5 IoT Connectivity Considerations for Successful IoT Projects

IoT is at a critical juncture, with three-quarters of decision-makers admitting only low or moderate success with their IoT projects. In fact, according to Microsoft, 30% of IoT projects fail at the proof of concept stage, before they even have a chance to get up and running. Despite that, the IoT market is seeing exponential growth, with an ongoing CAGR of more than 25% to create a $1.4 trillion market by 2027.

So, what do successful IoT businesses have in common? Let’s look at 5 key considerations that could make all the difference for future-focused companies who are plateauing or feel like they’re failing when it comes to IoT. It’s time to turn it around!

Choosing the Right Technology for Smart Devices

According to the same survey from Microsoft, 24% of companies blame the high failure rates at the POC stage on not having the right technology in place. This is a huge blocker for many companies, because IoT connectivity technology in particular can come with huge overheads and costs. For enterprises with legacy systems, this can be even more complex, investing in new systems and processes, and all for a brand-new industry that is yet to prove itself.

The right partner will be able to talk you through your technology choices, for example making the right choice between 2G-5G, NB-IoT or CAT-M, so that you have the flexibility and coverage that you need and seamless connectivity in any region of choice. They can also advise on how to pick a SIM that will work for your needs in terms of compliance, maintenance and control. 

Being prepared for varied use cases with Cellular Technology

Another reason why many IoT initiatives fail is that ideas or initial use cases can be too narrow to suit a specific project. Your IoT platform should be able to cover disparate projects that need different applications, sensors, modules and controllers, or varied protocols, networks and connectivity types. This technology should be able to cover varied cloud or storage providers, without working in a siloed way. For this, you need a truly agnostic connectivity platform that’s built specifically for an industry as broad in needs as IoT.

In some cases, a single enterprise may also need different kinds of IoT applications altogether. For example, in Healthcare you might have the need for Broadband IoT to enable real-time video for complex surgeries, and LPWA to track shipping routes and temperature of pharmaceuticals and other sensitive supplies. In an enterprise you might also support varied end customers of your own, who have different use cases for security, compliance, or visibility.

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IoT projects can’t rely on roaming alone

For many, connectivity will be what holds them back from making a success of IoT endeavors. The truth is, this is a common initial error. Many enterprises believe that they can utilize carrier relationships like with mobile phone connectivity, but IoT needs a different approach. IoT devices are nothing like mobile phones, they don’t have a single user, they don’t have screens for troubleshooting or messaging, and they can’t rely on roaming agreements for connectivity when they often need to be left in the field for 3-5 years or more. Think about a typical roaming agreement that lasts between 3-6 months, and you’ll see where we’re coming from!

Instead of partnering with network operators that utilize roaming agreements, modern solutions allow you to benefit from local connectivity around the world. IoT devices can simply connect locally as they are activated, and data never needs to leave this home region. (Psst: That’s also great for enterprises with tight compliance needs.)

Your device’s battery life is tied to latency

The other benefit of this approach is that IoT devices are inherently reliant on the low latency of their connectivity. The longer a device must be awake for, the more drain on battery life, and the shorter the lifespan of the device overall. This is a huge expense for enterprises, as it is often more cost-effective to replace the whole IoT device than to replace the battery.

For critical IoT, too high latency can stop your IoT projects before they even get started, but the truth is – the lower the latency for any IoT application, the more profitable your IoT business can be. If you can drive down latency with intelligent solutions that look at modem connection times, latency between the layers and extension to battery life, your IoT solutions are starting with their best foot forward before they even connect for the first time.

More Network Operators, more problems when it comes to IoT?

38% of respondents to Microsoft’s IoT survey said that the complexity of operations was their top challenge when it came to making IoT successful. IoT connectivity technology can jump the hurdles of creating multiple vendor relationships with MNOs and IoT service providers around the world, and allow you a single integration and a single platform to manage all devices and cellular connectivity.

Think about the process of troubleshooting when you have dozens of MNO relationships, or layers of communication between your MNO partner, a roaming provider and an end customer, as just one example. While you wait for answers that could be reliant on different time zones or companies you can’t always reach out of hours, your quality of service is bound to suffer. It’s easy to see how this can halt IoT projects in their tracks. Instead, say goodbye to multiple network operators, and hello to just one IoT connectivity solution, for the ability to pass over control to your users, and offer the fastest possible troubleshooting, proactive support for your end-users, and full visibility into all of your IoT applications, anywhere.

Ready to learn how you can put these ideas into practice for your own IoT connectivity solution? Contact us here