Impact of IoT on Mobile App Development

IoT, also known as the Internet of Things, is just about everywhere in the modern society right now. And that’s a good thing. We can use smart TVs, smart home appliances; we even have smart watches that can all connect to a central hub. But the challenging thing for IoT application development is to interact with to all of these devices in such a manner so they can all understand the commands and react to them. So you have to wonder, what type of impact does IoT have on application development?

Multiple Development Tiers

When it comes to creating IoT solutions, you have to split IoT development into multiple tiers. The reason is simple; you have to make sure that all the information is sent correctly and via the right channels. As a result, IoT development basically requires five development tiers.

These tiers include device, gateway, data, analytics and the application itself. This five-tier approach is pretty easy to understand. The device is basically the unit you want to control; then you have the gateway which is a platform that the app uses to send all commands and information to the unit. Followed by these areas, you also have the app performance analytics, data analysis and the application itself.

While this does make the IoT development process a bit more complicated, it also clears up a lot of things. The entire process is meaningful and easier to do if you have everything split into the necessary tiers.

More focus on niche development

Usually, mobile app development is generalized to ensure that a lot of people get access to the app and use it the way they want. The thing to note here is that IoT development is a lot more focused on value and results. Because of that, it’s more comprehensive and distinct. And it’s delivering great results even if it focuses on a single niche. After all, the idea is to offer customers the solutions they want. Unlike general app development, IoT is a lot more comprehensive, and the focus on a specific niche is quite helpful.

Challenge to develop dedicated apps for specific IoT solutions

One challenge faced by developers in IoT application development is that IoT app creation is a journey to the unknown many times. You don’t know what issues you might face until you encounter them during the development process.

Plus, developers need to build and integrate IoT apps with the independent devices. That sounds great until you realize that you have to follow specific protocols and that’s certainly a major issue to face in such a situation. However, the fact that you can explore some new solution does offer some benefits. You get to have complete control over how and when you develop. And yes, you can undergo trial and error method until you find the right solution but having a sound technical team to build a robust development process is key. Innovation is key to success, and IoT development is a great example in this regard.

Learning new technologies

Implementing IoT ideas requires developers to learn new technologies. Depending on the technology itself, it can range from being simple to very complicated. It’s certainly a huge challenge for you to endure as a developer. On the other hand, every developer needs to constantly learn and adapt to specific requirements as time goes by. That also happens when you are creating IoT solutions. In many ways, you are exploring the darkness, and you have to take all precautions to achieve your desired goal.

A focus on open source development

Unlike other technologies IoT is actually focused a lot on using open source toolkits and ideas. The reason is simple, IoT application development is all about bringing in new technologies and making them accessible. You can’t get that with proprietary code and tools. That’s why IoT development encourages the use of open source tools.

Third party software usage

Yes, IoT application development requires a lot more time because it’s something new and thus very hard to develop. Using third-party software is a necessity for IoT solutions. It speeds up the production time, and solutions can be delivered a whole lot faster.

In the end, IoT application development is a great way for mobile developers to harness the great features offered by the Internet of Things. And while there are some challenges and mishaps to encounter along the way, the results are definitely quite impressive. Of course, IoT development does require a lot of research and more time, but it’s going to offer some great advantages and benefits in the longer term. After all, more and more IoT solutions are developed each year, and this new technology is all set to increase the life comfort for most customers, which is why IoT application development is so important, despite the initial issues developers face when using it!