Industrial IoT Milestone as Sparkplug Becomes an International Standard

Last week the Eclipse Foundation, one of the world’s foremost open-source software foundations, in collaboration with the Eclipse Sparkplug Working Group, announced a critical milestone in the advancement of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The Eclipse Sparkplug specification has been officially published as an International Standard, now known as ISO/IEC 20237!

Standardizing Sparkplug Advances IIoT

This accomplishment heralds a new chapter in IIoT connectivity, with the Sparkplug specification providing a universal approach for diverse industrial systems to communicate and exchange data effortlessly. The recognition of Eclipse Sparkplug as an International Standard is incredibly important because it promotes interoperability, enhances trust and adoption, drives innovation, expands market access, ensures regulatory compliance, and streamlines collaboration in the realm of IIoT. 

The achievement marks a significant step forward in creating a more connected, efficient, and innovative industrial landscape.

In a survey HiveMQ did last year with IIoT World, respondents were asked which data movement tools they consider essential to fulfill their IIoT strategy. An impressive 25% answered “MQTT Sparkplug” even though the specification was still fairly young. The milestone of becoming an International Standard is sure to increase adoption worldwide. 

What is MQTT Sparkplug?

Sparkplug is an open-source software specification that provides MQTT clients the framework to seamlessly integrate data from their applications, sensors, devices, and gateways within the MQTT infrastructure in a bi-directional and interoperable way.

At HiveMQ, we’re committed to advancing open-source technologies, and as a founding member, we play a pivotal role in the Eclipse Sparkplug Working Group. We were instrumental in the development of the Sparkplug 3.0 specification and our contributions helped to create the Sparkplug Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK), which allows vendors to certify their compatibility with the Sparkplug specification​.

Our engagement in the Sparkplug Working Group also extends to our products. The HiveMQ broker was among the first to be validated as fully Sparkplug compliant and aware through the new Sparkplug Compatible Program. Compliance demonstrates our commitment to providing solutions that integrate operational technology (OT) data with enterprise systems in a seamless, bi-directional manner, leveraging the capabilities of the Sparkplug specification​​. 

To learn more, read our MQTT Sparkplug Essentials series, or contact us to learn how you can build an architecture based on Sparkplug as shown in the diagram below.