As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to churn out new applications for enterprise, organizations often want to take advantage. But it’s not easy for DevOps teams to apply these developments into the business infrastructure, especially when you consider the huge integrations required.
IoT is estimated to create $19 trillion of value for companies in 2015, so it’s no wonder many organizations are quick to adopt IoT technology. It’s easy enough for management to demand this new technology, but it’s DevOps teams who have to do the hard work of integrating this technology into the organizational infrastructure.
So here’s 3 ways to overcome some common problems of IoT for DevOps teams.
1) Increase compatibility of IoT Devices
Management and DevOps don’t always see eye to eye, especially when management set goals that are pretty difficult for DevOps to achieve. This might include requests for particular types of information that customers want to see.
To attain this data, a lot of Internet of Things projects require the installation of controllers in manufacturing processes. The problem is that these controllers are physical hardware, and in IoT, hardware is pretty tough to upgrade.
It often starts with management hearing of a competitor employing a new controller device and so management just have to have one. It then comes down to DevOps to integrate this new device into the current system. But as you may have experienced, these devices don’t tend to be compatible with the current systems you use.
One way to get around this is to set up an R&D team that includes DevOps to work together in sourcing the right IoT technology that satisfies management and the overall IT function. This at least gives you the opportunity to seek out controllers with features that are compatible with your current systems.
2) Customizing IoT Devices
Another problem when it comes to Internet of Things devices, is the potential to customize these devices to provide specific data reports to customers. Although this may adhere to customer demands, customizing IoT devices is a time consuming and costly process.
So here’s the solution; customize as little as you possibly can. Keep the controller as standardized as possible, and when it comes to retrieving the data/reports collected from the controller, this information can be customized at the end of the process. The standardization of controllers also helps to side-step compatibility issues.
3) Optimize security for IoT Projects
The fact that IoT devices are connected through the internet poses the common technology problem of threats to security and privacy. But there are some solutions to consider.
The first step to overcoming security threats is to think about the types of information that IoT devices will be working with. Is it sensitive data such as customers’ personal information? If so, you may want to reconsider whether this data should really be handled by IoT devices.
If your IoT devices really do need to be working with sensitive data, then a more practical solution is to organically build security into your IoT devices and software, whilst consistently applying security updates. Building an encryption into the IoT application wouldn’t go amiss either, as it affords yet another layer of protection.
So as much as IoT presents DevOps with a few challenges, there are a number of solutions out there.
- Working with R&D to get the right IoT technology enables you to eliminate, or at least reduce the chances of compatibility issues with your current system.
- Keeping customization of IoT devices to a minimum help to keep costs down, but also avoids compatibility issues.
- Building security into IoT devices and combining this with encryption can also reduce the risk of security threats when it comes to handling sensitive data.
