The IoT smart device market size is expected to grow from USD 118.37 Billion to USD 336.64 Billion at a CAGR of 23.25% during the forecast period of 2023-28. _ Mordor Intelligence
The IoT smart device segment is growing rapidly and continues to grow at a CAGR of approximately 24% in the next 3-5 years. With millions of IoT-enabled devices being used at homes and businesses, one major issue users face is connectivity. Integrating the data across various devices and systems becomes a complex task and hampers the functioning of smart devices.
According to the report of Statista, major industry verticals like electricity, gas, AC, and steam currently have more than 100 million connected smart devices. This number is expected to reach 8 Billion by 2030. Whether it’s a business or end-consumer, a connectivity issue is a major loophole that not only interrupts the functionality of IoT-enabled smart devices but also degrades the customer experience.
Any IoT device can’t exist without reliable connectivity and secure data flow. Biggest brands like Amazon, Samsung, and Xiaomi bring revolutionary IoT-based smart devices like Amazon Echo; Smart Things have gained huge popularity and make people’s lives easier than ever. Users can put the various home-based activities on automation with a single touch.
All these smart devices use IoT technologies representing a network of interconnected devices that communicate with each other and perform desired tasks. Since the functioning of smart devices depends on communication, a small issue in connectivity can affect the performance of every single device connected to an IoT network.
As per the data shared by the Market Allianced Research, the major connectivity technologies that continue to be used in IoT-based smart devices are Zigbee, cellular, NFC, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. Even major smartphone manufacturing companies leverage IoT technologies to embed connectivity support with devices like smart home. With the increase in demand for such devices, the concerns regarding connectivity issues due to weak networks or wrong configurations continue to raise concerns for companies and consumers.
Connectivity Standards
The connectivity standard has evolved over the last few years. Technological advancement allows users to select the standards per their characteristics and other metrics. Most IoT smart devices use the TCP/IP protocols for connectivity to assist the various applications. The widely used connectivity standards for smart devices are Wifi-Direct, Ethernet, LTE advanced, Z Wave, Optical tags, quick responsive codes and more.
Improving Bandwidth
Insufficient bandwidth may cause connectivity errors, which is one of the major issues associated with smart devices. The smart devices generate an unparalleled quantity of data, which might strain the network infrastructure if it has insufficient bandwidth. Solving this connectivity issue requires upgrading the bandwidth that can seamlessly integrate multiple devices across a single node of the IoT network.
Data Signalling and Communication
IoT signals and data stream messages are vulnerable to loss with a single signal fluctuation. Since smart IoT devices coordinate with the data signals and transfer the data sets for seamless communication, users might face data jumps anytime, disrupting the application functionality.
In such cases, reliable bidirectional signalling can streamline the collection and routing of the data. Despite the older mobile signalling methods like USSD are not adequate enough to prevent the connectivity issue caused by the data signalling. There is a need to adopt numerous IP-based protocols, including MQTT, CoAP, etc.
Monitoring of IoT Devices
Device connectivity identification is vital to detect the various connectivity issues. It may be difficult for a user to have a solid connectivity issue detection plan. IoT device monitoring is how to precisely address the issues with smart devices when connecting or disconnecting.
Some advanced monitoring systems that can resolve connectivity issues are cloud-based analytics platforms known for rapid detection and solving network issues in smart devices. It is also essential to leverage the AI-based network detection software and devices to monitor the IoT devices continuously.
Ensures Interoperability
The major issue associated with an IoT device is regarding interoperability, which directly affects the usability and experience of the consumer. There might be various issues associated with interoperability at the time of configuration. The prominent vendors who created the smart devices use specific IoT technologies to add sensors and advanced controls. It is crucial to have a knack for control and knowledge of interoperability standards to solve the connectivity issues that occur during the functioning of smart devices.
Reinforce the Connectivity Testing
A QA connectivity test can resolve the connectivity issues associated with smart IoT-enabled devices. Apart from ensuring the data signalling and other tactics, regular maintenance of network infrastructure can overcome the connectivity hurdles. With the evolution of AI, AR, blockchain, and other advanced technologies, detecting the issues associated with networking, data fetching, and transferring becomes easier.
For the end users of the smart devices, deploying automated connectivity testing can resolve the issues. As the demand and use of IoT devices will continue to increase, the right ways to tackle connectivity errors can save time and effort.