UX Design applied to IoT platforms

In a product, whatever the field, UX design can change everything. UX Design, for User Experience Design, puts the user at the center of its reflexion. 

How does UX design fit into a connected object project? And how does this approach serve the IoT? 

UX Design questions the needs and expectations of users. Its goal is to create a product that is as close as possible to the expected uses. Following this, we get rid of the superfluous to develop a project that exactly meets the expectations of users.  

UX Design, what is this?

UX design is a hollistic approach that focuses on the user and the experience he will have with the product.
The experience here is decomposed in 3 steps: 

  1. The perception. This is the subjective part, the emotional reactions of the user to a product (joy, satisfaction, irritation, frustration…)
  2. The usability. This is the objective part. It is therefore the ability of the product to meet the needs of users. It is based on three points: 
  • Effectiveness: the product meets the needs,
  • Efficiency : the product is optimized to meet the needs easily and quickly, 
  • Satisfaction: the product is pleasant to use.
  1. The habit. Experience is generally built over time. By offering a good experience, the customer is loyal and habits are created. 

UX applied to the connected objects sector

UX design is a very common development step for digital platforms, especially web and mobile applications, websites, etc. But what is different for IoT? 

The multi-device, multi-information notion

When we want to apply UX Design to the development of connected objects, we have to consider the notion of multi-platforms, which complicates the UX Design approach.

It is this mix of the physical/mechanical part (the object) and the associated digital journey (platform) that must form a coherent whole. 

A bad experience of one or the other can “kill” the global product (an incomprehensible installation procedure, the obligation to create an account or to share too much personal information at the wrong time, bugs, instabilities, an operation difficult to understand, parameters not found…).

Thus, here, the notion of inter-usability is a key component!

As we work with several components on different devices, inter-usability plays an essential role. It’s about understanding. 

  • How do the components interact with each other or with the digital parts? 
  • What happens on the product related to the actions/info available in a mobile app or on a website? 
  • How do we move from one interface to another? 
  • Are there clear markers?
  • Is it coherent?
  •  And how does the object communicate with an application? 

Technical and technological choices

IoT is a more complex ecosystem with numerous players and a plethora of technologies, each with their own characteristics.

It requires a slower process than the design of a “classic” web interface. The technical choices must also take into account the users’ expectations.

Example: if we choose a radio protocol, we also choose its range, its frequency, its flow…

Thus, it is necessary to have first information on the needs of its users, as well as the future environment of use of the product to direct its choices as well as possible and to avoid nonsense.

And it is also important to take into account the “global experience” to be able to integrate other characteristics, which must be aligned with the future use of the product (standards and certifications, safety…).

In conclusion, today, UX design is an essential and unavoidable approach in the design of a tech product and especially of IoT platforms. 

 

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At thethings.iO, since 2021, we have integrated to the team an internal UX designer who has done a major visual redesign of the platform. The advantage of having this type of profile in-house in a technology company is that now every new feature, new functionality or new project will be studied from its launch with a UX point of view!

Ricard Simon, UX designer at thethings.iO answers some of our questions about the importance of UX for IoT platforms. 

 

According to you, which points are really blocking and can prevent customers from choosing an IoT platform? 

I think the main frustration of customers experience is the Data management that all IoT platforms have. Google has quick and efficient data management and a fast reaction to each stimulation, so expectations of most users, nowadays, are high. If the user waits a little bit too long, he will quit the platform and not come back.

One of the solutions to fight this is having a quality code and architecture behind the platform and giving more knowledge to our customers to understand how it works. 

We know from experience that error pages create a lot of frustration for users, what strategy have you put in place at thethings.iO to avoid this?

On the thethings.io platform, we have made the choice not to have an error page. 

If an error does occur, it will be notified to the user in the form of a pop-up notification.
Half of the error messages on the platforms are due to the fact that the customer does not have access to a facility or a tool… 

Our users have some freedom on the software platform, but we are always improving our code to guide them more on how much freedom they actually have. In this sense, errors occur when the user goes to an unauthorized section or does something that the software team does not control, so we are controlling the code more. 

