In the industrial sector, IIoT is also known as Industry 4.0 or IoT usage.
There is a lot of hype around the Internet of Things, and with good reason. The IoT promises to increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve customer service for businesses around the world.
However, one of the challenges that businesses face with this technology is how to store all their data and ensure security. In order to avoid huge expenses on infrastructure upgrades or site relocations—or worse yet, data breaches that could potentially cost millions—businesses need a way to store all their data in an efficient and secure manner.
A good way of storing IoT data is to make use of an existing network infrastructure. However, making use of an existing network infrastructure often comes with a number of challenges that may make data management difficult.
What is IoT Data Storage
IoT data storage is the process of taking all the data generated by a business’s IoT devices, sifting through it, and storing it for future reference. In order to do this, businesses need to be able to identify patterns in the data and separate it into different categories.
According to IoT Analytics, 545 IoT projects are motivated by cost savings.
For example, a manufacturing company could have an industrial robot that keeps a record of how much time and material is used for each finished good. This information would tell the robot when to reorder more raw materials so that production can be continuous. If this order information is not stored, then production may stop abruptly when inventory runs low.
The data collected by the robot is a good example of IoT data storage. To understand why, let’s take a look at what data is recorded and how it is processed.
How to Store IoT Data
Before businesses can start storing their IoT data, they need to make sure that they are using the right equipment. A network center or a cloud provider can be used in order to store the data that is generated by IoT devices. The number of active IoT devices is expected to exceed 25.4 billion by 2030.
After all the equipment has been set up, businesses will still need to work through several processes in order to get their IoT devices working properly:
1) Identify what kind of information you want to collect from your IoT devices and how you are going to use it. One of the challenges in IoT data storage is that you have to take a lot of different aspects into account.
For example, if you have a temperature sensor installed, then you also need to consider what kind of temperature it should be recording and how much variation is within a normal range.
2) Map out all the information that your IoT devices can provide, then think about how you will store it or use it. Once all your data has been collected, businesses will need to figure out where they are going to store this information. Storage devices may be needed if you need to look back in time, or additional cloud servers might be necessary if your data is always being added to.
3) Set up your communication system so that the information can be transferred from the IoT devices to the network server or cloud.
4) Decide where you are going to store your information. Once you have all your data in storage, it is time to figure out where you are going to put it. This will depend on the type of IoT device, how long you will need this information for, what information it is going to contain and whether you need privacy or security when storing your data.
5) Set up the application that will control access to IoT data. Finally, businesses who store their data on network servers or cloud providers must set up a system that can allow users to get access to the stored data and present it in a targeted manner.
If all of these steps are followed properly and thoroughly enough, IoT devices can be used as a powerful way of collecting valuable business information and storing it for future use.
Data Visualization Tools
Industrial IoT, also known as Industry 4.0, is one of the largest areas for IoT projects, with a market value of $106.1 billion expected by 2026.
There are many data visualization tools available that can help with data analysis and provide detailed analysis reports. IoT data visualization can be used to visualize data from devices connected to the internet of things, and big data can be visualized using tools that are designed for handling large data sets.
The data analysis process for the internet of things can be quite complex, as sensor data from multiple sources must be correlated and visualized in a multi-layered way. However, the benefits of being able to collect and analyze data from a variety of sources can be enormous. By understanding how various data sets are related, businesses and organizations can make better decisions, optimize processes, and improve outcomes.
There are many different IoT data visualization tools available to help you make sense of the data generated by all the different devices and sensors in your network. Some tools focus on raw data, while others provide more sophisticated visualizations. Ultimately, the best tool for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences.
IoT data analytics tools help organizations manage and visualize data collected from IoT devices. Data points from IoT devices can be processed and analyzed to provide insights that can help improve operations and decision-making.
A data visualization tool can be used to create graphical representations of data that can be used to identify trends and patterns. Data management tools can be used to store, process, and analyze data collected from IoT devices.
5 Challenges of Storing IoT Data
By 2025, the amount of data produced by IoT devices is estimated to reach 73.1 ZB (zettabytes). No matter how good your design is, there are still some challenges that could interfere with your IoT data storage process. If you want to store all of your data properly and accurately, then it is vital that you deal with all the following challenges.
1. Security Issues
To ensure that data cannot be tampered with or interfered with, businesses will need to make sure that all the functions of their devices are secure and solid. For example, if a sensor is connected to the Internet, then anyone who wants to access it can do so by sending and receiving commands from a remote location. This may expose them to hackers who can tamper with and manipulate the information contained on the device.
2. Privacy Concerns
Another challenge that businesses need to think about is data privacy concerns. For example, if an employee’s personal data is collected by IoT devices, then this may be a cause for concern for the employee and for employers alike. Businesses that have promised to keep confidential information secure must ensure that all of their IoT data is protected from any unauthorized access.
3. Data Storage Capacity Issues
One of the challenges in storing IoT data is capacity. As IoT device use continues to increase, there has been an increase in demand for storage space as well. This can cause storage problems because there are only so many servers—or even cloud providers—that businesses can use to store their information.
