What is IoT development?
Internet of things (IoT) development may be used on top of IoT platforms when building IoT applications or in conjunction with IoT device management tools. As IoT devices become more commonplace in business strategies, the benefits of IoT development are quickly emerging across the board. This includes business analytics and insights, improved efficiency, and a greater customer experience.
Types of IoT development solutions
Depending on the type of devices, companies will choose different varieties of IoT development solutions.
- IoT SDKs: SDKs (software development kits) arm developers with all the necessary tools to create their own IoT devices, imbuing them with intelligence and internet connectivity.
- IoT APIs: An application programming interface (API) is a software intermediary that allows two applications to communicate with each other. IoT development tools will often come prebuilt with libraries of APIs or protocols that help simplify certain development outcomes. Using these APIs, users can streamline connecting and deploying devices, saving time and energy from manual coding.
Benefits of using IoT development
When used correctly, IoT development can lead to many benefits. Some of these include:
- Expanded use cases: IoT development tools help expand existing IoT applications with unique functionalities and an increased range of connected devices. This includes building applications and improving integration with other IoT devices.
- Ease of use: IoT development systems often require more technical knowledge than no-code alternatives, but that does not mean they are difficult to use. IoT development tools can be simplified by adding features such as syntax highlighting, shortcuts, and completion aid automation.
- Application development: IoT app development helps provide APIs, documentation guides, and open-source code in some cases to support developers and a wide variety of application development scenarios.
- Programming: Programming enables developers to design IoT solutions using popular IoT programming languages such as Python, Node.js, and Java. IoT development systems provide the means for programming IoT applications. This gives users a blank canvas for developers to design the ideal IoT ecosystem for their respective business scenarios.
Basic elements of IoT development
The basic features of IoT development can vary, but complete IoT development will include the following elements:
- Integrations: IoT development tools will often come prebuilt with libraries of APIs or protocols that help simplify certain development outcomes. Users can save time and energy from manually coding by using these APIs to streamline the process of connecting and deploying devices.
- Help guides: As with many development tools and open-source tools, IoT development solutions will regularly provide documentation and help guides to assist with using the products to their fullest potential. These developer documents may provide information about product features and commands and general instructions for users. In some cases, the documentation may provide detailed instruction for getting started, configuring different hardware types, and troubleshooting, along with information about supported hardware and basic knowledge related to IoT technology and development. An integrated development environment (IDE) is a specific type of IoT development software for building applications that combines common developer tools into a single graphical user interface (GUI). Developers using the tools in this category will spend a significant amount of time writing and editing lines of code.
IoT development best practices
In order to make IoT development work, companies should follow these best practices:
- IoT gateways: IoT gateways are key to the connectivity of IoT devices. Different devices can have different connectivity protocols: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, serial ports, Zigbee, and have various energy profiles. Gateways are located between the connected devices, IoT sensors, and the cloud, so the entire IoT ecosystem depends on them.
- Operating systems: Before starting IoT application development, the team has to evaluate the IoT devices they will work with. IoT devices generally have limited memory capacity. This means the developers have to choose the corresponding operating system. It should fit both the capabilities of the device and the requirements for its functionality.
IoT development vs. IoT device management
IoT device management is geared towards IT professionals, giving them access to and understanding of their IoT devices. IoT development tools, however, are purpose-built for developers and help them make IoT devices smarter and more efficient.
IoT development discussions on G2
Matthew Miller
Matthew Miller is a research and data enthusiast with a knack for understanding and conveying market trends effectively. With experience in journalism, education, and AI, he has honed his skills in various industries. Currently a Senior Research Analyst at G2, Matthew focuses on AI, automation, and analytics, providing insights and conducting research for vendors in these fields. He has a strong background in linguistics, having worked as a Hebrew and Yiddish Translator and an Expert Hebrew Linguist, and has co-founded VAICE, a non-profit voice tech consultancy firm.