From my point of view, I find error pages frustrating because they often show an error code that users are not able to identify and understand. Removing them and replacing them with notifications that explain the cause of the problem limits the dissatisfaction of our users because they can understand the problem. 

In IoT platforms, data visualization is an influencing aspect to customers, but it is now something that all platforms support, how do you emphasize this at thethings.iO?

I do not fully agree that all platforms support a modern and actual aspect of their platform. Most of the Software solutions are made with a professional IT aspect, consequently not following the modern trend which is round angles and less shadow. We just re-made our design to be “on the page”. However, we offer wide freedom to users to customize the dashboards, so it’s up to them to change the design to their liking. 

To answer your question, at thethings.iO we have chosen to focus on freedom, multitasking and support on our platform. Design is just a tool to better perform on these topics but not the core of our business. 

With your technical eye, what advice would you give to customers to quickly realize if the user experience of a platform is well-made for their use?

I combine several hats and with my dual role of User eXperience Designer and Full-Stack Developer, I see different needs.  I’ve noticed that the most important thing about a platform is to be guided through the process with step pop-ups, real-world case examples, a library of information, and possible support from the engineering team. Specifically, this process guidance should be intuitive to users, and they should not have to search for hours on end to figure out how to do something.

Becoming aware of whether the platform fits the users’ needs or not is therefore normally something they can realize very quickly. It’s a bit of a fit, you log in, you navigate quickly… if you quickly decipher how it works you continue to explore the features, if you get stuck on several steps because nothing is clear then I advise you to try something else. 

I will add a small detail that applies to me and I think to all other UX platforms. What helps us in our business is customers’ feedbacks. Unfortunately, the customers who are satisfied enough tell us what is wrong so that we can improve it, but the unsatisfied ones leave and don’t insist. As a user, know that constructive comments are always appreciated! Don’t hesitate to pass on the information to your contacts in a company, whether they are good or not so good. 

 

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MWC 23 highlights for Iot

What a show! Diprotech – thethings.io teams were out at MWC 2023 in Barcelona – and we were not disappointed.

We spent exciting days there, discovering the stands of the different exhibitors. The show is huge, so we focused on the topics that interest us most at thethings.io: the latest developments in private LTE/5G, the 5G IoT device ecosystem, SIM cards and IoT connectivity. Here are a few things we will remember about it: 

Private 5G is on the rise

For the past few years, we’ve realized that private 5G is a hot topic in the mobile industry. Continued functional improvements in cellular technology, as well as a massive increase in the availability of dedicated spectrum for industries, are opening up a wide range of opportunities for the cellular ecosystem, fueling a wave of investment.

Major players in the field Microsoft, Cisco, AT&T… continue on the trajectory announced last year that Rather than replacing Wi-Fi networks, private 5G networks will likely sit alongside them to serve security and reliability demanding applications.


Even if 5G was in very strong presence, 6G has also been attracting people!
While some of the big names in telecom have admitted at various conferences that we don’t yet know exactly what 6G is, how much it will cost and what problems it will solve, the technology is already here and is getting a lot of attention.
All stressed the value of bringing together the operator community and the broader value chain to solicit input and understand the potential use cases in the 6G era, perhaps especially in areas where 5G may not support some of the new applications being considered, such as telepresence and immersive video. So keep an eye out this year and we’ll know more at MWC 24!

The wireless factory is the new paperless office

A decade ago, for security, ecological and economic reasons, the trend was towards paperless offices. The craze was huge. Today, the consumption has been greatly reduced but not totally eliminated. This is an analogy for 5G factories. Wireless adoption is a goal, but the implementation process will be gradual and cables will survive. 

