After learning what is the internet of things and learning about its fundamental components it’s time to choose an appropriate IoT platform. But first you should learn a bit about IoT hardware.
What is an IoT platform?
In simple words the purpose of any IoT device is to connect with other IoT devices and applications (cloud-based mostly) to relay information using internet transfer protocols.
The gap between the device sensors and data networks is filled by an IoT Platform. Such a platform connects the data network to the sensor arrangement and provides insights using backend applications to make sense of plethora of data generated by hundreds of sensors.
In light of the possibilities that internet of things is offering tech companies has started capitalizing it. There are many IoT platforms available now that provide option to deploy internet of things applications on the go.
While there are hundreds of companies and a few startups venturing into IoT platform development, players like Amazon and Microsoft are way ahead of others in the competition. Read on to know about top 10 IoT platforms you can use for your applications.
IoT platform: Amazon Web Services (AWS) IoT
Last year Amazon announced the AWS IoT platform at it s Re:Invent conference. Main features of AWS IoT platform are:
- Registry for recognizing devices
- Software Development Kit for devices
- Device Shadows
- Secure Device Gateway
- Rules engine for inbound message evaluation
According to Amazon, their IoT platform will make it a lot easier for developers to connect sensors for multiple applications ranging from automobiles to turbines to smart home light bulbs.
Taking the scope of AWS IoT to the next level, the vendor has partnered with hardware manufacturers like Intel, Texas Instruments, Broadcom and Qualcomm to create starter kits compatible with their platform.
Demo Video
IoT Platform: Microsoft Azure IoT
Microsoft is very much interested in bringing up products for internet of things. For the initiative the Microsoft Azure cloud services compatible IoT platform, the Azure IoT suite is on the offer. Features included in this platform are:
- Device shadowing
- A rules engine
- Identity registry
- Information monitoring
For processing the massive amount of information generated by sensors Azure IoT suite comes with Azure Stream Analytics to process massive amounts of information in real-time.
Demo Video
Top IoT Platforms-Google Cloud Platform (New)
Google can make things happen. With its end-to-end platform, Google cloud is among the best IoT platforms we have currently. With the ability to handle the vast amount of data using Cloud IoT Core, Google stands out from the rest. You get advanced analytics owing to Google’s Big Query and Cloud Data Studio.
Some of the features of the Google Cloud platform are:-
- Accelerate your Business
- Speed up your devices
- Cut Cost with Cloud Service.
- Partner Ecosystem
IoT Platform: ThingWorx IoT Platform
In vendor’s own words, “ThingWorx is the industry’s leading Internet of Things (IoT) technology platform. It enables innovators to rapidly create and deploy game-changing applications, solutions and experiences for today’s smart, connected world.”
Thingsworx is an IoT platform which is designed for enterprise application development. It offers features like:
- Easy connectivity of devices to the platform
- Remove complexity from IoT application development
- Sharing platform among developers for rapid development
- Integrated machine learning for automating complex big data analytics
- Deploy cloud, embedded or on-premise IoT solutions on the go
Related: IoT trends in 2016
IoT platform: IBM Watson
We can never expect the Big Blue to miss on the opportunity to making a mark in the internet of things segment. IBM Watson is an IoT platform which is pretty much taken among developers already. Backed by IBM’s hybrid cloud PaaS (platform as a service) development platform, the Bluemix, Watson IoT enables developers to easily deploy IoT applications.
Users of IBM Watson get:
- Device Management
- Secure Communications
- Real Time Data Exchange
- Data Storage
- Recently added data sensor and weather data service
Demo Video
Top IoT Platforms-Artik (New)
Samsung Electronics launched Artik, which provides end to end IoT platform for the next generation products and services. Samsung Artik is known for providing complete security to your products which often gets neglected. With services like Artik Module, Cloud, Security and ecosystem Samsung aims to provide a platform that takes care of your total security. Artik aims to provide a fast and open platform that is responsible for developing and managing of your products.
