Overview
ISO/IEC TR 29108:2013 - Information technology: Terminology for intelligent homes is a Technical Report published by ISO/IEC (prepared by JTC 1, Subcommittee 25). It compiles and recommends standard terminology and abbreviations for intelligent homes and home automation systems. The report gathers existing terms and definitions from relevant ISO, IEC and ITU‑T documents, indicates sources, and provides preferred definitions intended for use in future international standards and specifications. The electronic version is available from the ISO/IEC ITTF website.
Key topics and requirements
ISO/IEC TR 29108 is a vocabulary and guidance document rather than a prescriptive technical standard. Key elements include:
- Recommended terminology for intelligent-home concepts and components (the first definition listed for each term is the preferred definition).
- Collection of existing definitions from ISO, IEC and ITU‑T standards, Technical Specifications and Technical Reports (citations retained).
- Structured presentation: terms and definitions (Clause 3.1), abbreviations (Clause 3.2) and a two‑part bibliography of cited and related standards.
- Clarifying notes: where source definitions lacked information, the report adds bracketed clarifications and editorial notes.
- Examples of defined terms included in the report: action, action primitive, application, application protocol, application programming interface (API), authentication, authorization, bridge, area/group/individual address concepts and many more relevant to home networks and HES (Home Electronic Systems).
Practical applications and who uses this standard
ISO/IEC TR 29108 is primarily useful to:
- Standards writers and technical committees: adopt consistent vocabulary across new intelligent‑home standards.
- Product manufacturers and firmware developers: ensure documentation, APIs and protocol descriptions use standardized terms for interoperability.
- System integrators and solution architects: align requirements, interfaces and test specifications with internationally recognized terminology.
- Test labs, certification bodies and procurement teams: reduce ambiguity in conformance testing, certification criteria and tender documents.
- Researchers and technical authors: reference a vetted glossary when publishing on smart home architectures, home networking or related technologies.
Using consistent, authoritative terminology improves clarity across specifications, accelerates interoperability, and supports more effective communication between stakeholders in the smart home and home automation ecosystem.
Related standards and keywords
Related work is held by ISO/IEC JTC 1 (SC25) and ITU‑T, and cited standards include those addressing home electronic systems, home networking and application models.
SEO keywords: ISO/IEC TR 29108, intelligent homes terminology, smart home terminology, home automation standards, smart home vocabulary, home network definitions, API, authentication, authorization, HES terminology.