What is an Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) platform?
What is an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform? An IIoT platform consists of IoT devices, network solutions, software for processing devices, and software for managing devices.
What functions does an industrial IoT platform have?
It has the following functions:
Device integration function
This includes configuring and managing all devices on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), such as sensors, actuators, and tags. The industrial cloud platform should be able to automatically ingest IoT data and make it available to other elements on the network.
Data integration function
The value of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) lies in data, which must be captured, integrated, and managed. Industrial cloud platforms connect new IoT data with existing application software data and data from other sources to explore their correlations.
Process integration function
As part of the digital ecosystem, the needs of the Industrial Internet are not independent of business operations; Industrial Internet solutions must be embedded into enterprise business processes and workflows. Therefore, Industrial Internet platforms integrate IoT logic into other backend systems and deploy IoT data into workflow management, achieving the integration of IoT solutions, business processes, and workflows.
Ecosystem services
The industrial cloud platform is responsible for the secure establishment, initiation, and management of trusted interactions between people, devices, data, and equipment within the digital ecosystem.
The value of industrial IoT platforms
Currently, industrial IoT platforms are the most successful examples of industrial IoT implementation. Without industrial IoT platforms, no large-scale IoT deployment can realize its full value. A good IoT platform can bring more economic benefits to enterprises.
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can bring the following value:
1. Reduce costs
Managing and maintaining industrial IoT devices and networks is costly, time-consuming, and complex. Using an industrial IoT platform can effectively manage and organize the data of industrial IoT devices, allowing enterprises to easily manage devices on a single platform and enabling predictive maintenance to reduce subsequent maintenance costs.
2. Improve industrial operations
Industrial IoT solutions can provide real-time information on equipment performance and personnel to help streamline and improve business processes and workflows. By capturing IoT data and integrating it with data from other internal and external sources, industrial IoT platforms can facilitate operational improvements in areas such as predictive maintenance and trace-based supply chain visibility.
3. Improve generation efficiency
Utilizing professional energy management data can help companies conduct better research and development and production, thereby promoting innovation and improving production efficiency.
4. Clarification of IoT Data
Businesses can leverage the insights gained from data acquired through the Internet of Things (IoT) to develop new products and services. IoT platforms can capture and analyze data at every stage of product production and use, helping businesses create new data-driven services and develop entirely new data-driven products.
5. Improve IoT security
It is well known that the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) lacks enterprise-level security. IIoT sensors and other devices, aside from performing specific notification tasks, have virtually no computing power and cannot provide multiple layers of security. An IIoT platform can provide all identity management functions, such as secure authentication and authorization, ensuring that IoT endpoints are not vulnerable to network attacks.
By now, you should have a good understanding of what an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform is and what functions it possesses. An IIoT platform is the foundation of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Effective management of these devices requires a unified platform. A platform on its own is not substantial; it needs to be integrated with other components to be considered an IIoT platform. Therefore, the best IIoT platform is one where the devices and the enterprise's software are perfectly integrated, enabling secure and efficient data flow between connected people, systems, and things.
