A Few Fundamental Methods of Software Development for The IoT

Nowadays, it is difficult to find a person who has not heard anything about the Internet of Things (IoT). The idea of ​​implementing it into life is actively developing, as it is able to significantly influence the development of modern society. The main feature of the Internet of Things is the ability to manage many processes without human intervention.

The world media is talking about the upcoming technological revolution that will affect everyone and change our lives to the same extent as the advent of television, personal computers, or the Internet. However, IoT software development solutions from jatapp are already actively used today in various fields of human activity, including business medicine, education, linguistics, ecology, agronomy, marketing, legal relations, security, manufacturing, insurance, lending, transport, tourism, and entertainment.

Learn about the fundamentals and features of IoT software development in this article.

 

What Is the Internet of Things and What Are Its Main Characteristics?

According to the most common formulation, the Internet of Things is the concept of a computing network of physical objects equipped with built-in technologies to interact with each other or with the external environment, leveraging both backend and frontend tech. It considers the organization of such networks as a phenomenon capable of restructuring economic and social processes, which excludes the need for human participation from part of the actions and operations.

 

The fundamental characteristics of the Internet of Things are:

• Interconnectivity;
• Device-centric services;
• Heterogeneity;
• Dynamicity;
• Scalability.

 

IoT Software Development and the Benefits It Provides to Business

IoT software development is the systematic creation of IoT infrastructure using various hardware and software solutions. IoT software development involves working with collected data and its further processing. This provides a framework for developing software for IoT with a visual presentation and an intuitive user interface. The key knowledge, skills, and abilities of an IoT application developer are:

• Analysis and structuring of customer needs, development of technical requirements for the solution, taking into account existing business requirements;
• Understanding the methodologies of functional, information, and process modeling in various notations (BPMN, UML);
• Knowledge of IoT protocols, industrial equipment communication protocols;
• Understanding the processes and technologies for ensuring the security of data transmission;
• Understanding the principles of building highly loaded systems and their scaling;
• Deep understanding of the technology stack, including operating systems, databases, middleware, application building principles, data virtualization, cloud, and network technologies;
• Understanding the principles of building client-server applications;
• Understanding of the principles of object-oriented programming and basic knowledge of programming languages ​​(Java, C, etc.);
• Practical skills in working with XML and SQL;
• Ability to work with data and understand the principles of machine learning;
• Ability to reasoned, logical, and persuasive oral and written presentation.

Key Practices Used by the IoT Software Development Company

In the process of IoT software development, 4 basic stages/practices can be distinguished:

1. Specification – determination of basic requirements;
2. Development – the creation of software in accordance with specifications;
3. Testing – checking the software for compliance with the client’s requirements;
4. Support/Modernization – software development in accordance with changes in customer needs.

 

Advantages of Getting High-Quality IoT Software Development Services

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, IoT development is used in many business segments today, including industrial, logistics, retail, energy, finance and banking, healthcare, etc. The Internet of Things helps businesses reach a new level. By introducing technologies with artificial intelligence, the company optimizes operations, minimizes errors, and provides quality services to customers. Here is a list of the main benefits of getting IoT development services from experts:

• Productivity improvement;
• Effective management of operations;
• Reduction of temporary costs and reduction of income;
• Improving customer service and retention.

 

Basic Methods of Software Development for The IoT

There are several methodologies that are used in the development of software for the Internet of things. The main ones are the Waterfall model, Agile model, and Hybrid model. Each is briefly described below.

 

Waterfall Model

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It is a model of the IoT software development process, in which the development process looks like a flow that successively passes through the phases of requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing, integration, and support. The waterfall approach has proven itself well in the construction of software, for which all requirements can be quite accurate and completely formulated at the very beginning of development. This gives developers the freedom to implement the project in the best possible way from a technical point of view.

The advantages of using this approach include the following:

1. Gives a plan and timetable for all stages of the project, organizes the course of construction;
2. At each stage, a complete set of project documentation is formed that meets the criteria of completeness and consistency;
3. Stages of work carried out in a logical sequence allow to plan the deadlines for the completion of all works and the corresponding costs.

The main disadvantage of the waterfall model is a significant delay in obtaining results since real projects often require deviations from the standard sequence of steps.

 

Agile Model

Agile is a system of ideas and principles of flexible project management, on the basis of which the popular Scrum, Kanban, and other methods were developed. The key principle of the Agile approach involved the development through short iterations, at the end of each of which the customer receives a working code or a product. This model is based on the organization of a small number of employees with a more democratic management approach.

Possibilities:

1. Changes and corrections at all stages of work without significant losses of time and finances;
2. Short and clear iterations.

Disadvantages:

1. Stimulating constant changes to the project, the flexibility of product development can lead to the fact that it will never reach the final version;
2. Increased requirements for the qualifications of the team members.

 

Hybrid Model

The Hybrid methodology combines Waterfall and Agile methods to create a new project management method. This methodology uses the rigor of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) at the speed of Agile for a new project management method that is both detailed and fast. Most projects will benefit from using this model. Only very small projects do not require a Hybrid method.

Advantages of the Hybrid method:

1. The ability to quickly respond to various changes;
2. Selection of appropriate tools for project teams;
3. The ability to make accurate and balanced decisions;
4. Ability to move resources between teams.

The disadvantages of the Hybrid method are that it can seem limiting to those who are used to the more flexible Agile approach.

 

Conclusion

therefore, the development of software for the Internet of things is not an easy task, requiring good knowledge, skills, and a sufficient amount of time from the IoT application developer. There are several fundamental development methods that can be applied. The choice of each depends on the requirements of the customer, the timing of the project, and its features.