5 Things to Know Before Buying Iot Training System

As we close out implementing IoT technology still remains a challenge for most manufacturers looking to digitize their products or services.

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Our research suggests that by the end of we will surpass 10,000 global enterprise IoT projects. While most of them are still in the PoC (Proof-of-concept) stage, some of them end-up in frustration – As one (unnamed) project manager recently put it:

“Our implementation had serious flaws. In hindsight, I wish we had asked the right people and more questions beforehand.”

In recent months, the IoT Analytics team performed extensive research on IoT technology implementations, interviewing dozens of decision-makers both on the end-user and the IoT technology vendor side.

We also compiled a list of 640+ real enterprise IoT projects in September.

We teamed up with Microsoft to highlight some of these learnings in a comprehensive 31-page paper called “Guide to IoT Solution Development” (download it for free here).

Companies implementing IoT Solutions in should read these helpful insights to avoid the mistakes others have made.

Key IoT technology components

Whether companies are working on a predictive maintenance solution for wind energy, vehicle tracking in the supply chain, or precision farming in agriculture: The basic IoT technology is the same.

We summarized the technology in 15 components (see below)

For a detailed description of the individual components, please refer to the aforementioned white paper.

Not only is the technology similar, we also found that some common problems emerge when talking to those who have implemented IoT technology.

Here are 6 essential learnings:

1. Organizational and cultural change is often underestimated

This is the number one challenge we hear about when we talk to end-users who have implemented IoT projects and ask them about their biggest learning.

Take the German cleaning machine manufacturer Kärcher, for example. Their director of digital product, Friedrich Völker, mentioned when they started rolling-out their connected fleet management solution “our salesforce had no experience in pitching software and virtual offerings to the customers. Rather than making a one-off sale they are now in continued talks with the customer regarding the ongoing performance of the machine. This change in mindset as well as the education of the salesforce takes time and it is just one of many organizational challenges we are faced with”.

IoT initiatives are usually part of a larger digital company transformation that requires the product development organization to adopt agile approaches and the billing process to support subscription-based customer billing or even pay-per-use based billing.

Takeaway:
Take the organizational change management efforts seriously, start early and use agile methods!

2. IoT projects take much longer than anticipated

To some this might be a “no-brainer” but implementing IoT really takes a long time. 

Our research found that the fastest IoT technology implementations went from business case development to commercial roll-out in 9 months. But these are exceptions, the current average of time-to-market is around 18-24 months.

Reasons for prolonged project timeline are manifold including both business-related issues (e.g., not having the buy-in from the right stakeholders), as well as technical issues (e.g., not working with an infrastructure that supports scaling the solution in a commercial deployment scenario).

What’s more: Profitability is usually not achieved for another few years as most firms are focused on achieving a critical mass on their IoT solution at first.

Takeaway:
Teach all stakeholders to be patient and build in little success stories that help satisfy shareholders and senior management on the way.

3. Necessary skills are not available in-house

End-to-end IoT solution development requires a broad range of skills including embedded system design, cloud architecture, application enablement, data analytics, security design and back-end system integration (e.g., into ERP/CRM).

Unfortunately manufacturers have limited experience in working with the technology elements that are unique to the Internet of Things such as MQTT or AMQP protocols, LPWAN communication and edge analytics.

Our research suggests that the skills gap in data science is particularly worrying (Look for a report on industrial data analytics skills, coming out later this month).

Takeaway:
Map the IoT skill gaps, cross-train and upskill the workforce with a focus on new technologies unique to IoT. Work with true IoT technology experts from different fields with deep domain knowledge.

4. Security is often an afterthought

Security is too often an afterthought when teams start to develop IoT technologies. The security features are commonly cut from initial designs to accommodate additional device functionality.  However, global data and device security needs to play a central role in IoT technology development, for companies and customers to broadly adopt the ‘Internet of Things’.

One example is a manufacturer of Connected Medical Devices who employs a so-called “ethical hacker” whose sole role is to detect security vulnerabilities in the network. This security-breaking expert applies typical hacking techniques to root a device, penetrate, lift and de-obfuscate code.

Takeaway:
Follow security best-practices such as employing a secure boot process or using unique identity keys and map the attack surface (e.g., using the STRIDE model).

