The best laid plans for IoT
The best laid plans often go awry… Just ask anyone who’s tried to build an Internet of Things solution and failed.
“The best laid plans (for IoT projects) often go awry.” I hope Robert Burns won’t mind my edit to his well-known line written 200+ years ago—but it still holds true today.
Just ask anyone who’s tried to build an Internet of Things solution and failed. There are a multitude of reasons, but unforeseen technological problems are one of the four primary ones that IoT projects fail, according to Beecham Research in the report “Why IoT Projects Fail.” This research with 25,000 IoT adopters revealed that most ran into technical roadblocks they didn’t plan on.
- 87% of respondents felt they didn’t have the right expertise
- Virtually all said the connectivity aspect of the project was particularly challenging
- 60% had problems with scalability
While you can’t predict every possible technical problem you will encounter on an IoT project, you can beat the odds with three best practices:
- Think security from the start
No one ever plans to get hacked. Yet it happens. Private information becomes public, threatening the well-being of your company, your customers and business partners. An IoT security solution is absolutely essential to doing business in today’s connected world. So, when you’re choosing an IoT platform, be sure the security is engineered into it from the start and that it’s certified by a third party. Look for a platform that gets the top grade for security management best practices and controls.
- Don’t limit your range
Smart new “things” crop up in the market all the time. It’s tough to imagine what things you’ll want to connect in two, five or even 10 years. As your business grows more reliant on the IoT, to operate smarter and cater to customers, you’ll need to connect all kinds of new “things” and fast! So, don’t get locked into one vendor’s applications, sensors, protocols, networks, or even their cloud and storage methods. Keep your options open with an IoT platform that has an open API and is based on open standards. That way, you can connect “things” quickly and often without coding. Also, research whether your platform vendor certifies devices as compatible, so you know they will work securely and reliably for your project, saving time and money.
- Don’t limit your reach
Where will your business use the IoT? It could be anywhere. As low-power wide area networks grow more prevalent, smaller devices that need less power open new IoT application opportunities. Across the stretches of arid Australia, for example, utilities are already connecting remote infrastructure, such as switching stations, using IoT to reduce costs. While cellular remains the most used form of connectivity for IoT projects, it’s far from being the only one. Again, pick a platform that is “open ended”—able to work with LWM2M as well as with a multitude of connectivity types. And don’t be limited to where you can compute and store IoT data. Make sure you have on-premises, cloud and edge options—even a choice of IoT data lakes.
Sure, you’ll meet challenges along the way on your IoT project—and they’ll build character and competence. But if you start on the right track with the right platform choice you will reduce the risk of technical issues and reach success with your project.
Read more on “Why IoT projects fail and how to beat the odds” by clicking on the link below. You can also learn more about our leading Cumulocity IoT platform, and keep your project from going awry with our consultant-led Cumulocity IoT QuickStart program.
Click below to beat the odds with your IoT project.