3 Warning Signs You Might Need a New IoT Platform
By Bill Dykas
July 3, 2017
Many IoT platforms available today focus on the end result. They emphasize the capabilities of their platform such as analytics or virtual reality (VR) while ignoring the nuts and bolts of device management. However, it is vital that companies who are developing IoT deployments start with the basics. Operations, management, and platform setup is how you can ensure that your data gets to the point where it can actually be analyzed.
Most companies aim to increase revenue, decrease costs, and ensure compliance with their IoT deployments. Working with a platform that focuses only on analytics can actually result in just the opposite. It’s vital that you examine their current IoT platform to ensure that it has what you need to reach your ultimate business objectives.
You Might Need a New IoT Platform If:
1. You’re experiencing trouble integrating technologies.
There are many different pieces that go into creating an IoT solution. Many companies have to work with a variety of partners if they want to benefit from the best technologies available. However, some IoT platforms are unable to keep up with the integration of these technologies – on both the device and enterprise sides. While these platforms may provide analytics, many of them expect the customer to figure out the rest when it comes to integration.
If you are handling integration yourself, you need to consider what devices you have now and what you plan to use in the future, which requires in-house expertise that many companies just don’t have. As for the enterprise side, you will need to figure out who will manage data integration, both serving your current needs and anticipating what you may need in the future. How will you deliver your deployment’s data to employees, partners, and customers? Via a mobile app, a web page, or deep inside an enterprise backend like SAP?
If your IoT platform has left you to deal with the intricacies of device integration, it may be time to make a switch. Using an IoT platform that helps you integrate with current systems and those you may decide to use in the future helps you improve efficiency and gives you room to focus on your core business. It is important to find an IoT platform that makes integration simple, allowing you to easily monitor, manage, and control every aspect of your IoT deployment.
2. Your time to market has become drawn out.
When it comes to IoT deployments, your time to market is often dependent on whether you are using a tool or a solution to get your devices up and running. While a tool provides services that allow you to visualize your data, a solution is much more comprehensive. Using an IoT platform tool effectively requires expertise. Learning to use the tool and making it work for your deployment takes time, which can draw out your time to market.
On the other hand, an IoT platform solution offers a user-friendly web-based interface and support team that encourages users to be comfortable and confident when using the solution. IoT platform solution providers offer training to teach individuals how to use and operate the platform. This empowers subject matter experts or individuals in the field to confidently make manipulations to different parts of the platform or deployment when necessary.
You need more than just a tool if you want to get your IoT deployments to market quickly. With an IoT solution, you have the benefit of accessing a support team that is able to answer any questions you may have because they are familiar with what you are building and what framework it’s being built in. This allows companies to take their deployments to market quicker with less downtime spent figuring out how to use the platform. If you find yourself using a platform tool, you should consider migrating to a more comprehensive solution.
3. Total cost of ownership (TCO) starts to balloon.
Despite everyone’s best efforts, there will always be issues that occur out in the field where a company’s devices are located. This could be a device error, a security breach, or even an operating system that needs to be updated. How you handle these issues in the field will have a significant impact on the TCO of your IoT deployments.
Many of the analytics-focused IoT platforms do not have the robust device management capabilities to address these issues out in the field. These companies do not provide the attention and time it takes to learn how your device works. Instead, they want you to plug their tool into your system, leaving you to deal with any issues in the field on your own. Every time you send a truck out to address an issue in the field, it is costing your company valuable time and resources.
If you find that your TCO is starting to spike, consider whether your current platform may be to blame. If your IoT platform is just an analytics tool, then it may not provide the device management capabilities that you need to successfully manage your IoT deployments. To gain better control over TCO, you need to find a platform that provides the ability to manage remote devices over the air and configure, provision and update your devices ad-hoc or by using a custom schedule.
Why Choosing the Right IoT Platform Is Vital
If you do not address these three warning signs, they will eventually lead to major headaches when it comes to scaling your IoT deployment. If you can’t effectively scale your deployment within your company, then you will never be able to harness the revenue-generating potential of your IoT application. If you want to scale effectively, you need to work with an IoT platform solution that provides more predictable TCO, ease of development, and no large up-front costs.
If you’re experiencing any of these warning signs, it may be time to rethink your IoT platform. Telit enables end-to-end IoT solutions by allowing you to benefit from both robust device management and analytics capabilities.
Request a consultation today to see the difference that Telit can make.
