Introduction – Resilience and Scalability of IoT
IoT is rapidly growing, bringing a vast number of benefits across all industries with its implementation. Companies are now facing the decision of whether to ‘build or buy’ an IoT solution, in this blog we will explore resources and expertise that need to be researched to identify the best way forward for an organisation.
Although some devices are allegedly plug-and-play. Something that should be considered, especially when we talk about real-time data and large rollouts of the technology is the solution’s capacity for resilience and scalability.
Often at the trial stage, the focus is all around finding a solution that can deliver the specification in the here and now with modest numbers of system deployments. It is often not until much further down the line during mass deployments that obstacles and challenges arise, which may have not been in the line of vision during the early development and planning stage of the scope of the project. One of many key considerations aligned with growth is the need for systems to be installed quickly, reliably, and repeatedly.
Investments in new technology can be significant, finding a solution that can grow with the business’s needs will maximise the return on investment and life cycle of the project.
Existing resources: Do the knowledge and infrastructure already reside within the organisation? Or would it involve recruiting new team members(s) and designing a complex network of systems and servers to accommodate the IoT strategy? It is important to note that a wide breadth of skill sets is needed to deliver and support a scaled-up solution and this should not be underestimated.
These challenges should not deter any organisation from building and implementing an IoT strategy but rather inform them as to how they should proceed, or what type of partnerships they should look to form.
CDL has worked with organisations across most industries to enable them to access:
- Quick view of company assets/ cost/ process
- Improved levels of data led decision making
- More effective resource planning, uplifting profitability
- Reduction in running costs
- Reduced failure rates
- Improved sustainability
Resilience
The environment in which telemetry units are installed will have a huge impact on their performance.
How the devices communicate needs careful consideration, taking into account the geographical location, reliability, and availability of external networks and costs.
Options for higher speed data transfer applications include:
- Ethernet
- WIFI
- Cellular
Each has its own benefits and challenges, and the solution needs to be able to adapt to requirements.
Ethernet is great to keep costs low and transfer large amounts of data, but it is not always available. There are also hidden costs if the network becomes unavailable affecting service delivery, who would manage the support of the network?
Wi-Fi helps keep costs low (like Ethernet) but can be slightly more susceptible to network permissions and access, again, who would manage and support the connectivity element in the solution.
*Please note, for remote applications, ethernet and Wi-Fi are simply not available and cellular is frequently the only option
Cellular is a widely used option as it is available in most locations and provides the most flexibility, however it is really important that the firmware is designed to optimise how the network selection works and the connection type for data transfer and security.
Technology is constantly evolving and changing, and finding a solution that is ‘future proof’ is a major part of its success.
- Can devices be retrofitted to old hardware?
- Is there a range of I/O’s and communication methods available?
- Can you easily land and expand to include future requirements?
- Can firmware be remotely upgraded/supported to enable new features?
- Are installed populations monitored and managed to uphold high levels of service delivery?
- Are their services available to monitor large numbers of remote units?
Scalability
There are two main parts to scaling up a project, the physical element of installs, and the software to optimise how quickly units can be installed and commissioned. Needing specialist skills to install systems at scale is highly unlikely to be viable from a commercial and practical aspect. Technicians need to be effective at installing systems in a timely manner with a minimal amount of training.
At Caption Data we have around a billion data points hitting our servers every day, with new installs consistently adding to that load.
Developing, maintaining, and upgrading infrastructure is a crucial part of any project, and it is important to know that the technology is staying up to date and relevant.
If you need real-time data, you need a system and a platform that can deliver that.
Managing databases and data storage correctly can be the difference between projects being financially viable or failing due to ever-increasing costs. 
Years of experience and hours of man time go into CDL’s platform the CDLSmartHub, we use specialist developers from firmware to infrastructure to ensure projects can deliver customers the data they need to drive themselves forward, creating real positive change within their organizations.
CDL is well versed, not just in deploying solutions at scale from a technical aspect but also in navigating pilot stage projects up to key operational, scaled-up rollouts.
If you want to discuss how IoT can open up new opportunities or resolve those own going challenges, Contact Hanna – IoT Solution Specialist.
