devicesbut

Devicesbut is a term used to describe a hypothetical open standard and ecosystem intended to enable interoperable communication among diverse consumer devices, including smartphones, wearables, home assistants, and IoT sensors. The aim of devicesbut is to reduce fragmentation by providing a common protocol, data model, and set of security and privacy controls that applications and devices can rely on, regardless of manufacturer.

Concept and scope: The project envisions a modular architecture built from a core protocol layer, a capability description language, a transport layer, and reference implementations. Devices publish capabilities and preferences to enable user-consent-based discovery, pairing, and access control. The standard emphasizes user agency, auditability, and privacy-by-design, with emphasis on cross-vendor compatibility and predictable behavior.

Architecture: Key components include a device description format (capability manifest), a routing and transport layer for peer-to-peer and cloud-assisted communication, an authorization framework for access control, and software development kits for platform integration. Data formats are designed to be extensible and backward compatible, while security practices stress mutual authentication, encrypted channels, and transparent provenance.

History and status: The term and concept emerged in online technical communities during the mid-2010s, accompanied by speculative proposals and mock implementations. Devicesbut has never achieved a single universally adopted specification; instead, various open-source projects and vendor pilots have informally used the name to describe interoperability efforts and related ideas.

Adoption and challenges: While devicesbut has shaped discussions about interoperability, practical deployment remains limited by competing ecosystems, security concerns, and governance questions. Ongoing work in similar interoperability initiatives continues to influence how devices from different manufacturers may interoperate in the future.