More security via IoT SAFE 

There’s a lot going on in the SIM world. Innovations are constant, and the technology is getting more modern every year. The form factor of SIM cards is evolving from traditional plastic SIM cards to dedicated chips, which will soon be integrated into system-on-chips (SoCs). 

Find out more about this in our article on SIMs, eSIMS, iSIMS. 

A parallel development, which may not be talked about as much, is the use of the SIM as a “root of trust” for end-to-end security of IoT products and services.

This is now a key issue in the choice of SIM vendors, providing an interoperable framework. Following the presentation at MWC22 of the development of the GSMA IoT SAFE standard, we can see one year later that IoT SAFE has been deployed.

 

Of course, the Mobile World Congress is also about innovations and prototypes that appeal to the general public… Little overview here of the stars of the show:

Visitors’ stars: VR/AR/MR glasses

While we are still waiting for Apple on the subject, big names have shown several products and concepts around virtual reality, mixed or augmented. In this area we saw for example the AirGlass 2 from Oppo, the NEOVISION Glass from ZTE, or the VIVE XR ELITE from HTC which made us shake a lot… 

But the product that was undoubtedly the most dreamy was called Xiaomi Wireless AR Smart Glass Discovery Edition. Okay, the brand would have found shorter. However, between the electrochromic glass, the light guides and other futuristic technologies gathered in this concept, everything seemed to say that Xiaomi wants to overtake Apple on the subject… at least on what the brand imagines of the next category of products that could (or could not) be launched by the firm of Cupertino.

Easy and quick to test, we saw it on many stands, and it is definitely the product that all visitors turned to in order to enjoy experimenting things during the show. 

And after all… it is still a Mobile show

The most attractive stands and innovations for the public were of course those concerning mobile phone innovations. 

Launch announcements

Xiaomi took advantage of the event to present its latest model. We already knew a bit about the smartphone for a week, since it had already been launched in China. Where Xiaomi stands out is on the photo and video – points, on which the brand has not always shone in the past.

The manufacturer signs a very successful smartphone especially on this point thanks to a triple main 50 Mp camera designed (and calibrated) by Leica, for a simply breathtaking result.

Rolling screen technology

We had already seen smartphones, tablets and TVs with scrolling screens – the kind of flexible slab that allows to deliver a device that can change the physical size of its screen, via a mechanism. However, it seemed far from being commercialized as the industrial part seemed complex.  

The last concepts of the kind showed now at MWC23 are however convincing us that this type of devices is finally about to land.

Motorola Rizr – Rollable screen

Foldable smartphones, again

Samsung has been preparing for the rise of foldable smartphones for a few years. And this year, we could see that this technology is now in place at many manufacturers. Like Honor, which continues to move upmarket by launching the Magic Vs. Like Samsung’s Z Fold4, the Magic Vs embeds two screens, one of which is a 6.45″ OLED Full HD 120 Hz seconded by an internal 7.9″flexible screen with a 90 Hz refresh rate and QHD definition.

 

All in all, the show was interesting and back to the size of the editions before the Covid crisis. 

We are glad to have participated and can already say that we will be present and look forward to the 2024 edition! 

 

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Mobile World Congress 2023: OpenNet, 6G, reality +, metavers… everything to expect from the event

Europe’s largest cell phone and telecommunications conference is back! Every year at the same time, Barcelona will host the Mobile World Congress (MWC) from February 27 to March 2, dedicated to the world of mobility. A must-attend event for young start-ups and major developers, which brings together nearly 75,000 participants to discover all the new products planned for 2023.

Four days to fill up with announcements of smartphones, connected objects and other technologies related to mobile networks: this is the traditional program of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This 2023 edition could sign the revival of the show after several editions, lead by the global health crisis. The show will take place from February 27 to March 2 in the Catalan capital.

5G – 6 G

Obviously, the mobile conference will put 5G in the spotlight, with the promise of a “5G standalone” finally ready. Today, in many countries, 5G relies on a 4G core network, which limits its capabilities. Very soon, it should switch to the next generation network, to show what it is really capable of.

