The IoT landscape has seen significant changes, with high-profile services like Google IoT Core and IBM Watson IoT Platform closing down or restructuring. Microsoft’s Azure IoT Central was rumored to be deprecated, but Microsoft clarified that this was an error. As IoT and IT systems converge, enterprises are questioning the need for separate IoT application environments. While IoT cloud services aim to simplify IoT solution development, there is no one-size-fits-all solution due to the unique requirements of each industry and installation.
IoT device software development is becoming more like mainstream platform development, thanks to IoT platforms and device platform as a service (DPaaS) offerings. These services simplify customization and allow developers to focus on value-added applications. IoT data and device middleware services face challenges due to the diverse nature of IoT data characteristics and requirements. Services that are too comprehensive can be rigid and unsuitable for specific solution requirements.
In the IoT enterprise solution services space, services like Azure IoT Central offer a ready-made environment for IoT solution development. While these services can provide quick initial results, they may fall short as solution requirements mature. Ultimately, IoT data should flow directly into existing business frameworks in a converged OT/IT world, rather than through an intermediate IoT-specific solution environment.
