Internet of Things (IoT) services are revolutionizing the way companies around the globe are doing business. A successful IoT digital transformation can launch businesses to new heights by reducing energy and production expenses, streamlining operations through automation and increasing time-to-value while reducing risk and cost.
But according to a recent survey, more than 1,800 IT leaders in the U.S. and the U.K. claim that more than half of all IoT projects don’t make it past the proof of concept phase. A long deployment cycle, the innate complexity of many IoT applications, and the considerable costs of a large-scale deployment can easily doom a nascent deployment.
Technical problems and delays can easily exacerbate these IoT risks. The three most common pitfalls to IoT platform deployment are: inadequate device management scalability, inadequate data integration and management, and lack of IoT administration. By targeting these three areas businesses can reap the benefits of a smooth rollout and get ahead of the competition.
Avoiding IoT Deployment Pitfalls
Forbes mentions that more than 30 billion devices are expected to be connected by 2020. Smart IoT services will help businesses, industries, and government institutions alike “in solving complex logistics, manufacturing, services, and supply chain problems,” if they can manage to get through the deployment phase. that more than 30 billion devices are expected to be connected by 2020. Smart IoT services will help businesses, industries, and government institutions alike “in solving complex logistics, manufacturing, services, and supply chain problems,” if they can manage to get through the deployment phase.
How does one avoid the mistakes that so many other companies are making? Here’s a quick guide to the most common pitfalls that can handicap a successful IoT deployment:
1. Device Management Scalability
The operational and financial challenges associated with growth can be daunting for those looking to incorporate IoT solutions. As IoT technology grows, so will the scale of operations needed to reach a wider target area.
When a company hits 5,000 IoT devices, scaling becomes almost impossible without a serious investment in IoT enablement tech. IoT enablement technology is designed to provide the following essential services for any IoT platform:
- Intelligent Interaction
- Data Storage and Organization
- Management
- Application Building
- Application Enablement
- User Interface Security
- Analytics
- Device Registry and Authorization
Without enablement technology, your IoT deployment is at risk for outages, data loss, redundancy, higher costs, and disorganized payment processes to multiple providers.
The solution? Look to an IoT application enablement platform from a single provider to solve scalability issues for your deployment strategy. IoT enablement technology is cost-effective and future-proofed for easy updates and growth.
2. Inadequate Data Integration and Management
Failure may take place not because of device scale, but because of data scale. Catherine Andrews, with GovLoop, posits that as more devices are connected, more data will be collected, stored, processed, and analyzed. The volume of this collection simply cannot be managed from a single on-site hub. Andrews says cloud technology will help with IoT scalability in terms of “storage, agility, cost and security.” a single on-site hub. Andrews says cloud technology will help with IoT scalability in terms of “storage, agility, cost and security.”
When starting small, it’s important to look to the future and anticipate growth. Companies that can’t adapt to market changes will fold without the right IoT architecture in place. A global, cloud-based platform can help manage the influx of data as companies expand.
“Cloud providers,” she says, “have made storage and [computing] virtually limitless with on-demand, scalable infrastructure that meets the demands of big data manipulation.” The key is to partner with a provider using a platform or technology that’s agnostic and built by an IoT expert with an eye toward future apps, databases and other delivery systems.
3. Lack of IoT Administration
Large-scale automation is the prime motivator for most IoT deployments, but without the right security administration protocols, that goal’s all but unreachable. Enabling IoT on thousands of devices means you’re essentially running a network; such a network requires the right set of tools to be managed effectively and securely. Common administration oversights leading to deployment failure include:
- Credential and large-scale update oversights for a large number of devices
- Decentralized security administration systems
- Lack of device access portals
- Lack of IT staff dedicated to security and device management
- Outdated modules that require replacement and don’t allow for remote upgrades
- Poor design and a lack of coordination between devices
- Weak forms of authentication
- Lack of support for 802.1X, DHCP, SNMP management, and IPv6
Working with the right IoT provider can ensure companies are secure and able to control their means of support with ease.
Solving IoT Data Integration Problems with the Right Platform Provider
There’s no reason to let the pitfalls prevent you from rolling out your IoT deployment. IoT Platforms solve these three problems. You don’t NEED to hire individual device, admin, and data management experts/consultants to build unique pipelines to your backend systems; you just need to plug into an all-around service like the Telit IoT platform.
Telit’s IoT platforms are designed to help your business focus on building apps, not infrastructure. Design, deploy and manage your solution development lifecycle with simplicity and enterprise-grade performance. Contact Telit for a free IoT project review that can ensure your project’s smooth deployment.
Should you build your own IoT platform or buy from a vendor? Get the facts here