KEY BENEFITS OF OSGI

The following list is a high-level summary of the key technical benefits associated with the OSGi specifications.

Platform Independence

The OSGi APIs can be implemented on a wide range of hardware platforms and operating systems to tailor the services gateway to the unique needs of a particular vertical market.

Application Independence

The OSGi specifications focus on defining common implementation APIs, making it suitable for services gateways for a variety of applications in different markets. While initially focused on the requirements of the residential gateway market, OSGi services gateways can be used in telematics applications, embedded in PDAs and cell phones, and supported on PCs and other consumer electronics devices.

Security

The OSGi specifications incorporate various levels of system security features, ranging from digital signing of downloaded modules to fine-grained object access control.

Multiple Services

The OSGi specifications support hosting multiple services from different providers on a single services gateway platform. This flexibility allows a gateway operator to offer a wide array of services to their customers.

Multiple Local Network Technologies

A variety of wired and wireless, data, and audio-video local transport standards are emerging. The OSGi specifications are designed to complement and enhance local network and device attachment technologies such as Bluetooth, the HAVi standard, HomePNA, HomeRF, IEEE-1394, LonWorks, powerline communication systems, Universal Serial Bus (USB), the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) Home Network, wireless systems, and other local network technologies.

Multiple Device Access Technologies

By concentrating on the service implementation aspects of the platform, OSGi supports a variety of device access technologies, such as UPnP and Jini, as a part of the device access API. These device access technologies let users control devices from many different places and diverse client devices. The standards define the discovery process of devices on the network, how commands can be issued to other devices, and how events from devices can be received. OSGi and device access technologies such as UPnP and Jini are very complementary, solve very different problems, and are a natural fit to cooperate.

Coexistence with Other Standards

OSGi service gateways can use narrowband Internet access approaches as well as the faster DSL and cable modem technologies. OSGi gateways may also be compatible with market-specific device and network management schemes, such as DOCSIS and SNMP.

Future-Proof

OSGi preserves consumer investments in future smart home devices. For example, today, when a consumer switches from one home security provider to another, the entire internal network has to be replaced. By choosing devices compatible with the OSGi specification, consumers can switch between various vendor offerings without having to replace virtually any of the networking infrastructure.