5G will be a major focus of the conference, with the fifth-generation mobile network already bringing more data – and faster – to millions of devices across Europe.

And while 5G is still in development, its successor is already attracting attention. The sixth-generation 6G mobile network will be necessary for our increasingly connected world, with expanded use in autonomous (or flying) vehicles, smart cities, virtual and augmented reality, and space exploration.

Smartphones

For the 2023 edition of MWC, smartphones are once again the stars of the event. Brands like Honor, Xiaomi, OPPO or OnePlus take advantage of this showcase to launch new products.

The program looks rich at this level, since the biggest names will be present at the fair. Among them, Samsung is expected, whose announcements (the Galaxy S23 series) were made in early February, but also and especially Xiaomi, whose conference is planned for February 26, and which should allow discovering the Xiaomi 13 series.

Other brands are also planning to make their voices heard. Honor, for example, has already announced its intention to hold an event on February 27 at 1:30 p.m. to announce its Magic 5 series and talk about the Magic Vs, which was announced last year but has not yet been launched on the European market. We should also mention Realme, which will hold an event dedicated to its GT3, with a 240W charge, on February 28 at 2:30 pm. Finally, let’s not forget OnePlus, which has promised to show more of its mysterious 11 Concept, unveiled at its European conference in early February, dedicated to the OnePlus 11.

AI and virtual reality at MWC 2023

Beyond the smartphone, all technological fields are represented, from connected objects to connectivity, AI or augmented/virtual reality.

If ChatGPT arrived too late to be the star of CES, the AI battle is now much bigger. Will there be hundreds of startups with projects based on generative models, like OpenAI’s? It is quite possible. Last year, it was the metaverse that was everywhere.

 

In conclusion, the MWC 2023 promises to be rich in meetings, exchanges, innovation and big announcements, probably back to the level of pre-covid editions.

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Nano SIM, eSIM, iSIM… how does it work, and what are the differences?

In everyday life we have been using telecommunication SIM cards for smartphones for years. For ten years, we have seen their format reduced to the mini-SIM, the micro-SIM and finally the nano SIM.

And since 2017, we have seen the emergence of eSIM solutions (for embedded SIM). The latter are virtual cards.

In terms of telephony, nothing very complicated… Clients have to choose the right format for their mobile, and use an adapter or configure their phone in the case of an eSIM.

But for IoT projects, it’s not just the size of the SIM that counts… SIM, eSIM and iSIM technologies are similar but different at the same time. Zoom in this article on these different products, and how to make a choice between them for different IoT projects.

 

Traditional SIM cards

As mentioned above, the SIM card has evolved over the years into new forms to fit smaller devices. It is simple and convenient for consumer applications and some IoT use cases, but can present reliability and security risks for most large-scale device deployments.

This is because when the SIM card is easy to access, it is also easy to steal.

IoT managers need to constantly track SIM cards in their devices to ensure that they are not removed and replaced in other devices.

In order to meet the challenges of IoT solutions, we have seen the emergence of new technologies like eSIM or more recently iSIM. These technologies offer a more secure aspect because they are not physically accessible.

 

What is an eSIM?

eSIM cards were originally designed to difficult the non-authorized access to the physical SIM cards.

An eSIM (embedded SIM) is technically a small IC embedded into the device and has the same functionality of a traditional SIM card. The eSIM technology also allows users to store more than one profile in a single device, which then can be used to connect multiple carriers and network.

To use an eSIM, you need to purchase an eSIM-enabled device and use a carrier that offers eSIM compatibility.

What is an iSIM?

The iSIM is not just a physical variant of the eSIM but essentially a brand-new technology that goes one step further in terms of integration and cost while offering the same benefits as an eSIM solution . Here, the “i” stands for “integrated” so, as the name suggests, the iSIM is part of the device microcontroller (MCU) instead of being embedded on a dedicated IC.

