The development of information and communication technology has significantly boosted social growth. One of these is “IoT technology,” and furthermore, there is an “IoT platform” that makes IoT technology even more convenient. Although some people may have never heard of the term, “IoT platforms” have already permeated every industry and daily life, and have become an inseparable part of our modern lives. There is no such thing.
In this column, we will explain basic information such as the concept, functions, and benefits of IoT platforms.
- What is an IoT platform?
- Roles and functions
- Benefits of IoT platform
- Platform type
- How to choose
- Representative IoT platform vendors
- summary
What is an IoT platform?
In one word, it is a platform (cloud service) that connects and aggregates multiple IoT data, but in order to help you understand this concept, I will first explain what “IoT” is.
What is IoT (Internet of Things)?
The literal translation is “Internet of Things.” It is a system that connects and communicates information with all kinds of things (called IoT devices), from home appliances to robots, over the Internet.
Let’s take a microwave oven as a familiar example. Until IoT was incorporated into microwave ovens, there were buttons for certain menus, but for other menus, it was only possible to adjust the heating time on your own.
However, with the incorporation of IoT, the functions of the buttons are no longer uniform and have become more flexible. If you catch up on the Internet with information on the optimal degree of doneness and heating for the recipe you’ve selected, the microwave program will automatically change and heat according to the recipe.
And vice versa. The more users use microwave ovens with built-in IoT, the more they can accumulate all kinds of cooking data via the Internet, allowing manufacturers to discover new recipes and ways to utilize them.
What is an IoT platform?
As mentioned earlier, IoT has the advantage of being able to collect data from IoT devices via the Internet. For example, in the case of IoT home appliances, it might be “which buttons are often used?” or in the case of IoT robots or equipment, it might be “the types of losses that often occur.”
By accumulating this data, we can not only understand what kind of functions are valuable to users but also combine the accumulated data with other data to greatly help in creating new services and value.
The IoT platform is truly a platform (cloud system) for “collecting data,” “accumulating data,” and “creating new value and services,” and it effectively uses the vast amount of data obtained from IoT devices. It’s a tool to be used.
IoT platform market and trends
In this section, we will provide explanations based on the “Reiwa 2nd Edition Information and Communications White Paper (*)” released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
・IoT platform market
It has been shown that the number of vendors providing IT platforms is increasing year by year as well as the market size of IoT platforms, and it can be said that the needs for IoT platforms themselves continue to increase.
<Forecast of global IoT platform market size (total revenue from platform usage fees, etc.)>
(Source) Created based on IoT Analytics Research
<Changes in providers in the global IoT platform market>
(Source) Created based on IoT Analytics Research
However, although the number of vendors is increasing, the market share is generally held by the top players, and it can be said that various small and medium-sized vendors are engaged in fierce technological competition to survive.
<Changes in IoT platform market share>
(Source) Created based on IoT Analytics Research
・Trends in IoT platforms
In response to the above-mentioned market transition, mutual collaboration between companies has become mainstream overseas. This is because overseas vendors are able to segment products with different characteristics for each target, and by linking the strengths and data of each other’s products, they can not only improve the quality of their services, but also We can create new value that has never existed before. On the other hand, domestic alliances are still weak, and as a result, the market is saturated. It seems that the key to determining the fate of future market competition lies in cooperation rather than confrontation.
Roles and functions
The functions differ depending on the IoT platform provided by each vendor, but here we will introduce the typical functions (among the functions below, some products specialize in one, while others can be used in multiple ways) ).
Connecting IoT devices
A function that connects different IoT devices via the cloud, making it possible to link data and operations on both sides. This is the most orthodox function.
Management and monitoring of IoT devices
In addition to centrally managing data collected on the cloud, it also includes functions to prevent unauthorized access and information leaks using security technologies such as data encryption and digital signatures.
Data collection and accumulation
A function that accumulates and saves data obtained from IoT devices in a database on the cloud. In addition, some products have a function that allows you to link and accumulate data that is being transmitted outside of IoT devices when you want to use it as well.
Data visualization/analysis
This is a function that analyzes the large amount of information (big data) obtained in the previous section “Collecting and accumulating data”. Optimize the operation of IoT devices by visualizing the current situation and combining multifaceted information.
