eVBCodes

eVBCodes, short for electronic Value-Based Codes, is an open standard for encoding event-centric data used in modern digital systems. The specification provides a compact, machine-readable representation for events, their sources, timestamps, and attributes, enabling consistent interpretation across software, services, and devices. The aim is to improve interoperability in analytics, automation, and policy enforcement while supporting data provenance and privacy controls.

A typical eVBCodes representation models an event as an object with fields such as id, type, time, source, and properties. Event types are organized into a controlled vocabulary with dereferenceable URIs, and properties reference schemas that prescribe value types and constraints. Relationships between events can express sequences, causality, or aggregation. The standard supports multiple encoding formats, including JSON-based editions, compact CBOR, and XML where needed, to adapt to bandwidth and processing constraints.

Governance and adoption: eVBCodes was conceived by a community of developers and data practitioners in the early 2020s and is maintained by a working group within the broader data-standards ecosystem. Several cloud platforms, analytics providers, and IoT ecosystems have published references, with ongoing efforts to align with related specifications such as JSON Schema and OpenTelemetry.

Security and privacy: The specification includes optional features for provenance through cryptographic signatures, integrity checks, and field-level encryption for sensitive properties. It also supports data minimization and consent-aware processing.

Reception and limitations: Proponents cite improved interoperability and traceability, while critics warn of potential fragmentation and a learning curve for teams new to the model. eVBCodes is intended to complement, not replace, existing data models and interoperability standards.