The main and most obvious benefit of iSIM is that it takes up even less space than eSIM since it doesn’t require – even that tiny – space inside smartphones and other devices, as it’s integrated into the mobile chipset. And since it doesn’t require physical space for an eSIM chip or a removable SIM card, iSIM can further reduce a device’s space requirement. iSIM technology also reduces manufacturing costs and simplifies the assembly process.

 

What type of SIM choose for an IoT project?

There is no single answer to this question, as many factors come into play when choosing the right technology…

Here are the most important questions to ask yourself:

  • Is the size important? If the connected object does not need an optimized space, then nano SIM or eSIM are good solutions! On the other hand, for small IoT devices such as clothing or shrunken medical equipment, then iSIM is an optimal solution.
  • Is security a key criterion, and what about international use? These two aspects help to know if a classic SIM card is still a good option, or if it is necessary to switch to a virtual card that can be controlled and changed remotely!
    An eSIM and an iSIM offers remote SIM provisioning (RSP) to add, manage and remove profiles remotely, simplifying the supply chain and the devices’ configuration.
  • What is the overall cost of the solution? In some large projects, it is better to invest in expensive SIM technologies. For some other cases, a price difference in the SIM card could significantly reduce your margin.

In conclusion, the size of the devices, their costs, their usage mode and the number of devices that make up an IoT project are the different subjects that need to be considered when choosing the SIM solution for your project.

Furthermore, the ecological aspect, now at the heart of many companies’ concerns, is also a criterion to be taken into account. As eSIMs and iSIMs considerably reduce plastic consumption, especially on large-scale projects or those where the cards sometimes must be changed and can duplicate the cost and the plastic needs.

 

 

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Why is Nb-IoT a good connectivity alternative to traditional mobile networks?

2G and 3G networks are historically very good choices for IoT and M2M use cases, as they generally do not require high bandwidth (such as video streaming) and data usage is generally low (~ 3 MB/month per SIM card) overall in 2G case.

Since 2G and 3G networks have been in commercial use for more than 25 years, the coverage area is generally larger than the LTE technology that has been in use for “only” 10 years. As a result, 2G and 3G have become common choices among customers, especially for IoT and M2M applications. 

In the IoT market, the majority of objects are with 2G and 3G. However, these days the smartphone market is pushing us more and more towards 4G/LTE network solutions and maintaining support for these old 2G and 3G networks is starting to cost operators money. Our customers need to be prepared for these changes and our role is to guide them in choosing the best network for their IOT needs.

Today, we propose to focus on a future alternative, the NB-IoT linked with the 5G deployment.

What is NB-IoT?

NB-IoT (NB for narrow band) is a cellular technology of LPWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) type. IP (Internet Protocol), it allows objects to connect to the Internet by connecting directly to the operators’ relay antennas, thus avoiding the installation of gateways that are often costly for the customer. NB-Iot uses a very narrow bandwidth of 200kHz, OFDM modulation for incoming communications and SC-FDMA for outgoing communications. Because of this narrow bandwidth, the theoretical data rates that can be achieved on this network are low and in the order of 20 to 250 kbit/s in half duplex (transmission and reception possible, but not at the same time).

Use of existing mobile networks

One of the many advantages of NB-Iot is the ease with which it can be deployed. It can be deployed on any available frequency spectrum as long as there is at least 200 kHz of available bandwidth. This advantage allows it to be easily used on the LTE network for example. Indeed, the LTE network has frequency spectrums that are not used and that allow operators to install or coexist the NB-Iot easily.

A network with an international dimension

NB-IoT is a network that has inherited many features and mechanisms from the networks we know today, including the option of roaming.

This possibility allows NB-IoT and operators to pool their networks and provide an international dimension to this network. The illustration below shows that NB-IoT is widely supported in Europe and the United States.

A low-cost technology

The simplicity of the NB-IoT protocol has allowed chip manufacturers to create low-cost radio chips. The NB-IoT allows access to the functionalities of cellular networks at very low prices.

