Today, we talk about how the 5 tips for connecting IoT products quickly and successfully.
For IoT device manufacturers, cellular IoT is one of the most reliable and easily accessible ways to achieve internet connectivity. By 2026, the total number of cellular IoT devices in the world will reach 5.7 billion, according to ABI Research data. The adoption of cellular IoT is growing due to its ease of deployment and expansion.
Here are five tips for connecting IoT products quickly and successfully to help you avoid common pitfalls in choosing the right cellular technology for your IoT product.
Tips for Connecting IoT Products 1. Choose the Right Technology for Your Product Lifecycle Stage
When providing recommendations to customers when evaluating connectivity options, my first consideration is to determine your position in the product lifecycle. Are you improving your existing product or bringing a new product to market?
If you are improving an existing product, there may be a specific reason to revisit your connectivity options. For example, you may be looking for the best cellular technology that can be easily scaled and scaled globally.
Alternatively, you may be enhancing product capabilities and need new technology features such as the potential battery savings provided by LTE-M and NB-IoT networks.
You may be concerned primarily about time-to-market, especially if you are building a new product in a new category.
For example, if the micro mobile market breaks out, the first consideration is to get the scooter on the street as soon as possible to gain market share. This is a deployment competition. In this case, the ability to quickly prototype and test SIMs become even more important.
5 Tips for Connecting IoT Products 2. Focus Development Resources on Unique Product Value
Every day we spend building a cellular connectivity infrastructure is a day when we don’t build real product differentiation, or a day when we’re behind the market. This could mean that your competitors are beating you.
At startups, frankly, even companies usually lack engineering resources and building everything in-house is not the best strategy. Cellular technology can be complex, and many connectivity solutions require the engineering team to become a telecommunications expert, freeing you from the task of creating more value.
A reliable connection is a bet, but that doesn’t mean you have to invest a myriad of resources in it. It is not uncommon for a company to spend more than three months fully integrated into an operator. You can improve your product in the last 3 months.
Tips for Connecting IoT Products 3. Choosing the Best Cellular Connection
Every IoT project includes more than you need to connect to the Internet. For connected devices, the network technology outlook remains complex and fragmented, and there is no universal option to solve all IoT use cases.
There are so many existing and new wireless technologies such as LTE-M, NB-IoT, 4G, and 5G, which one is suitable for your current IoT plan? There are many (almost overwhelming) considerations:
How much data do I need to transfer each month? If you want to send a large amount of data, follow LTE and remove NB-IoT from the list.
Do you need to run your application on battery for a long time? Cat-M and NB-IoT are two low-power options and are members of the 4G series following 5G.
Need a fast connection? Under normal circumstances, speeds can exceed 100 Mbps, so LTE plays a role here. However, if it is very expensive, consider learning 5G.
How much does it cost you or your customers if the connection fails? Do you lose income every time this happens? LTE is the most popular now and in the coming years, so you can always connect reliably.
A common trap for product leaders and builders is to fall into endless connectivity ratings. When your competitors launch the simplest option and enter the market (and adjust to a better option in the next version), don’t spend six months evaluating Cat-M and Cat-1.
Tips for Connecting IoT Products 4. Don't Chase Cutting-edge Technology
The latest is not always the best. Telecommunications technologies usually have a long maturity period and wide coverage. For example, according to a recent IDC survey, only 9% of respondents use 5G in their cellular projects.
Most respondents (79%) are currently using 4G to deploy cellular IoT. Technology must always be integrated into product needs, such as speed to market, flexibility, and specific performance criteria. Not the other way around.
If you have a new product, it may make sense to choose the most flexible technology. This allows you to quickly test your business model. By ensuring that your connection is simple and effective, you can get customer feedback about your unique value proposition, rather than choosing the right connection partner or technology.
For example, LTE-M is a great technology that can offer benefits such as extended battery life and reduced BOM costs, but it has not yet been widely deployed globally. Unless your product requires certain benefits early on, it may make more sense to choose LTE Cat1.
Tips for Connecting IoT Products 5. Consider Software-First Cellular Technology Stack
One of the best ways to navigate the fragmented landscape of IoT connections is to consider a software-first cellular solution with a pure software technology stack (from the mobile network core to the SIM card).
Why is software first? It allows you to test faster and reduce time to market. It may provide a set of APIs and developer tools for integrating fleet management into existing business workflows and back-end processes. Connect your device to the internet and manage it more easily than before.
Software-first solutions also tend to be scalable and future-oriented, allowing organizations to focus on delivering innovative IoT experiences to their customers, even when their needs are constantly changing.
For example, software-first mobile cores can be quickly deployed anywhere in the world, potentially significantly reducing latency and complying with local data regulations.
Finally, I would like to find a resource that can advise you on connection selection at all stages of the product life cycle (from launch to expansion). Align your connection choices with your product and time-to-market strategy.
Take the time to build your own value for your customers and find someone you can trust to help you complete your connectivity strategy. The more you do, the more likely you are to succeed.
Your business is not the underlying communication technology, but the unique value proposition to your customers. Let’s make it the driving force behind the choice of connection.