Unit 1

Syllabus:

Introduction: IoT architecture outline, standards - IoT Technology Fundamentals- Devices and gateways,
Local and wide area networking, Data management, Business processes in IoT, Everything as a Service
(XaaS), M2M and IoT Analytics.

Iot Architecture:
IoT promises to drive innovation by facilitating data analysis, exploitation, and management through a
strong, future-proof, scalable, and secure architecture. While an IoT architecture may provide diverse
solutions that cater to different industries, it strives to create an ecosystem that is cost-effective,
functional, flexible, scalable, and maintainable. So, if you are interested in initiating attractive and
future-proofed IoT projects, you must ensure you have efficient and well-defined IoT architecture in
place.

What is IoT Architecture?

IoT architecture refers to the tangle of components such as sensors, actuators, cloud services, Protocols,
and layers that make up IoT networking systems. In general, it is divided into layers that allow
administrators to evaluate, monitor, and maintain the integrity of the system. The architecture of IoT is
a four-step process through which data flows from devices connected to sensors, through a network,
and then through the cloud for processing, analysis, and storage. With further development, the
Internet of Things is poised to grow even further, providing users with new and improved experiences.

Different Layers of IoT Architecture

In recent years, IoT technology has grown in popularity and it has a large variety of applications. IoT
applications operate according to how they have been designed/developed based on the different
application areas. However, there is no standard defined architecture of work that is strictly adhered to
across the board. The complexity and number of architectural layers vary according to the specific
business task at hand. A four-layer architecture is the standard and most widely accepted format.

As you can see from the below image, there are four layers present i.e., the Perception Layer, Network
Layer, Processing Layer, and Application Layer.

1)Perception/Sensing Layer:

The first layer of any IoT system involves “things” or endpoint devices that serve as a conduit between
the physical and the digital worlds. Perception refers to the physical layer, which includes sensors and
actuators that are capable of collecting, accepting, and processing data over the network. Sensors and
actuators can be connected either wirelessly or via wired connections. The architecture does not limit
the scope of its components nor their location.
 Fig: IoT Architecture

2) Network Layer:

Network layers provide an overview of how data is moved throughout the application. This layer
contains Data Acquiring Systems (DAS) and Internet/Network gateways. A DAS performs data
aggregation and conversion functions (collecting and aggregating data from sensors, then converting
analog data to digital data, etc.).

It is necessary to transmit and process the data collected by the sensor devices. That’s what the network
layer does. It allows these devices to connect and communicate with other servers, smart devices, and
network devices. As well, it handles all data transmissions for the devices.

3) Processing Layer:

The processing layer is the brain of the IoT ecosystem. Typically, data is analyzed, pre-processed, and
stored here before being sent to the data center, where it is accessed by software applications that
monitor and manage the data as well as prepare further actions. This is where Edge IT or edge analytics
enters the picture.
4) Application Layer:

User interaction takes place at the application layer, which delivers application-specific services to the
user. An example might be a smart home application where users can turn on a coffee maker by tapping
a button in an app or a dashboard that shows the status of the devices in a system. There are many ways
in which the Internet of Things can be deployed such as smart cities, smart homes, and smart health.

Stages of IoT Solutions Architecture

To capitalize on IoT, enterprises must allow devices to interact freely, and they must maximize device
and system synergies. You need to ensure your infrastructure supports the IoT architecture. The
following are various stages of IoT architecture implementation in enterprises:

Connected Objects/Devices

As a first step towards IoT architecture, the physical layer must be established within the environment.
There would be no Internet of Things without “smart” or connected objects. Typically, these are wireless
sensors or actuators in the perception layer.

Sensors collect and analyze data from the environment in order to make it usable for further analysis.
Actuators are involved in measuring the change recorded by the sensors. It is possible to connect
sensors or actuators in a wired or wireless manner in order to perform sensing and actuation. Local Area
Networks (LANs) and Personal Area Networks (PANs) can be used for connecting sensors and actuators.

Internet Gateway

When step one is done properly, the next step that needs to be done is to set up an internet gateway.
As the sensors and actuators collect data in analog form, we must have a means of converting the
analog data into digital data in order to process it. We use the internet gateway to accomplish this task.
In the internet gateway stage, raw data will be received from the devices and pre-processed before
being sent to the cloud.

Data Acquisition Systems can be used to convert analog data into digital forms. It connects to the
sensors and actuators and gathers all data, converting it to digital form so that it may be routed over the
network by the internet gateway. It is responsible for data aggregation and conversion. We can also add
additional features, such as analytics and security, to increase performance and efficiency.
Edge IT Systems

The third stage of an IoT architecture involves pre-processing and enhanced data analytics. In light of
the significant amount of data collected by IoT systems and the consequent bandwidth requirements,
edge IT systems play a crucial role in reducing the pressure on the core IT infrastructure. Edge IT systems
employ machine learning and visualization techniques to generate insights from collected data. Machine
learning algorithms provide insights into the data while visualization techniques present the data in an
easy-to-understand manner.