Conclusion

The NB-IoT has proven to be an excellent alternative, because it has been able to gather all the advantages that we know with mobile networks while remaining a network adapted to the Internet of Things of tomorrow. In this sense, it is a network halfway between LPWAN and LTE.

  • Low power consumption (object on battery up to 10 years and more)
  • Suitable for high sensor densities (5G ready)
  • It falls into the LPWAN category with distances up to 50 km (rural environment)
  • It has an excellent penetration rate in buildings
  • Modules are low-cost (<10€) compared to 2G and 3G modem

The choice of 2G and 3G network is no longer an option that is considered viable, especially if your object is intended to have a life span beyond 10 years. NB-IoT clearly meets the needs of IoT. Where the 2G and 3G option was possible for your projects, the NB-IoT option is now a much cheaper and more suitable alternative. 

As always, the choice of network architecture must be established according to the use case. There are many other powerful networks such as SigFox and Lora that can sometimes be better suited. 

At DiproTech, our hardware and consulting team for IoT projects, as experts in the development of connected solutions in Spain, we have a thorough knowledge of these different networks and solutions. The choice of connectivity is a decisive step in the life of your object, and it is important to be accompanied. DiproTech and thethings.iO through their teams of experts are here to guide you and advise you on the best solutions.

You want to develop a connected object project? Let’s discuss it together!  

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5 key criteria to choose your IoT platform

The Internet of Things is spreading at exponential speed in the corporate world and transforming not only the way they work but also the very nature of their business.

However, bringing an IoT project to life can be very complex, especially when the technology is not the core business of the company. 

Many companies would tend to rush into it without taking into account all the parameters involved.

In terms of IoT platforms in particular, many solutions exist, and it is sometimes difficult to find your way around.

What is an IoT platform?

 

The purpose of an IoT platform is to facilitate communication between objects and machines, to ensure the management of the various peripherals and communication protocols, to upload data flows, and to enable the creation of new value-added applications for companies.

It provides the link between the connected object, the communication gateway, the stored data and the software applications. It allows to manage on a single interface the sensors and connected objects scattered everywhere, the information feedback, and the redirection of these captured data to data management interfaces and other third party applications.

Find out in this article how an IoT platform can really help your business grow

 

5 Key criteria to consider when choosing an IoT platform

 

  1. Connectivity management

Technology agnosticity is a first essential element to consider! 

Today, communication protocols are evolving and multiplying.  In fact, it is imperative for an IoT platform to be able to manage all of these networks (3G/4G, LoRa, Sigfox, LTE-M, Narrow Band, etc.) and all of the solutions that enable objects to be connected. 

It is therefore essential today that an IoT platform supports a wide choice of communication standards.

 

2. Device management

Just as the number of communication protocols is constantly evolving, the models of sensors and connected objects are multiplying and diversifying too! 

The IoT platform must therefore allow to connect all these heterogeneous devices on a single interface.

The large volume of objects is also to be taken into account and it is then important to be able to create interactions between all these different objects without constraints. Interoperability is therefore an essential criterion when choosing a platform.

 

3. Data visualization

Another major point of IoT platforms is their ability to store, analyze and redirect data from objects to visualization interfaces. 

To do this, it is necessary to take into account the quality of the algorithms used to analyze the data, the different dashboards that can be created to visualize the information… 

Indeed, the platform allows to capture the raw data to restitute them in the form of intelligent information, it is therefore also important that it offers a personalized and optimized user experience to adapt to the needs of each of its customers.

 

4. Security of objects and data

Another essential criterion is of course the security and confidentiality of the data, and this from end to end: from the capture to the restitution of the data. 

Indeed, security is a major issue. It deals with various points such as the protection of sensitive data, preventing the hacking of information systems…

 

5. The degree of agility

As mentioned above, the continuous evolution of the different objects on the market is always faster. In fact, it is important that a platform allows to be agile, to work in iterative mode and to be scalable!

