# What Is an Open IoT Platform?
## 4 Discussion
### Defining Openness of IoT Platforms?
However, platform providers can employ open standards and implement it in their own way, e.g., an agent platform FIPA-OS is implemented based on FIPA (Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents) agent standards [54]. However, if the openness type of a platform is based on open APIs only, consequently for platform providers that would not be considered open anymore. For example, since ThingSpeak has changed its business model to commercial use, and its source code has not been updated since 2015, the newest edition of it is not considered open for this type of stakeholders anymore. While we believe that application providers can still benefit using it, specifically due the open APIs. Moreover, for platform providers openness can adopt several models that can define the openness in different ways [34]. Thus, _we observe that open-source and open standards are important openness types for platform providers_. **Application providers**: play an essential role in the IoT ecosystem by providing applications based on open IoT platforms. For them, an IoT platform can be considered \"open\" as long as it provides an open standard or even just an open API. Whether the IoT platform is open-source or not, it is not fundamental from an application providers perspective. In a study of [PERSON] et al., [55] FIWARE is used to provide a remote patient monitoring application, e.g., FIWARE is a widely used IoT platform as open standard from application providers' perspective. In another study [51], 12 IoT platforms are chosen to evaluate from application provider viewpoint and four platforms are described as open. However, they are not restricted to open-source and two of them are referred as open APIs. [51]. Moreover, application providers often focus on core developers, third-party developers and data aggregators [34]. Thus, _we observe that open APIs and open standards are important openness types for application providers_. **System integrators**: usually deal with complex IoT offerings with many moving parts including sensors, devices, connectivity, platform, business logic, applications and users [52]. Thus, system integrators play a unique role to provide end-to-end IoT solutions by integrating different parts, including the open IoT platform. The openness type of an IoT platform for system integrators could be different depending on how the IoT platform is used to deliver final solutions. The system integrators must consider multiple devices and technologies. If the system integrator concerns compatibility primarily, the open standard will be more critical openness type than others. An open standard can help the system integrators to decrease the switching cost to build a better ecosystem in many fields, i.e., in avionics [56] and in robot controllers [57]. From an implementation perspective, open layer, open APIs and open-source could also be considered for system integrators but always depending on their requirements. For example, if the system integrators provide their own IoT platform as a solution, then open-source is significantly more important openness concern. The availability of the source code control allows a system integrator to extend its offering in the areas of support services and it givesthe system integrators more business potentials [58]. Thus, _we observe that open standards and open-source play a significant role for system integrators._
**Device providers**: Compatibility is an essential concern for device providers to support different IoT platforms, devices and other techniques. Therefore, open standards are critical for device providers to define an IoT platform as open. For example, open standards for medical devices play a significant role for medical platforms in these environments [59]. An open layer could also be important for device providers, while open-source and open APIs are usually not relevant. An open platform provided by Sensoria Corporation for distributed sensor networks exploits an open layer as FUSD (User Space Device Drivers) to enable POSIX-standard device file interfaces [60].