Enterprises across the world are joining the IoT bandwagon with new devices, services & means to devise solutions, Microsoft continues to be a game-changer with Azure IoT Suite. This makes the IoT implementations simpler to get started with through pre-configured solutions to derive business value easily.
The bundle of services includes IoT Hub, Event Hub, Machine Learning, Stream Analytics, Notifications Hubs, Power BI, Web apps, Logic apps to form pre-configured solutions as well. It enables quick interconnection of assets while supporting a wide variety of operating systems & devices. This supports real-time and predictive analytics to facilitate the analysis and visualization of huge quantities of data.
The growing digital transformation of the world around us, especially in the context of business, has brought forth a variety of technologies such as IoT, AI and more. Of course, the market has plenty of solutions to offer as well, but of late the Microsoft Azure suite of IoT services seems to be taking the market by storm.
Let us take a look at some of its key benefits to understand why that may be.
1. Ease of use: IoT can understandably come across as a highly complex, and thus intimidating, endeavor to most companies. Microsoft’s Azure IoT services seek to address this particular concern via the provision of an IoT platform that remains easy to use for users with varying levels of skills. It includes app templates, SDKs that need minimum coding, plug-and-play device connections, etc. to make things easier.
2. Security: This is a given, especially considering that this is an offering from the house of the technology behemoth that is Microsoft. Consequently, Azure IoT benefits from the company’s strong focus on security. And it is not merely an overall set of provisions, every single Azure IoT service gets its own set of security measures.
Allow us to further demonstrate its value via some use cases:
1. Logistics: Logistics, of course, is a critical part of keeping the world running, as has become painfully evident over the past 1.5 years. So, to help keep logistics’ operations on track, Azure’s IoT solutions can help companies monitor their shipments in real-time, no matter the mode of transport.
2. In-store analytics: The retail sector is subject to cut-throat competition in today’s market, thanks to not only the advent of the e-commerce sector but also the coronavirus pandemic. In such a scenario, retailers need all the help they can get, including from IoT. So, with Azure’s dynamic suite of IoT offerings, retail companies can keep an eye on the in-store traffic, better manage checkout queues in the store, etc. to cut down wait times and improve customer experiences.
3. Inventory management: Unlike what some people may think, the efficient and smarter management of inventory has proven to be a pressing need for not only manufacturing companies or those operating in the logistics and supply chain sector; inventory management is, in fact, a vital point of focus for all companies. To that end, the Azure IoT solutions, along with sensors and other requisite tools, can help via automation of the receiving process, monitoring product movement, monitoring sales, and demand, etc. to ensure optimal inventory levels.
There is no denying that the Azure IoT hub offers a world of possibilities when it comes to IoT and all the many ways in which you can leverage it for your business. So, no matter if you are a medical equipment manufacturer or running a brick-and-mortar retail store for shoes, IoT can lend incredible assistance to any business endeavor. Now, of course, out of the many, many solutions in the market, Microsoft Azure’s popular offering, i.e. the IoT hub, has proven to be a leading player as also observed via the above discussion. So, what are you waiting for? To find a trusted Azure app development services provider and get started on integrating these valuable services to drive your business’ growth.
Kaushal Shah manages digital marketing communications for the enterprise technology services provided by Rishabh Software.