Thus, the platform must allow its customers to evolve quickly according to the growth of the market and their own growth.

Closed platform – ultra fast to use but with a certain rigidity – or open platform – which requires a complete customization and thus a certain time in its implementation… the solutions are numerous and it is important to test them to verify the best compatibility with your project. 

At thethings.iO, a hybrid platform at the crossroads between a closed platform, ready to use and an open platform, customizable according to the needs of our customers, the response to the need is precise and fast at the start!

Request a demo

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IoT platforms, what are they and why can they really help your business to grow?

An IoT platform is a set of services to collect, store, correlate, analyze and exploit data. A platform is therefore a set of APIs and communication drivers, databases, processing and calculation services and often a web service to generate visualization and exploitation dashboards.

As a result, an IoT platform is designed to reduce the development time of your IoT project by providing a ready-to-use and reusable technology stack.

 

Why you should use an IoT platform?

An IoT platform will get you started in terms of technology development. But the first goal of every IoT project is to determine if the business case holds. And so that’s where the first place an IoT platform helps.

 

1.It helps you to validate your business plan early

The very first objective of a project is to validate your business case and demonstrate it to your stakeholders.

Business case validation should be done as soon as possible, preferably before you begin extensive engineering efforts.

Many IoT platforms allow you to quickly create a proof-of-concept prototype, in weeks instead of months. Thus, getting the prototype into the hands of your target users allows you to quickly validate the business case and quickly leverage customer feedback.

2. It helps you get quickly to market

Once the business case is validated, you’ll want to get to market as quickly as possible. Your first customers are eager to start using your product and your competitors may be getting closer.

But sometimes, setting your product into production can poses technical and organizational challenges:

  • Device manufacturing,
  • Cloud scalability,
  • Software versioning and deployment,
  • Defect handling…

Since IoT platforms are used in multiple projects and products, most IoT platforms provide mechanisms and support during this process.

3. IoT Platforms can include ready-to-use software, tools, hardware that you can use…

IoT projects share many aspects with each other. Because of this, IoT platform providers often have ready-made and white-label hardware that you can use for your own project.

Examples include:

  • Web-based administration dashboard software
  • Smartphone applications for customers
  • Smartphone applications for installers
  • Training materials for installers
  • Ready-to-use marketing materials and videos
  • Customer’s FAQs with prepared answers

These materials both reduce your development time and help you sell your project to your customers. Customizing off-the-shelf materials to meet your own needs is faster than developing them from scratch!

4. IoT platforms help you avoid pitfalls… security, certifications, compliance

There are aspects of IoT systems that are necessary requirements, but don’t provide much perceived business value. Security, certifications and regulatory compliance are among them. Most IoT platforms offer relief on one or more of these levels.

Security is a must for every connected system. Security is not a one-time thing, but an ongoing process that requires keeping software versions up-to-date and being aware of the latest security threats. IoT platform vendors have expertise in this area that keeps them up to date on security.

Regulatory compliance and certifications are important at the wireless and hardware levels of the system. Many IoT platforms also cover these aspects.

 

5. It provides features that could be critical to your project

Every IoT platform has unique features and a number of features that are common to most platforms.

There are a lot of chances that your project will require many of these features.

Generally speaking, typical IoT platform features include:

  • Low power operation

Some IoT systems require battery-powered devices. The batteries require a special mechanism to ensure extremely low power consumption. This issue is supported by many IoT platforms.

  • Long-range unattended network

Large-scale IoT systems often need connectivity to function even if the devices are far from their users. Some IoT platforms specifically support such use cases.

  • Ease of installation

For many IoT systems, installation is the most labor-intensive activity. So having a good installation process pays off quickly. Many IoT platforms have built-in installation procedures and smartphone apps that use Bluetooth, NFC, or QR codes.

  • Integration with third-party software

Most IoT platforms have Javascript API to access backend data, and others have out-of-the-box integrations with third-party services such as Salesforce or Google Cloud.

