperature and humidity in Chongqing City, China.