The Internet of Things (IoT) is evolving and expanding, adding more and more devices to the connected web. In the past, IoT management solutions could be small. They only had to help you connect a few devices to the internet and to each other. Now, businesses could have hundreds—or even thousands—of devices with complex levels of connectivity and interdependability. 

To grow alongside connectivity needs, IoT connectivity management platforms are becoming increasingly industry standard. Organizations can rely on these platforms to help them manage their devices, connectivity and overall IoT approach. Read on to learn more about these IoT connectivity management platforms, what to look for when selecting one and how Simon IoT can help your organization manage connectivity. 

What Is IoT Connectivity Management? 

IoT connectivity management is being able to monitor, update and adjust connectivity for IoT devices. A connectivity management platform is a solution that offers you the ability to monitor and control your IoT devices all in one user interface. Ideally, these solutions would also allow you to access more of your IoT solutions all in one place, so you can reduce the number of solutions you need to keep an IoT network connected. 

IoT connectivity management software also provides companies with the ability to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to IoT connectivity. A management solution will allow you to plan ahead and have more overall control over devices, which in turn helps you know where a connection may fall short and how you can avoid it in advance. Real-time monitoring and problem detection can help your organization take control of connectivity and your IoT devices. 

The Benefits of an IoT Connectivity Management Platform

IoT connectivity solutions provide companies with a simple way to manage their devices, activate and deactivate SIM cards, watch for challenges and prepare for any upcoming issues. Why is an IoT connectivity management platform important? These are some of the other key benefits of using a management platform for your IoT needs: 

What to Look for in an IoT Connectivity Management Platform

There are many companies that offer some variety of IoT connection management. Not every platform is created equal, and some will be missing features your organization will need to make the most of a connectivity management solution. There are key features to look for when selecting a connectivity management platform for your business and IoT needs. Read on to learn more about a few of the key features of a good connectivity solution. 

Customer-facing interface

A good connectivity management platform is designed to help you, as the customer, manage your IoT network and devices. Some platforms require more support from the solution provider and less self-management and control. A strong solution, though, will feature a customer-facing interface that allows you direct control over your devices and monitoring connectivity. 

A customer-facing interface allows your team to directly activate devices. Instead of waiting for an employee on the other end to activate, you can do so on the platform and have immediate access to new devices and SIM cards. In addition, real-time monitoring is more beneficial to your organization when you are able to monitor on your end and to do so easily with a simple interface. A good solution platform will provide this simple interface that your team can use to monitor and manage. 

Ability to integrate

Few companies have no IoT solutions in place or no other practices of programs already at work in their organization. A good connectivity management solution will be one that can integrate into an organization nearly seamlessly into existing software, practices and programs. For example, if a company has an IoT protocol already put into place, a strong management system would be one that will smoothly integrate into that without upending the entire protocol or system. 

Platforms that can integrate are typically ones that are specifically designed to do so. Many IoT companies—like Simon IoT—design their solutions particularly to be able to integrate and provide many levels of flexibility to make it so our programs fit into other organizations. When you are determining if a platform is able to integrate, you will want to examine the flexibility options available and the customization options listed. A strong platform will include many options that can help you integrate the solution into your organization. 

Support on multiple carriers

For most companies, not every device you use will use the same carrier. Different devices will have different needs, and often different carriers can meet different needs for your network. But you could encounter a problem if your management solution only supports one carrier. You wouldn’t be able to manage all of your devices in one place or in a simple way. 

A good solution will support multiple carriers and provide easy access to managing all of your devices, wherever they are. This platform should allow you to access, activitate and monitor your devices—whichever carrier is involved. Supporting multiple carriers can also increase integration, as it will be simpler to integrate a management solution that works with what your company is already using. Having to adjust your carriers makes integration more difficult and is less desirable than a solution that is designed to integrate and support. 

Scalability

Scalability, in an IoT context, is the ability to go from a small amount of coverage to a large amount as seamlessly as possible. Your company’s IoT coverage may need to expand or reduce, depending on need, and a strong solution will be able to grow or shrink along with you. To scale up or down, you need to adjust infrastructure, cloud and connectivity. A connectivity management solution that can’t adjust with you could hold your organization back from making necessary changes and adjustments. 

Instead, a scalable solution will be able to work with your network and data with growth or reductions. A scalable management program will allow your company to use the data connectivity it needs without limiting itself or requiring additional products. Then, as your connectivity needs grow, your company will be more easily able to expand, add devices and manage those devices. On any level of connectivity needs, scalability is crucial to ensuring that your IoT solution can work with you. 

Security

For any solution that involves connectivity, security is of utmost importance. An IoT network connects anywhere from a few devices to thousands of devices, which adds increasing need for security. One major facet of security that matters for a connectivity management solution is in device approval. A solid management solution will ensure that you are able to monitor which devices are able to connect to a network, so you are able to only allow approved devices to connect. 

A strong solution will be one that has measures in place to help manage device authentication. Some solutions will offer specific device enrollment requirements that you can manage from the interface. Some will require credentials for authentication that can help ensure only approved devices are able to access the IoT network. While security can never be perfect, choosing an IoT connectivity solution that focuses on security can provide crucial aspects of protecting a network. 

How Simon IoT Does IoT Connectivity Management Better

When it comes to IoT connectivity, Simon IoT is a leading expert. Our connectivity management solutions are designed to help companies manage their devices, on both small and large scales, in ways that meet their unique needs with IoT. As a connectivity management solution, we offer these key aspects that will help your organization manage connectivity and as many IoT devices as needed: 

For the connection and management of IoT devices, Simon IoT is ready to provide the solution your company needs and the support you need along the way.

Get started with Simon IoT today.