The Internet of Things Technology Stack

Let’s take a look at the technology stack that makes up a typical connected system we have in the Internet of Things (IoT) and follow the data that flows through from the edge of network right to the dashboard.

At the very bottom we have a device which collects data and communicates it. Sometimes, this is a non-communicating sensor that connects directly or wirelessly to a wireless gateway. Other times, the sensor has its own connectivity.

Next level up, we have the wireless network that carries the data the device collects and sends as well as the data that is sent centrally out to the device. Because of its versatile and widely available nature, this network is often a mobile or cellular network.

From there we move up into the connected system’s central core – the cloud or to some, the internet. Once the data reaches this point, it can be analysed, organised and turned into meaningful and actionable insights. This brings us to the top layer, the dashboard. This is where the data is visualised and from where the devices can be monitored, managed and in many cases, remotely interacted with.

When selecting a partner for connected technology, it is important to understand how each IoT ecosystem player provides services at each layer of the IoT stack. Some will deliver turnkey solutions that include architecting the whole system, building out devices at the bottom of the stack, testing, certifying, and managing an entire project. Others, just play in one part of the stack such as the connectivity layer or the dashboard layer where they have specialised in bringing a level of cost, quality, and timeliness to the propositions they bring to market.

Technology Maturity

Each layer of the IoT stack will cater for more or less mature systems. We can think of this as aligned to the maturity of the markets or industries in which they are in operation. Good examples of very mature systems include fleet and vehicle telematics, transport solutions, and smart metering. Less mature systems sit around electric vehicles, critical healthcare and new industrial IoT solutions such as mining and oil and gas where environmental conditions have made technology deployments a challenge.

Key for all of these systems is that they must be well connected to drive value. A breach, outage or lack of connectivity to the devices in the field immediately erodes the value the connected System is supposed to bring. Connectivity service providers therefore, play an important role in assuring that a connected system brings the value that it is supposed to.

So, let’s look at the connectivity ecosystem and its current vendors.

Connectivity Service Providers

All of the below form a part of the Connectivity Service Provider provisions and services:

• Network technologies

• Depth of core network infrastructure

• Multi-country connectivity

• Future proofing technologies offering such as eSIM/eUICC

• Network and use case architecture

• Middleware

• Cloud integration

• Hardware build and verification

• Project services

• Application development

• Professional services including support, security and more

If we imagine connectivity provision as a scale where the left end of the scale comprises vendors who provide simple services that give connected systems access to cellular networks to the right end of the scale with vendors who include turnkey, full stack, full support, and maintenance services, it’s easy to see how the value-adding services provisions s cale aligns.

Based on the above services provision scale, it is fair to say that the left side vendors are primarily focused on connectivity resale and that the more you move to the right, the more depth you will find in the connectivity solutions provided and the longer a list of value adding services you’ll also find.

There is consensus in the IoT and wider technology ecosystem that connectivity, on its own, has become mainstream and commoditised. Cellular network access and basic connectivity service offerings are abundant and some of them do not add much value to the connected solution, other than just giving access to a simple data transfer service. Many of the IoT ecosystem analysts argue that managed Connectivity Service Providers (CSPs) must add other types of value to have a credible future in the ecosystem.

Yet, some vendors succeed with simple, low-cost, easy-to-adopt connectivity for customers who either operate very mature types of connected systems, highly technically competent customers or customers to whom the connectivity is just not mission- or business critical.

This is the case for many environmental monitoring solutions, metering and to some extent asset and telematics tracking solutions where, if the connectivity is lost for a little while, it is less likely eroding the value of the whole system.

On the flipside of these low cost, commoditised service provisions, sit vendors who offer more wrap around and sometimes even turnkey services. There is a variety of services that add value such as

• Architecture and design services

• Solutions review and refinement services

• Support services

• Service level agreements giving quantified guarantees on support resolutions

• Security architecture and review services

• Application specific configuration and set up services

• Cloud platform and dashboard services

• Application specific data and device management services

• Certifications and industry framework adherence, such as ISO

The key to all these services is, that they add value for the individual IoT application solutions owner and operator.

Picking the Right Partner

We believe that companies looking to just connect and where the stability and continuation of the connectivity is not paramount, should opt for the left side of the vendor provision scale. In this group of vendors, there is much focus on the speed at which the connectivity can be acquired and implemented and the total cost of ownership during the lifetime of the connected solution. The support services, security services and other more complex value adding services may be missing from these vendors’ portfolios. But that can be fine if you don’t have needs for them.

For other companies, stability and connectivity-assurance is key. These companies are therefore, looking for vendors who operate more as integrated partners who can help ensure they bring additional value-adding services wrapped around their system’s connectivity. Here, the ultimate solutions provision is turnkey and full-scale project management from idea phase through testing and initial deployment to scaling up. A full turnkey solution, which is required when the project is still at ideation stage, can mean starting from scratch, designing full systems architectures, building own hardware and testing and validating this through fairly lengthy processes. It can be time consuming and costly.

Ensuring high uptime for mission and business critical connectivity applications exists for many systems in the retail and vending space, in traffic management and other such applications where the connectivity is business or even mission critical.

Pelion is a managed connectivity provider who ensures everything works. We can help our customers assess a connected application, make sure it is tested and secured and will work as a trusted partner with our customers. We are completely independent (not tied to any one mobile network operator) and have an abundance of experience, a suite of wrap around services to ensure our customers are well connected. We support this with a team of IoT professionals who care about collaborating with our customers and partners.

Chat to us today about your connected technology project and how we can help