Cloud computing is a way to increase data storage and management that can be used to generate insights. This is why 96% of companies have adopted cloud computing in some form. Cloud computing can be used by companies to store and manage data that they have accumulated. The Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing are two distinct advances. Mixing the two has the potential to lead to amazing innovation that will change how we engage with our gadgets, with one another, and with how we store, analyze, and use data in the future. IoT can change your company.
You will be able to acquire information that can influence your business decisions and create goods and services that are smarter. You could also be able to change your business model to promote growth and expansion. All IoT services will be built on top of cloud computing.
Cloud Computing And Iot Offer Many Benefits
IoT provides a variety of benefits to companies looking to improve their business processes. IoT has two main benefits.
- IoT can be described as "connectivity", i.e. the ability of an IoT device to communicate with other smart devices on a large scale and pull or push important information.
- IoT devices allow for automated machine-to-machine communication so that a workflow can run itself without any manual intervention.
- Combining IoT and cloud computing gives you unparalleled business benefits. You can increase productivity, reduce human error, maximize operational efficiency, improve your organization's resources, and eliminate waste.
- It is crucial to understand that IoT devices can function without the help of the cloud. Using "edge computing" and "fog computing" approaches, they can process data locally. These technologies, however, cannot be scaled, making them useless for expanding businesses.
- Cloud computing provides a single source of data for all IoT devices inside a smart network, as well as high scalability and relatively low expenses. Cloud computing is a great option for businesses looking to maximize their IoT technology.
- Cloud computing allows manufacturing plants to access IoT assets remotely and make use of it. Because there is only one central command center (i.e. the cloud) that manages IoT, it makes managing IoT manufacturing much easier. It's very cost-effective as well as cost saving to set up and manage IoT for manufacturing.
Cloud Computing Is Crucial For Industries
This growth is in line with another major trend, where 67% of enterprise cloud infrastructure is currently hosted on the cloud. With a 32% market share, Amazon Web Services dominates the cloud computing industry. This demonstrates how commonplace cloud computing and IoT are for commercial uses. This dramatic shift to cloud computing has numerous causes.
These are the top 4 reasons that cloud computing, and industrial IoT are so important for all businesses:
Digital Transformation
Any organization looking to grow rapidly is going to need digital transformation (DX). DX can help an organization connect with its core customers and to compete with its most fierce rivals. Without migrating all your business data to the cloud, this transformation will not be complete. IoT cloud computing technologies can accelerate your time to market and DX for your business.
Use it Quickly
Cloud computing is available to anyone within your business network. This means that any person can access relevant data and IoT devices from anywhere in the world as long as they have Internet connectivity. This ease of access improves team collaboration and business efficiency over a longer period.
Cloud computing does not require hardware dependencies. This allows users to use cloud and connected IoT solutions quickly without any steep learning curve. Businesses often have to employ and designate dedicated technicians to manage software licensing and user permissions. They also need to train the users. Most cloud-based apps are designed to empower end-users and minimize friction in the user experience.
Faster Deployment
Cloud computing provides the advantage of processing large numbers of data instances at high speeds and enables developers to accelerate their software deployments. Cloud computing allows developers to experiment with product designs, create prototypes, and then deploy the program in close real-time. This reduces their dependence on hardware and lengthy manual development cycles.
Data Security
Cybersecurity is a significant worry for organizations in the hyperconnected world of today. In 2023, IoT infrastructure will be the target of 28% of all cyberattacks against enterprises. The cloud's security architecture is so advanced that your company can minimize the risk of being attacked by hackers. Business data can be stored and managed in the cloud in a way that prevents unjustified cyberattacks. Businesses need federated roles to use cloud apps to grant and/or limit access to sensitive data.
Want More Information About Our Services? Talk to Our Consultants!
Overview of the Internet of Things
Before we get into the details of how IoT works with the cloud, let's first define IoT. Then, let us take a look at the entire industry. The Internet of Things is the expansion of computing capabilities and network connectivity to objects, devices and sensors that are not normally considered computers.
These objects are often called "smart objects", and they require little human intervention to exchange, create, or consume data. These objects often have connectivity that allows analysis, management, remote data collection and management.
Iot Product Examples
Consumer goods are the most popular IoT product. You don't need to constantly adjust the heat or air conditioner because the Nest thermostat collects data and adapts to your preferences for the weather.Amazon Echo allows you to control music, lights and other home components with your voice.
You can monitor your sleep patterns and physical activity with Fitbit or other fitness trackers. Smartwatches such as the Apple Watch or Android Wear allow you to read emails and play games right from your wrist.