Directly sending data to the server or the data center will cripple the speed of the system, as well as the
bandwidth of the LAN or routers. Analog data is generated at an enormous speed and will require a
great deal of space. Therefore, it is always recommended to convert the data into digital form. Most of
the time, the data collected by sensors and actuators are not valuable to the organization, so only the
important data is processed and transmitted to data centers and servers.

Data Centers and Cloud Storage

After the data has been properly preprocessed and analyzed, and all loopholes have been removed, the
data is sent to the data centers and servers for final analysis and reporting. Data Centers and Cloud
services fall under the Management Services category and usually process data through analytics, device
management, and security controls. Furthermore, the cloud also enables the transfer of data to end-
user applications like Healthcare, Retail, Environment, Emergency, Energy, etc.

Upon analysis, the data can be sent to cloud-based servers or data centers for final processing. Using the
cloud platform can lower hardware costs, but securing data is also a concern. When it comes to physical
servers or data centers, they are safer, but they also cost more.

Standardizing the IoT:

Alliances have been formed by many domestic and multinational companies to agree on common
standards and technology for the IoT. However, no universal body has been formed

yet. While organizations such as IEEE, Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), ITU-T, OneM2M, 3GPP,
etc., are active at international level, Telecommunication Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI),
Global ICT Standardization Forum for India (GISFI), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Korean Agency for
Technology and Standards (KATS), and so on, are active at national level and European
Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in the regional level for standardization.

Smart objects produce large volumes of data. This data needs to be managed, processed, transferred
and stored securely. Standardization is key to achieving universally accepted specifications and protocols
for true interoperability between devices and applications.

The use of standards:

-ensures interoperable and cost-effective solutions

-opens up opportunities in new areas

-allows the market to reach its full potential

The more things are connected, the greater the security risk. So, security standards are also needed to
protect the individuals, businesses and governments which will use the IoT.

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) is an independent, not-for-profit,

standardization organization in the field of information and communications. ETSI supports the
development and testing of global technical standards for ICT-enabled systems, applications and
services.

Applications in the IoT

Within ETSI we are addressing various applications of IoT/M2M technology:

-Smart appliances

-Smart grids and meters

-Smart cities – including networking, energy efficiency and accessibility

-Smart Energy, Smart Environment, Smart Building, Smart Industry and Manufacturing, Smart Agri-Food,
eHealth and Ageing-Well, Wearables, Smart Water, Smart Lift and Smart Escalators

-Telemedicine and the Internet Clinic

-Medical implants

-Body Area Networks

-Pandemic protection, contact tracing

-Intelligent Transport Systems – including telematics and all types of communications in vehicles,
between vehicles and between vehicles and fixed locations. We also address the use of Information and
Communications Technologies for rail, water and air transport, including navigation systems.

-Wireless Industrial Automation – standards for radio equipment to be used in factories

Supporting the IoT

Privacy, Safety and Security for the IoT – various aspects of security such as electronic signatures, lawful
interception, security algorithms and smart cards as well as cybersecurity

Low power supplies in the IoT:

Ultra Low Energy Digital Cordless Telecommunications (DECT™ ULE)

Radio spectrum requirements – helping to find the necessary radio spectrum for connecting things
wirelessly in the IoT.

Embedded communications modules – We have developed a baseline specification using Surface Mount
Technology. This will simplify the integration of modules from different manufacturers in a wide range
of M2M applications.

IoT technology fundamentals:

The four pillars of IoT and the main concepts to understand are:

Data: IoT technologies provide myriad ways to collect data about the physical world. Data is the fuel of
IoT and is why it is so important.

Device: The actual, physical components or things in the internet of things that collect this data.

Analytics: The process of making collected data useful by turning raw data into actionable insights.

Connectivity: Makes sharing data and insights possible, increasing the value of that data. This is the
internet in internet of things.

Building blocks of IoT Architecture:

Four things form basic building blocks of the IoT system –sensors, processors, gateways, applications.
Each of these nodes has to have its own characteristics in order to form a useful IoT system.
These form the front end of the IoT devices. These are the so-called “Things” of the system. Their main
purpose is to collect data from its surroundings (sensors) or give out data to its surrounding (actuators).
These have to be uniquely identifiable devices with a unique IP address so that they can be easily
identifiable over a large network. These have to be active in nature which means that they should be
able to collect real-time data. These can either work on their own (autonomous in nature) or can be
made to work by the user depending on their needs (user-controlled).

