Just about everyone these days has heard of the ‘Internet of Things’ or IoT. It’s about as commonplace as the connected devices themselves, and is set to grow quickly. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global IoT market size was USD 308.97 billion in 2020, with a projected CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) of over 25% in the coming years.

What does this mean for you, and how can you best prepare for the growing number of IoT devices your business will likely have to manage?

Firstly, let’s summarize what the IoT is, and how it’s transforming the way we work, live and play.

What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?

IoT is a broad term that encompasses a growing number of devices and applications connected to the internet. Estimates suggest that soon, around 150,000 new IoT devices will come online every minute. While smartphones technically fall under the IoT category, the industry primarily focuses on connected systems with automation capabilities. These systems use embedded sensors to monitor their environment, receive, process, and send data without human intervention, and then take necessary actions.

IoT functions as an ecosystem featuring automated applications and APIs that communicate in real time, often using the lightweight MQTT messaging protocol. This technology delivers IoT services across various industries, including utilities, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, real estate, transportation and logistics, government, insurance, banking, agriculture, and automotive. All these sectors are involved in ongoing IoT projects that aim to transform their operations.

For example, a moisture sensor in a field can communicate with an irrigation system to adjust water levels when the soil becomes too dry. Similarly, a commercial truck might automatically report when an engine part needs replacement, alerting a parts warehouse to ensure availability when the vehicle is serviced.

IoT devices are often compact, requiring only a small processor, some onboard storage, sensors, and networking capabilities. They typically connect through cellular data networks, ranging from 2G to 5G, or through alternative connections like Bluetooth or RFID. Cellular connections often rely on an embedded SIM (type MFF2) soldered into the device's circuit board.

In cases where IoT devices lack direct internet access, they may connect to local networks such as edge devices or servers, allowing data to be processed locally rather than sent to the cloud. This approach aligns with the trend of 5G, edge computing, and IoT integrating to revolutionize traditional networks.

With endless possibilities for IoT applications, significant investment is pouring into the industry, showing no signs of slowing down. However, rapid growth presents challenges for IT managers, who must strategically handle this expansion to harness its benefits instead of disrupting operations.

This raises the question: What does IoT device management involve, and what aspects are typically managed within this framework?

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Why is there a need for IoT device management?

Do IoT devices need managing? Aren’t they autonomous? It’s true, a lot of IoT devices don’t need constant management but there are still aspects of the IoT lifecycle that need oversight.

IoT device lifecycle management includes:

  • Deploying and configuring new devices
  • Tracking data usage (to avoid data overage and manage costs)
  • Reporting on device location
  • Running firmware updates and software patches
  • Troubleshooting and performing device diagnostics

It would be possible to manage a few devices manually, but extend this to a lot of devices and it quickly becomes a headache. It also means a lot of inconsistency across your IoT device inventory, which can mean out-of-date software, lost or malfunctioning devices, data overages, and inaccurate reporting.

Fortunately, there is a solution, and that’s an IoT device management platform, which can help you optimize your device inventory. How do these management platforms work, and what benefits do they offer?

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What are the benefits of an IoT device management platform? One is better connectivity.

One of the biggest challenges for IT teams dealing with IoT devices is scalability. Being able to easily streamline and scale up the number of devices managed, while maintaining a functional, secure network, presents a problem without management software.

With years of experience and expertise in networking, and provider of networking devices, Inseego provides enterprises with feature-rich management tools that help them successfully manage thousands of IoT devices.

Inseego Connect helps IT teams with everything related to the IoT rollout; from device provisioning, authentication and deployment to managing, monitoring and troubleshooting devices.

And it’s all done from a single pane of glass, a cloud-based IoT management tool that makes the management process a lot more efficient.

Examples of data and metrics that can be monitored include:

  • Device model, software version & IMEI
  • Device is offline (IoT connectivity)
  • Network data such as signal strength and IoT data usage
  • Device location
  • Battery levels
  • Movement outside defined areas
  • Device inventory (including the ability to view by location on a map)

Within the reporting tools, notifications can be configured for things like system failures, a non-reporting device or security breaches. This reduces the workload for IT admins, which is particularly helpful when monitoring a large number of devices.

However, it’s more than just reporting. Devices can be managed in bulk to maintain network health, minimize downtime and resolve any issues quickly.

This device management software works remotely, including from a mobile device, eliminating the need for costly site visits.

  • View or edit device configuration
  • Install software updates
  • Templates to configure devices in bulk
  • Reboot devices
  • Decommissioning devices

Inseego Connect goes beyond the fundamentals of just being an IoT management tool. It also provides helpful analytics into device usage and trends, which can help with onboarding workflows, future planning, predictive data budgeting and cost management.

For more information on Inseego Connect and how it can help you manage your IoT deployments, visit our cloud management page or contact us directly.