Drive New Business Value With Microsoft Azure IoT Central

The internet of things (IoT) is quickly becoming a major driver of value for forward-thinking and innovative companies, but many businesses are struggling to keep up. In fact, according to a 2017 study by Cisco, three out of four IoT device implementations fail due to issues like technical challenges, security failures, and fundamental flaws in planning and execution.

For businesses that haven’t yet solved the puzzle of IoT, Microsoft Azure IoT Central may offer the answers you’re looking for. This cutting-edge solution from Microsoft makes developing and implementing IoT systems much simpler and faster, lowering the barriers to transformative cloud-based innovation for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

What Is Azure IoT Central?

Azure IoT Central is a fully-managed, global IoT software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering that allows businesses to connect, monitor, and manage their IoT devices and assets. The SaaS-based nature of Azure IoT Central means that Microsoft hosts the code, databases, and servers that make up the product so you can focus on your business. Azure IoT Central differs from Azure IoT Hub in that Azure IoT Hub can be customized and extended via C# and .NET development modules, whereas Azure IoT Central is more for use directly “out of the box.” The benefit of Azure IoT Central is that you can get a faster time to implementation, but this comes with the drawback that you can’t customize Azure IoT Central like you can with Azure IoT Hub solutions.

This method of product delivery provides several key advantages:

1. Massive Savings on Infrastructure

The SaaS model lets businesses use the solution without having to sink costs into on-premises infrastructure to host the entire system. This gives small- and medium-sized businesses access to solutions that would have previously been enterprise-only.

2. Unparalleled Access

Teams can access their apps and data remotely from any place that provides an internet connection.

3. A Convenient Pay-as-You-Go Pricing Model

SaaS allows businesses to purchase the product through a subscription and spread the cost over time rather than bearing the massive up-front expense associated with an on-premises installation. And since the solution is completely cloud-based, businesses can scale up quickly without having to worry about adding more infrastructure.

4. Rapid Time to Market

Since a tremendous amount of software functionality exists in the pre-built Azure IoT Central solution, your implementation team simply needs to provide a small amount of configuration customization. Then, you can quickly move a solution into production instead of having to spend a tremendous amount of time developing functionality.

Microsoft designed Azure IoT Central with accessibility in mind, so it requires no prior experience with cloud computing solutions. Instead, Azure IoT Central provides a “low-code” environment where users can build and customize their solutions by simply dragging and dropping assets from the built-in library.

This approach allows businesses to get started quickly and build production-grade IoT applications in a matter of hours. And despite its accessible nature, Microsoft Azure IoT Central is an enterprise-level product with best-in-class security features.

What Can Azure IoT Central Do for My Business?

If you previously felt like the benefits of IoT lingered out of reach for your business due to cost concerns, lack of expertise, or the limitations of your infrastructure, Azure IoT Central gives you a new option that can help solve these challenges.

In addition, Azure IoT Central offers several advantages and features that are particularly enticing for small- and medium-sized businesses:

Get started in a few minutes, create a finished IoT solution in a matter of hours, and connect new devices in seconds.
Adjust the scope of your IoT system rapidly from just a few devices to thousands — or more.
Gather data from your IoT devices and customize the reporting for quick visual analysis.
Utilize powerful security and privacy options, including secure authorization and authentication.
Seamlessly integrate Azure IoT Central with your existing IT solutions and business systems.
Move forward with confidence in the proven track record of the Microsoft Azure IoT suite.

Even though Microsoft Azure IoT Central makes IoT solutions available and accessible to a wider range of businesses than ever before, it’s still advisable to work with an established Microsoft Azure IoT partner like Stratus Innovations Group to roll out a comprehensive, cloud-based IoT software solution for your business. If you’re interested in leveraging the incredible benefits of IoT and cloud computing, we can help you evaluate your options, guide you through setup, and customize your solution to make sure it integrates seamlessly and creates immediate business value.

Contact Stratus Innovations Group to Find Out How Your Business Can Tap Into the Power of the Internet of Things

At Stratus Innovations group, our sole focus is on cloud computing solutions, and our mission is to help your business become more profitable and efficient. To speak with someone from our team, call 844-561-6721 or fill out our quick and easy contact form. We’ll help you bring the power of the cloud to your business!

Reference

Walker, J. (2017, November 15). Cisco: 75% of IoT projects are failing due to lack of expertise. Digital Journal. Retrieved from http://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-and-science/technology/cisco-75-of-iot-projects-are-failing-due-to-lack-of-expertise/article/507675

Posted in IoT and tagged internet of things, iot, saas, software as service