In reply to Paul Duffy.

Hello Paul.

Actually no. Unless you consider implementing a XEP application specific.

Using the proposed XEP's and one which is to be published in a couple of weeks (Interoperability), you don't need a single line of "application specific" code (that is, apart from the XEPs if you consider that application specific) for Things to operate securely with each other, in a multi-vendor, multi-manufacturer, multi-operator open environment (IoT).

And also, apart from being published XMPP extensions (XEPs), which in itself makes them open, they form part of the IEEE/ISO/IEC P21451, which will make them proper standards.

We therefore invite interested parties to partake in this interesting and very important work, to create a proper IoT protocol.

You can preview the interoperability XEP here:
https://github.com/joachimlindborg/XMPP-IoT/

Sincerely,
Peter Waher