  • Device management

IoT projects involve a large number of IoT devices. These devices can break or need to be replaced. This is where a device management feature comes in handy.

  • User management

IoT systems are used by many people… So having user management built into the system is essential to prevent unauthorized access and errors. Most, if not all, IoT platforms therefore include user management as an essential feature.

  • Software updates

IoT systems are software intensive and that software will need to be kept up to date. IoT platforms include mechanisms for updating software, even over the air for installed IoT devices.

  • Push notifications or email alerts

In many cases, you want to alert users or customer support personnel when things happen in your IoT system. Many IoT platforms provide built-in support for alerts and notifications that you can tailor to your specific use case.

  • Data analysis

Some IoT platforms focus heavily on data analytics, statistics, and pattern recognition mechanisms, as some IoT systems depend on them for their operation. And if the platform itself does not provide built-in analytics, most provide an API to which external analytics software can be attached.

  • Billing

For some projects, billing is an important part of the solution, and some IoT platforms support built-in or third-party billing solutions.

Conclusions

An IoT platform will not only reduce development time, but also help you get your product into the hands of your customers quickly. This reduces both direct and opportunity costs.

Many IoT platforms have features that can be critical to your project and will allow you to leverage out-of-the-box tools and materials for your users. Choosing the right platform for your project will be the first step in helping you succeed with your project.

In thethings.iO, our IoT platform is designed to help companies succeed with their IoT projects regardless of their industry or project size.

 

Contact us today to learn more!

 

 

 

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Industrial IoT trends in 2022

The global Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market size was estimated at $216.14 billion in 2020. And by 2026, it is expected to reach $771.072 billion, according to Polaris Market Research projections.

The rapid digital transformations that have occurred during the pandemics are among the primary drivers of this aggressive growth rate. IIoT equipment manufacturers continue to find cheaper and more affordable ways to develop sensors and processors to meet the demand for increased automation.

Yet, despite favorable winds, lower computing power costs, and improvements in IIoT platform integration, connectivity, and management, few manufacturers have been able to scale their IIoT use cases in a way that yields significant operational or financial benefits. A combination of technical and organizational challenges are often cited as causes.

Find out below how companies can prepare for IIoT and how to turn challenges into opportunities using the top industrial IoT trends for 2022:

1. 5G Growth and private networks

The evolution of 5G and IoT are correlated. Indeed, the rapid adoption of 5G networks is accelerating the world of IoT… And IIoT as it offers enterprises significant advantages over 4G such as global internet coverage or much faster data transfers. 

In addition, many manufacturers are implementing private 5G networks in their smart factories to automate manufacturing processes by reducing workloads and error margins. 

2. Cloud and Edge Computing

One of the most important benefits of industrial IoT (IIoT) is the ability to create a common data model from any connected data source.

In short, Edge computing allows companies to process sensor and device data locally and in real time. Edge computing is evolving as a solution to latency issues common in cloud-based solutions. This allows companies to avoid lags and delays; that frequently  lead to production problems, security issues and open the door to security threats.

Find out more about the Cloud-Code solution offered by thethings.iO

3. Cybersecurity Concerns 

Like any new technology development, the growth of IoT devices will lead to new security vulnerabilities for businesses. Indeed, if one device is compromised, the other devices it communicates with could be just as vulnerable.

Currently, there are very few government standards at the European or global level requiring companies to stay on top of their cybersecurity. In most cases, investment in cybersecurity is a decision made voluntarily by the business owners themselves.

In fact, to keep up with the technological advances of 2022, it is important to monitor and grow cybersecurity tools. 

4. Bundled IoT for enterprises

While the IoT space is growing rapidly, there is an initial learning curve that could discourage companies and business leaders from adopting it.

Because bundled IoT solutions offer user-friendly features and integrated analytics, they are driving IoT adoption.

At thethings.iO, we leverage each new solution developed for a particular need by offering it to other similar applications where it can be useful.

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