Examples of sensors are gas sensor, water quality sensor, moisture sensor, etc.

IoT devices:

IoT devices are pieces of hardware, such as sensors, actuators, gadgets, appliances, or machines, that
are programmed for certain applications and can transmit data over the internet or other networks.
They can be embedded into other mobile devices, industrial equipment, environmental sensors, medical
devices, and more.

IoT devices are using AI and machine learning to bring intelligence and autonomy to systems and
processes, such as autonomous driving, industrial smart manufacturing, medical equipment, and home
automation. Many of these devices are small, power- and cost-constrained microcontroller-based
systems. Network bandwidth and consumer expectations around data privacy and user experience
continue to demand more on-device processing, where data is processed on the IoT endpoint, rather
than using cloud-based approaches.

Processors:

Processors are the brain of the IoT system. Their main function is to process the data captured by the
sensors and process them so as to extract the valuable data from the enormous amount of raw data
collected. In a word, we can say that it gives intelligence to the data. Processors mostly work on real-
time basis and can be easily controlled by applications. These are also responsible for securing the data
–that is performing encryption and decryption of data. Embedded hardware devices, microcontroller,
etc are the ones that process the data because they have processors attached to it.

Gateways:

Gateways are responsible for routing the processed data and send it to proper locations for its (data)
proper utilization. In other words, we can say that gateway helps in to and fro communication of the
data. It provides network connectivity to the data. Network connectivity is essential for any IoT system
to communicate.

LAN, WAN, PAN, etc are examples of network gateways.

Applications:

Applications form another end of an IoT system. Applications are essential for proper utilization of all
the data collected. These cloud-based applications which are responsible for rendering the effective
meaning to the data collected. Applications are controlled by usersand are a delivery point of particular
services. Examples of applications are home automation apps, security systems, industrial control hub,
etc.

Main design principles of IoT

1. Do your research

When designing IoT-enabled products, designers might make the mistake of forgetting why customers
value these products in the first place. That’s why it’s a good idea to think aboutthe value an IoT offering
should deliver at the initial phase of your design. When getting intoIoT design, you’re not building
products anymore. You’re building services and experiences that improve people’s lives. That’s why in-
depth qualitative research is the key to figuring out how you can do that. Assume the perspective of
your customers to understand what they need and how your IoT implementation can solve their pain
points. Research your target audience deeply to see what their existing experiences are and what they
wish was different about them.

2. Concentrate on value

Early adopters are eager to try out new technologies. But the rest of your customer basemight be
reluctant to put a new solution to use. They may not feel confident with it and are likely to be cautious
about using it. If you want your IoT solution to become widely adopted, you need to focus on the actual
tangible value its going to deliver to your target audience. What is the real end-user value of your
solution? What might be the barriers to adopting new technology? How can your solution address them
specifically? Note that the features the early tech adopters might find valuable might turn out to be
completely uninteresting for the majority of users. That’s why you need to carefully plan which features
to include and in what order, always concentrating on the actual value they provide.

3. Don’t forget about the bigger picture

One characteristic trait of IoT solutions is that they typically include multiple devices that come with
different capabilities and consist of both digital and physical touch points. Your solution might also be
delivered to users in cooperation with service providers. That’s why it’s not enough to design a single
touch point well. Instead, you need to take the bigger picture into account and treat your IoT system
holistically. Delineate the role of every device and service. Develop a conceptual model of how users will
perceive and understand the system.

All the parts of your system need to work seamlessly together. Only then you’ll be able to create a
meaningful experience for your end-users.

4. Remember about the security

Don’t forget that IoT solutions aren’t purely digital. They’re located in the real-world context, and the
consequences of their actions might be serious if something goes wrong. At the same time, building
trust in IoT solutions should be one of your main design drivers. Make sure that every interaction with
your product builds consumer trust rather than breaking it. In practice, it means that you should
understand all the possible error situations that maybe related to the context of its use. Then try to
design your product in a way to prevent them.

If error situations occur, make sure that the user is informed appropriately and provided with help. Also,
consider data security and privacy as a key aspect of your implementation. Users need to feel that their
data is safe, and objects located in their workspaces or home can’t be hacked. That’s why quality
assurance and testing the system in the real-world context are so important.

5. Build with the context in mind

And speaking of context, it pays to remember that IoT solutions are located at the intersectionof the
physical and digital world. The commands you give through digital interfaces produce real-world effects.
Unlike digital commands, these actions may not be easily undone. In a real-world context, many
unexpected things may happen. That’s why you need to make sure that the design of your solution
enables users to feel safe and in control at all times. The context itself is a crucial consideration during
IoT design. Depending on the physical context of your solution, you might have different goals in mind.
For example, you might want to minimize user distraction or design devices that will be resistant to the
changing weather conditions. The social context is an important factor, as well. Don’t forget that the
devices you design for workspaces or homes will be used by multiple users.

