Semantic interoperability in IoT

Semantic interoperability includes the ability to establish a shared meaning of the data exchanged, as well as the ability to similarly interpret communication interfaces. Shared meaning here means that two different computer systems, for example, not only can communicate data in the basic sense (such as an integer with value 42), but also attach unambiguous meaning to the data. For example, radiator three's temperature in the conference room on level five is currently 42 Celsius. As we build large IoT systems we are faced with several challenges of scale. Among them is the challenge of being able to make equipment and subsystems of different vendors interoperable and, over different time periods, work together and as intended.