IoT software development is an activity that allows companies to create platforms for analyzing the information sent by the hardware in order to make decisions and send back control instructions to the devices to do tasks.
Deploying IoT in a company, however, is not easy. The Internet of Things is a multidisciplinary technology that requires people trained in connectivity, machine learning, cloud, hardware management, among other skills.
Additionally there is the need to integrate all the elements in a tool that allows them to be managed in an easy and mobile way: this is where IoT software development comes in.
IoT Software Development
IoT devices should have a software platform that allows them to analyze and present the data captured by the sensors. This requires the use of algorithms, maybe based on machine learning (ML), thanks to which anomalies are identified and alerts are sent to those responsible or consumers.
In a few words, an IoT platform is the software capable of connecting and integrating all IoT devices.
According to IoT for all this consists of:
Hardware: such as sensors or devices, which collect information from the environment (detecting when a machine part needs to be changed) or perform actions on it (changing the ambient temperature to keep it within predefined ranges).
Connectivity: the hardware needs a way to transmit all this information to the cloud, as well as a way to receive commands from it. In some IoT systems there may also be an intermediate router or gateway between the devices and the cloud: this is where, for example, Edge Computing comes into play.
Software: usually the software of a complete IoT system is in the cloud and is responsible for analyzing the information being sent by the hardware in order to make decisions.
User interface: in order for all of the above to have a real utility there must be a method for users to interact with the IoT system, be able to monitor and make decisions based on the information gathered. This is the point where more value is potentially generated to the business.
IoT platforms are the software that connects all the above points, this is known as the IoT Value Chain.
What advantages do IoT devices offer companies?
The Internet of Things can act as a decisive tool to promote digital transformation in companies. Thanks to this technology, companies are able to intelligently link different "things" to devices, people, processes and data, which will provide them with the following benefits:
Useful information for decision making
Real-time metrics
Industry interconnection