Smart, Connected… The IoT Buzz is True
The Internet of Things (IoT) continues to be a buzzworthy topic as new devices are developed and the general public gains a better understanding of their intrinsic value.  Companies have been reluctant to deploy IoT-based solutions, or even explore deployment options, for various reasons: security on the devices themselves and the networks they run on are a cause of concern, as is the complexity and expense of creating solutions that utilize IoT devices. Marrying solutions to existing enterprise resources also rates as a point of concern. The changes in the IoT landscape over the past 18 months are discussed below — as Revolution11 has been a leader in the forefront of IoT research and development, it is crystal clear that the elements for a successful IoT deployment are well within the reach of developers far and wide.

Dedicated to IoT
In the past 12 months the four major mobile carriers in the US have each rolled out networks dedicated to low power IoT devices. LTE-M is the abbreviation for LTE Cat-M1 or Long Term Evolution (4G), category M1. This technology is for IoT devices to connect directly to a 4G network, without a gateway and on batteries. These networks are not ‘phone’ networks adapted for IoT devices, they were specifically designed for Machine-to-Machine communications. With distinct price plans, they are generally geared toward those providing the services, not the consumer directly.

Learn more about LTE-M Networks

Certified Modules Bring About Change…Quickly
Expense and the difficulty of integrating sensors and other IoT devices into business solutions are often seen as barriers to entry. Prototyping solutions using arduinos or Rasberry Pis was an easy fix, but when the time came to scale a customized group of sensors or devices to move into production, the sourcing, testing, and certifying by mobile carrier was an incredible roadblock which was expensive and time-consuming. Within the past couple of years pre-certified components and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) vendors who produce the parts have, thankfully, arrived on the scene. It is now possible to build your IoT sensors or devices using these pre-certified modules.

Learn more about AT&T’s validated chipsets and modules

Incorporate IoT Solutions Into Your Organization…Today
The time is now to incorporate IoT solutions into your organization! AT&T has an easy-to-use design tool known as “Flow,” along with convenient APIs and efficient data services. Don’t worry about storing huge amounts of data that the sensors generate on your own servers — the data from these services are a snap to incorporate into other IoT frameworks utilizing Amazon and Google.

Learn more about AT&T Flow

Development
In our business this is what we look for, first and foremost. Developing and deploying an IoT solution is now within reach and has quickly become practical for organizations of all formats and sizes… what is the downside to efficient, reliable tracking of your assets in real time? None, really — just to name one of the MANY applications that IoT services deliver to your business. IoT gives deeper meaning to the “things” that are all around us, and enables this technology to monitor (just about anything) and notify stakeholders of performance metrics on demand. Our experience tells us that this is a win-win solution for many developers.

Need more information? Contact Revolution11 to discuss your IoT ideas.

Download a PDF of this entry here: Why IoT Now?