Top 10 Questions To Ask

Before Selecting an IoT Platform

An Axonize Whitepaper

2019
Let’s starts from the basics. As you probably know, every IoT solution needs a backend. The devices
and vendors produce the data which then connects to the servers, whose role is to manage the devices
and data, to analyze it. Essentially the servers provide an interface to the application and other external
services. The server then connects to the application, whose role is to display the data and insights to
the user and allows the user to configure and adapt the application based on their needs. In a nutshell
IoT platforms allow you to focus on your core business – the device and applications.

Not every IoT platform is created equal

There are 3 different types of IoT platforms: The connectivity platform, simplest of them all, which
acts as a data collector. The action platform is one that manages the connection and allows the user
to trigger actions based on specific events. And the full-scale platform, which are advanced platforms
that go beyond connectivity and actions and provide data management, security, analytics, user
management, protocol interoperability, external interfaces and more.

The major building blocks of a full-scale IoT platform

The following image will help to get a better understanding of how the pieces connect to produce this
type of disruptive IoT platform:

External interfaces
APIs, SDKs and gateways that act as interfaces for 3rd party systems (e.g. ERP,CRM)

Analytics Additional tools

Algorithms for advanced calculations and Further development tools (e.g. app prototyping,
Repository that stores the important data sets

machine learning access management, reporting)

Data visualization
Graphical depiction of (real-time) sensor data
Database

Processing & action management

Rule engine that allows for (real-time) actions based on incoming sensor & device data

Device management
Backend tool for the management of device status, remote software development and updates

Connectivity & Normalization

Agents and libraries that ensure constant object connectivity and harmonized data formats

Source: IoT Analytics

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So, how do you select the right platform for your organization?
Below are some important questions to ask when evaluating IoT platforms, followed by some tips for
what to look for in the responses to these questions:

What kind of sensors or systems can I connect to my IoT project? What protocols and data
structured can I use?
Ideally, your IoT platform will not be limited to specific types of sensors, devices, protocols or
data structures. You want the full flexibility to choose the right IoT device at the right price for
your application. If you use multiple device types or protocols your IoT platform should be able to
ingest and unify them automatically, so that you can act on the data in your application.
You also want to be able to connect existing software and systems to your IoT platform, this is
because some of the actionable IoT data can reside in IT systems such as a Building Management
Systems, Warehouse Management Systems, etc.

How do I scale to additional systems and sensor types if my requirements change in the future?
Once your platform is completely open to any sensor, device or system, no matter how your
IoT requirements change, you will be able to address them with your existing platform. You can
extend your application with any additional monitoring or data needed.

What kind of business logic can I configure for my application as a default? Can I easily set rules,
create alerts and develop dashboards?
Configuring the business logic is the heart of any successful IoT implementation. You don’t want
to just collect the data, you want to set automatic rules to devices, create alerts users will receive
in real-time on their mobile and email, make calculations on the fly and show all the data in real-
time dashboards accessible from any device.
As with sensors and systems, your IoT platform should be completely customizable to your exact
business logic requirements. You want the full flexibility to support your organization’s business
processes.

What if I need to change the business logic or extend the application with custom algorithms?
Once your business logic is completely customizable, you can change it as your business
requirements change or more devices are installed.
You should also be able to extend the application with custom algorithms and code that are both,
highly unique to your business.

Does the platform support multi-tenant hierarchies so that I can display the right dashboards
and alerts to the right people at the right time? Is the information secure?
When moving IoT data to the cloud, security is paramount. Your data should be encrypted and
access to the data, dashboards and alerts should be strictly controlled and determined by multi-
tenant hierarchies.

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 What kind of resources do I need to invest in, in order to develop my project? Will I need engineers
or professional services?
Being able to connect any device or system and configure any business logic is all well and good,
but not if it means using hundreds of engineering or professional services hours this would
increase the project investment and timeline, and make it difficult to reach a positive ROI.
You should be able to automatically connect sensors and systems via simple and quick APIs and
configure business logic all without any engineering or professional services intervention. This
will speed up implementation and reduces costs.
Save the engineering investment for the most complex and unique requirements of your business
which will be hooked in via custom code.

Can I scale?
Once you select a platform that can handle any device, protocol, data structure and business
logic, expanding your IoT monitoring and connectivity is easy. However, you still need to make
sure the platform will perform just as well when scaling to hundreds or thousands of connected
devices in your application.

How soon can I achieve a positive ROI?

When you minimize engineering requirements and select a configurable platform, you should
be able to achieve a positive ROI within months. Define minimal IoT implementation phases,
start small and scale the application gradually. This will allow you to maintain project profitability
throughout the implementation phases.

Can I orchestrate my IoT applications? That is, connect multiple projects together and create
cross-application business logic?
When you start small and scale, you can also develop multiple IoT applications which can then be
orchestrated or connected to create a master application. This is common in cities, buildings,
supply chains and other enterprises with multiple moving parts.

Bonus question for those system integrators, service providers and IoT consultants developing and
managing IoT projects for their customers:

Is their an IoT platform custom-built for IoT service providers and system integrators?
Yes, Axonize is an IoT platform developed for service providers and system integrators who build
and manage IoT applications as a service. It allows you to manage multiple applications and create
centralized dashboards and alerts across customers, and even evaluate sensor performance
across the board. You can also copy and paste applications so that you don’t start every single
project development from scratch, enabling you to launch new projects in mere days.

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About Axonize
Axonize is disruptive technology, built from the ground up, that enables speed and scalability in IoT
application deployment. Based on unique multi-application architecture that requires configuration
rather than development, launching a full-fledged IoT project on Axonize requires mere days, rather
than months, and near-zero development on you end, yielding a high ROI.

Some of our customers

Contact us to schedule a walk-through at any time: hello@axonize.com

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