Artik platform offers the following features: –
- Cloud: Easy to use. Can Tap into New Revenue Streams.
- Modules: Built for performance and security.
- Security: Protects from hacking.
IoT Platform: Cisco IoT Cloud Connect
Cisco’s IoT platform is for mobile operators offering:
- Voice and data connectivity
- SIM lifecycle management
- IP session control
- Customizable billing and reporting
Lately Cisco also partnered with National Farmers’ Federation in Australia to provide internet of things in agriculture solutions.
Top IoT Platforms-Universal of Things (IoT) Platform (New)
Hewlett Packard Enterprise’ universal of things platform offers its clients scalability by providing solutions to the vast majority of their problems. The platform offers support that can be deployed over the cloud or locally. HPE Universal of Things Platform has been successfully used in smart cities and automobile industry.
Some of the services offered by the platform are: –
- Secure Monetization: HPE has been responsible for the data monetization of several companies.
- Data Analytics: Collects data, analyses it so that business can expand.
- Application Designer and Marketplace: Built in application enables you to create new IoT services on the go.
- Platform Architecture: Single Point, Single vendor to manage M2M(machine-to-machine) devices.
IoT platform: Salesforce IoT Cloud
Salesforce’s IoT platform is powered by Thunder and is focused entirely on customer engagement. According to the official announcement the platform following features:
- Sales-Creating sales orders and capturing potential opportunities
- Services-Request and order repairs automatically
- Marketing-Notifies customers through texts directly on their devices
- Apps-Automatic inspections of inventory
Top IoT Platforms-Datav by Bsquare (New)
The next in our series is Datav by Bsquare. The company works with the best in the business like google, Amazon web services and Microsoft to name a few. Bsquare is serious about its services and it has launched DataV, a hybrid platform application to manage your services. It has a range of services that predicts and analyzes all the issues in your ecosystem.
DataV offers services like: –
- Predictive Failure: Increases uptime.
- Adaptive Diagnostics: Repairs any issues and prevent extra costs.
- IoT Device management: Manages the device.
- Condition based maintenance: Improves efficiency.
- Asset Optimization: Improves the asset condition.
- Asset utilization: Keeps track.
Top IoT Platforms-Mindsphere by Siemens (New)
Mindsphere from Siemens offers a cost effective solution as Platform as a Service (PaaS) that is most suited for developing applications. The cost effective platform provides you a cloud solution that you can use to connect all your devices with. The company also states that it is serious about all the data stored in the cloud. Siemens says that all data stored is strictly confidential in accordance with DIN ISO/IEC 27001 standard. The company offers you the option of open interfaces and local connectivity.
The services offered by Mindsphere are: –
- Mind Apps: Allow you to take control of machine data to open up new possibilities.
- Open cloud Platform: Includes data Analytics and insights.
- Cybersecurity: Follows Industry Standards.
Top IoT Platforms-Ayla Network by Ayla (New)
Ayla networks have designed their platform to be the end to end solution for businesses. Agile Ayla networks have been set up with the aim to not only develop the product but to help the customer with setting up the services smoothly. To do so, the company has set up its embedded agents, cloud service and application libraries to provide the complete solution.
Apart from the Ayla agile platform the company also provides, AMAP, Ayla’s agile Mobile Application Platform that develops and guides the consumer in app development. It also provides services like Ayla Insights that keep the consumer updated of the changing trends.
Top IoT Platforms-Bosch IoT Suite(New)
When it comes to technology, the name that stands apart is Bosch. Being one of the early entrants into the industry the company offers the best IoT platform for companies. Bosch cloud offers its customers complete safety and reliability while storing the data on its secure server in Germany. The company hosts the cloud in Stuttgart, Germany. Using Platform as a Service (PaaS) the company can offer its service at fairly reasonable rates.
