Scaling IoT the Right Way: Challenges & Solutions

When it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT) and its impact on our homes and businesses, it’s not unreasonable to say that it is one of the most revolutionary phenomena in recent years. 

With so many examples of IoT in real world settings such as manufacturing, healthcare, and education, there’s also no doubt that the number of IoT-connected devices and users will only grow in the coming years. But, to accommodate the flood of these devices into our world, companies cannot only focus on the current market size and need to develop a long-term, scalable platform. 

But, with the growing IoT challenges, not all businesses can handle scalability. That’s why in this article, we’ve decided to look at some of the common IoT scalability challenges and solutions.

Why is IoT System Scalability Important?

Scalability is a crucial factor in almost all tech projects. IoT is the same way. When designing an Internet of Things system, scalability should be a priority if you expect to deal with a large number of connected devices and a substantial data load

Also, the market is always shifting. To avoid wasting money and resources, it's crucial to respond to changing demands right away. Although there are many obstacles to stable development, a future-proof process may help a company save both time and money. A flexible strategy allows enterprises to scale back on output or ramp up data processing at any time.

Let’s get to the challenges now.

Scalability & IoT Challenges

As the Internet of Things sector grows, so does the scale of its projects. In reality, most IIoT and IoT projects begin with the goal of expansion and, eventually, enhanced efficiency. However, not every developer will do what it takes to expand their operations. It's because there are often a few major IoT challenges here, so let's go through them:

Poor Planning

A solid Proof of Concept (POC) and preliminary planning are required to launch an Internet of Things (IoT) project. Since there are many technological and logistical issues unique to IoT initiatives, careful preparation is essential. Unfortunately, these details are often overlooked or forgotten because they seem small. However, they may have significant consequences for the project's future expansion.

Data Processing

The amount of data created is proportional to the number of connected devices in the IoT. It's becoming more difficult to guarantee effective data gathering, storage, and analysis.

Keeping devices' firmware (what is firmware update) up-to-date, particularly with security updates, is a possible issue here. New safety challenges emerge when the product evolves to include new features.

A reliable IoT platform is essential for processing massive amounts of data and making timely changes.

Interoperability

You've surely heard that the market is being flooded with new Internet of Things gadgets. Plus, they all have brand-new and improved hardware and software. Moreover, even the tiniest devices may alter their interactions with IoT communication protocols. This suggests that in the next five years, the procedure for installing or swapping out new devices may look quite different from how it does now. This would need revamping the system's framework, its software, or its protocols. But that's no reason to give up on trying to prepare for the future.

Device management

Network connection, software, and hardware development create unique IoT challenges. Internal implementation is a problem for many businesses. To make it simpler to decode the protocols and interpret the data, IT managers must connect several devices to an appropriate IoT gateway.

Limited Budget

Due to financial issues, some IoT developers may be reluctant to make an up-front investment to prevent potential issues down the road. That may be a valid argument, but a lack of investment in your IoT in their infrastructure can cause serious security and regulatory problems in the future.

So, they need to find a proper strategy that can allow them to scale their IoT system without putting too much pressure on their budget.

Security

More IoT gadgets mean more potential targets for cybercriminals. Your whole IoT ecosystem might be at risk if you scale without taking proper security safeguards.

For example, bots are a significant security risk because they test every possible gap for a way in. Businesses with lots of IoT devices might lose everything in a DDoS attack.

Of course, this is only an issue if a company doesn't have a scalable security strategy that can change and improve to protect the IoT infrastructure against sophisticated attacks in the future.

IoT Network Scalability Solutions

Using the right system scalability solution, you can future-proof your IoT infrastructure without going overboard. Let’s go through them one by one.

Go One Step at a Time

You can save both time and effort by starting small with a reasonable number of devices and gradually adding more as your project grows. 

However, if you decide to take this advice and not change the entire infrastructure from the start, remember that time spent adapting to a new technology might eat into your savings.

But, if you focus on creating a scalable infrastructure, you can add many devices simultaneously with little hassle.

You need to consider the size of your project. If it's on a small scale, you may grow it over time. If you want success in the long run and the opportunity to scale, it's better to think long-term.

Use Cloud Services

Build a solid system for managing your data. As one of the most important IoT trends for data processing, storage, and management you can take advantage of cloud-based services that can scale in response to any changes in data volume. Use cutting-edge analytics software to get useful insights from the data.

It is also possible to use data management and processing technologies that give you many ways to explore and retrieve data.

Get the Deployment Right

Without proper deployment management, you cannot scale your IoT infrastructure and save money in the process.

A well-executed deployment means that you can do simple device setup and instant configuration for uninterrupted data transfer. To do so, you can use a local IoT system as it’s easier to install and doesn’t cost a lot of money to configure. Of course, this requires a level of expertise that you may not have in-house, which means that you should partner with a reliable IoT development company to help you with this stage.

Use a Fitting, Simple Protocol

If you start with the right architecture, you'll have a lot fewer issues later on. In addition, it's crucial to pick a path with a long-term vision. In other words, don't just focus on the current scale of your project, but several years down the road.

For instance, using a one-to-many protocol can be helpful for teams that deal with smaller projects and have access to limited resources. There is a risk, however, that it won't be as efficient in the long run. This is due to its latency, security flaws, and maintenance issues, as well as the complexity of its coding. In the long run, simplicity in design will serve you better. 

Focus on Interoperability

Every IoT setup is a hybrid of several parts and technologies. If you don't want to be stuck with an inflexible system that can't keep up with future developments, interoperability is a must for your scalable IoT project. To avoid segmentation and cut down on integration expenses for your IoT project, it's best to build an interoperable framework from the start.

Go Remote

A manual strategy for installing, administering, and maintaining devices will not work for a rapidly expanding network. Plus, many devices are also installed in restricted areas, meaning that neither technicians nor staff members can physically check these areas. So, it only makes sense to give remote access to the people in charge of your IoT ecosystem.

If you want to get IoT scalability right, you need to consider this remote approach from the very start of the design process because changing course down the line will only cost you more money.

FAQ

What does scalability mean in IoT?

Scalability in IoT is the capacity to easily transition from prototype to product. It is the key element in preparing your current platform for future consumer demands, technological advancements, and market developments.

How important is scalability in IoT?

The term "scalability" describes a system's capacity to successfully deal with a growing number of tasks. In the context of software engineering, this implies that the system should be able to process more data and more users without slowing down or becoming less reliable.

What are some vital factors in IoT scalability?

In the Internet of Things, scalability isn't limited to expanding your infrastructure. Security, coverage, interoperability, budget, and a sufficient supply of devices are all crucial to the scalability of the Internet of Things.

How does expertise fit in here?

If you want to easily scale your IoT infrastructure, you need to plan your budget carefully, find the right platform, create interoperability, and navigate regulatory challenges. None of these can happen without a third-party expert team by your side.