Imagine an industrial factory leveraging the capabilities of an IoT platform, allowing constant remote access and monitoring of the system anytime, anywhere. This powerful technology can enhance all aspects of the supply chain, realising cost efficiencies both in terms of time and financial resources.
1. Introduction to IoT Platforms
IoT platforms are becoming increasingly prevalent over time as companies strive to capitalise on its capability to enhance the profitability of its business. Firstly, what is an IoT platform? An IoT platform is a software solution that provides the infrastructure to manage, connect and deploy IoT applications and devices. But it is so much more than that because the potential for improvement in many aspects such as cost optimisation, resource planning and management are still unreached for many. Companies who want to stay ahead must consider adopting an IoT platform into their ecosystem to keep up with competition as advancements in the IoT world are still expected for the foreseeable future.
2. Market Overview
Although IoT has been around for over a decade, it is still relatively new in the digital era. It along with other technologies mark the so-called ‘Industry 4.0’, a sort of revolution and time of innovation that is sure to come with these technologies. This is still unknown territory for many companies who have not yet transitioned to the new wave of operational efficiency improvements and data-driven decision making. This is understandable because it is often met with risk and uncertainty as history has shown with many companies who have failed. Big players like Bosch, Siemens, Philips and PTC ThingWorx have been embracing this new technology and offer their own IoT platforms.
3. IoT Platform Landscape
There are two main types of IoT platforms, being cloud-based, edge, and hybrid. These are not distinctly defined, but rather on a spectrum with edge on one end and cloud-based on the other. Edge IoT platforms provide the benefit of reduced latency, closer to real time data processing and less dependence on cloud services which improves reliability. On the other hand, cloud-based IoT platforms provide enhanced capabilities such as more powerful analytics, robust and complex workflow automation, and a centralised system with easy accessibility. Hybrid IoT platforms give the best of both worlds with combined benefits and no drawback other than perhaps cost and additional overhead. Edge computing is a feature that is emerging where processing of data occurs closer to the edge devices, thereby reducing the bandwidth usage of the cloud, freeing up more resources for other applications, while also reducing the latency and time it takes for data processing.
4. Key Components of IoT Platforms:
Device management
Device registration
Remote configuration and firmware updates
Monitoring device health and status
Remote control
Data processing
Real time data collection
Storage of historical data
Interoperability
Integration with LoRaWAN networks, MQTT and other communication protocols/technologies
Secure and reliable data transmission over wired and wireless networks
Support for integrating with new devices and sensors
Analytics
Real time analysis on data to provide actionable insights
Predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms
Security, regulatory compliance
Following security standards, guidelines and regulations
Device authentication
Role based access control
Encryption of data in transit and static
Edge computing
Performing actions/commands/calculations on devices closer to the edge of the network for lower latency and freeing up usage of cloud resources
Integration with third party software
Integration with other software applications, networks and devices
Integration with existing systems like ERP, MES, etc
Support and maintenance
Support for developers such as API documentation
Documentation, user guides, FAQ, tutorials
Software update and maintenance
Technical support
Compliance with the latest security standards and regulations
Scalability and flexibility
Support to handle millions of devices for horizontal scaling
Load balancing and auto-scaling
5. Use Cases and Applications
IoT platforms can be used in many industries such as healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, smart cities, traffic management, energy sector etc. Many of these applications are already implemented in many parts of the world, with more and more being implemented everyday. This is an investment that will bring about improvements in almost every aspect of our lives.
For instance, imagine the benefits that can be achieved in the traffic management sector. With sensors providing real-time data on the number of vehicles in transit at a particular busy intersection during the day, combined with data from adjacent traffic sources, the accumulated data can be fed to advanced machine learning algorithms to analyse patterns and produce insights into efficiency improvements.
While existing systems in many places already achieve this to a certain extent, the true power of an IoT platform lies in its flexibility and scalability. By harnessing an IoT platform, traffic management systems gain the ability to integrate with diverse sources of data and at the same time be ready for emerging technologies. This means not only optimising traffic today but also staying ahead of tomorrow’s challenges. Such data-driven decisions are the key to potentially reducing the congestion and time spent on the road for billions of people around the world, translating to significant savings - both in terms of dollars and time.