That's only half of the story. IoT products can be found in both government and enterprises. Innovative IoT applications for healthcare are being developed. Stanley Healthcare's AeroScout(r) Real-Time Location System platform allows hospitals to see the location and status of staff and patients.
Kinsa also designed smart thermometers to accurately measure temperature, keep track of medical history and provide guidance for the next steps if the readings are abnormal. Governments employ smart city technologies like sensors, lights, meters, and sensors to collect and analyze data to address issues like traffic congestion, pollution, and energy use.
For instance, the garbage compactor at Big Belly contains sensors that can tell when it's full and compacts the trash to create room for more. Smart objects are everywhere around us and will continue to grow.
IoT Market by the Numbers
Over the next few years, IoT is expected to grow exponentially. It is predicted that 23 billion connected devices will be available by 2023, ranging from smart homes and connected cars to smart cities and efficient businesses. Three primary entities will use these 22 billion items to build, use, and embrace them: governments, consumers, and businesses.
By 2023, each entity will have spent a significant amount of money on IoT products. The IoT product market will see consumers spend more than $900 million, while businesses and governments will spend $2.1 billion to $3 billion. Cloud computing is a major driver of much of this industry.
How Cloud Computing Can Solve ITs Challenges
Cloud computing and the Internet of Things are closely related despite being two separate technologies. Strong innovation will arise from combining the two. How we communicate with one another and with technology will alter as a result of this. It will also affect the way we organize, store, and use information.
IoT has the potential to completely revolutionize your company by enabling the creation of smarter goods and services, the use of data to inform business choices, and the potential for model changes that would boost development and growth. It will continue to change the way we live and how we interact with our employees, customers, and assets. The IoT will be supported by cloud computing at its core.
IoT's growth will place a strain on computing resources to support the data collection and connectivity that IoT devices need. Other issues, such as product development difficulties, scalability and security, will also arise. How do you manage the number of resources required to launch an IoT product? Cloud computing is a great solution.
Read More: Cloud Computing: An Overview and its Future
These Challenges Are Identified And Discussed Below:
- It Is Difficult To Deploy An Iot Solution. The Cloud Helps Ease Some Of These Technical Hurdles And Speeds Up Development
It is not easy to launch an IoT-related solution. You must first think about how your equipment and machinery will function. Working with sensors, connecting to the internet, or managing battery life may all be a part of this.
Next, you will need to create software that facilitates all data collection and communication. You must also deploy the infrastructure needed to connect all the components of your IoT solution. These technical problems can be solved by cloud computing. When creating IoT hardware, you don't have to be concerned about setting up cloud servers, networks, or databases.
Cloud computing services put all of this at your fingertips. It is simple to start a database instance and virtual servers. Also, you can build data pipelines to support the operation of your IoT system. Also, some services can aid in the development and administration of IoT offerings.
For instance, you may securely connect devices using the IoT platform from AWS, manage these connections, collect data, and then feed that data into other AWS services like Redshift and S3 for processing and analysis. It won't cost you a lot upfront to buy and provide servers or other infrastructure. Only what you use will be charged to you.
The infrastructure you require to accelerate development makes it simpler to launch a product quickly and frees you up to concentrate on making the greatest product available from cloud computing companies.
- Iot Devices Can Generate A Lot Of Data And Use Infrastructure Resources Inconsistently; The Cloud Can Help With This
Over the coming decades, IoT traffic is anticipated to skyrocket due to increased device interaction and large data production. Your company will need to come up with a practical method for handling, processing, and accessing data from IoT systems. To satisfy peak demand, you must also scale your resources.
Cloud computing allows you to set up infrastructure that can scale up or down as demand increases. Traditional servers would require you to purchase enough capacity to handle peak periods. This would leave you with less revenue at low times and continue to detract from your bottom line.
You can also easily scale your IoT infrastructure as you add new features to your solution. John Deere is an example. This agriculture giant is helping farmers use IoT to gain a better understanding of their farms and improve their output. Smart farm solutions have been developed by the team. They allow for real-time monitoring, control and analysis of all activities, including land preparation, fertilization, harvesting, and seeding.
The SeedStar Mobile app provides row-by-row real-time data on planting performance. Another smartphone app, JDLink, enables farmers and machinery dealers to remotely view the position, fuel consumption, and diagnostic information for each unit in their fleet.
These programmes take advantage of cloud computing to accommodate farmers' changing needs. They have access to and control over many types of data from any location, at any time, via any device.
- Data Security Is A Frequent Concern With The Iot
Your Product's Security Can Be Improved With The Help Of The CloudMany security issues come with the IoT industry's growth. It is already hard to protect your employees' mobile phones and computers. Imagine how hard it is to protect thousands of other devices from unsuspecting users.
