The Internet of Things is the connection of devices to a computer network to make them intelligent and interconnected. These connections allow you to remotely collect and share data, manage devices, set action rules for devices. Thus, the Internet of Things simplifies people's daily lives.

IoT - what is it?

IoT (Internet of Things) includes several phenomena:

- devices that have entered the network and interact with each other
- a way to connect machine-to-machine (M2M) without human intervention
- Software that interacts directly with a person

Where is it used?

In any industry where something can be automated: in the agricultural sector, logistics, Smart City. That is, where there is a need for remote monitoring of the state of objects or the collection of big data for the purpose of analysis. IoT makes it possible to save on equipment maintenance: sensors collect information about its condition, so maintenance is performed when it is needed. And prevention is always cheaper than repair.

IoT-based smart homes, smart office and industrial IoT devices have been increasing in popularity for many years, but the integration of IoT solutions is still quite low. In turn, the technologies underlying IoT products are becoming more accessible, which means that IoT solutions will develop not only for large businesses, but also for ordinary users.

How to develop an application for IoT products?

1. Choose your devices

Whether you're building your own devices or integrating an application with existing solutions, it's worth making sure they meet the criteria:

- data storage and processing capabilities
- industry communication standards
- efficient power management

2. Safety priority

IoT application security is one of the biggest challenges facing the world of Internet-connected networks.

Attacks typically include distributed DOS attacks, spam attacks, and takeovers due to poor code quality, bugs, or unauthorized access. As the number of IoT devices will grow, the security of communications and the software product itself must be given a lot of time.

3. Choose an IoT platform

An IoT platform is a framework that ties together the major parts of an IoT architecture. You can develop your own solution or use one of the existing platforms such as Google Cloud Platform.

IoT platform types typically include:

- end-to-end platforms: provide end-to-end solutions from data transmission and processing to analytics and application deployment
- connectivity platforms: provide a network to connect devices within the system
- cloud solutions: provide reliable infrastructures with high scalability

4. Focus on user experience (UX)

Building an IoT product follows the core software development principle of putting users first. To avoid many mistakes, answer the following questions:

- what problems should your development solve?
- what actions do you want to simplify for your users?

It is important to conduct research and business analysis of the problem itself, the experience of solving similar problems of competitors and the users themselves. It is worth understanding exactly how people act now. This will allow you to understand how people will use your product.