The 2024 IoT & Embedded Developer Survey Report is here!
This 10th annual survey, conducted by the Eclipse Foundation in collaboration with the Eclipse IoT, Sparkplug, and Oniro Working Groups, and the Eclipse ThreadX project, offers a compelling snapshot of the trends and technologies shaping the IoT and embedded systems landscape. This year’s results reveal exciting developments that showcase how open source continues to drive innovation, foster sustainability, and address safety-critical challenges across a wide range of industries.
This year, we see IoT and embedded development broadening its focus from traditional sectors like industrial automation and automotive to emerging fields such as healthcare, environmental monitoring, and energy management. These shifts underscore how developers are using open source to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues.
A Growing Focus on Sustainability and Safety
The report highlights that sustainability is not a niche concern — it’s becoming central to IoT and embedded development. Applications in energy management (29%), environmental monitoring (23%), and healthcare (18%) are expanding, showing how technology is being leveraged to improve quality of life and promote environmental stewardship.
Additionally, nearly half of developers (47%) are prioritising safety certifications like IEC 61508 and ISO 26262, emphasizing the growing demand for safety-critical solutions in automotive, medical, and industrial sectors. Whether it’s powering life-saving devices or ensuring the reliability of autonomous vehicles, the importance of safety certifications is clear.
Connectivity and Security: Top-of-Mind Concerns
Connectivity (48%) remains the leading challenge for developers, but security is catching up fast, with 35% citing it as a top concern. Strategies to address these issues include communication security (40%), over-the-air updates (32%), and secure boot (19%). As IoT systems grow in complexity, developers are doubling down on secure communication, reliable updates, and proactive threat detection to build resilient solutions.
Platforms and Protocols Driving Innovation
The survey shows Embedded Linux maintaining its lead (46%), with ThreadX (13%) and Zephyr (21%) gaining traction for constrained devices that require performance and safety. MQTT continues its reign as the most widely adopted IIoT communication protocol (56%), but emerging protocols like Eclipse Zenoh are quickly gaining attention, signaling a strong future for innovative communication technologies.
Open Source: The Heart of IoT and Embedded Development
Perhaps the most exciting takeaway is the increasing embrace of open source solutions, with 75% of developers now actively using them—up from 63% in 2023. This strong growth reflects the power of open collaboration to address complex challenges and deliver scalable, sustainable solutions.
Why This Matters
The insights from this survey are more than just numbers—they’re a roadmap to the future of IoT and embedded development. As industries evolve, developers are relying on open source to meet the demands of safety, sustainability, and connectivity. From driving industrial efficiency to creating safer medical devices, open source is at the heart of meaningful innovation.
Dive Into the Details
The full report provides a deeper look at the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the IoT and embedded ecosystem. Download it today to explore actionable insights that can help guide your next project or strategy.
Download the 2024 IoT & Embedded Developer Survey Report
Thank you to all the developers, architects, and decision-makers who participated in this year’s survey. Your insights are invaluable in shaping the future of IoT and embedded systems.
Stay connected with the Eclipse Foundation and join our vibrant community to be part of this exciting journey of innovation and discovery.
