The Internet of Things (IoT) has arrived, and it’s bound to shape our lives forever.
So, let’s put facts into perspective. IoT refers to the ability of everyday objects (things) to connect to the internet, and to send and receive data. This technology includes plugs, cameras, bulbs, home security, and industrial control systems. It is estimated that the total number of connected devices reached 8.4 billion in 2017, and by 2020, this figure is projected to hit the 20 million mark.
As many IoT deployments consist of hundreds of thousands to millions of devices, it is essential to track, monitor, and manage the bulk of connected devices efficiently. A number of challenges can hinder the successful deployment of an IoT system and its linked devices, including security, interoperability, power/processing capabilities, scalability and availability. Many of these can be addressed with IoT device management either by adopting standard protocols or using services offered by a vendor.
Device management is critical to IoT success
Device management helps companies integrate, organize, monitor and remotely control internet-enabled devices at scale, offering features critical to maintaining the proper operation, connectivity and security of the IoT devices along their entire lifecycles.
A secured environment on the cloud must be available for users to add device attributes, such as name, type and manufacturing year, certificates and access policies to the IoT registry. Fast device onboarding is essential to put devices into service and keep them functioning seamlessly on their networks.
The key features that come into play for proper device management on the cloud are:
- Registration or profiling ¨
- Data security¨
- Authentication/authorization
- Configuration
- Access controls
- Monitoring and diagnostics
- Troubleshooting
- Firmware updates
