When it comes to technological innovation, the cloud and the Internet of Things are at the forefront. The two technologies can be utilized in a single environment harmoniously for a wide range of benefits. The cloud augments storage and data processing capabilities with fewer physical resources, while IoT’s fast wireless communication speeds and availability can effectively utilize the benefits of the cloud. This is one of the many reasons why IoT cloud service providers are more prevalent today.
Most businesses are already aware of these facts while a notable majority of consumers are still oblivious to the capabilities of cloud and IoT, despite using them in their everyday lives.
Let’s start with some basics.
The Cloud — IoT Combo In A Nutshell
The Internet of Things is all about a series of smart devices capable of communicating wirelessly while sharing information and commands between each other, to perform various tasks. With the cloud, you get access to the required computer resources remotely, over the internet. These resources include everything from storage to servers.
With the cloud essentially augmenting storage and data processing capabilities, IoT devices can function without interruptions or delays, and deliver better results. IoT devices share data, and the cloud can process this data with low latency while also uncovering actionable insights from the data.
Now, figuring out an effective combination of the cloud and IoT is the tricky part. And that will be where you will need assistance from a reliable IoT cloud service provider.
So,benefits of the cloud when considering IoT?
Here are a few examples to begin with:
- * Reduced infrastructure costs
- * Pay-As-You-Need pricing models
- * Access to high-end data analytics capabilities
Diving into further detail, we have:
Scalability & Flexibility
An IoT system on the cloud is certainly scalable. With the cloud, a business need not invest greater amounts of money into procuring better hardware and hiring experts to configure them for the desired results. A cloud IoT environment can be scaled easily and also offers impressive flexibility in case you want to cut down on some resources or scale down the IoT-enabled devices involved.
Data Mobility
The data in your cloud-powered IoT system are stored and processed in cloud servers; which means they aren’t restricted by infrastructural or network constraints. As IoT projects may involve real-time monitoring and device management, data mobility can make a considerable difference. Cloud platforms can provide the tools and resources required to manage and configure devices and sensors in real-time while also providing better accessibility of the data. No other technology except edge computing can rival this particular cloud advantage for IoT environments.
Security
One of the biggest concerns for IoT innovators and enthusiasts is security. The security of an on-premise IoT infrastructure depends on the organization’s security policies and practices to keep the data safe. Most organizations are reluctant to give control of their sensitive data to a third-party cloud provider. However, there is now a consensus that the cloud is indeed more secure than on-premise servers; owing to the regular firmware and software updates and 24/7 monitoring. Handing over the cloud management and security monitoring to an expert IoT service provider is the most commonly adopted approach by many organizations, while some employ in-house personnel to keep tabs on the cloud IoT service with timely assistance from the cloud platforms.
Challenges with cloud computing
Despite the plethora of benefits the cloud can grant to an IoT environment, it still comes with certain challenges that all parties involved in the cloud-IoT congruence should address.
Data Security & Ownership
As mentioned above, security can be a big concern. Equally big is the concern about the ownership of the data processed on the cloud. It’s important to recognize the ownership of the data before setting up a cloud-IoT environment. The obvious answer regarding ownership would be the owner of the device generating the data. But in some cases, the fine print may reveal a different owner raising concerns among both consumers and organizations. For security, there must be a properly configured data storage encryption that ensures privacy.
System Crashes
If the cloud service crashes or if the connection to the cloud is interrupted in some way, IoT devices will not work the way they are supposed to. However, short-term crashes don’t seem to be an issue for certain categories of IoT devices. This concern can have serious ramifications in the health sector as crashes in the middle of crises can lead to critical medical consequences. There is some relief as the modern-day cloud has evolved enough to bypass crashes, as another server can immediately take over when one crashes.
Conclusion
Using the cloud to power IoT can be quite challenging as IoT is already a sophisticated technology. But for a business willing to put their faith in the cloud -hiring a reliable, experienced IoT cloud service provider can address most of their concerns and help them get the best out of the cloud-IoT combo. Connect with us at info@wemakeiot.com to discover how you can build cloud-based IoT Solutions.