Security measures
This is a function to monitor (automatic monitoring) each IoT device. This includes automatic detection of defects and alert functions.
Remote control
A recent example is smart speakers. Remote operation is possible without contacting IoT. In addition, there are some that use AI to predict operations and perform automatic control without any operation.
automatic update
This is a function that automatically executes programs tailored to the environment and troubleshooting, etc., based on the information obtained through data accumulation and analysis.
Benefits of IoT platform
Time reduction for IoT utilization optimization
As an easy-to-imagine example, we will explain the concept of “smart factories” (the central management of all equipment and processes through a network) in the manufacturing industry.
When it comes to “smart factories,” one of the issues that tends to be raised is “connecting each process.” Even if data can be collected and visualized for each line, when it comes to optimizing the entire factory, it is essential to combine the individual data. Moreover, since the amount of information is enormous, there are many cases where existing systems cannot handle it alone, and many companies stall at this stage.
IoT platforms, which can aggregate and connect various types of data all at once, have attracted attention as a means to solve this problem. IoT platforms are especially useful in areas that deal with big data.
Creating new synergies and value
As I briefly mentioned in the previous section, the advantage of combining information from multiple angles is that it is possible to create value that could not be realized through individual information management alone. The creation of synergies will be promoted more strongly not only by the IoT platform but also by the use of AI that automatically derives optimal solutions based on data.
Platform type
The concept of categorizing IoT platforms is whether they are general-purpose or specialized. The idea is that the former is something that can be applied to a variety of industries and operations, and the latter is something that is specialized for a specific industry.
In this section, we will explain each platform type based on the above perspective.
General purpose platform
The product is based on a cloud platform, but by customizing it based on that platform, it can be applied to any industry. As the name suggests, its versatility is its unique appeal.
Specialized platform (functionally comprehensive)
This is a form that specializes in a specific industry and performs everything from basic tools (platforms, applications, networks, etc.) to development, implementation, and operational support using these tools all at once.
Specialized platform (tool provision format)
This is the form that covers all the functions mentioned earlier, minus development, implementation, and operational support.
Specialized platform (pinpoint format)
This format has a narrower functionality than the tool provision format and is specialized for specific purposes (e.g. remote control, image analysis, preventive maintenance, etc.).
How to choose
Safety in terms of security
Since management is basically done on the cloud, software security systems such as “network technology,” “encryption technology,” and “authentication technology” are one of the key decisions. There are also products that distribute some of the processing to the IoT device itself, distributing the risk of leakage from the IoT platform (known as edge computing).
Ease and stability of the connection
Points to note are the network’s “stable operation” and “transmission/reception speed,” as well as its “network capacity,” which does not degrade connection performance even as the capacity of IoT devices increases.
Device scalability
After introducing an IoT platform, there are often cases in which new IoT devices are added. When anticipating such a situation in advance, the number of man-hours and workload (customizability, post-integration data processing and management methods, etc.) can also be a deciding factor.
Representative IoT platform vendors
Finally, we will introduce some of the major vendors, their product names, and their characteristics.
1: AWS IoT
- Provided by: Amazon.com, Inc.
- Features: Can be integrated with other AWS services, supports MTQQ (communication protocol)
2: Azure IoT
- Provided by: Microsoft Corporation
- Features: AI/machine learning function available, can be linked with Microsoft 365
3: Watson IoT Platform
- Provided by: IBM Corporation
- Features: AI analysis function, blockchain-based security management system
4: Google Cloud IoT
- Provided by: Google LLC
- Features: Machine learning, and text analysis functions included
5: Vieureka
- Provided by: Panasonic Corporation
- Features: Specialized in image analysis, can be linked with cameras
summary
An IoT platform that can aggregate and analyze a huge amount of useful data that could never be obtained using analog methods. It supports the growth of all industries and plays a role in enriching daily life.
However, the number of providing vendors is already saturated, making it difficult for new entrants to differentiate their services. In order to continue to be chosen, the minimum requirement is to find new value from existing IoT platforms, but it will be interesting to see what moves each company makes in the future.