These devices could be the gateway to sensitive information about your customers, employees and business lines. Unauthorized access can result in the theft of identities, money loss, or even bodily injury.
As there are many connected smart devices, it might only take one security compromise to give hackers access to the entire IoT ecosystem. Scary. There have already been a few significant IoT security breaches publicized.
1.4 million Jeeps are being recalled by Chrysler due to a security issue. The Tesla Model S entertainment system was hacked, and up to 2 million BMW-built cars were vulnerable to a hacker getting access to their doors.
The databases of VTech's Learning Lodge app shops were breached, exposing the data of 6.4 million kids. Last October, massive internet outages were caused by a breach in internet-connected cameras and digital video recorders.
These security breaches led to the Cloud Security Alliance creating guidelines to identify the most important actions to take to protect an IoT offering. IoT security begins with educating end users about the risks and how they can protect their devices. The smart gadget and the backend that drives them all can then be secured using the cloud.
Read More: Cloud Computing: Why It Matters to Your Business: Six Essential Points
Here are some tips for securing your IoT services, as well as how the cloud may help.
- Authentication
User authentication at the device level serves as the first line of defence. Every cloud service provider has an identity management programme available. To enable users to log in securely and safely, this solution should be linked with your IoT solution.
Secure login and access are made possible via AWS's Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Cognito components. A certificate should be granted for each device so that details about security breaches, such as the time and place of the violation, may be recorded and examined.
These certificates can also be revoked to ensure that the device is not connected to the IoT ecosystem if it has been compromised, stolen, or has any other security issues.
- Firmware And Software Update Procedures
On day one, a standard procedure should be established to ensure that your IoT devices are running the latest firmware and software. Hackers are looking for vulnerable devices with old firmware and software.
Firmware-Over-The-Air (FOTA) and software update setups are made simple with the help of the tools and procedures used by cloud providers. To reassure your users that these updates are reliable and safe, they can also be digitally signed.
- Encryption
It can be hard to distinguish suspicious activity from the noise and data generated by smart devices. Cloud platforms give your business the ability to manage client and server-side encryption, automate encryption operations and create specialized encryption solutions that adhere to the security standards of your software development company. Hackers are well aware of this fact and target IoT environments. It is, therefore, imperative that you encrypt all data that flows through your IoT ecosystem and is stored in your database.
Cloud platforms allow you to manage client- and server-side encryption. They also automate the process and can create custom encryption solutions that meet your company's security policy. Cloud security professionals are always up to date with the latest trends and threats, so you don't have to.
This article outlines the key criteria for the encryption of your data in the cloud. The cloud can be used to help you encrypt any data, no matter how large.
IoT's True Potential Is Being Held Back By A Lack Of Interoperability And Integration. Iot Devices Can Work More Efficiently With Existing Systems And Each Other By Using The Cloud.
Integrating data from IoT devices with information in your business applications is a great way to get the most out of your IoT solution. If you are a manufacturer and track machine uptime, you can compare that data to your shipping logs to ascertain how machine downtime affects delivery timeframes.
These data sets can be siloed on different servers, making it difficult to analyze them in tandem. The cloud can link processes and applications and store all data in one place so that they can be easily integrated and analyzed regardless of their source.
The cloud can also help you integrate your IoT solution with smart products made by other companies. This can provide greater value for your users. Many companies are trying to create their own IoT platform in order to become market leaders.
This has resulted in a lacklustre standardization that prevents devices from different manufacturers from communicating with one another. Data cannot traverse platforms and cannot be merged between devices using different operating systems.
Although some businesses are working to develop cloud solutions that address interoperability difficulties, fragmentation is a significant issue that prevents IoT from reaching its full potential. In order to standardize the fragmented and complex IoT sector, Intel has created hardware and software components as well as an IoT platform architectural reference architecture.
These groups have developed standards and built a cloud environment that works seamlessly with most applications, platforms, appliances, and devices. IoT must be connected to enable it to achieve its full potential. Cloud computing will be an important part of bringing it all together.
Want More Information About Our Services? Talk to Our Consultants!
Conclusion
IoT promises to connect everything, including people, computers, devices, networks, and more, but this promise will not be fulfilled without the integration cloud. The cloud can help you develop IoT products more quickly, manage the data these products generate and any infrastructure resources they might need, protect your IoT ecosystem, and integrate your devices with other IoT devices and current systems.
Cloud computing is an integral part of IoT success and should be a key component in the development or improvement of IoT products. This is mostly due to the increased use of hybrid and multi-cloud setups. App developers are increasingly aware of the benefits of cloud computing. Cloud computing solutions are in high demand as the IoT ecosystem has seen a significant transformation. IoT will play a major role in cloud computing.
