IoT Remote Management: Importance, Tools, and Examples
2023 has been a year of general growth. Despite the high interest rate and inflation at its peak that characterized 2022, in 2023 many Western countries were able to not only avoid recession but even register economic growth.
In this economic context, technology stocks and, in particular, IoT performed exceptionally well, with the number of connected IoT devices growing to approximately 16.7 billion.
As the IoT market and ecosystem expand, the importance of effective IoT remote management solutions becomes paramount.
In this article, we will:
1Introducing what is IoT remote management
IoT management involves overseeing the entire IoT ecosystem—devices, sensors, functions, and security - through planning, onboarding, monitoring, updating, and maintenance.
This is made possible by IoT platforms that allows users to remotely manage IoT devices by providing remote access to devices and sensors, through which IoT professionals can control the ecosystem, automize some processes, monitor data and functions, troubleshoot, update, and more.
IoT remote management operates through some core features:
- Remote Access: It allows to monitor and control of IoT devices and sensors, making adjustments, performing updates and maintenance, from any location.
- Configuration: It provides the possibility of setting up IoT devices according to specific requirements and/or preferences. Through configuration every component is optimized for their required use, enhancing efficiency.
- Data Collection: IoT management solutions are constantly collecting data from IoT devices and sensors.
- Data Analysis: Data are interpreted and analyzed to provide reports that become a basis for analysis and decision-making within the IoT department and within the entire organization.
- Security Management: This IoT feature includes a range of security measures such as authentication and access protocols, threat detection, encryption, and more.
- Alerts: A notification system allows users to be informed at once about any significant event concerning the IoT ecosystem.
2Answering how to remotely manage IoT devices
An IoT ecosystem is made of a number of components (devices and sensors) that work together for a common goal or aim. But how can these components be managed remotely?
You need an IoT management tool that suits your devices. First, understand the type of your IoT devices, determine if they can be managed remotely, and learn the management steps.
2.1Different Types of IoT Devices
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Consumer IoT | Smart Home Devices, wearables |
| Industrial IoT | Temperature sensors, Automated machinery |
| Infrastructure IoT | Smart City Devices, Smart Grid Devices |
| Agricultural IoT | Precision Farming Tools, Automated Irrigation Systems |
| Automotive IoT | Fleet Management Systems, Connected Vehicles |
| Healthcare IoT | Remote patient monitors, Telemedicine Devices |
| Environmental IoT | Air Quality Monitors, Weather Stations |
2.2To be managed remotely, IoT devices must have these key components:
- Sensors and Actuators: While sensors are devices that detect and measure physical properties (such as temperature, for example), actuators are devices that activate or deactivate a component (for example, turning a valve or adjusting a setting).
- Microcontrollers or Microprocessors: The brain of the IoT devices that execute instructions, process data, or manage the devices’ operations.
- Network Connectivity: To allow the IoT devices to communicate with the rest of the ecosystem, including the IoT management platform. It can be achieved through cable, Wi-Gi, Bluetooth, or other type of connection systems.
- Power Supply: A battery, solar power, or connection to the electrical grid that provides the energy to the IoT device.
- Firmware: Software that runs in the microprocessor or microcontroller that controls the device’s function.
- Cloud Platform: An external platform where data are stored.
- Software: Applications, programs, and interfaces that allow users to interact with the device.
2.3Steps to remote manage IoT devices
Now that we have clear what characteristics IoT devices must have to be manageable remotely, let’s move on to how to manage remote IoT.
- Step 1: Choose an IoT Platform/Remote Management Software
The very first step of effective IoT management involves selecting the appropriate IoT platform or Remote Management Software.
Note : An IoT platform is a comprehensive suite to develop and manage IoT application, IoT remote management software is specifically aimed at managing IoT devices remotely. See next paragraph for more detailed comparison. - Step 2: Device Enrollment and Configuration
- Registering your IoT devices on the platform.
