How to build a comprehensive IoT service in 7 steps?

The Internet of Things reaches into our homes, our cities, our cars and our health services. It is the cutting edge of connectivity on which communication service providers (CSPs) need to be standing – so here’s a strategy to help you get there. Read on to discover the seven steps that can lead you there successfully. These steps also appear as part of a feature article in Pipeline magazine which can be read here.

Step 1 – Recognize the Possibilities of the Internet of Things

Internet of Things connectivity puts users in control. From organizing the weekly shopping, through managing power consumption in a Smart Home, to taking advantage of the most modern health services, the practical functionalities and end to end solutions offered mean the IoT could be considered the ultimate labor-saving device – and that means both popularity and demand.

Step 2 – Translate the Technology to Harness the Internet of Things for Business

Where there is demand for something, there is an opportunity to supply, so the Internet of Things is good for business as well as users. Here, it’s worth remembering the value of good partnerships – on which, more in Step 7.

Step 3 – Understand the Requirements of Truly Comprehensive Internet of Things Services

At the user end, the IoT is about interaction with an application. But, in every industry vertical, real Internet of Things services require complex connectivity linking real and virtual devices and storage, as well as external APIs.

Step 4 – Build IoT Services

The first of the two main Internet of Things challenges relates to building a service. For example, will you buy or hire equipment, develop your own, or outsource some of your requirements? Whatever you choose, careful cost analysis is required.

You also need to consider obligatory testing and certification (especially, for example, in the health services vertical), and physical and virtual security (important in all verticals, but especially, for example, banking and finance).

Establishing API protocols and maximizing business potential through data insight are part of the service building stage too. They will allow you to monitor and improve services, and empower your customers to act on data returned.

Then, and only then, is it the right time to turn your attention to actually creating your application.

Step 5 – Deploy IoT Services

The first stage of deployment is creating and selling your service – which will be based on the specific vertical you are engaging with. With selling comes billing, and of course service activation, which may be manual or automatic but above all should be efficient. As with service building, Don’t forget that service delivery also means data – so keep API in mind here too.

Step 6 – Remember that Fools Rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread…

Resolve from day one to build Internet of Things services on modest but solid foundations, rather than trying to attack several verticals at once. The result will be a high quality, robust and scalable solution that will bring its own benefits as you advance further into IoT terrain.

Step 7 – Maximize Partnerships

At the heart of the Internet of Things lies connectivity, which also applies to players on this new frontier. By taking time to find the right partners for any aspect of your service, you will be able to build and nurture mutually beneficial business relationships that will show their value in your financial reports.