Everything about IoT Device Management You Should Know
In order to provision, monitor, and maintain the expanding array of connected objects (also known as the Internet of Things endpoints or edge devices) in your residential or commercial network, you must use a variety of processes, tools, and technologies. This article goes into greater detail regarding IoT Device Management, the features you require, and the leading software solutions in this market.
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What Is IoT Device Management?
In order to provision, monitor, and maintain the expanding array of connected objects (also known as the internet of things endpoints or edge devices) in your residential or commercial network, you must use a variety of processes, tools, and technologies. The need for IoT device management software is growing as more and more devices have network capabilities. By 2023, there will be 29.3 billion networked devices or 3.6 devices for every person on the planet, predicts Cisco’s Annual Internet Report (2018-2023). IoT device management is crucial due to two factors: pull and push.
Intelligent IoT Device Management creates the foundation for advanced analytics, seamless automation, internal efficiencies, and novel business models, so there is a clear pull factor. IoT device management is essential for business models like servitization, which replaces outright equipment sales with equipment leasing and services based on IoT data.
Additionally, there is a push factor because more and more people are adopting connected devices. Without IoT device management, staff members will probably keep adding new endpoints to the company network, adding significantly more shadow IT work.
For these reasons, according to a 2020 research report by Valuates Reports, the demand for IoT Device Management will increase between 2021 and 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.6%. IoT device management will be a $6.25 billion market globally by the end of this forecast period.
The key components of IoT Device Management
1. Device onboarding:
An IoT Device Management must be onboarded into the network when it is turned on for the first time. However, they lack a fully featured, independent interface to help users with the onboarding process, unlike conventional devices. Some of the steps you might anticipate during device onboarding include verifying credentials, defining authentication protocols, assigning a device identity, etc.
2. Configuration of the device:
Your network’s IoT devices must all be set up to meet your company’s requirements. For instance, if you have a fleet of connected trucks, you might want to group particular devices according to their usual operating location or destination.
3. Operational diagnostics:
Diagnostics can give you a wealth of information about how your IoT operations are going. You need a centralized IoT Device Management capability because the majority of IoT devices lack the memory or computing power to analyze diagnostics on the device itself.
4. Device security:
This is going to play a bigger role in IoT Device Management. Despite making up 30% of all endpoints, as much as 98% of IoT device traffic in the U.S. was permitted to go through unencrypted channels in 2020. IoT device management applies the necessary security protocols and brings unmapped endpoints under organizational control.
5. Device upkeep:
In addition to updating device firmware to the most recent version, you should keep an eye out for any security flaws that might be introduced by recent releases. Similar to onboarding or configuration, IoT Device Management performs over-the-air (OTA) updates for device maintenance in bulk.
6. End of life:
IoT devices that are no longer in use but are still connected to the enterprise network pose a serious security risk because an outside party could steal data from the device covertly. Furthermore, a dated or broken device could seriously harm operations. End-of-life policies and processes outline the precise steps that must be taken to decommission an IoT device, how to recycle the materials for a low carbon footprint, and how to retire the device.
Top 3 IoT Device Management Software Solutions
In addition to limiting IoT sprawl and maximizing device functionality, strong IoT device management software can also facilitate IoT scaling. Top IoT Device Management software programs are made to be easily scaleable, so they can adapt to different enterprise environments. These are our suggestions, listed alphabetically.
1. AWS IoT Device Management:
This software from Amazon Web Services (AWS) enables you to remotely onboard, arrange, manage, and keep an eye on a large number of connected devices. It consists of a variety of AWS IoT services, such as software for devices, control services, and analytics services.
Any type of enterprise environment can use AWS IoT Device Management because it is OS and device agnostic (industrial and non-industrial). With no reliance on external parties, you can deploy a fully functional IoT landscape thanks to the company’s impressive suite of service capabilities.
In order to create a connected enterprise, businesses that already use AWS can confidently choose AWS IoT Device Management and integrate it with other services like SSO or AWS Organizations.
2. Azure IoT Hub:
Microsoft’s IoT device management tool, Azure IoT Hub, is housed in the Azure cloud. It offers additional services for developing IoT applications and includes features for device security, provisioning, and management at scale.
The primary USP of Azure IoT Hub is its availability on Azure Stack Hub, which enables your clients and business partners to create connected landscape applications that can be run on-premises. This increases the flexibility of your application environment.
Azure IoT Hub is a fantastic option for businesses looking to scale up and already have an application presence on Azure. It is the best option for those with an ambitious application development roadmap due to its serverless computing capabilities, integration with Azure Event Grid, and availability on Azure Stack Hub.
3. balenaCloud IoT Device Management Software
A group of tools called balena makes it easier to deploy and control connected Linux devices. Its suite of products includes balenaCloud, a platform based on containers for deploying IoT apps. Using container technology, you can design your own device image, join endpoints to the network, and keep security.
A whopping 59 different device types are supported by balenaCloud, including all well-known boards like the Nvidia Jetson TX2, Raspberry Pi, and Intel NUC. Additionally, the business wants to collaborate with businesses running in various IoT environments and offer full support.
For those seeking the greatest degree of flexibility, balenaCloud is the best IoT device management solution. Choose from a variety of device types, languages, containerized and non-container deployments, and cloud or local applications, and, if necessary, further customize them using open-source software.