- Setting up devices (parameters, operational settings, networking settings, security settings, and more)
- Step 3: Remotely Manage Connected Iot Devices in Bulk
Once the devices are connected within the network, the platform allows users to manage remotely, and this is an ongoing task. It involves continuous monitoring, troubleshooting, updating, and more.
3Comparing IoT Platform vs. IoT Remote Management Software
| IoT Platform | Iot Remote Management Software | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A comprehensive suit for facilitating development and managing of IoT applications. | Software specifically aimed at managing IoT devices remotly. |
| Primary Focus | Development and integration of IoT applications. | Monitoring, maintaining, and controlling IoT devices. |
| Main Components | Data collection & analysis, cloud storage, APIs. | Device monitoring, updated, security management, remote control. |
| Target Users | Developers, IT temas, businesses. | IT teams and professionals that need to manage devices. |
| Scalability | Possibility to scale IoT solutions. | Possibility to scale up as the device fleet becomes larger. |
4Best Tools For IoT Management
4.1AWS IoT Device Management (Comprehensive IoT Platform)
AWS IoT Device Management is a comprehensive IoT platform provided by Amazon Web Services. It allows users to remotely manage IoT devices at scale.
Main Features:
- Bulk Device Registration: through the IoT console or API. It allows users to configure the entire fleet of devices with a few clicks on the interface.
- Device Organization: IoT devices can be organized in groups for more efficient management.
- Device Indexing and Searching: It simplifies querying devices or groups of them based on attributes, status, connectivity index, or other parameters.
- Remote Software and Firmware Execution: deploy, update, and manage software and firmware on IoT devices remotely.
- Secure Tunneling: It supports the creation of device tunnels that are secure and remote communication sessions to a device.
- Logs Registration: It automatically records and stores logs for future analysis.
4.2AirDroid Business (Android & Windows Central Management)
AirDroid Business is the ideal tool for managing endpoints with different operating systems.
Main Features
- Remote Access: To monitor and control devices remotely from a central dashboard.
- Security Management: To ensure the protection of devices and data through encryption, updates, and authentication protocols.
- File Transfer: To transfer configuration files, updates, and data between the management platform and the devices.
- Kiosk Mode: To manage blocks(applications/websites) on Android and Windows devices.
- Geofencing: To set up virtual boundaries and trigger actions when devices enter or leave the defined areas.
- Monitoring: It provides a real-time oversight of device status and performance allowing for prevention and quick response to issues.
4.3Senseye PdM (Best for IoT Monitoring)
Senseye Predictive Maintenance is one of the best IoT remote management systems when it comes to IoT monitoring. One of the main advantages of this platform is that it integrates with the existing hardware (as long as it is remotely manageable – see paragraph above) and it doesn’t require organizations to add any hardware or installations.
Main Features
- Data Driven: the platform utilizes advanced and automated data gathering and analysis tools and processes to reduce downtime and optimize maintenance.
- Focused on Monitoring and Maintenance: the platform provides real-time, predictive insights to ensure equipment efficiency and longevity.
- Easy integration with existing hardware.
- Generative AI: notifications are delivered through interactive conversational AI, enhancing efficiency, flexibility, and collaboration within the staff.
4.4TeamViewer IoT (Best for Remote Access)
TeamViewr offers a wide range of remote management services among which we can find TeamViewr IoT, specifically aimed at remote IoT access.
- Remote Control: it allows users to remotely access IoT devices (starting from 3) from any location.
- Monitoring: it provides real-time monitoring of the connected devices.
- Online Dashboard: it offers a user-friendly dashboard that can be accessed from any location, facilitating management and collaboration.
- Cloud Support: it integrated with third-party cloud platforms to enhance scalability, accessibility, and flexibility.
4.5ThingsBoard (Open Source)
ThingsBoard is an open-source IoT platform focused on data collection, processing, device management, and visualization.
Main Features:
- Manages devices and assets: it allows users to control devices using server-side APIs.
