IoT Software Development – the Ins and Outs
There are currently 30.73 billion IoT devices operating all around the world. This buzzing technological concept, of course, had its time to establish, as it has been on the market for over 20 years. The IoT is extremely promising, as we are clearly told by advanced digital cities such as Shanghai, Singapore, etc., which are literally crammed with IoT solutions that help people in their daily tasks.
As for the search for developers to create an IoT project, in some cases it is better to direct all efforts hiring an outsourcing team – it will be cheaper, and you will have to take much less participation in the process of implementing the solution itself.
If you are interested in IoT software development, feel free to contact us at Sirin Software. We will select the technologies and devices that are right for you.
And now, let’s find out more about the basics of this concept in our article.
HOW IS THE IOT CONCEPT IMPLEMENTED?
IoT software design and development is the process of creating centralized networks that interconnect devices using wireless technologies (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.) without human intervention. As a rule, these devices are low-power, that is, they can function for a long time either offline, or be connected to the network, but activate under certain circumstances. In general, the main task of IoT software development is to exclude human influence on an organized system of devices.
The scope of IoT applications can include any industry where automation can be implemented. Now, IoT is actively developing in the security sector, logistics, and smart solutions for apartments, businesses, and municipal management. On top of that, the Internet of Things provides an opportunity for savings in equipment maintenance (e.g., power consumption savings).
If you are interested in top-notch IoT development in Europe, contact our top experts at Sirin Software.
TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CORE OF IOT SOLUTIONS
There are several major data transfer protocols that are most often used to implement IoT solutions. Let’s figure out which one to choose for your specific case of IoT app development.
- Wi-Fi. This is a set of IEEE 802.11 wireless communication standards operating in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands and providing secure data transmission at a distance of 50 to 150 meters;
- Zigbee. ZigBee is a data transmission standard with a maximum possible speed of 250 kbps, operating in the 2.4 GHz band;
- Z-Wave. Solutions based on Z-Wave are built according to a mesh topology and are distinguished by extremely low power consumption and packet forwarding speed up to 100 Kbps at distances from 40 to 120 m;
- Bluetooth. Bluetooth technology is commonly employed in prototypes of compact Smart Home projects. It is implemented by means of short waves in the range 2402-2480 MHz and has a bandwidth of up to 3 Mbit/s;
- LoRaWAN. LoRaWAN finds application in IoT software development case studies where minimum power consumption, maximum security, and low packet transfer rate (up to 5 Kbps) are required;
- MQTT. MQTT-based solutions provide long-distance data transmission. This protocol will most likely be offered to you by IoT product development companies in case there are restrictions on the bandwidth of the channel, as well as possible network outages.
- In case you are interested in developing an IoT solution, contact one of the best IoT development companies in Europe – Sirin Software.
5 MAIN IOT DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES TO CONSIDER BEFORE LAUNCHING YOUR OWN PROJECT
Let’s find out what principles IoT development companies in Europe need to keep in mind before developing solutions.
Secure data collection. The collection of information by means of special equipment (sensors, scanners, etc.) is carried out outside the usual data transmission networks. Therefore, when developing an IoT application, it is very important to think about how to protect the received data (in particular, to ensure the integrity and safety of the initial settings in such devices, and also to provide mechanisms for encrypting confidential data).
High-performance streaming data transmission. Typically, systems consisting of data collection equipment include hundreds or even thousands of interconnected electronic devices. Consequently, for efficient and prompt streaming of such large amounts of information received, it is necessary to think over independent mechanisms, different from traditional packet transfer.
Creation of an IoT platform. The IoT platform is a set of software tools that altogether help organize, store, and process data received from interconnected electronic devices.
Developing an IoT solution in the cloud. In order to ensure fast delivery of processed data to a user device, as well as organize a centralized storage system, as a rule, IoT product development companies use cloud solutions that, with minimal operating costs and requirements for provider networks, can guarantee the efficient operation of an IoT application.
Effective IoT data management. For the analysis and processing of data, in-memory systems are most often used, which, even in the event of a communication failure with the information collection devices, will ensure the rapid delivery of the processed results to the end-user.
Learn more about the essential IoT development tools in our blog.
GETTING TO IOT APP DEVELOPMENT: 4 STAGES
Let’s consider the process of IoT app development in a nutshell stage by stage.
Picking hardware
The devices that are included in solutions based on the IoT concept have three defining characteristics:
- low power consumption (they either turn on as the system is activated or run on low-power hardware);
- a wireless data transfer protocol compatibility (Wi-Fi, ZigBee, etc.);
- an operating system is written in low-level programming languages (for example, C).
As a rule, the cost of IoT development in Europe is pretty affordable. Moreover, such systems are very easy to test – because, unlike application software, where it is impossible to fully eliminate the total number of bugs, in IoT solutions, the testing procedure consists of checking the equipment for performing binary operations.
Centralized data storage
To analyze and organize the collected data in the process of IoT device development, you can use the cloud or other similar centralized storage. In particular, cloud solutions are well suited for providing data transmission in networks with low-speed capabilities.
Data systematization and analysis algorithm
IoT app development platforms provide a wide range of features that enable the creation of a scalable, highly intelligent, and high-performance backend for sorting and analyzing collected data.
Frontend development
Existing platforms for IoT app development include all the tools you need to create attractive interfaces with an intuitive structure, improved search functionality, and enhanced navigation.
In case you are interested in professional IoT software design and development, please contact Sirin Software.
BOTTOM LINE
These are the main specifics of IoT software development, its main principles that developers should take into account before creating an IoT solution, and the subsequent stages of creating an application.
If you have an idea for a project, we will gladly provide experts from one of the best IoT development companies – just drop us a line.