Open-source components appear at every layer of the stack: real-time operating systems such as Zephyr and FreeRTOS, brokers such as Mosquitto, visualization tools, and full platforms such as Home Assistant or ThingsBoard. Choosing them reduces vendor lock-in, makes security review possible and often lowers license cost, which is why even proprietary products are built largely from open code.
Open source is not free of obligations. Someone has to track vulnerabilities in every dependency, which is the reason regulators now expect a software bill of materials, and licenses such as the GPL carry redistribution conditions that affect firmware. Open source is distinct from open standards: a protocol can be openly specified yet implemented only in closed products, and vice versa.
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