Internet of things technologies are beginning to dominate the enterprise technology space. Everything from a smartphone to a thermostat can be considered an IoT device: All an endpoint has to do is connect to a network to either gather or process data, and it's part of the IoT. As businesses work to take advantage of what the IoT has to offer, many find themselves in a situation in which they need new apps and services to keep up with operational demands. Custom development initiatives can prove instrumental in helping companies sustain IoT-related innovation.
The IoT's rise
A study from Venn Research Inc. found that the IoT is proving so disruptive that it is fueling multi-billion-dollar merger and acquisition activities that are starting to dominate the marketplace. Entire industries are embracing the technology for everything from supply chain and building management to new product development. The result is a rapidly growing marketplace in which organizations can launch new products and services.
As the IoT gains so much momentum, organizations must establish solutions that help them gather and use the information generated by sensors, mobile devices and similar connected endpoints. Custom development and IT consulting services can be invaluable in helping companies identify the best options at their disposal and create the systems they need to get the job done. With this in mind, here are three of the most prominent ways custom development can help brands handle the IoT:
1. Establish robust databases
IoT systems are capable of gathering enormous quantities of information, providing insights into operations and physical assets that businesses would not have been able to obtain in the past.
"Custom database developers can help you gain an edge as you work to drive value from IoT data."
The problem with generating so much information is that the data can overload users with analysis and processing tasks. Custom database systems can be used to house information securely, organize it in coherent ways and feed it out to analytics platforms and apps that make it actionable. You may not find precisely what you need with an out-of-the-box system, but custom database developers can help you gain an edge as you work to drive value from IoT data.
2. Create unique apps to support operations
Making IoT data actionable is critical, and apps that can gather data across device ecosystems are proving to be a missing link in the IoT sector. With many device manufacturers creating apps designed to control or present data from their sensors, organizations that take a best-of-breed approach to the IoT can run into major hurdles making data work for them. Custom database development is helpful in the backend, but businesses also need end-user apps that make data accessible and integrate it into processes and workflows.
Creating a custom app to serve as an interface for IoT data and system interactions can empower brands to mix and match hardware, even to the point of creating new solutions that meet market demands or solve operational problems.
3. Ease the strain on IT teams
The interconnectedness of devices, data and applications in an IoT system can make it incredibly difficult to manage and optimize technologies. In a guest post for TechTarget, industry expert Danny Aponte explained that organizations hoping to find success with the IoT need to enact co-development strategies.
According to Aponte, co-development allows teams working on divergent projects, such as a group building embedded hardware and another making an end-user app, to collaborate more effectively. This tight coordination between teams is necessary to ensure diverse solutions in the IoT ecosystem work well in conjunction with one another.
The problem with co-development is that it means you need dedicated teams for each part of the project, which puts a huge burden on IT staff trying to develop an IoT framework. Custom development with third-party specialists lets you offload some of that workload without sacrificing collaboration.
MC Services provides the blend of custom programming, app development and IT consulting services brands need to take full advantage of the IoT revolution. Whether you need a new mobile app or a powerful database, we can help.
