Why is IoT Impossible Without an Open Ecosystem?

IoT, i.e. Internet of Things has submerged itself in almost every sector, either its agriculture or smart home. IoT is the new need of the market and is looking for maximum growth. IoT has all the power to turn an idea into a reality, but it is dependent on the ecosystem.

Have you ever thought why IoT needs an open system? Assume, the internet had been a closed ecosystem controlled by a small set of organizations. It would have been a very different experience from the present. Today, we are entirely dependent on the internet, and if would have a closed ecosystem, then it would have a pay-per-use model along with a lack of tools and services. The open internet provides a space for growth, change and an opportunity for the innovation of new technologies.

Here is why IoT is impossible without an open ecosystem?

Gartner expects a boom in Iot growth by 2021. It states that 25 billion connected things will be part of global use through smart homes, factories, smart cities, vehicles etc. As IoT devices are making their way online, edge computing becomes a vital part to consider. Edge computing allows data processing and analysis in real-time for business-centred uses such as safety, security, industrial automation and many other purposes.

The need for infrastructure for IoT and edge is the same as for the internet; both need an open and consistent foundation for potential growth and services. However, the challenges in the development of IoT are different and requires attention to get immediate solutions before it becomes a significant problem for industries.

Where we are today with IoT?

Before we know about IoT, let’s have a quick look at the journey of the internet. In the 1990s, America allowed access to the internet to the masses through the use of CD. With the time-lapse, users became smart and realized they could connect to the internet using ISPs and enjoy more powerful and advanced search capabilities like Google. Again with the introduction of advancement, people started using the internet through their medium of choice, and this led to the acceleration in innovation and gave birth to the internet and ecosystem we are enjoying today.

To describe the present stage, we are on “AOL stage” of IoT, which means a phase of getting the device connected at scale and working through the balance of open approaches vs. proprietary. Internet of Things is complex and diverse in nature, which means it is made up of different technologies and domain-specific use cases.

Till now, the market has created an exclusive IoT platform to connect people and operations, each having different methods for data collection, management and security. Well, we can say that it is similar to a situation of having multiples “AOLs” that are continually striving to connect devices to the internet, ultimately causing avoidable complications.

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Today, companies switching to IoT journey are dependent and bound to their vendors and will have to provide extra costs or integration issues whenever they wish to scale deployments and take on new cases. Hence, we can conclude that IoT’s diversity has become an obstacle to its progress.

However, the only way to end all these unnecessary chaos and hassle, we must develop an open ecosystem for IoT and edge computing to scale the commercialization of offerings and services while focusing on ROI.

Closed ecosystem Vs Open ecosystem:

Any idea about how an open ecosystem looks like? Well, while creating an ecosystem, there are many approaches, from closed to open philosophies.

Generally, a closed ecosystem is part of strictly governed relationships, proprietary designs and sometimes exclusive APIs. Close guarding and control over closed ecosystem are often referred to as “walled gardens”; it provides marvellous customer experience but with the high cost and fewer choices. Open approaches provide a plethora of APIs and tools option which can be openly programmed. Open standard, like Android’s operating system, provides developers with an opportunity for more innovation and bolters a network effect.

Let’s compare the differences between open and closed ecosystem by taking Apple’s iOS and Android.

Apple’s iOS provides the most organized experience, whereas Android device makers have less control over the overall experience through hardware/software integration and thus need to search for other differentiators.

However, openness provides choice and scale and thus, Android holds over 70 per cent of global mobile OS market share. Companies like Samsung create market share by developing innovation and investing in a broader ecosystem.

IoT will bloom in an open ecosystem:

The progress and growth of IoT are not possible through hundreds of siloed and closed ecosystems governed by vendors. The future of IoT is dependent on us, and it could be improved by the development of an open ecosystem.

Development of commercial offering which has an open foundation provides more scalability, choice, transparency and flexibility. Thus open-source collaboration is an excellent starting for an open foundation.

IoT is more like a demand of time, and if you are not aware of its potential, then you need to check yourself and business too. Add IoT in your business and give us a chance to show you the most amazing looks of an IoT through our services.