Internet-connected devices are entering our homes and businesses at an astonishing rate. A recent study reported that the Internet of Things (IoT) will grow to $3.3 billion by 2027. Moreover, by this same year, an estimated 23 billion devices will be online. To accommodate the massive volume of devices flooding the market, constant maintenance is required.
Why? Because scaling connected devices is inherently complex. From network security to privacy and governance, there are hurdles for ecosystem developers to keep in mind. Indeed, nearly one-third of IoT projects fail in the proof-of-concept stage. So, to overcome the pitfalls of scaling, let’s look at three ways that ecosystem orchestrators can get it right.
The issues of IoT scalability
Scale, by definition, refers to the capability of a system, network or process to handle a growing amount of work. Similarly, scale refers to a system’s potential to accommodate such growth. Achieving either of these ambitions with connected devices is easier said than done. The majority of companies today struggle with scalability due to budgetary constraints, poor planning and future compatibility uncertainties. As a result, companies often doubt that the infrastructure, cloud and connectivity layers can grow with them.
Various technical and organizational factors add to the degree of difficulty. For example, security. Consider that potential network vulnerabilities often increase with device volume. Likewise, data management. Most companies institute connected device projects to uncover efficiency insights. However, in the absence of proper data management and governance, data silos can result and impede outcomes. Further, a lack of committed resources, IoT experience and leadership buy-in can also complicate connected device scalability.
The good news is that ecosystem orchestrators and designers can overcome such issues by following three key steps.
1) Start small then build
First, it’s a good idea to limit growth over time. Begin your IoT project with a few manageable devices, periodically adding over time, to work out any kinks before expanding.
The idea is to start small to scale big. This matters because many companies “jump the gun” and pour money into technology strategies before they know they will work. While every company wants to grow, an established foundation is crucial.
2) Keep it simple
Second, choosing the right architecture for your project from the beginning leads to fewer problems in the future. In this way, simplicity is vital.
For example, when it comes to communication between IoT devices, the MQTT protocol’s one-to-many system might seem like a good idea for smaller projects. However, down the line, it might not be as effective. This is because of its programming complexity, latency and security issues, as well as the need for constant maintenance.
In the long term, companies are better off using a more simplified architecture. For example, the REST API counts several benefits to developers like improved security, ease of scale and intuitiveness.
3) And most important of all: test
Most overlook this final tip. However, it’s integral to ensuring the long-term scalability of connected device projects: continuously test all aspects.
Here, always remember to test as your project scales. Monitor all aspects that influence successful device scalability, including latency levels, device numbers and bandwidth.
Further, study the current data generated by your project and perform stress tests to find its limits. And, once you have repeated this process enough, make the necessary changes to the infrastructure and start testing again.
Create a strong foundation and scale
While IoT projects come with their own unique scalability challenges, the above actions go a long way in minimizing potential problems. Likewise, it’s also worth considering the impact of an application enablement platform (AEP). A traditional AEP solution – such as Amazon Web Services IoT or Microsoft Azure – sends data between connected devices and the cloud. For a client to interact with a device, information must pass via an external centralized database for temporary storage. Unfortunately, this can lead to higher latency and security loopholes.
Conversely, a decentralized AEP solution establishes a direct connection from the client to a device. Once a peer-to-peer (P2P) connection is set up, the only limit of the connection is the computing power of the client and device and the internet throughput at the two destinations. As a result, this type of connection ensures low latency, eliminates the risk of data interception and improves the scope for scalability regardless of project size.
There’s a big difference between deploying and managing a few devices versus thousands. So, it’s vital to create a strong foundation for any connected device project and continuously monitor its growth over time. Long-term functionality and usability depend on it.
