How Plugfests Help to Improve the Product Quality of Smart City Applications

Close collaboration of TALQ member companies eases the integration of the TALQ interface protocol standard

PISCATAWAY, NJ, UNITED STATES, February 20, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The TALQ Consortium, developer of the Smart City Protocol—a global interface standard for smart city applications—hosts annual Plugfest events to ensure a robust certification process and to share deep tech know-how among its members. Each year, whether participants are long-term members with proven TALQ-certified products or new companies still completing integration and certification, they unanimously agree that the event offers valuable insights and learning opportunities. In 2024, the Plugfest demonstrated its ability to accelerate the TALQ Certification process through the example of Turkish member Lotec. The 2025 Plugfest, available exclusively to members, is already in planning.

During a Plugfest, software development teams from various member companies test their protocol integrations against each other and validate the performance of the TALQ Certification Tool (TCT). Typically, a Plugfest lasts 1–2 weeks, depending on whether it is held in-person or remotely. In both formats, companies pair their products—such as Central Management Software (CMS) or Gateways—in multiple sessions with different manufacturers.

This process offers an ideal opportunity to enhance the flexibility and reliability of smart city applications by verifying interoperability with products from other members. Additionally, manufacturers benefit from shared insights and mutual learning, often refining their solutions based on these experiences. Throughout the sessions, all participants receive independent, objective technical support, ensuring productive and effective collaboration
 
TALQ Certification in 10 days
The benefits of general face-to-face meetings and Plugfests for new members were clearly demonstrated last year by Lotec. Shortly after joining the consortium, Lotec attended a TALQ meeting in Vienna, Austria, in June 2024. Motivated by the insights gained there, the company’s software team immediately began integrating the Smart City Protocol to participate in the September Plugfest. Their active involvement was pivotal: by collaborating with more experienced members, they deepened their understanding of the protocol and refined their product. In particular, they identified ambiguities in areas such as ad-hoc log reports and the bootstrap process, uncovering opportunities to improve their implementation—all thanks to testing with multiple TALQ-certified products. In October, just ten days after submitting their test results, Lotec achieved TALQ Certification for both Lighting and Lighting Asset Management profiles, addressing two key areas of smart city infrastructure.

“A Plugfest is one of the most important events for anyone working with standards, whether defining or implementing them. That’s why we have organized regular Plugfests since 2015. We are surprised by the new learnings every year, but also extremely proud of the trustful collaboration of our members to create benefits for the end-users: cities and utilities,” highlights Simon Dunkley, Secretary General of the TALQ Consortium.

Eva Jubitz
TALQ Consortium
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