Read the our “Surviving the machine-to-machine protocols jungle” whitepaper to help you find your way successfully through the IoT protocol maze.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing at a phenomenal rate as hundreds of thousands more things get connected every day – but with the speed of take up, protocols have multiplied, leaving a complicated and confusing trail in their wake.
IoT by its very nature requires extensive administration. Consider your smartphone, for example. It requires regular updates at both system level, and also at chip level managed remotely by the network operator. Some of these updates you are aware of; some you are not. IoT devices are no different. Managing millions of devices – many of which will not have a user interface – will be complex.
IoT knows no boundaries
The business scenarios for IoT are endless. Health care organizations that can treat patients remotely, utilities companies that can anticipate and prevent service outrages, intelligent highways, fleet tracking, machine auto diagnosis and assets control, remote controlling appliances to save energy. And so the list goes on. But all of the ideas that surround IoT require protocols to make them work.
IoT sits at an intersection for a number of different industries, including telecoms companies, hardware and electronic suppliers, chipset makers and industrial automation and IT. They have all been working mostly in a vacuum, which has resulted in a host of different standards and protocols. This has created a perplexing panorama for businesses that need to make long term product decisions.
These diverse players are now faced with the challenge of coming up with an easy, inexpensive, plug-and-play interoperable and standardized solution to connect different machines and devices together. Telecommunications companies have mainly opted to take a global approach, designed to address the needs of most industries. Vertical leaders, such as those providing services to the oil and gas industries, have chosen a different route - utilizing dedicated solutions for different sectors.
We are seeing our world connect in a way that has never been previously possible. We will see protocols converge and new standards take shape. For the foreseeable future, IoT will still require a number of protocols. Finding the right one for your application is essential to its success. Understanding what protocols do what in getting your data from A to B isn’t an option – it is imperative.
Read the our “Surviving the machine-to-machine protocols jungle” whitepaper to help you find your way successfully through the IoT protocol maze. Download here.
Editor in Chief, International, at Orange Business. I'm in charge of our International website and the English language blogs at Orange Business. In my spare time I'm literally captain of my own ship, spending my time on the wonderful rivers and canals of England.