5. Interconnectivity issues are a major complexity driver

When you download an app on your , you take for granted that it is ready to be used within seconds. People who are not too familiar with IoT often have the misconception that it must be similar with IoT technology.

However, today’s reality is far from that. Protocol translation still takes up a majority of today’s IoT development efforts. During the IoT technology implementation of an industrial OEM it took nearly 4 months to develop all necessary protocol translations and make equipment and applications work seamlessly.

Takeaway:
Build on a standardized ecosystem that is relevant for your use case and industry.

6. Scalability becomes an issue when going to thousands of devices

There are not many people who report this issue. But when they do, they are in deep trouble because in most cases the products are already in the market.

A large manufacturer of construction equipment initially created neat dashboards to monitor their machines remotely. A year later, the project was amended to start performing predictive maintenance and fault analysis of the hydraulic systems. That is when the team realized that the data model did not support the necessary backend processing capacity.

In another example the processing power of the hardware wasn’t powerful enough when a manufacturer wanted to add functionality to the connected device.

Takeway:
Even though you should start small, you must think big from the beginning. Build your IoT technology in a modular fashion and challenge your hardware design and data model.

More on this topic

To learn more about IoT technology implementations download the complete “Guide to IoT Solution Development” here.

For more information, please visit Dolang.

Also, sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date with our ongoing IoT market coverage.

IoT is a rapidly growing market, and one of the challenges to companies embracing the technology is the lack of specialists who know and understand IoT's many complexities.

An IDC survey predicts that by , more than 90% of organizations worldwide will be affected by an IT skills crisis. In addition, Statista projects there will be 29 billion connected IoT devices around the world by . This means IoT skills will be in high demand.

One way you can demonstrate your background in IoT is through certifications that can help you stand out to employers. Fortunately, there are many certifications to choose from. The question is, what's the right one? Here are nine certifications to consider to advance your career.

1. Cloud Credential Council (CCC) IoT Foundation (IoTF)

Offered by the CCC, the IoTF certification is considered one of the top IoT certifications available, covers principal IoT topics and is vendor neutral.

The CCC certification covers six learning modules, including basic concepts and terminologies, business orientation, IoT architecture, enabling technologies, security and governance, and business use cases. There are no prerequisites to take the course, but you're expected to have a grasp of cloud-related terms and concepts.

The CCC offers in-person training partners across the U.S. and other countries, as well as online self-study. Course length depends on how long participants want to study. There is a one-hour 25-question multiple-choice exam that participants must pass to secure certification.

All study materials and a voucher for the exam cost $349.

2. CertNexus Certified Internet of Things Practitioner (CIoTP)

Another in-depth, vendor-neutral certification program is CertNexus CIoTP. This shouldn't be confused with its Certified Internet of Things Security Practitioner, which is a separate certification.

This course covers six topics, ranging from planning and programming IoT devices to deploying and managing the devices in real-world use cases. This certification is notable because it's accredited under the American National Standards Institute/ISO/IEC standard, which is required for many government projects.

Costs depend on the resources participants choose. Self-study options start at around $599 and there is the option of instructor-led classes. The exam voucher is $350.

3. CertNexus Certified Internet of Things Security Practitioner (CIoTSP)

This is a separate certification program focused on security because IoT has extra security needs due to its remote nature. IT experts who decide to demonstrate proficiency in tools from any IoT vendor should take this certification. It covers every aspect of IoT security in the IoT device lifecycle, including design, implementation, operation and end-to-end management.

In eight lessons, students learn and prepare for the ITS-110 exam covering IoT risk management; interface, network, data and physical security; IoT resource access control; data privacy; and software and firmware risk management.

This course requires previous fundamental knowledge of IoT technology, which can also be acquired through the CertNexus CIoTP course and exam ITP-110. Attendees have various purchasing options for digital courseware, labs and an exam voucher of self-led study or instructor-led courses over three days. Training materials start at $99, and the exam voucher is $350.

4. Cisco's Introduction to IoT and Digital Transformation

This is a free, six-module online course suited for beginners who are getting their feet wet in IoT.

