Built by the inventors of MQTT and Sparkplug to power the future of industrial data

We didn’t just adopt these technologies. We created them.

At Cirrus Link, we don’t follow trends — we set them. Our team includes the co-inventor of MQTT and the original architects of Sparkplug. These open standards have become the foundation for modern industrial connectivity — enabling systems to decouple, self-discover, and securely scale across plants, platforms, and the cloud.

Today, we continue to lead the evolution of industrial data with technologies that are battle-tested, open, and trusted by enterprises worldwide.

MQTT: Lightweight, scalable, and secure messaging

Benefits of MQTT

  • Decouples devices from applications
  • Report-by-exception for minimal bandwidth usage
  • Scales from edge devices to enterprise systems
  • Supported by nearly every cloud platform

MQTT is a publish/subscribe messaging protocol designed for high-performance industrial communication. It’s built for real-time data transmission over bandwidth-constrained networks and is now the global standard for IIoT.

Sparkplug: Context + state for industrial data

Why Sparkplug matters

  • Automatically models data and system state
  • Enables auto-discovery and self-healing architectures
  • Supports Unified Namespace (UNS) best practices
  • Provides a common language for OT, IT, and cloud systems
  • Required for mission-critical industrial applications

While MQTT defines how data moves, Sparkplug defines what that data means. Developed by Cirrus Link and now an Eclipse Foundation project, Sparkplug adds structure, context, and state awareness to MQTT messages.

This makes plug-and-play interoperability possible — no custom coding, no brittle integrations.

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Built for industrial-grade performance

Our technology stack was designed with one thing in mind: the demanding requirements of industrial environments.

  • Real-time data, not delayed syncs
  • Outbound connections that respect security zones
  • Lightweight payloads that work over low-bandwidth links
  • Cross-platform compatibility — from field devices to the cloud
  • Open standards — no vendor lock-in

The Cirrus Link difference

Cirrus Link isn't just another vendor — we are the source.

Our deep involvement in the development of MQTT and Sparkplug ensures that our tools are aligned with the latest standards, best practices, and industry innovations.

Whether you're implementing SCADA, building a Unified Namespace, or launching a cloud data strategy, our technology is designed to simplify, standardize, and accelerate your success.

Explore our products built on these technologies

Ready to build smarter with proven technology?

Speak with our team to learn how MQTT, Sparkplug, and Cirrus Link can help you build a connected industrial architecture. 

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