6. Make good use of prototypes

IoT solutions are often difficult to upgrade. Once the user places the connected object somewhere, it
might be hard to replace it with a new version – especially if the user would have to pay for the upgrade.
Even the software within the object might be hard to update because of security and privacy reasons.
Make sure that your design practices help to avoid costly hardware iterations. Get your solution right
from the start. From the design perspective, it means that prototyping and rapid iteration will become
critical in the early stages of the project.

Local and wide area networking in iot:

LAN (Local Area Network)

A LAN is a group of computers and other network devices attached within a limited area like a house, a
building, an office, an entire campus, etc. It is a widely used network of devices and can be set up in a
limited geographical area without investing a huge cost like other networks. In most cases, LAN is used
to form a network to share resources like printers, scanners, or files like audio, video, movies, software,
games, etc. The simplest kind of LAN example is a connection formed between a computer and a printer
within a house. Typically, it is a medium that helps transfer data across devices in a limited range area.
Advantages:

Few advantages of using a LAN are listed below:

-Data can be transferred from one device to another networked device without any issue.

-Data can be stored centrally in a single storage disk of the server computer. It will be a lot easier to
secure the data in a single disk than all the separate disks. This also helps in data management.

-LANs allow administrators to share a single internet connection across all the other connected devices.

-Instead of purchasing any paid software for each system, users from different systems can use the
same software from the server's main computer over the network.

Computer peripherals like hard-disk, Optical Disk Drive, and printer can share local area networks that
will reduce the hardware purchases' overall costs. Using LAN, multiple computers can use the same
printer or other connected devices.

WAN (Wide Area Network)

WAN is an essential computer network that extends over a large geographical area. It can cover
distances between states or countries. WAN is comparatively much larger than LAN or MAN
(Metropolitan Area Network) and relatively more expensive. Because of its cost and complex setup,
WANs are not usually owned by one organization. Wide area networks are established using several
LANs attached by telephone lines or radio waves. Typically, these types of networks are organized using
high-end telecommunication circuits. The Internet, a kind of public network, is an example of the largest
wide area network.

Advantages:

Few advantages of using a WAN are listed below:

-WAN enables users to establish a connection over a large geographical area. This is helpful for the
organizations having offices at a large distance. They can communicate with other offices easily.

-The data is organized in a centralized manner. It helps users to access or manage the data easily. This is
helpful when using emails, files, or backup servers. Users don't have to pay for these resources for each
office or branch separately.

-WAN allows users to communicate over the instant messaging system. Applications like Whatsapp,
Telegram, and Skype, have made it easier for people to connect with their friends or family.

-Using WAN, companies work on the live server. Thus, the developers and programmers have instant
access to the updated files within seconds. This helps in increasing productivity.

-Due to a public network, people can organize their business over the Internet globally.

IoT devices can be connected to the internet through local area networks (LANs) or wide area networks
(WANs) to enable communication and data exchange between them.

Local area networking in IoT typically involves the use of wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
Zigbee, or Z-Wave to connect IoT devices within a confined physical area such as a home, office, or
factory. These protocols are designed for short-range communication and can connect devices directly
to a local network or through a hub or gateway device.

Wide area networking in IoT, on the other hand, involves connecting IoT devices over a large
geographical area using cellular networks, satellite, or other long-range wireless communication
technologies. WANs enable IoT devices to connect to the internet and communicate with other devices,
cloud services, and applications regardless of their physical location.
WAN connectivity is critical for IoT applications that require remote monitoring, asset tracking, and real-
time data analytics. Cellular networks, in particular, are widely used for IoT connectivity due to their
extensive coverage, reliability, and scalability.

Overall, both local and wide area networking play important roles in the IoT ecosystem and enable a
wide range of applications and services that leverage the power of connected devices and data.

Few key differences between LAN and WAN are listed below:

-LAN is a computer network established within a small geographic area, such as a house, office or
buildings. WAN, on the other side, is a computer network that covers a broad geographical area.

-LANs allow users to transfer the data faster, whereas WANs have a comparatively slower data transfer
rate.

-LAN has a higher speed, whereas WAN has a slower speed.

-Designing, setup and maintenance in LANs are relatively easy while designing, setup, maintenance is
difficult in WANs.

-Fault tolerance is high in LANs, whereas WANs have less fault tolerance.

Data management in IoT:

Data management is a critical aspect of IoT, as large amounts of data are generated by IoT devices and
need to be collected, processed, and analyzed in order to derive insights and make informed decisions.
Here are some key considerations for data management in IoT:

1)Data Collection: IoT devices generate a vast amount of data, and it's important to collect this data in a
way that is efficient and reliable. This requires designing data collection systems that can handle the
high volume and variety of data generated by IoT devices, and ensuring that the data is stored securely
and can be easily accessed for analysis.

