6 Steps to Kick-Start IoT App Development

What is IoT?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical devices that are connected over the internet to share and collect data. These devices have embedded sensors to record, monitor, and adjust each interaction between connected things. IoT provides seamless communication to people around the globe with its advanced cloud, big data, analytics, and mobile technologies. It’s low-cost computing that is rapidly evolving into the digital world. Adding a sensor to the physical devices adds a level of digital intelligence, allowing sharing of real-time data without involving a human being. Experts predict that there will be more than 22 billion connected IoT devices by 2025. 

Many sectors including manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and transportation have already been acquiring the benefits of IoT by using sensors to obtain data. Intelligence, connectivity, sensing, expressing, energy, and safety are the six features of IoT that have brought a drastic change in the digital world. More manufacturers are now able to implement IoT technology, thanks to the availability of low-cost, reliable sensors. Moreover, people can now control their home appliances with the help of smart, feasible, and viable IoT devices.

6 steps to kick-start IoT app development

Planning and implementing an IoT app requires proper research, planning, and design to make it reach the height of success. It also helps in achieving the targeted goals set to build a smart IoT app using the right methodologies and techniques. As now we’re well-familiar with what IoT is, let’s now explore the six steps to kick-start IoT app development.

1. IoT project discussion and planning

Project discussion and planning with the project manager and team members play a vital role in identifying the project goals and objectives. The project manager discusses the timeline and budget to keep the project on track. The needs and requirements of the project are discussed to create an IoT app as per the need and requirements of the user. 

If the project plan is not carried out successfully, and there is no communication then there are more chances of project failure. According to an International Data Corporation (IDC) study, there will be more than 41.6 billion IoT devices generating 79.4 ZettaBytes (ZB) data by 2025. As technology advances, the study predicts that more projects are estimated to fail than succeed because of power or no team communication before the start of the project. So, planning out the project is of significant importance. 

2. IoT App development platform for development

There are a lot of challenges involved in the development of a customized IoT application like data security and privacy, data collection and processing, and cross-platform compatibility. However, developers can overcome the above challenges by selecting the appropriate IoT platform that supports physical devices without any hassle. The below listed are some of the most common IoT platforms that are available in the IoT market.

• Kaa IoT cloud platform 
• Macchina.io IoT 
• Zetta- server-oriented platform
• Oracle IoT
• Cisco IoT Cloud Connect
• Azure IoT Suite
• DeviceHive IoT platform
• ThingSpeak open-source IoT platform
• OpenHAB IoT framework

These IoT solutions offer a uniform platform for accessing data across devices without inconsistency or other problems. The most important strategy in IoT app development is to select the correct IoT platform.

3. IoT App prototyping and designing phase 

Creating a prototype is an essential part of designing as the sample or model is built to test a concept or process.  Primarily, IoT product prototype comprises:

• The User Interface and frontend framework
• Backend Software and the Logic of Connectivity
• Proposed Hardware to be used for the IoT product
• Network infrastructure and Cloud interface Connectivity

When participating in the design process, developers should focus on the speed and performance of the application. Lacking speed and performance can create a bad impact on your application. The data collection occurs in near real-time in many IoT apps, so lagging even several seconds could be too long for some use cases. In the prototyping phase, we get to know that whether the proposed IoT product satisfies the requirements of business and IoT project implementation.

4. IoT App Coding and development 

Coding and development is the fourth step in IoT app development that requires clean and well-written code. The react framework is used to develop an app for both iOS and Android platforms. The development phase also requires testing the code by connecting the physical device with the hardware. Collecting data and sending it across the internet for checking and testing is vital. The testers and developers should collaborate to test the written code. Once the code runs accurately and properly, then the developer can move towards finalizing the coding phase. 

According to Machina Research, IoT development has historically been done with cost-cutting in mind. However, today’s IoT product and application development are focused on boosting revenue while increasing competitive differences and ensuring the business’s long-term viability.

5. IoT App development testing

The testing is the most critical phase of the IoT development as it requires going through the different stages of testing. Testing improves the usability, functionality, security, connectivity, performance, and compatibility of the IoT application. The application is tested by deploying in a different system to check the compatibility. Before the release, the application is tested by different types of users to check usability as it’s important because a good user experience will lead to the success of the app. The following are different types of testing that are involved in this phase:

• Usability Testing
• Reliability Testing
• Data Integrity Testing
• Security Testing
• Performance Testing

To verify the effectiveness of the device, the IoT hardware must also be tested in regards to functional parameters, compatibility of the services, security, networks, processors, operating systems, platforms, and device standards.

6. IoT App delivery 

Yes! Now comes the last and final stage of the IoT app development in which the application is ready to launch on different platforms. It’s the vigorous stage that helps the end product to reach the market. Users will interact with your application by utilizing it according to their needs and requirements. Boost the performance and enhance the user experience by adding new features to your existing application. 

Conclusion

Moving towards the end of this article, the readers must now have a clear perceptive on how to kick-start their IoT app development. To become more competitive, strong, and successful in IoT app development, it’s important to follow these six necessary steps. These are not only the steps but the key to building an exceptional application in accordance with the business goals. Utilizing the correct tool, framework, and methodology will ultimately help you in making a top-notch IoT application.