Best IoT Connectivity Management Software

What is IoT Connectivity Management Software?

Why Use IoT Connectivity Management Software?

Who Uses IoT Connectivity Management Software?

IoT Connectivity Management Software Features

The solutions in this emerging category offer unique sets of capabilities that assist with activating, monitoring, and modifying the network connections of IoT devices. In some cases, IoT connectivity management platforms may be packaged with IoT data service plans or SIM card packages from mobile network operators. In other cases, these tools are offered as standalone solutions but may provide integrations with different network providers, types of networks, and SIM cards. The following are some common features associated with the diverse offerings in this category:

SIM management — SIM cards, much like those in mobile devices, are what allow embedded smart devices in an IoT project to communicate with the network and with each other. Remote devices in an IoT architecture will often contain both smart sensors and SIM cards to enable the full range of functionality and connectivity required of advanced IoT apps. IoT connectivity management tools may offer assistance with managing the complete lifecycle of SIMs, from initial activation to their eventual retirement, while some tools assist with certain aspects of these business processes. Users may be able to view a real-time dashboard of all the SIM cards being utilized in an IoT fleet, along with identifying information and activation status.

In addition to general management of SIMs, some products offer security features to help protect this hardware from unwanted access or modifications. With certain tools, users can lock SIMs on specific devices to prevent unauthorized usage and even encrypt communication between embedded devices and corresponding IoT applications. Using these solutions in tandem with IoT security software can help businesses secure IoT projects from the many threats they might be vulnerable to, including data theft, malware, and rogue control of devices. It’s important to consider the security implications of bringing physical devices to the cloud when planning an IoT initiative.

Subscription lifecycle management — Along with general tracking and management of SIMs, IoT connectivity management tools may provide assistance with monitoring and managing service plans across both internal and customer-facing scenarios. Just as internet or mobile connectivity requires network subscriptions with a qualified provider, so do many implementations of smart technology and embedded device architectures. The solutions in this category may provide capabilities to assist with the subscriber lifecycle, including plan renewals, cancellations, and upgrades. These features may offer visibility into the terms of each subscription (e.g., data limits, contract terms) as well as assistance with adjusting plans directly on the platform. Some products also include features for deploying customer subscription models related to connected devices, both in B2B and B2C scenarios, along with tools for deactivating and restricting subscribers as needed.

Consumption and cost monitoring — When initiating an IoT connectivity scenario, businesses will establish certain data limits and associated costs for each device based on their expected tasks as part of the fleet and the budgets for the project. After these plans are activated, teams will need to keep a steady eye on device activity to ensure data consumption and its associated costs remain in line with projections and contract limits. If a device or set of devices is consuming more data than expected, it may require these subscription plans to be adjusted or device workflows to be reconsidered in order to reduce data usage and costs. The solutions in this category may offer features to help monitor these metrics, so teams can proactively address issues or make necessary changes before they cause issues. A number of tools allow users to configure alerts or notifications related to device usage, such as when data consumption approaches the defined limits of a subscription plan. Additionally, some tools provide diagnostics into SIMs and overall connectivity to help identify and fix issues in a timely fashion. If data usage or costs exceed the plan limits or allocated budgets, users can modify connectivity plans directly on these platforms. If the problems are more related to device distributions or workflows, teams will need to consider changes to their IoT infrastructure in addition to connectivity settings and service plans.

Software and Services Related to IoT Connectivity Management Software

Any enterprise effort related to IoT devices and device connectivity will entail a significant investment of time and resources, from embedding the physical assets to designing the backend applications that will drive their intelligent functionality. The IoT industry is accelerating at an unprecedented rate to greet the demand surrounding IoT strategies. There are a wide variety of software and services that might go into a company’s own IoT projects, in addition to the physical hardware itself. The following are some common solutions businesses may consider when researching the connectivity solutions in this category.

IoT device management software — Once an intelligent device is connected to the IoT network, the physical asset itself will require monitoring and maintenance, in addition to the data plans being used across these systems. IoT device management software provides a centralized view of connected device fleets, including location details and active status as part of the IoT infrastructure. Using these solutions, business teams are enabled to maintain real-time visibility over any and all devices being put to use in an IoT project, along with helpful metrics such as battery life and maintenance recommendations. A number of IoT device management tools allow for OTA updates to distributed assets, such as security patches of firmware updates. In some cases, users also leverage these tools to gain remote access to specific devices and execute device tasks when the need arises. Certain solutions include features of both IoT device management and IoT connectivity management, whereas others provide standalone capabilities and integrate with other tools to share data and perform the complete range of IoT-related tasks.

IoT platforms — Embedding and connecting devices is only part of the battle when it comes to an IoT project. To uncover the benefits of these intelligent systems, such as inter-device communication and automated data generation, businesses need to design backend applications that lay out these workflows and instruct smart objects to trigger events or sync with other devices in the network. IoT platforms are a convenient way for teams to achieve these outcomes and build basic IoT applications that can power a fleet to work as intended. IoT platforms are designed for a mass user base and allow applications to be created with little or no coding experience. If businesses require more complex outcomes with an IoT application or want to create advanced features for an existing application, they can consider IoT development tools that offer integrated development environments (IDEs) in a number of modern programming languages. In the event that teams want to outsource the design or seek improvement of an IoT application, they may enlist the help of third-party IoT developers.

IoT analytics software — One of the primary benefits of smart technology is the potential for unparalleled insights that can be generated by connected objects, from asset performance and health to business process and workforce analytics. IoT analytics software is designed to gather data from these distributed assets and draw actionable findings from these massive sets of unstructured data. In addition to this, users of this technology can perform advanced queries to find relevant information for timely data analytics. IoT analytics tools can be integrated with other data tools being used by the company, such as database software and business intelligence software, to securely store IoT data on the cloud and allow it to be shared and accessed as needed.

Managed IoT services — In a similar vein to IoT developers, managed IoT services providers help offload one or more tasks involved in a connected systems architecture. Working with external specialists can help businesses across industries to accelerate their IoT goals and maintain an operational fleet of smart devices without the need for a dedicated internal team. The services offered by these agencies might include fleet or network monitoring, device maintenance, and IoT analytics. These specialists may also be able to assist with connectivity management tasks, such as data limit monitoring and subscriber tracking. Businesses might also consider IoT implementation services for help with the initial deploying and troubleshooting of these projects. Certain providers may offer comprehensive packages that assist with the complete lifecycle of an enterprise IoT initiative.