Unlike traditional networked embedded systems, the Internet of Things 
interconnects heterogeneous devices from various manufacturers with diverse 
functionalities. To foster the emergence of novel applications, this vast 
infrastructure requires a common application layer. As a single global 
standard for all device types and application domains is impracticable, we 
propose an architecture where the infrastructure is agnostic of applications 
and application development is fully decoupled from the embedded domain. In 
our design, the application logic of devices is running on application 
servers, while thin servers embedded into devices export only their elementary 
functionality using REST resources. In this paper, we present our design goals 
and preliminary results of this approach, featuring the Californium (Cf) CoAP 
framework.