2)Data Storage: IoT data can be stored in a variety of ways, including on-premises databases, cloud-
based storage systems, and edge computing devices. The choice of storage method will depend on
factors such as the volume and type of data, the performance requirements, and the cost
considerations.

3)Data Processing: Once data has been collected and stored, it needs to be processed in order to extract
insights and make informed decisions. This can involve using machine learning algorithms, statistical
analysis, and other data processing techniques to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies in the data.

4)Data Security: IoT data can be sensitive and confidential, and it's important to ensure that it is
protected from unauthorized access, theft, or other security threats. This requires implementing robust
security measures, such as encryption, access controls, and data backup and recovery systems.
5)Data Governance: IoT data can be subject to various regulatory and compliance requirements, and it's
important to establish appropriate data governance policies and procedures to ensure that data is
collected, processed, and used in a responsible and ethical manner.

Data management is the practice of ingesting, processing, securing and storing an organization’s data,
where it is then utilized for strategic decision-making to improve business outcomes. Over the last
decade, developments within hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and edge
computing have led to the exponential growth of big data, creating even more complexity for
enterprises to manage. As a result, a data management discipline within an organization has become an
increasing priority as this growth has created significant challenges, such as data silos, security risks, and
general bottlenecks to decision-making. Teams address these challenges head on with a number of data
management solutions, which are aimed to clean, unify, and secure data.

Challenges and opportunities of data management

-> Data Collection and Analysis

-> Big Data

-> Semantic Sensor Networking

-> Virtual Sensors

-> Complex Event Processing

1) Data Collection and Analysis (DCA)

The DCA module is part of the core layer of any IoT platform.

Functions of a DCA module

1) User/customer data storing:

Provides storage of the customer’s information collected by sensors.

2) User data & operation modeling:

Allows the customer to create new sensor data models to accommodate collected information and the
modeling of the supported operations.

3) On demand data access:

Provides APIs to access the collected data.

4) Device event publish/subscribe/forwarding/ notification:

Provides APIs to access the collected data in real time conditions

5) Customer rules/filtering:

Allows the customer to establish its own filters and rules to correlate events.

6) Customer task automation:

Provides the customer with the ability to manage his automatic processes.

7) Customer workflows:

Allows the customer to create his own work flow to process the incoming events from a device

8) Multi tenant structure:

Provides the structure to support multiple organizations and re-seller schemes.

9) Features Data Collection and Analysis platform:

Multi-protocol:

DCA platforms should be capable of handling or understanding different input (and output) protocols
and formats.

De-centralization:

Sensors and measurements/ observations captured by them should be stored in systems that can be de-
centralized from a single platform.

Complex event processing (CEP) is a technique used in data management that allows for the real-time
processing and analysis of large volumes of streaming data. CEP systems use algorithms and rules to
analyze data from various sources and identify patterns, trends, and anomalies that may be relevant to
the business.

Business Process Management:

Business process management is the way that companies analyze the processes that have been
designed and introduced to help them operate. Often these processes can become bogged down in
minutiae and end up being less efficient than they should be, so BPM is there to evaluate what
improvements are needed and to then implement them in a way that minimizes disruption. This should
lead to better efficiency, improved staff morale and an upturn in profits.

The Internet of Things and Business Process Management

The IoT is changing the way we live our lives and that is something that will only grow and grow, and it’s
certainly something that all businesses need to adapt to. There are some obvious benefits and some
aspects that will require adjustments to processes. Here are some of the main changes and challenges
facing companies as the IoT becomes more ever-present:
Data: As consumers use more and more devices that record data, there are opportunities for businesses
to use this data for marketing and product development purposes, but only if the processes are in place
to measure, analyze and report on this data. Business process management can automate this process
and ensure that it remains effective and agile enough to keep pace with technological changes.

New ways of buying: The IoT gives consumers the chance to buy directly from their devices, whether it’s
an Amazon Echo or a smartphone or even that legendary refrigerator ordering fresh milk. Technology is
making everything faster and more easily, so they will also be expecting faster deliveries and better
service. BPM needs to be used to manage the processes that will allow this kind of development to meet
the demand. IoT software and tools can help with this though, with inventories able to be tracked
automatically.

Innovation: Whether it’s new product development or upgrading existing products or services, the IoT
offers the opportunities for businesses to deliver exciting new benefits for their customers.

Customer service: Another area where processes need to be managed carefully because of the changes
that the IoT have brought in is customer service. Products that utilize the internet should really be able
to be fixed over the internet when something goes wrong. Consumers expect it and businesses should
be able to deliver it, so BPM is needed to ensure that customer service processes are effective, efficient
and resilient enough to cope.

