How Can Enterprises Expect to Bridge the Billion-Device IoT Gap?

For years, enterprises have been waiting for the promised fulfillment of massive IoT. They have deployed devices throughout the world, which sent back real-time data to monitor, analyze and leverage to help companies make better business decisions. While many companies have “trialed” IoT deployment and may have devices in the field, they’re still waiting for the golden age of IoT. A variety of barriers have delayed massive scaling for them, including device management for massive-scale deployment, service costs, network availability (especially for global or roaming device deployments) and provisioning concerns. Telecommunications infrastructure has focused primarily on consumer devices, such as smartphones and tablets. Enterprises have had to adapt the technology for machine-to-machine applications. 

However, a new day is dawning with the advent of new technologies designed with hyper-dense IoT applications in mind. We’re still largely preparing for the massive IoT world, but we are now crossing the threshold into an exciting new era where technology and deployment management tools can truly support a million devices per square kilometer IoT densities. What are the technologies helping to bridge the gap, and how can enterprises begin their journey into the new IoT landscape?

4 Key Technologies Enabling the Future of Massive IoT

1. Cellular Low-Power Wide-Area Networks

   Cellular low-power wide-area network (LPWA) connectivity holds tremendous potential for enterprise applications of IoT. Cellular LPWA devices are cost-effective, power-efficient, and can communicate across distances of tens of kilometers. They’re ideal for applications in which bandwidth is limited and can operate in the field for months or years without maintenance. The introduction of NB-IoT and Cat-M allows operators and enterprises to deploy massive scales of devices without massively expanding network infrastructure and do it cost-effectively. 

2. Remote Provisioning and Integrated SIM/UICC1 Cards

   With the introduction of integrated SIM (iSIM) technology, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) can deploy devices and then send profiles to them over the air (OTA), a process called remote provisioning. iSIM enables ongoing remote management and the option of switching networks, which can ease global IoT deployments by leveraging ubiquitous connectivity. 

3. Simplified Device Management

   Evolution in market-tested device management standards is giving companies the tools they need to track service issues, harvest data and effectively integrate massive IoT deployments with existing business systems. Advanced platforms leveraging these standards look to deliver zero-touch onboarding, hyper-dense capable remote software updates, and preventive maintenance alerts.

4. Edge Intelligence
   

   The necessity of edge intelligence comes with densification, the need for real-time data processing and the requirement for efficient communications. New technologies are bringing more computing and logic to the edge of the IoT network. This power allows system integrators to define and build their edge logic, set controls remotely and oversee resource usage all regardless of scale. 

   As enterprises seek to enter the promised land of massive IoT deployments, they should choose a trusted partner for the journey. Telit’s OneEdge is a module-embedded software system that’s pre-packaged and easy to use. OneEdge covers every aspect of the IoT journey at any scale — from device deployment and connectivity to provisioning, management, and data aggregation. Security is end-to-end native, with modules secured and personalized at the point of manufacture and all device-to-cloud communications encrypted.

Put OneEdge to the test! Request an evaluation kit.