Smartphones and tablets are increasingly being used as control centers for smart lightbulbs and TVs, and other intelligent home devices, but each device requires a new software application or layer to function properly. While development platforms such as Apple's HomeKit or SmartThings allow various devices to work in harmony, MediaTek enters the IoT stage with CrossMount, a new platform that allows hardware connectivity without the need for cloud servers.

CrossMount is seen as a way for seamless integration on the hardware layer, allowing for simple and native communication between a range of devices using UPnP. The idea is to allow, for example, the smartphone's Bluetooth earbuds to interface directly with a TV, or the smartphone's microphone to search on a smart TV while simultaneously mirroring the display.

Another use that MediaTek mentioned is the ability to link two smartphones in an area with bad reception to combine their signal strength. "CrossMount is a lot more than mirroring from phone to TV, as has already been developed within the industry," said senior vice president Joe Chen. "It goes the extra mile with hardware and software capability sharing between smart devices, thereby creating many useful and more complex use cases such as mounting a smartphone camera on a TV and enabling the TV for video conferencing session."

Devices adopting CrossMount technology are expected to be released late-2015. MediaTek already had Changhong, Hisense, Lenovo and TCL sign on and support the new standard. For mobile phones, the technology will be restricted to devices that run Android OS. For IoT, it can be implemented on Android, Linux and some proprietary-based consumer electronics platforms soon.

Coupled with LinkIt, the inexpensive IoT development platform released in February, it appears that MediaTek is trying to make it as easy as possible for developers and product manufacturers to enter the IoT and wearables realm. LinkIt's combined SDK and HDK is priced $79.