Centralized BPM: Business process management isn’t simply something that is needed to make the IoT
run more smoothly, the benefits can flow back in the opposite direction too. Integrating BPM software
into devices means that the data can be analyzed from a central location and any changes can be fed
back out again.

Integrating Business Process Management with The Internet of Things

These are some of the benefits and implications of BPM and the Internet of Things. Smart devices are
taking over our homes and workplaces, but they will only be as successful as the processes that help to
manage them and their applications. Competition is fierce, whether it’s between the Amazon Echo and
Google Home or other rival products that aim to corner the market, while the Internet of Things in a
business sense either touches or will touch almost all companies in years to come.

Jared Cooper in Fast Company summed up the perils facing those who don’t get their processes in line in
time: “Smart homes and other connected products won’t just be aimed at home life. They’ll also have a
major impact on business. And just like any company that blissfully ignored the Internet at the turn of
the century, the ones that dismiss the Internet of Things risk getting left behind.”

What Is XaaS?
Everything-as-a-Service is a term for services and applications that users can access on the Internet upon
request.
The Everything-as-a-Service definition may seem unclear at first sight, but actually, it is not difficult to
understand. It all started with the cloud computing terms: SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-
as-a-Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service), meaning that ready-made software, a platform for
its development, or a comprehensive computing infrastructure could be provided via networks.
Gradually, other offerings appeared and now, the designation as-a-Service is associated with various
digital components, e.g. data, security, communication, etc

Anything-as-a-Service (another name for XaaS) is not confined to digital products. You can get practically
everything, from food to medical consultations, without leaving your home or office, by utilizing certain
online services. Hence the “Everything” is in the name.

Everything-as-a-Service Model Examples

Now that we’ve covered the XaaS definition, it’s time to demonstrate some practical -XaaS cases (apart
from SaaS, PaaS and IaaS) that are gaining popularity.

Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS)

Managed service providers (MSP) own some hardware and install it on customers’ sites on demand.
Customers utilize the hardware in accordance with service level agreements. This pay-as-you-go model
is similar to leasing and can be compared to IaaS when computing resources are located at MSP’s site
and provided to users as virtual equivalents of physical hardware.

The Haas model is especially cost-effective for small or mid-sized businesses

Communication-as-a-Service (CaaS)

This model includes different communication solutions such as VoIP (voice over IP or Internet
telephony), IM (instant messaging), video conference applications that are hosted in the vendor’s cloud.
A company can selectively deploy communication apps that best suit their current needs for a certain
period and pay for this usage period only.

Such an approach is cost-effective and reduces expenses for short-time communication needs.

Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS)

Desktops are delivered as virtual services along with the apps needed for use. Thus, a client can work on
a personal computer, using the computing capacities of third-party servers (which can be much more
powerful than those of a PC).

A DaaS provider is typically responsible for storing, securing and backing up user data, as well as
delivering upgrades for all the supported desktop apps.

Security-as-a-Service (SECaaS)

This is the model of outsourced security management. A provider integrates their security services into
your company’s infrastructure and, as a rule, delivers them over the Internet. Such services may include
anti-virus software, encryption, authentication, intrusion detection solutions and more.

Healthcare-as-a-Service (HaaS)

With electronic medical records (EMR) and hospital information systems (HIS), the healthcare industry is
transforming into Healthcare-as-a-Service. Medical treatment is becoming more data-driven and
patient-centric. Thanks to the IoT, wearables and other emerging technologies, the following services
are available:

-Online consultations with doctors

-Health monitoring 24/7

-Medicine delivery at your doorstep

-Lab samples collection even at home and delivery of results as soon as they are ready

-Access to your medical records 24/7

HaaS creates opportunities for almost all categories of citizens to get qualified medical help
Transportation-as-a-Service (TaaS)

Important trends of modern society are mobility and freedom of transportation at different distances.
There are numerous apps popping up connected with transport, so a part of this industry is transforming
into an -XaaS model. The most vivid examples are:

Carsharing (you can rent a car at any place via a special app and drive anywhere you need, paying for the
time you use a car, or for the distance you cover)

Uber taxi services (you order a taxi via an app, which calculates the cost of the rout in advance). Uber is
planning to test flying taxis and self-driving planes in the near future.

TaaS model is not only convenient but also ecologically friendly.

