Should I Use an IoT Platform?

#Discussion(IoTStack) [ via IoTForIndiaGroup ]

So let’s break down the key tasks that an IoT product needs to perform, and therefore, highlight the functionality that should be covered by a platform. In general, an IoT product needs to:

Acquire data from the real world (via sensors)
Process data locally (edge computing)
Connect to the cloud to send data / receive commands
Store data in the cloud
Analyze data in the cloud
Command the “things” to perform specific tasks based on insights
Present insights to users

In addition, there are some “behind-the-scenes” operations you’ll need:

All operations should be done securely throughout the IoT stack
You need the ability to identify and manage all of your devices (at scale)
Based on this simplified description, a good IoT platform should provide the tools and infrastructure to cover as many of these tasks as possible. For example, if you select a platform that’s very strong on analytics, but doesn’t help you in getting data from the devices to the cloud, then you’ll have a big gap.

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