- Data collection and visualization: it collects data and visualizes them with built-in widgets and a flexible dashboard.
- Data process: it allows users to define data processing rules.
- Customization: it allows users to construct their ThingsBoard cluster, enhancing flexibility and scalability.
5Use Cases
1Logistic Company
Logistic companies commonly operate a large fleet of vehicles across a vast geographic area integrates an advanced IoT remote management system to:
- Track every vehicle, which is equipped with GPS devices and other sensors, and collect data about location, fuel consumption, engine health, and speed. The data is transmitted in real time to the IoT dashboard and effective organization, schedule, and troubleshooting is now possible.
- Continuously monitor the efficiency of every vehicle and provide notifications for any abnormality detected. This way, faults and delays are prevented.
- Optimize routes by analyzing traffic conditions on one side and vehicle locations on the other. By optimizing routes, the company can improve efficiency and reduce costs.
- Analyse drivers’ behavior to help them optimize their driving style to optimize resources and reduce risks.
2Perugia, a small town in Italy
Perugia, located in the Umbria region in Italy, is becoming more and more a smart city through the implementation of:
- Intelligent streets: the largest streets and the highways are being equipped with traffic, water, and other type of sensors. Every sensor and device is integrated and connected to the IoT remote management platform that gather and analyse data and provide real-time traffic and weather information to the population.
- Waste management: bins are being equipped with sensors that can detect fill levels and send data to the central IoT dashboard and waste management service.
- Environmental monitoring: air quality, water, and temperature sensors are being distributed in the city so that weather conditions are constantly monitored. The IoT remote management platform, other than monitoring over the sensor's wellbeing, elaborates the collected data and send alerts if any potentially dangerous condition occurs.
3Manufacturing Company
A famous manufacturing company has adopted IoT management solutions to avoid downtime and expand the lifespan of its machinery.
- All machinery is being equipped with sensors. They are constantly monitoring the machine’s conditions.
- Data is constantly analyzed with machine learning algorithms and patterns are identified to predict potential failures before they occur.
- The IoT platform is also used to schedule regular maintenance and to keep track of the usage of machinery and tools.
6What Benefits Can a Remote Solution Offer to Your Business?
IoT management solutions and practices can benefit your business in many ways. The following are the main advantages that a premium IoT management system can provide to your business:
- Continuous real-time monitoring: the continuous collection and analysis of data enables the tracking of equipment and every operational parameter providing immediate insights that allow informed and swift decision.
- Preventive maintenance: data collection and analysis also allow to forecast when equipment or machinery is likely to fail. This way, instead of waiting for problems to occur and then fixing them, issues are most of the times prevented.
- Security management: IoT management systems protect the entire ecosystem from unauthorized access and any type of cyber threats. It, therefore, helps prevent costly data breaches and associated reputational damage.
- Unified control: IoT management provides a centralized platform to monitor and control the entire ecosystem. It allows to streamline processes in the most efficient way, enhancing productivity and efficiency.
- Quick diagnostic: thanks to data collection and analysis, the possibility of having reports, and having a single dashboard to oversee the entire ecosystem, issues, and possible resolutions are quickly identified. Other thanenhancing performance and reducing downtime, this means optimizing resources and reducing costs.
As you can see, the above-described benefits all contribute to a more efficient ecosystem. With IoT management, organizations can maximize their potential while also reducing operational costs.
7Conclusion
Modern organizations and industries require a large number of devices working together in an integrated way. IoT management is the solution that allows to interconnect of devices of different types, nature, and Operative Systems and creates an ecosystem. Furthermore, with IoT management, the ecosystem – despite its complexity – becomes easily and efficiently manageable from a single and user-friendly interface.
While the ecosystem complexity is reduced, organizations are empowered with more data and their disposal, while alsocounting on improved performance and security. This is the important and pivotal role that IoT management has in the modern industry and business landscape.
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