Benefits of XaaS:

The biggest benefits are:

Scalability (outsourcing provides access to unlimited computing capacities, storage space, RAM, etc; a
company can quickly and seamlessly scale its processes up and down depending on requirements and
doesn’t have to worry about additional deployments or downtimes)

Cost- and time-effectiveness (a company doesn’t purchase its personal equipment and doesn’t need to
deploy it, saving much time and money; a pay-as-you-go model is also beneficial)

Focus on core competencies (there’s no need to set up apps and programs or conduct training for
employees; consequently, they can concentrate on their direct duties and achieve better performance)

The high quality of services (since professionals support and maintain your infrastructure and systems,
they provide the latest updates and all the emerging technologies, guaranteeing the quality of services)

Better customer experience (the above-mentioned pros lead to customer satisfaction and increase
customer loyalty)

However, -XaaS services are not without flaws. The biggest drawbacks are mostly related to end users
and concern the security of personal data and risks of massive data loss.

Many consumers are afraid to fully depend on cloud providers and lose control over their business.
Service providers, on their part, are doing their best to address such concerns and allow organizations to
migrate more workloads into the cloud.

IoT Analytics:
What is IoT data analytics? As its name suggests, Internet of Things (IoT) data analytics, or simply IoT
analytics is the act of analyzing data generated and collected from IoT devices by utilizing a specific set
of data analytics tools and techniques. The true idea behind IoT data analytics is to turn vast quantities
of unstructured data from various devices and sensors within the Internet of Things ecosystem, which is
heterogeneous, into valuable and actionable insights for driving sound business decision-making and
further data analysis. Furthermore, IoT analytics enables identifying the patterns in data sets, including
both current states and historical data, which can be utilized to make predictions and adjustments about
future events.

IoT analytics is being widely used in various industries ranging from healthcare, retail, and eCommerce
to manufacturing, transportation, and more.

Different Types of IoT Data Analytics

As IoT analytics are performed to gather insights that serve different purposes, it can be broken down
into four primary types:

1) Descriptive Analytics

Descriptive IoT analytics mainly focus on what happened in the past. The historical data collected from
devices are processed and analyzed to generate a report that describes what took place, when it
occurred, and how often it did. This type of IoT analysis is useful for providing answers to specific
questions about the behavior of things or people and can also be used to detect any anomalies.

2) Diagnostic Analytics

Different from descriptive IoT analytics, diagnostic analytics go one step further to answer the question
of why something happened by drilling down into the data to identify the root cause of a specific issue.
Diagnostic analytics make use of techniques like data mining and statistical analysis to uncover hidden
patterns and relationships in data that can offer actionable insights into the causes of specific problems.

3) Predictive Analytics

As its name suggests, predictive IoT analytics is used to predict future events by analyzing historical data
and trends. This type of analytics makes use of various statistical and machine learning algorithms to
build models that can be used for making predictions about future events. This type of analytics plays a
significant role in supporting business decisions related to inventory management, demand forecasting,
etc.

4) Prescriptive Analytics

Prescriptive IoT analytics is the most advanced type of IoT analytics that not only predicts what will
happen in the future but also provides recommendations on what should be done to achieve the
desired business outcomes. This type of analytics makes use of optimization algorithms to identify the
best course of action that should be taken to achieve a specific goal.
The Relation between IoT and Big Data Analytics and IIoT:

Speaking of massive amounts of data, you are being reminded of big data analytics, aren’t you? Do they
have any sort of connections? Actually, people often find IoT and big data analytics confused by each
other. The only distinction between them is the data source; while big data analytics deals with data sets
from a broad range of streams and sources, IoT analytics only collect and analyze data generated by
connected IoT devices and sensors. So, we can say that IoT data analytics is a subset of big data analytics
that helps make sense of data originating from connected devices in the ecosystem of the Internet of
Things. And as a result, IoT analytics can be used to solve various issues and problems that cannot be
addressed by big data analytics alone, such as real-time streaming data analysis, near-time processing,
edge computing, predictive maintenance, etc. Therefore, the combination of IoT and big data analytics
can be used to gain a competitive edge and drive business value.

Have you ever heard of the term IIoT? Or it is also known as Industrial IoT. It is an application of IoT
technologies in the manufacturing and other industrial sectors with the aim of achieving better
operational efficiency as well as improving safety while reducing downtime and production costs. IIoT
data analytics, which is a branch of IoT analytics, is used to process and analyze data generated by IIoT
devices and sensors to deliver valuable insights for optimizing industrial processes, maintenance
scheduling, and logistics management on manufacturing equipment, pipelines, weather stations, smart
meters, delivery trucks and other types of machines.

The IIoT applications are not only limited to the manufacturing sector. In fact, future of IIoT is booming;
they can be seen in many other fields such as healthcare, retail, transportation, energy, and so on.

Why Need IoT Analytics?

From its humble beginnings, IoT data analytics has come a long way to become mainstream. If business
owners embrace data analytics because of its tangible benefits, then it is more certain than ever that
they are about to do the same to IoT data analytics in order to make the most of the data assets and
empower their business decisions.

