6 key features of the perfect IoT technology partner
IoT systems are popular in automotive, healthcare, manufacturing, and our everyday lives in today’s world. If you want to accelerate your business to the next level and consider investing in an IoT implementation, you should read this article carefully.
How to choose the best technology partner? What should you expect from cooperation with an IoT company? Finally — how to create tailored to your needs cyber-secure products equipped with IoT technology? You will find answers to these and other questions later in this article.
Is it worth it?
127 devices connect to the Internet for the first time every second (McKinsey Digital). It is predicted that by 2030, the total number of connected devices will reach about 50 billion (Statista). Such forecasts prove that IoT technology will develop very dynamically. It is also reflected in the behavior of companies that become more and more interested in investing in the Internet of Things and transforming their regular products into smart products. All of its benefits, such as cost reduction, increased innovation, and the ability to obtain valuable data and generate detailed reports, are also motivation.
However, in order to achieve this, it’s good to find a proper technology partner. One that will not only provide a solution — a high-quality product but will be able to meet your needs perfectly.
What is a good technological partner?
We can find various cooperation offers in the field of equipping products with IoT solutions on the market. The choice can be very difficult, especially since many criteria should be taken into account. However, what is the most important to remember when making decisions about cooperation?
Knowledge and experience in IoT
It may be quite obvious — knowledge and experience. A good partner should provide a team of specialists who not only have knowledge in the field of IoT implementation but also experience in this area.
The partner should also propose the best, dedicated IoT solution based on needs analysis. Advice and a flexible approach are key — they will ensure that the investment is not out of context and fits perfectly into the existing systems and infrastructure.
Complex service
A good technology partner provides a comprehensive and professional service. What does it mean? Ensure that the company creates the software, provides the appropriate hardware, and then tests both the software and the device in terms of communication (with an application or a database on a server or in the cloud). Sometimes, an additional requirement for software may be the need to certify it. Choose a partner who can provide a full package.
HW and devices
If a potential partner offers a complex service, you can request suitable IoT hardware and components. Then, the partner usually delivers advanced sensors integrated with IoT platforms that will cooperate with the developed software. Thanks to them, it is possible to remotely control the device and obtain valuable data that can be used for advanced business analytics.
Tests are essential. You mustn’t omit them in the IoT implementation process. It is worth finding a partner who will provide specialists who will conduct software tests. By tests, we mean both in terms of functionality and resistance to hacker attacks. Remember that your product must be cyber secure!
Infrastructure
If you want to benefit from the full potential of IoT, you can’t forget about the infrastructure. A perfect IoT technological partner will provide integration with the systems and applications that already exist in your company, connect the IoT devices, and configure access to them in the cloud.
Cloud and valuable analytics
Cloud is essential if you are implementing IoT. A good technology partner should support you in setting up your cloud service infrastructure and maintaining it afterward. Also, remember to choose an adequate cloud service provider for the processes used in your organization. If there is such a need, they should guide you through the migration to the cloud, as well as show you how to obtain valuable data and how to best use it in your business.
Your technological partner should teach you how to get the most out of it when it comes to data. It is good if they create reports for you in the form of transparent dashboards that present real-time data. Such reports will not only allow you to monitor the data from IoT devices but also help you make forecasts. Relying on high-quality transparent data, you will make the best business decisions.
If it comes to everyday IoT devices, it is good to ensure integration with popular applications such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or IFTTT. Thanks to this, the user can control the device remotely (via a mobile application or by voice).
Summary
There are numerous factors to consider when choosing an IoT partner. The most important, however, is the comprehensive approach. Ensure whether your chosen software house provides the software development, necessary hardware, including IoT devices, and if they can test both the software and the device. That would be an optimal solution for your business. Additionally, you may need to certify your product or software — a proper partner will take care of that too.
Solwit’s experience with IoT
Our experts at Solwit create and develop dedicated IoT solutions for various industries — automotive, healthcare and medical equipment, manufacturing, and everyday life. We provide a comprehensive service and adapt it to the requirements of a given project. Our solutions are made to be scalable, cyber-secure, and tailored exactly to the needs of your business.
We have gained experience in cooperating on projects such as:
- smart swimming goggles,
- smart toys for children to help them fall asleep,
- smart dispensers for soap and paper,
- PLC controllers for automated facility management,
- Acoustic Event Detector (AED) — sound recognition system using audio analysis directly on the built-in device (on edge),
Our way to do it
At Solwit, we operate in Java, Python, Node React, and C# technologies. The cloud platform that we mostly recommend is Google Cloud Platform, although we also work on MS Azure and AWS.
Are you searching for a technological partner to deliver your next IoT solution? Or maybe you want one to create a complete IoT product? Contact us!
Written by Solwit Team
