Getting started with IoT can actually be a significant undertaking, and the path can be fraught with confusion and misinformation. Not only do organizations have to choose a vendor (or vendors), but they also need to wade through the alphabet soup of protocols, IoT platforms, applications and devices promising to optimize processes, improve time to market and enhance the customer experience. It’s no wonder that 60 percent of IoT implementations never get past the Proof of Concept (POC) stage, according to Cisco.

One of the biggest points of confusion we see is over the word “platform,” and that has indeed become quite the industry buzzword. Some of the biggest household names, including Microsoft, Google, Amazon and IBM, have introduced IoT platforms to capitalize on the growing market opportunity that IoT presents. Each platform offers its own twist on how to go about implementing IoT.

There’s a big problem with platforms, however: they’re not complete solutions. A company looking to get started quickly to take advantage of IoT benefits will soon discover that a platform may be the wrong initial focus. Platforms are flat, empty surfaces that need to be built on significantly with components and software to reap the true rewards of the IoT. Most platforms deliver a single layer, typically consisting of the data collection and analysis layer. Others focus on device integration or security, but they all have one thing in common: they do not provide a complete solution.

WHAT DOES A COMPREHENSIVE IOT SOLUTION MEAN?

Rather than focusing on a platform, IoT implementers should identify a solution that suits their needs and objectives. A comprehensive IoT solution has many characteristics beneficial to organizations looking to move quickly with their IoT deployments. Comprehensive solutions:

• Are ready to roll out of the box
• Are built by a single-vendor, eliminating the need to mix and match components from multiple vendors
• Include sensors, gateways, analytics software and connectivity—all the layers organizations need to successfully implement their IoT strategy
• Include a full industry-specific user interface
• Are purpose built, allowing businesses to accelerate IoT deployments to create true business outcomes

Comprehensive IoT solutions take the guess work out of implementation, improving success rates, accelerating deployment and saving money. But really, that’s just the beginning. Because IoT solutions are up and running more quickly, organizations will gain the benefits of the data these solutions collect and put it to use more quickly and effectively, driving real business value. When a company doesn’t have to mix and match components to build upon a single-layer platform, it can better hone its focus on strategy and outcomes. And that, after all, is why they sought out an IoT solution in the first place.

Our focus at Longview is all about delivering that comprehensive IoT solution that will help organizations move quickly to realizing the benefits of IoT. Our solution delivers all the pieces of a complete enterprise-grade IoT environment – sensors and asset trackers; a meshed-network gateway that reduces connectivity costs; a cloud-based analytics application for predictive maintenance; built-in security; real-time visibility and control via smartphone, tablet or desktop; and anytime/ anywhere access. And we’ve built it all based on the LoRaWAN standard, future-proofing investment.

It’s time to move the conversation beyond platforms and toward comprehensive, single-vendor, standards-based IoT solutions. It might never be as easy as flipping a switch but it’s getting closer to that every day.