Microsoft has joined Qualcomm and other technology companies in a bid to establish standard ways for household devices like light bulbs and thermostats to talk to each other. The Qualcomm-backed AllSeen Alliance is among a growing number of efforts for companies working alone or in groups to promote protocols for how smart devices should work together in a trend increasingly referred to as the Internet of Things. Microsoft on Tuesday joined 50 other members in the AllSeen Alliance, including major consumer electronics players Panasonic Corp, LG Electronics Inc and Sharp Corp, the group said. But chipmakers that compete with Qualcomm plan to launch a rival standards consortium as early as next week, an industry source who was familiar with the plans but not authorized to discuss them, also told Reuters on Tuesday.