Real meaning behind Internet of Things:
IoT, also known as Internet of Things, is created using devices connected to internet and sharing info with one another. The basic examples are laptops, computers and smartphones but that’s not the end of it. IoT further talks about objects, equipped with chips for gathering and communicating data over network. Before you learn about how to build IoT platform, you need to know the actual meaning it holds.
The current list of potential and existing IoT devices is huge. Most of the time, people use their own smartphones for communicating with other noteworthy devices, like home thermostat and more. Connected contact lenses and even activity trackers are some of the basic examples revolving around powerful IoT sector. According to some of the surveys counted, by the time 2021 reaches, the combined market of IOT will definitely reach to around $520 billion count!
Ways in which mobile app is leveraging IOT world:
Mobile apps play seamless role in internet of things services. They work as proficient interface to allow users to interact well with the physical devices, enabled under IOT. So, with its growing market, mobile app section seems to develop as well. These smartphones are best tools to take efficient advantage of IOT technology. With more than 2.6B smartphone users these days, this amount is subject to grow.
Mobile based applications are playing pivotal role in enhancing growth of IOT to connect well with other devices incorporating sensors. The IoT mobile app is made suited to work with hardware devices as mobile comes with numerous connectivity options like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and cellular. It enables them to communicate with other devices and sensors. It is the default abilities of smartphones, putting them right at IoT ecosystem’s core. It can be used to exchange and then interpret data and take major actions instantly, while on the go. Through the mobile apps, you can schedule to procure push notifications of major activities.
Some proficient use cases of IOT in various industries:
You must be wondering what is IoT development. The easy way to get to the core is by understanding the use cases of this technology in multiple industries. Listed below, are three of the major industries, which clearly portray the value of IOT in modern world.
Agriculture:
The world’s population is stated to hit 9 billion by the time is reaches 2050. So, coping up with growing food demands is quite inevitable. Right now, you have sensible farming, based on IOT and widely used for watching field crop with sensors by your side. Farmers get the chance to supervise their conditions by employing mobile devices and can witness all like soil wetness, light, humidity and more. It is one of the major reasons to use IOT in agricultural field.
For better understanding on what is internet of things application, taking some cases will help. The market houses some of the smarter agricultural gadgets now like smart farming sensor, weather stations and more. The main aim of these devices is to collect multiple data from environment and sending it to cloud. It helps in providing measurements to check out climate conditions, choose apt crops and take required measurements for improving capacity.
Healthcare:
To decrease the number of people visiting a doctor for small issues, home based medical devices can be used. You can easily connect these devices with sensors used for transmitting all data on device into app, and then finally into smartphone. The mobile apps can easily set dosage of medicine through IVs and pumps.
IoT also plays a major role in remote healthcare and monitoring. You can capture data through sensors, located inside medical devices and then shared with physicians on a real time basis. It helps in preventing serious conditions from developing while any chronic disease can be well monitored for progress.
Retail:
The primary aim of retail sector is to make customers happy with better experiences. Thanks to IOT, retailers now get the opportunity to craft better experiences for their customers. Most of the top IoT applications in this area are covering the use of smartphone. It helps in facilitating communication between buyers and retailers.
The use of IOT in retail sector is associated with accurate advertising, actual analysis of the available demand models and improved versions of supply chain cycle. Moreover, intelligent shopping application and NFC payments are some of the added values to consider. With the help of IoT, you can set up one system for reading tags on every item whenever any customer leaves store. This checkout system will then tally the items and deduce cost from mobile payment app of the customers automatically. Thanks to apps using beacons, you can now offer your customers exclusive offers, discounts and new arrivals all in real time when they are in your store.
IOT with its major components:
IOT comprises of two major components; things and internet. It implies connection of things through internet as basic medium for creating auto operated network. Some of the core components associated with internet of things development will help you understand its architecture better.
1. Interconnecting sensors and smart devices:
These sensors and devices are major components behind IOT enabled connectivity arena. The main aim of smart sensors is to collect data from covering region and transmitting to next layer for future process. Mainly because of evolving technologies, you have advanced semiconductor technology to offer micro smart sensors as used in multiple industrial specified applications. Some of the major physical parameters in here are temperature and press sensors, thermostats, controller for room ambience and more.
IOT based gateway is always helpful for managing bi-directional data exchange, taking place on multiple protocols and networks. It can translate multiple network protocols and establish inter operational practices of connected devices under IOT network. The major aspect of gateways is that the items are configurable and can pre-process sensor based data before transmitting to next levels.
2. User based interface:
Users get the chance to address physical interactions with user interface, making it visible and accessible section of internet of things development and network. For smoother functionality, effortless interactive session with IOT developers and devices, and UI designers might pave way for easy usable interface.
