Technology development is vital for the success of businesses. Companies are increasingly making use of IoT devices to enable them to achieve their goals and objectives. According to ResearchGate, through the use of IoT platforms, organizations are in a better position to save costs along with other benefits. Just like it is for other technological advances, the use of the IoT network presents challenges that can be addressed through the use of an IoT connectivity platform.
In this article, you’ll learn what an IoT connectivity platform is and why you need to use it:
What is an IoT Connectivity Platform?
An IoT connectivity platform refers to the software that makes it possible for an IoT project to work through the following:
- Data storage
- Device coordination
- Device control
- Communication
- Data access
- Cloud development
- Device software development
Why You Need an IoT Connectivity Platform
1. It Validates the Case for Your Business.
You will need to validate your business to your stakeholders. Ideally, whenever you’re starting a new project, you need your stakeholders to have a picture of what you’re up to. If you will need your project to get endorsement from the relevant quarters, an IoT platform will come in handy. This is something that should happen early. Before the beginning of serious engineering efforts, you need to show your stakeholders what you’re working on. This is the proof of the concept you’re intending to put your efforts in. With an IoT platform, this is achievable in weeks. It makes things quicker because it can take up to months to come up with the prototype that shows the proof of concept. The ability to have users getting hold of the prototype early enough gives you the opportunity to get feedback in time.
2. It Allows You to Remain Compliant and Maintain Requirements.
Compliance with requirements when building IoT systems goes a long one to ensure the success of your projects. While these requirements may not bring much business value, they are highly important. Examples of the above-mentioned include: security, regulatory compliance, and certifications. IoT platforms come in handy as they are able to take care of these issues. Security carries a great deal of significance when it comes to connected systems. An important fact to keep in mind is that security isn’t a one-time thing. Rather, it’s a process that requires continuous update and being aware of the latest security threats. Vendors that deal with IoT platforms are highly knowledgeable on the subject of security, thus they’re able to remain up-to-date. This is a plus for your IoT system.
Regulatory certifications and regulations are significant in the hardware and wireless levels of an IoT system. IoT connectivity platforms cover these regulatory issues, thus giving your project the legitimacy it needs.
3. It Gives you Features Significant For Your Project.
IoT platforms provide features that are vital for the success of business projects. For a business project to succeed, there has to be particular features that help with the improvement of functionality. Here are some of the features that are essential for the success of organizational projects:
- Low-power operation: There are IoT systems that require batteries to run the devices in use. In order to give the batteries the capacity to run on low power, they need specific features. Thankfully, IoT platforms are able to provide the mechanisms necessary for low-power operation.
- Ease of installation: Installation of IoT systems is a vital process. In fact, it is one of the processes that require a high quantity of personnel. This deems it necessary for IoT systems to have quality installation processes to increase the chances of project success. With this in mind, most IoT connectivity platforms have in-built installation systems and procedures that make it easier to install. This is a huge plus for companies implementing IoT systems.
- Software updates: IoT systems are software-driven, thus they need to be updated regularly. IoT platforms have mechanisms for ensuring that software remains up-to-date.
- Data analytics: Data analytics help to improve the operation of IoT systems. In the event that a platform doesn’t provide the analytics feature an API can be used to do the job.
4. Cost and Risk Reduction.
Projects are not cheap and they can be risky as well. That’s why companies invest in IoT connectivity platforms to reduce the costs and risks involved. Technology experts argue that a big percentage of IoT projects have a likelihood of failing. Therefore, in order to reduce the risk of failing, IoT platforms come to the fore. The risk of failing reduces significantly because the IoT platform vendor absorbs much of the technical risks involved.
In regards to the cost, an IoT connectivity platform reduces the overall amount spent because of the reduction of money utilized in talent acquisition, development, and testing. Also, given that the products of a company don’t get late to be available on the market, they are able to reduce opportunity cost considerably.
5. A Business Can Get Products Available to Customers Quicker.
The fact that you’re able to fasten things through the use of IoT allows your business to present products to the market faster than your competitors. As long as the business case has been endorsed, you can develop products faster and go ahead to introduce them to the market before your competitors. The earlier your target market gets to interact with your product, the earlier you begin to get returns out of your investment. IoT platforms support systems and mechanisms that make it possible for your business to be competitive in your market space.
The bottom-line is that an IoT platform has massive benefits for your company. The development time for your products reduces considerably and, as a result, you’ll be able to present them to your customers earlier. This isn’t possible if you use conventional ways of product development. This goes a long way to reduce costs related to project development and management. That’s why it’s imperative to invest time and effort to choose the right IoT connectivity platform for your business’ success.
