An overview of the layers of an IoT Platform. (Image courtesy of IoT Global Network.)
As we’ve written before, choosing the right IoT platform for your application can be a challenge. The choice is all the more daunting considering the importance of making the right selection, both to accelerate development time and to save on costs. IoT Navigator offers a simple, independent method for making this choice.
The tool works by assigning different IoT platforms a score in six categories, which Beecham Research calls “macro-indicators”. These macro-indicators are:
- Connected Device Capability
- Analytics Capability
- Application Development Capability
- Security Capability
- Market Capability
- Innovation Capability
IoT Navigator users complete a quick eight-question questionnaire about their IoT needs (e.g., “Where do you want to store and process your data?”) and the tool compares those responses to the macro-indicator scores of different platforms, then presents users with a shortlist of IoT platforms suitable to their requirements. Users can also search for a platform by name to see its scores in each category.
As an independent tool, IoT Navigator seeks to be unbiased in its advice. Rather than trying to push a certain platform, the tool aims only to help users sort through the overwhelming options available. Ultimately, Beecham Research hopes the tool will accelerate the development of IoT solutions.
“The IoT platform has become an important starting point for building IoT solutions, but with so many now on the market it is a highly confusing starting point,” said Beecham Research CEO Robin Duke-Woolley. “In addition, IoT platforms are going through a fast rate of development with frequent updates, acquisitions and re-brandings. They are also becoming increasingly sophisticated as well as more specialised. For those who do not understand the subtleties, this adds greatly to the confusion, which then acts as a brake on market development.”
To access the IoT Navigator tool, click here. To learn more about IoT platforms, read 10 Questions to Ask an IoT Platform Provider.