The course covers IoT devices and how they connect to networks, programming languages -- such as Python -- used to develop IoT applications and how they work, what qualifies as "big data" and how big data must be stored, the security requirements for IoT devices and networks, and IoT's role in the business.

Once the six modules are completed, a final exam is given, and a certificate is awarded upon passing the exam.

5. UCI's Introduction to Programming the IoT Specialization

For those interested in learning how to program IoT devices, this is a great option for applying different IoT programming languages and platforms. It also offers certification.

In this six-course program, you'll learn how to program in Python and C for the Arduino and Raspberry Pi environments. Coursework includes online lectures, labs and hands-on projects.

You can choose which courses you want to complete. These include the "Introduction to the Internet of Things and Embedded Systems," "The Arduino Platform and C Programming," "Interfacing with the Arduino," "The Raspberry Pi Platform and Python Programming for the Raspberry Pi," "Interfacing with the Raspberry Pi" and "Programming for the Internet of Things Project."

At a pace of 10 hours per week, it takes about two months to complete the entire program. Pricing isn't listed, but there is a free seven-day trial period, and you can audit the course for free.

6. Arcitura's Certified IoT Architect

The Arcitura Certified IoT Architect program consists of three courses: "Fundamental IoT," "IoT Technology & Architecture" and "IoT Technology & Architecture Lab." The entire three-module sequence costs $618.30, and a certification exam is available for an additional $249. The content balances technical application and a general understanding of the business value behind IoT.

A Certified IoT Architect has knowledge of the devices, technologies and protocols used to build IoT platforms, as well as an understanding of different IoT architecture layers and models.

7. Internet of Things certification from University of California, Irvine

This program gives participants a business overview of how organizations can take advantage of IoT and a close-up look at technologies such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi hardware systems. The University of California, Irvine offers an IoT certification for students who take three courses for nine course credits and finish with a passing grade.

The three courses offered in the program are "Introduction to the Internet of Things," "Designing and Integrating IoT Devices" and "Networking and Securing IoT Devices." The program also covers integration, standards and compliance, IoT business processes and security. IT professionals can take this program online for an average cost of $2,910. It runs for nine months.

8. Internet of Things Graduate Certificate from Stanford University School of Engineering

Stanford offers a short course certification that consists of four noncredit IoT courses that applicants must complete before they pursue a graduate certificate. The course provides an overview of underlying IoT technology, including sensors, embedded systems, networking, circuits and applications. IoT practitioners looking to expand their skill set and business professionals who work with IoT engineering teams would get the most from the Stanford graduate certificate.

The Stanford program has academic advisors who can help select a subset from the 15 IoT courses offered that best align with professional and educational goals. Some prerequisite knowledge of specific programming languages or technology might be necessary for certain courses. Graduate certificate applicants must complete the course within three years, and tuition is based on the number of credit units taken.

9. The Iot-Inc Certified IoT Professional (ICIP)

This is an IoT course and certification intended for advanced IoT practitioners. It consists of 45 online modules, 163 lessons, 28 quizzes and one final exam. The course assumes a sound understanding of IoT and it cuts to the chase, immediately exploring IoT technologies and approaches at a highly detailed and advanced level. This is a course best undertaken by IoT practitioners who already have experience in IoT development and implementation but who want to go further in developing their understanding of IoT. The course is self-paced and priced at $1,199.

How to select the type and specialty of the course

Tech professionals who pursue IoT certifications to advance their careers have a wide range of choices they can tailor to their career goals. Each of the certifications listed above states clearly in its course outline who should take the course.

Certification programs offer foundational and business-oriented IoT courses to get started, even if tech professionals have little familiarity with IoT or work on the business side of IoT implementation. For individuals in this category, a vendor-neutral IoT course can provide a solid foundation.

IT experts in networks, applications, architecture or security might gain the most from IoT certifications for specific vendors or technologies that their organization and the general market use.

Editor's note: This article was updated in June to improve the reader experience.

Mary E. Shacklett is president of Transworld Data, a technology analytics, market research and consulting firm.

Andy Patrizio is a technology journalist with almost 30 years' experience covering Silicon Valley who has worked for a variety of publications -- on staff or as a freelancer -- including Network World, InfoWorld, Business Insider, Ars Technica and InformationWeek. He is currently based in southern California.

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