Many Internet of Things (IoT) systems tackle a single problem, focusing on issues that are particular to any industry vertical. General-purpose solutions are unusual. One reason for this is because organizations are under pressure to show quick results. As a result, developers find it easier to adapt an existing system.
The most straightforward approach begins with the addition of connectivity to a sensor or machine to enable remote access and data gathering. The next step is to connect to a cloud-based data management system for analytics and visualization purposes. This design approach does not help in anticipating how such a system might evolve or how it might be supported over its life cycle. Nor does it encourage a strategy of reusing design tools and technology components as other applications are developed.
If an organization plans to deploy multiple IoT systems, are there commonalities, or is each application unique? Commonalities mean that there is scope to reuse design patterns, architectures, and standards.
The composition of a simple IoT system has four components. These include the connected sensor or device; a communications network for remote connectivity; a platform for housekeeping tasks such as device management, security, and registration; and an application or visualization dashboard that uses the IoT data from the connected sensor or device.