6. Current features offered by competitors in the IoT platform market-space
Many companies, for example, TagoIO and Cumulocity specifically target system integrators and developers rather than the end users. They provide a plethora of tools and widgets for their customers to design and tailor their own custom solution that they can then offer to their specific end users. However, end users can still utilise the platform to manage and deploy their IoT applications without any coding expertise since most of the functionality is available within the graphical user interface. Features like workflow automation or a rule engine are one of the more important features that end users care about. An example of such a feature is a rule engine which allows users to define rules involving the system listening for a specific condition to be met before executing an action. This action can be a simple notification sent via text message or it can be complex logic defined in a program that executes a sequence of tasks. On the other hand, some IoT platforms like PTC’s ThingWorx platform offer predefined rule templates and algorithms designed by them in addition to their customisable rule engine. They include built-in algorithms and rules for processes such predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and asset tracking. This simplifies the process of setting up automation and reduces the need for the user to manually configure the rule engine.
7. What Ellenex offers
What Ellenex provides is an end-to-end solution that makes it as simple as possible for end users to start integrating the power of IoT platform with their current system and reap the benefits as early as possible. The end users do not need to worry about defining the rules for workflow automation, the solution includes everything they will need from the sensor and hardware to the software and UI. Our expertise lies in battery-powered sensors operating on LPWAN networks. As such, we recognise the importance of adapting processes like firmware updates to suit the unique characteristics of these devices. Ensuring feasibility in managing updates is paramount, considering the inherent limitations in power and bandwidth. Our products support firmware updates through wireless connectivity. Similarly, parameter configuration downlinks are supported via over-the-air connectivity, whether your solution utilises licensed spectrum LPWAN technologies like NB-IoT and Cat M1 or unlicensed spectrums like LoRaWAN, thanks to our extensive support for LPWAN network integrations. Combined with our intuitive, user-friendly software platform, Ellenex provides real-time data visualisation, customised notifications and access to historical data analysis. Discover the comprehensive capabilities of our platform designed to empower users with secure and efficient connectivity, seamless integration, and customisable solutions. Key features include:
Advanced device management
Multi-tenant role-based access control
Versatile alarm system for high and low thresholds, along with multi-channel alerting functionality
Data export and import
Sampling and transmission interval configuration
Integration with APIs for third party systems
Encrypted ultra-low power communication protocol
Other configurations and customisation available upon request
8. Challenges and Considerations
As legacy or existing systems integrate with cloud services and IoT platforms, there are security concerns that come hand in hand with the benefits. Data collection and remote control of devices must be secure and safe from unintended parties because end users expect data integrity and privacy of sensitive information. As interoperability between devices and networks advances, so too does the need for security to keep up with the latest standards, guidelines and regulations.
Key takeaway
IoT platforms are a dynamic software solution that takes on many forms. Depending on the industry and purpose, it may look very different. However the one thing in common is that they can provide a seamless way to connect IoT devices and sensors, from small operations like controlling lighting in domestic homes all the way to big industrial manufacturing facilities across the globe. Existing systems in industries can be further enhanced through integration with an IoT platform by leveraging its intrinsic interoperable and scalable nature to optimise operations and improve efficiency. In addition, the flexibility of IoT platforms means that there’s still a lot of room for us at Ellenex to push the envelope even further. We aim to simplify the implementation of IoT automations, ensuring effortless integration for our users to maximise the value they derive from our platform.
Image sources
Pixabay - search “IoT network” https://pixabay.com/vectors/network-iot-internet-of-things-782707/
Unsplash - search “Smart city” https://unsplash.com/photos/an-airplane-flying-over-a-city-with-wind-turbines-2KoSRmeKfqc
Pexels - search “wifi”https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-wi-fi-tower-under-a-blue-sky-7862565/
Unsplash - search “Busy intersection” https://unsplash.com/photos/a-busy-city-street-filled-with-lots-of-traffic-6HCKP76U2LA