Yes, you heard it right. IoT devices have outnumbered mobile devices and computers combined and are expected to reach anywhere in the range of 30-50 billion by 2020. From security cameras to thermostats to speakers (even toasters), these devices have virtually invaded every public and private space and thus, have also unleashed an entirely new front for app development- IoT applications.
Though the number of IoT devices is constantly ballooning, their potential is still seen as largely unexplored. Take security cameras for instance, at its most basic form, they are connected to the internet and let owners monitor the live feed. But if equipped with face detection or recognition application, they become much more useful for various purposes. In a similar fashion, much of the potential of most of the IoT devices is still untapped and it is for IoT app developers to exploit the most out of it through meaningful and intuitive applications.
Before we share some tips, you must be aware of the hierarchy of IoT because each of them has its own set of purposes and requires applications accordingly:
Cloud
This is the most abstract layer of IoT that does most of the processing and the one that users interact with directly. Most of the IoT applications are created for this layer including thermostat or other household appliance monitoring applications among others.
The things
This layer consists of IoT devices. From lights to pillows to a refrigerator, there is hardly anything that hasn’t been made “smart”. The applications that run on these devices have to directly deal with the hardware and given the very limited computing resources on these gadgets, the apps need to be very lightweight and optimized. Most of the applications on this layer are primarily aimed at collecting data, which is then processed in the cloud.
Network
This is the basis of all the layers and consists of mere connections of those devices with the cloud or among themselves. The applications in this layer are mainly in terms of various connection protocols- most of which are standardized, leaving little room for developers.
Now, if you are looking forward to creating an IoT application, it is most likely going to be deployed in the cloud. Here are a few things you must keep in mind before you get started:
Pick the framework that suits you the best
Since IoT apps developed so far have a long way to go, there aren’t many tools that are capable of handling all tasks and you would have to resort to different tools depending on your priority. That said, there are some frameworks like Xively, Ubidots, Thingworkx, among others that deliver excellent results for most of the common tasks. The point being, there is no perfect framework available at this point and you should stick with what works for you.
Security
As IoT devices handle a lot of personal and sensitive information, security remains one of the top concerns that you must address with utmost care. Not only on your application layer but also a flaw in the firmware can make the entire system vulnerable to a security breach. So, even if you are creating an application for the cloud, you must also keep an eye on the firmware and ensure tight API integration.
Speed and stability
It’s not just that people hate slow applications but since IoT devices often work in clusters and in real-time, a single, slow application on one device can create a bottleneck and possibly bring down the entire system. So, invest in speed and quality in earlier stages and it will definitely pay off in the future.
Scalability
If you are looking to achieve long-term success for your IoT application, you must also make it capable of handling evolution over time. While keeping the application lightweight is a necessity, you must also leave ample room for new features to be integrated over time.