Summary

Recommendation ITU-T Y.4205 introduces the concept of crowdsourced systems, as well as the reference model of IoT-related crowdsourced systems for the support of Internet of things (IoT) applications and services to be provided via systems employing crowdsourcing principles. It addresses IoT-related crowdsourced systems in terms of functional requirements and the reference model as well as identifying relevant security, privacy and trust issues.

In particular, the main contributions of Recommendation ITU-T Y.4205 can be summarized as follows:

–      It identifies and provides the motivation for IoT-related crowdsourced systems (recent technological advancements and relevant emerging trends).

–      It provides definitions of terms that are central when discussing crowdsourcing and crowdsourced systems, thus providing a basis of common understanding. So far, such terms have been used in layman's terms, outside a formal standardised framework; a practice which has led to ambiguity hindering further development of such systems. It is worth noting that the said definitions have been elicited via a rigorous methodology from a plethora of publications (both by academia and the industry); more information can be found in the body of the Recommendation.

–      It provides a high-level reference model identifying the key layers and components of crowdsourced systems. The model does not dictate nor indicates a specific implementation or approach for building IoT-related crowdsourced systems. On the contrary, it provides a nominal model that facilitates the design and development of such systems by providing a common basis of reference.