The potential of the internet of things for businesses is huge. For some organisations, it can create entirely new business models. It can also improve efficiency by allowing them greater insight into their data. Other organisations use it to improve customer service and retention.
There are a number of reasons why it makes sense for organisations to use third-party IoT platform providers rather than attempt to develop the software themselves. The primary advantage is freeing up internal developers to focus on other important initiatives. Drawing on a third-party provider also ensures a quicker time to market using a platform that is already tried and tested.
When delivered via the cloud, such an approach is more cost effective, shifting the cost from a fixed capital to a variable operational expense. The cloud model also provides the capability to dynamically scale without the need for further investments in hardware and software.
Not all IoT platform providers are equal, however. Some have positioned themselves too broadly and have found themselves transformed from technology to services organisations. Others have created technical barriers to adopting their platforms by requiring that you preload proprietary clients on your devices.
2lemetry’s ThingFabric platform enables customers to bring on board legacy protocols and start receiving data the same day in whatever format they choose
2lemetry has narrowed its focus to the middleware and analytics layer of the internet of things, providing full interoperability for most of the current and proposed standards, and features a programmable interface to bring on-board proprietary protocols.
Most enterprises are reliant on legacy systems, which operate effectively for the purpose for which they were intended. There is little appetite to undergo expensive upgrades to incorporate new internet capabilities.
This is where 2lemetry’s middleware comes in. It enables legacy systems to continue operating without any interruption, while getting devices online and interacting with new systems. 2lemetry’s ThingFabric platform, for instance, enables customers to bring on board their legacy protocols and start receiving data the same day in whatever format they choose. It’s an open architecture that provides interoperability for disparate environments.
Quality of service is another factor to consider, and organisations need to ensure they choose the most reliable and secure option for their needs. 2lemetry supports up to QoS 2 (quality of service level 2) for data transmitted through its platform.
A further aspect to consider is the ability of providers to scale up with their customers, particularly where they use the IoT to launch new products. Many providers approach all customers with large services-based on-boarding proposals, which can stifle innovation.
2lemetry offers per-device subscriptions, allowing organisations to engage in research and development without it being a hindrance on upfront capital. It’s also important to ensure devices have the capability to integrate with other systems.
An example of an organisation that is already benefiting from the internet of things by leveraging the power of a third-party IoT platform is a fleet monitoring company. The company uses 2lemetry to connect its large carrier fleet of vehicles, and deliver system monitoring and geolocation services in real-time for more than 220,000 machines, which are capable of sending over 47,000 messages a second during peak periods.
By using 2lemetry’s platform, the company was able to bring on board their proprietary protocol and the legacy devices were immediately able to interoperate with the next generation of devices without any changes to the systems in the field. This not only saved them large amounts of upfront capital, but also allowed the business to move the project forward immediately and begin innovating on their next release.
To find out how 2lemetry could help your business visit 2lemetry.com