4. Network Issues
Another challenge in storing IoT data is network issues. Since IoT devices will eventually have to be connected to devices, networks, and cloud providers that are used by businesses, they will also need to be connected.
Being able to connect your IoT devices effectively can be a challenge in itself, but it is even more important since the information being collected is critical for businesses. In order to do this successfully, businesses need to know how their IoT equipment and cloud servers can communicate with each other effectively.
5. Data Retrieval Limitations
A final challenge in storing IoT data properly is data retrieval limitations. If you do have to look back through older data stored on a server, then it may prove to be difficult since businesses will have to find the information stored on their equipment.
In order for this to be done effectively, businesses need to develop an effective metadata system that can allow for accurate and speedy retrieval of IoT data.
7 Solutions for Storing IoT Data
Once businesses have identified what kind of data they will be collecting on their IoT devices, they will then need to think about how they are going to store this data.
In order to store IoT data properly, there are seven different solutions that businesses can choose from:
1. An In-house Solution for Storing and Retrieving IoT Device Information
If a business decides that it does not need to rely on cloud providers or other third-party service providers for IoT device storage and retrieval, then it can create its own network server or cloud system. This means that the solution is being built by the company itself which means it is more customized and will integrate with existing technology more efficiently.
2. A Third-Party System for Storing IoT Data
If a business decides that it needs to store its own data but does not want to build its own network server or cloud system, then it can choose to use an external service provider. This means that there is an operator who will run the server or cloud so all of the information can be stored securely and efficiently.
3. Third-Party Storage Systems for IoT Devices with Advanced Features
Another solution that businesses have is using third-party companies and services to store their data remotely. This means that there are two parts to this solution – a third-party company will store the data and a business will access it when needed.
4. A Complete IoT Device Management Solution
If a business wants to use IoT devices as part of their product or service, then they can choose to have a service provider manage the data collection, storage and retrieval process. These companies will likely collect device-specific information with the help of IoT software that they have developed themselves or licensed from third-party companies.
5. A Completely Cloud-Based Storage Solution
This is the most common system for storing IoT data since the hardware required to do so is small and does not need any maintenance once it is set up. This means that you do not have to worry about setting up servers or other kinds of equipment.
6. A Hybrid Cloud Solution for Storing and Accessing IoT Data
Hybrid cloud systems work like hybrid cars. The device is connected to the internet, but it is also limited to certain locations due to the data storage capacity and security requirements that a business will want to put on its device.
7. An IoT Analytics Solution that Uses Predictive Analytics
Analytics applications can identify trends in IoT data for better performance, security and energy efficiency. This type of application also enables companies to gain insights into the operating environment, employee productivity, and financial metrics in real time.
6 Benefits of Storing IoT Data
The benefits of embracing IoT exceed the risks, according to 94% of retailers.
There are many benefits to storing IoT data, including:
1. Improved Operational Efficiency and Productivity
By collecting and storing IoT data from multiple devices, businesses can analyze and identify problems that are occurring in their operations. This will allow them to determine which equipment or processes need to be improved so that time and energy are not lost as it had previously.
As a result, a business will have increased productivity because it can improve its equipment or processes in order to reduce the number of errors that can potentially arise in the future.
2. Improved Customer Service
By using IoT information properly, businesses will be able to enhance their customer service capabilities. If a company knows how its equipment is performing, then it can determine if there are problems with its systems.
This information will allow businesses to provide a better customer experience because they will be able to make any necessary changes or improvements that need to be done before they happen.
3. Improved Decision Making
By storing IoT data and analyzing it properly, businesses can make better business decisions. This means that companies will be able to establish more effective strategies for their ongoing operations and use the information that has been stored on its devices for innovative new products or services.
4. Reduced Costs
By collecting and storing IoT data, businesses will be able to reduce the costs of operations. This will allow them to operate more efficiently and improve their return on investment.
5. Increased Employee Satisfaction and Productivity
Employees are happy in a business when they feel that they are being well trained as well as have the adequate tools needed to perform tasks effectively. Employees that feel that they do not have enough training or necessary tools will be unlikely to make the effort needed to function properly in their position, which can lead to an overall poor employee experience for company operations.
6. Increased Potential for Innovation
If a business collects data from IoT devices and analyzes it in the proper way, then it will be able to spot trends that would otherwise go unnoticed. This means that companies can have an opportunity to innovate new products and services in the market much more easily as they will have a better understanding of how existing products are being used, which provides opportunities to change their models.
Final Note
The IoT is being adopted by all kinds of devices, from self-driving cars to smart refrigerators. As more devices are online and collecting data, it becomes harder to manage, communicate, analyze and integrate this data. An IoT service provider gathers the enterprise data and turns it into actionable insights to help you make important business decisions.
It may be tempting for a business to deal with the storage issues itself if there is not much data or if it is considering a small project that will not collect any information at all. However, as the technology increases in popularity and more products are connected online, it will become harder for a business to manage its own storage requirements without hiring third-party company experts who can handle the task for them.
Last Updated on October 11, 2023 by Priyanshi Sharma