The benefits of IoT analytics are numerous, and they can be classified into two main categories: business
benefits and technical benefits. Let’s have a look at each of them in detail.

Business Benefits of IoT Analytics

Optimizing Operational Efficiency: By analyzing data generated by IoT devices, businesses can identify
issues and problems that lead to inefficiencies and then take actions to address them. For instance, a
food & beverage company can use IoT data analytics to track the temperature of its refrigerators in real-
time and prevent food spoilage due to power outages or malfunctioning equipment.

Reducing Costs: IoT data analytics can help businesses save money in many ways, such as reducing
energy consumption, minimizing downtime, and improving asset utilization. For example, a
manufacturing company can use IoT data analytics to monitor the performance of its production line
and make adjustments to avoid wastage of materials.
Enhancing Customer Experience: IoT data analytics can be used to collect and analyze customer data in
order to understand their needs and preferences. This, in turn, can help businesses design better
products and services that meet the needs of their customers. For instance, a retailer can use IoT data
analytics to track the movements of customers in its store and then offer them personalized
recommendations based on their interests.

Improving Safety: By analyzing data from various sensors, businesses can identify potential safety
hazards and take preventive measures to avoid them. For instance, a construction company can use IoT
data analytics to monitor the condition of its equipment and machinery in order to avoid accidents.

Technical Benefits of IoT Analytics

Real-time Data Analysis: One of the main advantages of IoT data analytics is its ability to analyze real-
time data points. It is possible due to the use of streaming analytics, which is a type of analytics that can
process data as it is being generated.

Improved Scalability: With IoT data analytics, businesses can scale up their operations quickly and easily
without incurring any additional costs. This is because IoT data analytics can be deployed on the cloud,
which allows businesses to pay only for the resources they use.

Increased Accuracy: Another advantage of IoT data analytics is that it can help businesses achieve a high
degree of accuracy in their data analysis. This is due to the fact that IoT data analytics can be used to
collect data from a large number of sources and then analyze it using advanced analytical techniques.

Enhanced Security: IoT data analytics can also help businesses improve the security of their data. This is
because IoT data analytics can be used to identify and track potential threats and then take measures to
avoid them.

Difference between M2M and IoT analytics:

1. Internet of Things: IOT is known as the Internet of Things where things are said to be the
communicating devices that can interact with each other using a communication media. Usually every
day some new devices are being integrated which uses IoT devices for its function. These devices use
various sensors and actuators for sending and receiving data over the internet. It is an ecosystem where
the devices share data through a communication media known as the internet or Iot is an ecosystem of
connected physical object that are accessible through internet. Iot means anything which can be
connected to internet and can be controlled or monitored using internet from smart devices or PC.

2. Machine to Machine : This is commonly known as Machine to machine communication. It is a concept

where two or more than two machines communicate with each other without human interaction using
a wired or wireless mechanism. M2M is an technology that helps the devices to connect between
devices without using internet. M2M communications offer several applications such as security,
tracking and tracing, manufacturing and facility management.
M2M is also named as Machine Type Communication (MTC) in 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership
Project).

M2M is communication could carried over mobile networks, for ex- GSM-GPRS, CDMA EVDO Networks

In M2M communication, the role of mobile networks is largely confined to server as a transport
networks.

M2M is only subset of IoT.

Difference between IoT and M2M :

Basis of IoT M2M

Abbreviation Internet of Things Machine to Machine

Devices have objects that are Some degree of intelligence is

Intelligence
responsible for decision making observed in this.

The connection is via Network and

Connection type The connection is a point to
using various communication
used point
types.

Traditional protocols and

Communication Internet protocols are used such
communication technology
protocol used as HTTP, FTP, and Telnet.
techniques are used

Data is shared between other

Data is shared with only the
Data Sharing applications that are used to
communicating parties.
improve the end-user experience.

Internet connection is required for Devices are not dependent on

Internet
communication the Internet.
 Basis of IoT M2M

Type of It supports point-to-point

It supports cloud communication
Communication communication.

Involves the usage of both Mostly hardware-based

Computer System
Hardware and Software. technology

A large number of devices yet

Scope Limited Scope for devices.
scope is large.

Business Type Business 2 Business(B2B) and

Business 2 Business (B2B)
used Business 2 Consumer(B2C)

There is no support for Open

Open API support Supports Open API integrations.
APIs

It requires Generic commodity devices. Specialized device solutions.

Communication and device

Centric Information and service centric
centric.

Vertical system solution

Approach used Horizontal enabler approach
approach .

Devices/sensors, connectivity, data Device, area networks,

Components
processing, user interface gateway, Application server.

Smart wearables, Big Data and Sensors, Data and

Examples
Cloud, etc. Information, etc.