Some of its benefits are: –
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Remote manager
- Analytics
- Cost-effective
- Ready to use.
IoT Platform: Carriots
Helping to build and host internet of things applications, Carriots is a PaaS platform. It is slowly gaining popularity among the users due to its ease of integration with other applications. It also widely used for Machine to Machine development.
It offers following functionalities:
- Device management
- SDK application engine
- Debug and logs
- API key management
- Data export feature
- Custom alarms
- Customer hierarchy levels
- User management
- Custom control panel
Demo Video
IoT Platform: Oracle Integrated Cloud
Offering big data analysis for real-time IoT data, device virtualization, endpoint management and high speed messaging, Oracle’s Integrated Cloud platform is offering an analytics platform for IoT applications. Users can receive the notifications directly on their devices.
According to the vendor their IoT platform is:
- Faster to market
- Integrated
- Real time insight
- Secure and scalable
Demo Video
Check more about Oracle Integrated Cloud here.
IoT Platform: General Electric’s Predix
Offering a PaaS platform to provide better decision making insights in real time, GE’s Predix is made for mainstream sectors like healthcare, transportation, aviation and energy. It helps in development of iot applications that can process real-time operational data aiding better decision making.
Working on a two-tier architecture, Predix has a Digital Twins for introducing small changes and a Predix Machine that offers a communications layer bringing together sensors, controllers, cloud and analytics.
GE also partnered with Intel, Verizon and Cisco to introduce Predix-ready devices for organizations.
Demo Video
Top IoT Platforms-MBED IoT Device platform(New)
Released under Apache 2.0 Arm MBED device platform provides an open source service. It includes an operating system, cloud services and developer tools that make setting up of commercial products and its functioning easy. The platform offers you the services of over sixty partners and an open access to a community that has 200,000 developers. MBED cloud service offers you flexibility. The service has been designed to simplify the process for the users. MBED OS is designed as an open source platform to connect all your devices.
Features offered by MBED are: –
- Open Source
- Ease of Use
- Device and Component Support
- End to End Security
Top IoT Platforms-Mosaic (LTI) (New)
Mosaic from LTI specializes in cloud services and end-to-end services for various industries. Mosaic uses Rapid Software as a Service (SaaS) platform to enable the digital transformation of businesses.
Some of the services offered by Mosaic are: –
- Analytics and Insights: Detail analytics and insights to businesses based on the data collected.
- Cybersecurity: ICS Vulnerability Assessment and Risk based compliance.
- Standardization: Establishing global and security standards and complying with them.
- Smart Experience: Get a deeper understanding of customer product usage.
- Smart manufacturing: Advanced analytics that enables efficient operations.
- Oil & Gas: LTI’s deep understanding and expertise enable better performance for oil and gas companies.
Top IoT Platforms-Mocana (New)
The last one on the list is the security platform by Mocana corporation named Mocana. The platform is aimed to provide security to industrial IoT devices and industrial clouds. The company currently provides services to over 100 companies. Mocana is a full stack security platform to protect industrial devices. William Diotte, CEO of Mocana Corporation claimed his company offers the complete cybersecurity package to companies.
Some of the features of Mocana are: –
- Full-Stack Platform
- Device to Cloud Security Model
- Military Grade
- High Performance
IoT Platform: Kaa
Making in the list as solely open source IoT platform Kaa is a middleware. It is developed to speed up the process of IoT solutions deployment. It can be used as cloud enablement software for connected devices, customizable middleware, transport-agnostic link or as a feature rich platform for IoT applications.
Its features include:
- 100{0303491655849fd269724c7c262033c333a845c37ea055ae18bc7d992065c744} free open-source
- Helps in reducing marketing time
- Minimizes the development cost
- Customizable for business applications
- Can handle millions of devices
- Easy and direct hardware integration
You can download Kaa here.
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Also Check
If you think we missed on any IoT Platform that must be included in the list let us know in the comments. We will review and include it soon.
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