An IoT connectivity platform is an essential part of infrastructure for the communication, management and operation of devices. Connectivity platforms provide the necessary tools and services to connect devices, process data and integrate with other systems. Without connectivity platforms, IoT solutions struggle to be deployed and scaled.
The key components of a connectivity platform is device management which allows users to configure, monitor and update devices which includes provisioning new devices, managing updates and ensuring security; data processing and analysis from the data generated by devices; connectivity management through supporting communication protocols and connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee; security and compliance and integration and interoperability.
Technologies being integrated into connectivity platforms
The pace at which IoT as an industry has gathered can be thanks to developments in connectivity, computing power and data analytics. Early IoT platforms were often solutions tailored to specific applications, but the need for scalable and flexible platforms led to the development of the connectivity platforms we see today.
Initially, connectivity platforms focused on connectivity and data collection and with the advent of AI, Edge computing and machine learning, now incorporate these features for more sophisticated applications such as predictive maintenance, autonomous systems and real-time analytics.
One of the most compelling reasons for the adoption of Edge computing in IoT connectivity platforms is its ability to reduce latency. In traditional Cloud computing models, data generated by IoT devices travels to centralised data centres for processing before insights can be derived. Edge computing addresses this particular challenge by processing data locally or near the source of data generation. In doing so, the data processing is near instantaneous which is beneficial for autonomous vehicles, industrial automation and smart city infrastructure.
The deployment of 5G networks is anticipated to have an impact on connectivity platforms, by bringing higher speeds, lower latency and greater capacity. By allowing the rapid transmission of large amounts of data which is essential for data-intensive IoT applications such as real-time video surveillance, AR and VR. One example is that 5G can facilitate high-definition video streams from thousands of cameras for traffic management systems.
An example of integrating new technologies into a connectivity platform happened last year, when Soracom announced adding generative AI (GenAI) to its capabilities to support IoT deployments in taking advantage of GenAI. “Applying GenAI to analyse IoT data has the potential to discover insights that are beyond our imagination,” said Kenta Yasukawa, CTO and Co-Founder of Soracom in the announcement.
Soracom also announced GenAI services in July of this year; one service a low-code application builder and the other to simplify the management of IoT deployments. In the announcement, Yasukawa said: “We’ve always envisioned an Internet of Things where connected devices can interact with each other to make decisions in real time. The emergence of public GenAI services holds the potential to fulfil that vision.”
Connectivity providers
A recent report from Transforma Insights reported on key trends in the connectivity space, alongside the top 10 connectivity providers who were evaluated for their capabilities and strategies. Trends mentioned include the speedy rate of change such as new technologies, commercial models and market approaches, as well as the evolution of the connectivity management platform landscape – which was mentioned as evolving at a slower rate.
The top 10 leaders in IoT connectivity named in the report were: Vodafone, Telenor, floLIVE, Wireless Logic, 1NCE, DT IoT, emnify, NTT, Eseye, and Telefónica.
There’s plenty of other editorial on our sister site, Electronic Specifier! Or you can always join in the conversation by commenting below or visiting our LinkedIn page.
