Whether you know it or not, we are surrounded by devices that form part of the IoT. Smart refrigerators, smart watches, and smart home systems, all form part of this digital mesh of things. Ordinary devices that had an average existence have now become super powerful and capable of performing impressive feats thanks to their ability to connect to the internet.
IoT development, which used to be a laggard couple of years ago, has picked up momentum and has become one of the hotbeds of innovation. Adopting Internet of Things which was pegging around 13.8 billion units in 2021 is expected to cross 30.9 billion units by 2025.
But, some questions remain. Where does Internet of Things development happen? What are the tools and
platforms that enable businesses to build IoT applications?
Find out the answers below.
The top platforms for IoT development in 2022 and beyond
There is no single tool and platform that can cover the whole nine yards of developing Internet of Things. It is necessary to cherry-pick the right tool and platform so that the final application on Internet of Things is robust and scalable.
The platforms described below can stand up to the order and deliver on the requirements.
- Google Cloud Platform
- IBM Watson
- Microsoft Azure
- Oracle
- Cisco Cloud Connect
- Salesforce
Google Cloud Core
Google Cloud Internet of Things is a managed service offered by Google to build connected devices. It is extremely scalable allowing developers to connect a few devices or even millions of them seamlessly.
There are also APIs and services available for Google Assistant Smart Home, Nest Device Access, and hardware platforms like Edge TPU.
Further, Google Cloud IoT core also offers a partner-led solution that can help create customized solutions for device management, analytics, and even integrating AI/ML intelligence for automation.
Learn more about Google Cloud IoT core here.
IBM Watson
One of the challenges faced in IoT development is handling device data and analyzing it for future use. IBM Watson solves that by enabling developers to collect connected device data on a real-time basis.
It is a cloud-based platform that also has impressive analytic capabilities that allow developers to pick insights on user activity, device usage, and patterns that can help them improve their IoT application features.
Further, IBM Watson allows connecting your own apps to the platform for real-time and historical data for analysis.
Learn more about IBM Watson here.
Microsoft Azure
Azure IoT is not a single tool but a collection of Microsoft tools aimed at making IoT development, and management easier. What makes it stand out from other platforms is its built-in security, privacy and compliance capabilities. Also, it is an edge-to-cloud platform, meaning it is easier to connect to devices on the ground that may not have a dedicated server to connect and stream data.
This is ideal for an IoT scenario where a large number of devices would be distributed across a large area. Microsoft Azure IoT also offers several IoT-focused services such as Azure IoT Hub, Azure IoT Central, Azure Digital Twins, and Azure IoT Edge among many others.
Learn more about IBM Watson here.
Oracle
The USP that Oracle IoT is offering is easier and effortless integration of IoT applications into existing IT infrastructure and processes. Oracle IoT makes this possible by providing a robust solution of Internet of Things that is capable of managing and analyzing a massive amount of real-time data that is created by all IoT-connected devices in the network. Further, Oracle Business Intelligence Cloud Service helps integrate the automatic synchronization of Internet of Things data streams so that all of the IoT data can be visualized and seen in one place.
Learn more about IBM Watson here.
Cisco Cloud Connect
Cisco IoT Cloud Connect’s capabilities range across secure data analytics, network connectivity, app enablement, automation, and effective data management, among many others. Crisco aims to bridge the gap between the Internet of Things and Operational Technology (OT). It is the situation where most of the incompatibilities and implementation challenges are there.
By creating a singular cloud-based mobility software solution that leverages mobile networks, Cisco IoT cloud connect helps manage IoT devices at scale. It also pulls real-time and historical data together. As a result, it acts as the interface where the visualization of data is possible resulting in easier interpretation.
Learn more about Cisco IoT Cloud Connect here.
Salesforce
Salesforce is a cloud-based business software. It has been coming up with innovative solutions that help improve customer engagement and customer experience at all levels. Internet of Things being a surefire way to interact with customers in a novel way, Salesforce has been quick to launch its platform on Internet of Things. The platform partners with other popular Internet of Things providers like Cisco, Amazon Web Services, etc.
By bringing together Internet of Things device data, Salesforce helps its customers understand many things. It includes customer behavior, improve organizational productivity, and also seamlessly build new apps on Internet of Things.
Learn more about Salesforce IoT here.
Many platforms, one purpose
All these IoT development platforms aim at simplifying the task of developing applications of Internet of Things, collecting device data, and making analytics easier. With their varied capabilities and pricing points, zeroing in on a single platform that delivers is not going to be an easy task.
Here are the easiest ways to do it:
- Evaluate the scale at which you will be implementing Internet of Things
- The volume of data that needs to collate, organize, and analyze
- The extent to which automation is required in day-to-day operations
There are also other decisive factors like the budget, compatibility with existing systems, etc. All of these influence the choice of an IoT development platform.
Not sure which is the right Internet of Things development platform? Need help in choosing the platform, developing an IoT application, and maintaining it?
Talk to our experts and get answers.
