MQTT

A lightweight messaging protocol designed to move small amounts of data efficiently between devices. It follows a publish-and-subscribe model rather than a point-to-point communication model. Devices, known as clients, publish messages to a central broker under specific topics, and other clients subscribe to those topics to receive updates. This architecture allows MQTT to operate reliably even on low-bandwidth, high-latency, or unstable networks, making it especially well-suited for environments where connectivity cannot be guaranteed.

One of MQTT’s defining characteristics is its efficiency. Messages are compact, protocol overhead is minimal, and connections can be maintained with very low power consumption. These traits make MQTT a foundational technology for Internet of Things deployments, where sensors, vehicles, industrial equipment, and embedded systems must exchange data continuously without draining resources. MQTT also supports different quality of service levels, allowing publishers to choose whether messages are delivered at most once, at least once, or exactly once, depending on the reliability requirements of the application.

In modern systems, MQTT is commonly used to stream real-time data into analytics platforms, trigger automation workflows, and synchronize state across distributed devices. It plays a critical role in smart manufacturing, connected vehicles, home automation, logistics tracking, and remote monitoring solutions. By decoupling data producers from consumers and optimizing for unreliable networks, MQTT enables scalable, event-driven architectures that can grow from a handful of devices to millions without redesigning the communication layer.