Canonical makes pitch for internet of things as Accenture says IoT market could boost UK economy by £350bn

Slimline version of Ubuntu intended for high-powered embedded devices announced by Canonical

Linux distribution vendor Canonical, responsible for the popular Ubuntu version, has unveiled its entry into the burgeoning "internet of things" market with Ubuntu Core, a stripped-down version of its operating system intended for embedded, intelligent devices.

Capable of running on relatively low-powered hardware, it is aimed at gadget makers that want a standard platform that is also customisable for a range of different applications.

"Smart, connected things" are redefining our home, work and play, with brilliant innovation built on standard processors that have shrunk in power and price to the point where it makes sense to turn almost every 'thing' into a smart thing," wrote Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth in his personal blog, unveiling the new initiative.

He continued: "I'm inspired by the inventors and innovators who are creating incredible machines - from robots that might clean or move things around the house, to drones that follow us at play, to smarter homes which use energy more efficiently or more insightful security systems.

"Proving the power of open source to unleash innovation, most of this stuff runs on Linux - but it's a hugely fragmented and insecure kind of Linux. Every device has custom "firmware" that lumps together the OS and drivers and devices-specific software, and that firmware is almost never updated. So let's fix that!"

Ubuntu's technology, he added, is already embedded in a wider variety of devices and products than many people would expect, including self-driving cars, airport displays and is also used by national space programmes.

Ubuntu Core is intended to make it even easier to incorporate the open-source operating system into a wider variety of devices. "In this release of Ubuntu Core we've added a hardware abstraction layer where platform-specific kernels live. We're working commercially with the major silicon providers to guarantee free updates to every device built on their chips and boards," he continued.

"We've added a web device manager ('webdm') that handles first-boot and app store access through the web consistently on every device. And we've preserved perfect compatibility with the snappy images of Ubuntu Core available on every major cloud today. So you can start your Kickstarter project with a virtual machine."

London-based Canonical's entry into the internet of things space comes as a new report from consultants Accenture predicts that the market for internet of things devices - and associated services - could boost the UK economy by £350bn by 2030.

While the headline figures look dubious - it would make its contribution to UK GDP bigger than the motor manufacturing and oil sectors combined - Accenture argue that the internet of things will be "arguably the biggest driver of productivity and growth in the next decade".

The consultancy argues that the internet of things will help drive growth due to its pervasiveness and the efficiencies that it can help drive, most especially in industry (what the company calls the "industrial internet of things"), rather than the consumer sphere.

"Operational efficiency is one of the key attractions of the industrial internet of things, and early adopters are focused on these benefits. By introducing automation and more flexible production techniques, for instance, manufacturers could boost their productivity by as much as 30 percent," claims the report.

It continues: "Predictive maintenance of assets is one such area of focus, saving up to 12 per cent over scheduled repairs, reducing overall maintenance costs up to 30 per cent and eliminating breakdowns up to 70 per cent.

"For example, Thames Water, the largest provider of water and waste water services in the UK, is using sensors, analytics and real-time data to help the utility company anticipate equipment failures and respond more quickly to critical situations, such as leaks or adverse weather events."