Canonical Gains Powerful Partners in Internet of Things Push
Canonical, the firm behind Ubuntu Linux, announced last week that Microsoft and Amazon agreed to publish their Internet of Things (IoT) application programming interfaces (APIs) on Ubuntu Core. The move showed that Canonical is forging meaningful partnerships with big time technology players, and showed how seriously the company takes the Internet of Things.
Among other things, Canonical is noting that security--a possible problem with Internet of Things infrastructure--is a topic that Microsoft and Amazon can lend some intelligence to.
As it is doing with its OpenStack efforts, Canonical is focused on certification and validation with the Internet of Things. “Certified and supported Ubuntu platforms set the standard for safety and security in connected devices” said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of Canonical and Ubuntu. “Device manufacturers who choose Ubuntu Core on certified platforms now have a popular platform that meets corporate and government requirements for security updates and management.”
The Ubuntu team came out with a new “snappy” version of Ubuntu Core late last year, and it is proving to have many use cases.
"Ubuntu Core is a new rendition of Ubuntu for the cloud with transactional updates. Ubuntu Core is a minimal server image with the same libraries as today’s Ubuntu, but applications are provided through a simpler mechanism. The snappy approach is faster, more reliable, and lets us provide stronger security guarantees for apps and users — that’s why we call them 'snappy' applications."
Canonical is working with telecoms operators to simplify customer premises equipment acquisition, deployment and maintenance, building on the carrier-grade systems and application update mechanisms built into snappy Ubuntu Core.
“Snappy Ubuntu Core is a valuable and powerful IoT enabler for talented developers and inventors. Our mission is to support them with Deutsche Telekom’s resources and business knowledge. We believe that our partnership will bring groundbreaking products and services created by creative individuals gathered inside and around Ubuntu community.” said Jakub Probola, of Deutsche Telekom’s incubator, hub:raum.
Although not everyone realizes it, Ubuntu is already the leading platform for telco OpenStack deployments. Ubuntu Core is intended to extend that lead.
Both Microsoft and Amazon have agreed to publish their IoT developer APIs on Ubuntu Core for snappy developers.
“Smart industrial systems need secure cloud back-ends for data storage and analysis. Microsoft and Canonical are partnering to deliver developer APIs to enable Ubuntu Core for snappy developers. This partnership will simplify cloud-backed device development,” says John Shewchuk, Technical Fellow at Microsoft.