In the consumer space, it is well publicized how nearly every device is becoming smarter and more connected. What receives less attention in mainstream media is the considerable impact the Internet of Things (IoT) is having in the industrial sector. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is already helping enterprises operate more safely and productively while improving efficiency and reducing costs.
While the IoT can offer significant benefits, they can be challenging to implement. Forbes Insights recently surveyed more than 500 executives and, when asked about their greatest challenge in building out their IoT capabilities, 29% said it was the quality of IoT technology. This isn’t surprising. In some cases, IoT platforms must support thousands of vendors, dozens of standards, and be able to scale to millions of devices, together sending and receiving billions of messages.
IoT-based solutions are typically made up of a group of technologies, some already existing and some entirely new. Each has its own path of development, and when they’re combined, they can create an environment that is complex and rapidly changing. Here are four challenges with managing IoT technologies today.