IoT Application Development: Challenges + Essential Features

If you’ve read our previous blogs on IoT, you now know what IoT exactly is, how it works, IoT market trends, and which industries currently have the biggest demand for IoT applications. All this information is great for inspiring your IoT ideas, but when it’s time to actually start the process of developing an app, how do you go about doing it? What are some of the challenges you might face, and how can you overcome them? How do you ensure that your app is equipped with all the necessary features to make it successful?

In this blog, let’s try to answer these IoT questions.

The Challenges Involved in IoT App Development

Before you begin developing an IoT app, it’s important to learn about the challenges faced by the industry in data collection and how you can get yourself on the path to solving them.

1. Security

   Security can be a huge concern when implementing IoT solutions, especially in an industry that collects sensitive data. For instance, IoT in the medical field collects sensitive patient information, which if not appropriately protected, can lead to major frauds and scams. But why is IoT susceptible to security issues? It’s because IoT involves the collection and movement of large volumes of data across systems and devices. Within this massive IoT ecosystem, it’s easier for hackers to find loopholes and vulnerabilities. Once the hacker finds a vulnerability in just one place, they can gain access to and compromise the whole network. This happens because security rules in the IoT industry are not standardized and IoT manufacturers and developers have to come up with their own security solutions, making it all the more necessary to choose only reputable IT companies in Kuwait for your IoT needs.

2. Data privacy

   Many IoT applications require collection of customers’ personal data from their phones, laptops, mics, etc., However, certain national laws that protect such data can make this a challenge.

3. Data volumes

   Today, there are a large number of interconnected IoT devices within an IoT ecosystem. So, it’s not surprising that IoT mobile devices generate enormous data volumes (projected to reach around 80 zettabytes by 2025). Naturally, the entire process of storing, transmitting, and processing these vast volumes of data gets even more complex and challenging. However, top software companies in Kuwait can help you better manage this data by integrating modern technological advancements with IoT.

4. Technological inconsistency

   After years of evolution, mobile apps today have standards and guidelines in place that allow them to work on different devices and connect to each other. The entire IoT industry on the other hand, is fragmented, each company having its own standards, APIs, connections, and security protocols. What this means is, if a customer wants to create a smart home system and purchases a light bulb from one company and a thermostat from another, they are unlikely to work together. Consumers are inadvertently restricted to using only one manufacturer’s devices. Constantly ensuring that all devices are compatible with the IoT sensors can be time-consuming and challenging.

5. Competency

   IoT application development involves many different technologies, and any IoT solution is comprised of a complex mix of IoT endpoints, platforms, back-end systems, and data. This requires IoT mobile app developers in Kuwait to be well-versed with certain specialist skills and have considerable knowledge about big data and machine learning technologies. They also need to collaborate with the business in order to experiment with new ideas and solutions, and keep up with the industry’s rapidly advancing capabilities.

Essential Features of an IoT Application

The features that IoT apps require can differ based on the industry the app is created for, end goals, and user needs. These are some of the core features an IoT app generally needs.

• User profile - Personalization lies at the essence of smart applications. In order to provide your IoT users a truly customized experience, you will need to collect information like their personal data, notification preferences, and privacy settings. The more you know your audience, the better you will be able to market to them through emails and notifications.
• Dashboards and reporting - A dashboard’s job is to display all collected data. Depending on the type of app, this can range from available parking spots to current room temperature. Since different users have varying dashboard and reporting needs, it’s best to create a customizable dashboard that enables users to view the information they need in the most user-friendly format. You can do this with the help of an IT company well-versed with app development in Kuwait.
• Notifications - Through notifications, users can receive real-time updates and stay up-to-date on all latest changes. This way they can be informed of critical events or when specific threshholds are met. For instance, motion sensors on smart doorbells can notify users when any movement around the door is detected.
• User authentication and security features - Since IoT apps usually store a lot of personal data and sensitive information, it’s important to incorporate security features to safeguard such information. These can come in the form of app locks like FaceIDs and PIN codes, multi-factor authentications, access control features, and the use of secure communication channles to transmit data.
• Remote monitoring and control - Since IoT involves a lot of connected devices, ensure that your IoT platform allows users to remotely access and control devices through the application. This feature is especially useful for enterprise and industrial users like engineers and technicians, who will be able to control machines regardless of their location.
• Customization - This involves shortcuts, routines, and saved devices that give users faster access and the ability to get things done easily. App developers that provide higher customization capabilities will provide a better user experience.
• State-of-the-art technology - Incorporating the latest trends and advancements in technology may not be a core requirement of IoT, but certainly places you ahead of your competitors, makes data collection and storage easier, and improves overall customer experience. These technologies include AI and Machine Learning, Blockchain, Edge Computing, and 5G Network, among others. (To get a more detailed read on them, check out our blog on current IoT market trends).

Choosing the right IoT platform is at the very base of leveraging IoT’s full potention. By employing the best mobile application developers in Kuwait, and by ensuring that your IoT netwok sports these core features, you can not only improve operational efficiency and gain a competitive advantage in your industry, but you can also overcome the many challenges that surround the field of IoT today. We will end this 5-part blog series on IoT with a final blog on the step-by-step of creating an IoT application, so stay tuned! Meanwhile, if you’re all ready to invest in an all-in-one IoT solution that boasts robust features and flexibilities, contact Design Master today.