IoT Device Management: Definition, Need, and Mechanics

While newcomers get caught up with tactics, seasoned professionals spend their time studying logistics. So, in a way IoT device management forms the core logistics of your IoT strategy. It basically covers all the tools, processes, and technologies you require to manage a large collection of IoT-connected objects. Nowadays, businesses continue to adopt a growing range of IoT devices for processes like routing, data collection, and edge computing, problems may arise if they are not managed well. 

So, in this blog, let us focus on management of these IoT devices and learn what it is, how it works, features, and advantages. Before going ahead, make sure that you are up to date with what is IoT and IoT fundamentals.

What Is IoT Device Management?

It can be referred to as the collection of software, strategies, and technologies to provision, track, and maintain IoT devices through a centralized platform. In this way, IoT administrators can manage an IoT environment in home automation or enterprises from anywhere. This primarily allows companies to have better control of their IoT devices  and customize how IoT works. 

Since more smart devices with network functionalities are emerging, the demand for efficient management solutions are also on the rise. As per IoT Analytics data, the number of IoT devices in the world is already 18+ billion and is expected to grow more. If efficient management strategies of IoT devices is not enforced, organizations can risk their interconnected devices being accessed by threat actors. 

What Is the Need of IoT Device Management?

Two factors determine the need for managing IoT devices: they are predominantly push and pull. 

Pull Factor

There is inevitably a pull factor that describes how smarter management of IoT devices would lead to more intelligent analytics, technologically-enabled business models, higher internal efficiency, and streamlined automation. Specific business models like servitization depend primarily on better management of IoT devices. It refers to selling of services and leasing out equipment based on IoT data. 

 

Push Factor

There is also a push factor that is related to higher adoption of IoT-enabled devices across the consumer market. Furthermore, without device management, businesses are expected to keep on adding devices to the organization’s IoT ecosystem. This might lead to a more IT burden, leading to inefficiencies and security vulnerabilities. 

How IoT Device Management Works?

Device management of IoT devices establishes control over the IoT devices over the entire lifecycle ranging from initial provisioning to decommissioning. The following steps describe all the important processes required to better manage an IoT device: 

Device Onboarding

Initially, when the IoT device is turned on for the first time, it must be integrated into the network. However, contrary to conventional devices, they do not have a separate and fully-dedicated interface to complete the onboarding process. In device onboarding, the main steps include verifying the credentials, determining the authentication protocol, providing a device identity, etc. 

Device Configuration

It is important for you to make sure that the configurations of your IoT devices align with your business requirements. Most of these devices come equipped with a certain level of predetermined configuration. It is highly unlikely that these default settings suit the organizational needs or specific application area. Thus, it is important for the device management strategies to ensure appropriate configurations so that the device can better perform within the framework of the organization’s IoT ecosystem.

Maintenance

Even if you adequately authenticate and configure the IoT systems, their performance is unlikely to remain optimal for longer periods of time. Over time, new security vulnerabilities get detected, firmware updates bring new bugs, or some projects might scale increasing their scope. Maintenance of these IoT devices make sure that these devices remain in the field and can be improved when needed. IoT maintenance is an extremely vital aspect of IoT device management since it improves shelf-life of the devices.

Diagnostics

Closely related to maintenance, diagnostics enable organizations to closely monitor their tethered IoT devices and minimize firmware bugs, downtime risks, and security failures. Furthermore, diagnostics also give organizations access to details they need for ensuring predictive maintenance. Advanced diagnostics detect root causes and deliver key insights that allow companies to proactively manage small issues and prevent them from becoming a disruptive problem. 

IoT Device Security

This is the most critical aspect of device management because it prevents unauthorized access to sensitive data. As per the Palo Alto Networks Report, as much as 98% of the IoT device traffic is unencrypted. It essentially means that any authorized person who gets access to the network can see the information. 

Apart from that, since more and more devices are becoming a part of the IoT network, endpoint security has also emerged as a major concern. Robust management techniques identify all the unmapped endpoints and bring them into organizational surveillance, applying all the essential security measures. 

End-of-Life Management:

The above processes optimize and manage the IoT devices through their shelf life. However, IoT administrators also need strategies to take care of these devices when the use-life of these devices has ended. End-of-life management covers scenarios when devices break down, become obsolete, or when their use in the project completes. 

It encompasses all the strategies of replacing and disposing the devices in cost-efficient and secure manner. Essentially, it is done to make sure that security issues, data leaks, and downtime does not occur due to temporarily non-functional systems. 

Conclusion 

IoT device management comprises all the processes, strategies, and tools you need to better manage your IoT landscape. Since more than half of companies in North America alone use IoT connections, implications of better device management are immense. Organizations can tap into extraordinary possibilities and opportunities if they carry out their device management well. The blog explores definition of the concept, how it works and its key components, features, and advantages.
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