The Eclipse Foundation announced results from its 2024 IoT & Embedded Developer Survey. Conducted in collaboration with the Eclipse IoT, Sparkplug, and Oniro Working Groups, as well as the Eclipse ThreadX Project, this 10th annual survey remains a critical barometer for IoT and embedded development trends. This year's results show critical shifts in how developers leverage open source solutions for their IoT and embedded applications, with an increasing focus on sustainability, quality of life, and additional use cases that demand safety certifications, such as appliances, automotive, and medical devices.

"The results of the 2024 IoT & Embedded Developer survey highlight the remarkable role that open source plays in an increasingly diverse IoT and embedded computing landscape," said Mike Milinkovich, executive director of the Eclipse Foundation. "From home automation to safety-critical automotive systems, developers are turning to open source to address complex challenges, drive innovation, and promote sustainability across a wide range of industries."

The report offers valuable insights from nearly 750 global developers, architects, and decision-makers, presenting a comprehensive view of the trends shaping the IoT and embedded industry. It dives into platform adoption, developer challenges, target industries, and emerging opportunities, reflecting the growing diversity and evolution of the IoT and embedded ecosystem.

Key Findings Include:

• Sustainability Applications Showcase Industry Diversification: While industrial automation (34%) and automotive (29%) lead, growing activity in energy management (29%), environmental monitoring (23%), and healthcare (18%) highlights a pivot toward applications that enhance sustainability and quality of life.
• Developer Concerns: Connectivity and Security: Connectivity (48%, down from 52% in 2023) remains the top concern for IoT and embedded developers, with security rising to 35% (up from 33%) as the second-most pressing issue. Data analytics and deployment challenges (both at 24%) also highlight the focus on reliable communication, secure systems, and efficient implementation in a growing IoT ecosystem.
• Security Strategies are Evolving: Developers emphasise communication security (40%), over-the-air updates (32%), and secure boot (19%) as foundational layers against threats. Analytics and anomaly detection, at 16%, play a supporting role in these primary defences.
• Safety Certifications Drive Adoption: Nearly half (47%) of developers prioritise safety certifications such as IEC 61508 and ISO 26262, particularly in the automotive, medical, and industrial sectors. This reflects a growing demand for safety-critical solutions across embedded systems.
• Embedded Linux Leads While ThreadX and Zephyr Gain Ground on Constrained Devices: Linux (46%) and FreeRTOS (29%) top the charts, but growth in Zephyr (21%) and ThreadX (13%) points to rising interest in performance and safety-critical RTOS options.
• Industrial IoT Protocols: MQTT Leads, New Protocols Emerge: MQTT leads as the preferred IIoT communication protocol with 56% adoption, a 7% increase from 2023. Emerging protocols like Eclipse Zenoh gained traction, growing to 4.29% (up from 1.79%), signalling rising interest in innovative communication technologies.
• Open Source Engagement is on the Rise: Open source technology adoption remains robust, with 75% of developers actively using these technologies in 2024, up from 63% in 2023. The developers who serve as committers were reported as 24% in 2024. This active participation demonstrates the collective commitment to advancing technology through open, transparent, and collaborative development models.

Driving Industry Innovation

The survey underscores the increasing reliance on open source technologies to meet increasingly advanced requirements in security, safety certifications, and connectivity. From addressing environmental challenges to enhancing automotive safety, developers rely on open source tools to drive innovation and scale effectively.

The complete 2024 IoT & Embedded Developer Survey report offers detailed insights into challenges, platform adoption, developer priorities, and actionable trends shaping the IoT ecosystem.

Download the full report here.