3. Cloud:
As IOT networks help in generating higher data amounts, it needs management of best sort. IOT cloud is here to offer sophisticated form of tools, based on real time, for managing and storing data. Service operators can gain access to data in moment for taking some critical business based decisions.
4. Analytics:
With the help of powerful analytics in IOT network, you can process and then get to convert valuable data from multiple sensors and smart devices into some meaningful insights. It can further be interpreted for developing effective system improving strategies or smarter solutions.
Smartphone – your ultimate IOT gateway:
It is not hard for you to state that smartphones are the prime option and version of the IoT application development, under real time basis. It helps in processing the user data through internet, using some of the tangible versions of mobile interface. There are multiple purposes served by smartphone servers. Some examples are motion sensing, location tracking and monitoring parameters.
Most of the smartphone apps along with their services are added with internet protocols making devices a perfect IoT gateway. With help of Wi-Fi or active cell network, the device environment will remain lively and interactive with in-built sensors like Sync, GPS, motion sensing, light intensity detection and more. These are some of the major Benefits of IoT apps.
Trying to build IOT applications? Follow the checklist:
So, you have been trying to create checklist for building IOT applications now, right? If so, then make sure to follow some stages, in details, and get positive results in the end.
Create a shortlist for all devices, hardware and sensors. Make sure to use latest ones for their better performance rate and without any need of update.
Remember to determine app platform (iPhone, Android or both?) and choose the devices accordingly. Always remember to identify whether two chosen hardware will need to communicate with one another. Create a list of devices, which will be receiving and those, which will be sending data and to whom.
Remember to check out list of capabilities you need like the functions performed by apps and the automated versions, depending on triggers. You better list out functions designed for mobile app.
After that, it is time to select central based data storage, perfect for systematization, accumulating data and analyzing the collected ones. Cloud solutions, in this regard, will be perfect for providing effective data transmission over lower speed networks.
Remember to select proper mobile app technology. It can either be hybrid or native. Then you have to define potential users and the size of market. You have to determine the price you need for scaling the app.
You have to be use of the security measurements associated with IOT sector. It helps in preventing loss of critical assets and help organizations to gain higher visibility over those entering or leaving facility in real time.
Popular examples of Cloud IOT Platforms:
It is vital to check out the popular examples associated with Cloud IoT Platform. Let’s learn a bit more about those examples first.
Google cloud IOT platform:
Google can make things happen with its end to end Google Cloud. It has the ability to handle various amounts of data with the help of Cloud IoT Core, along with its advanced analytics, owning to Cloud Data Studio and Big Query. Some features over here are speeding up devices, accelerating business, partner ecosystem and more.
IBM Watson IOT platform:
IBM Watson is one noteworthy example while building IoT applications and a dream tool for most of the developers. It is backed by Hybrid cloud PaaS and help developers to deploy IOT applications. Some features involved over here are secured communication, proficient device management and real time based data exchange.
Microsoft Azure IOT suite:
Microsoft is all set and ready in bringing up some of the new products under IOT platform. For that, it has the Microsoft Azure IOT suite, which is compatible with most of the IOT platforms. Some of the basic and advanced features, making this Cloud IOT platform great are rule engine, device shadowing and information monitoring.
Kaa:
If you are aiming towards open source platform then Kaa is the right choice you could have asked for. It is well developed to speed up procedure of IOT solutions deployment. It is purposely used as the cloud enablement software for transport agnostic link or customized middleware. Some features incorporated in this section are reducing marketing time, minimizing cost of development and handling millions of devices at the same time.
AWS IOT platform:
AWS is the brainchild from Amazon and it comes with reinvented conference. This IOT platform is one example while looking for mobile IoT app solutions as it helps in registering recognized devices and produces software development kits for all the mobile based devices. Furthermore, secured device gateway and device shadows are some of the other features allotted in this regard.
ThingWorx:
Whenever you are aiming for the leading IOT platform of the industry, ThingWorx is the first name to pop right in your mind. It helps the innovators to create and deploy game changing solutions, experiences and applications in smart connected world of today. This platform is solely designed for enterprise application development. Some of the features involved around here are easy device connectivity to platform, removal of complexity from IOT app develop, and sharing platform for rapid development among developers.
The final say:
By now you would have understood that building finest IOT mobile app is no joke and it takes a lot of hard work and dedicated services from experts. These apps can easily turn out to be way too complex than what has been anticipated, because of compatibility across various platforms and devices. So, it is always smart to work with experienced team of IOT app developers, who have established strategies and procedures for covering such kinds of development programs.
