Many companies rely on IoT devices for daily operations. Learn how industries like Retail, Transportation and Manufacturing access and support IoT devices remotely.
The global IoT market size was $309 billion in 2020, and it is projected to grow by 25% every year, reaching over $1.8 trillion by 2028, according to the Fortune Business Insights report, Internet of Things (IoT) Market, 2021-2028. In other words, the massive number of IoT devices that companies currently manage and support is only going to rise.
Companies across a wide range of industries are relying heavily on IoT devices to run their business. In many cases, the IoT devices are used or operated independently in remote locations far from a company’s IT support team. Consider just three industries – Transportation & Logistics, Retail & Hospitality and OEM & Manufacturing – and how they are leveraging remote IoT devices to streamline operations and service customers faster.
What is IoT Remote Access?
IoT remote access is the ability to connect to, monitor, and control Internet of Things (IoT) devices from a remote location. This capability is crucial for managing and supporting a wide array of IoT devices, such as smart appliances, industrial sensors, and connected vehicles, without needing to be physically present. Through secure remote access solutions like Splashtop, businesses can perform diagnostics, updates, and maintenance on IoT devices, ensuring they operate efficiently and effectively, regardless of where they are located.
Key Benefits of Remote Access to IoT Devices
Remote access to IoT devices offers numerous advantages that enhance efficiency, productivity, and security:
Real-Time Monitoring and Control: Enables continuous monitoring and immediate control of IoT devices, allowing for swift responses to any issues or adjustments needed.
Cost Savings: Reduces the need for on-site visits, cutting down travel costs and minimizing downtime by addressing problems remotely.
Enhanced Security: Facilitates timely updates and security patches, ensuring IoT devices are protected against vulnerabilities.
Increased Operational Efficiency: Allows businesses to manage and optimize the performance of IoT devices from anywhere, improving overall operational efficiency.
Scalability: Supports the management of large networks of IoT devices across multiple locations, making it easier to scale operations as needed.
Industries Leveraging Remote IoT Devices
Transportation & Logistics
Truck drivers are using handheld computers like RFID readers and tablets to manage their routes. At the same time, the companies rely on vehicle-mounted computers (ELD) to track drivers and the valuable cargo they transport. Aggregated data from all devices provides real-time information. This kicks off processes in backend systems for inventory management and supply chain ordering. What’s more, many companies use IoT to remotely manage inventory items, prevent under/overloading, monitor supply levels, track the condition of goods and locate goods at all times.
Retail & Hospitality
In-store employees use handheld devices to check availability, pricing and other product information to perform real-time customer assistance. POS systems tie to backend systems for automated inventory management and ordering. Many restaurants and theme parks use Android devices as their POS, turning any location into a convenient point of sale. More and more retailers are utilizing digital displays for in-store marketing. Kiosks in hotels and theme parks serve to assist customers, providing digital information about venues, directions, ticket availability and more.
OEM & Manufacturing
Post-sale, companies can see how in-the-field products are performing. Both B2B and B2C products have IoT functionality built into them. Popular products with IoT functionality in 2022 include smart security cameras and security systems, smart fire alarms, smart refrigerators, smartwatches, smart door locks, smart bicycles, medical sensors, fitness trackers, etc. Of course, IoT-enabled devices are also common on today’s manufacturing shop floor. Many of these devices issue alerts when machine sensors signal a change in operational performance.
Challenges and Security Concerns of Managing IoT Devices Remotely
Managing IoT devices remotely presents several challenges and security concerns that need careful consideration:
Cybersecurity Threats: IoT devices are often targeted by cybercriminals due to weak security protocols. Ensuring that all devices are secured with encryption and strong authentication methods is crucial.
Complexity of Device Management: With the increasing number of IoT devices, managing them remotely can become complex. This includes keeping track of device configurations, updates, and troubleshooting.
Data Privacy: Protecting the sensitive data collected and transmitted by IoT devices is essential to prevent breaches and unauthorized access.
Network Reliability: Remote access depends on stable and reliable network connections. Any disruption can lead to loss of control or data, impacting operations.
Compliance Issues: Ensuring that IoT device management complies with industry standards and regulations is critical to avoid legal and financial repercussions.
Addressing these challenges with robust security measures, comprehensive management tools, and reliable network infrastructure is vital for the successful remote management of IoT devices.
How to Access and Support IoT Devices Remotely
Accessing and supporting IoT devices remotely involves several key steps to ensure effective management and maintenance:
Install Remote Access Software: Begin by setting up reliable remote access software like Splashtop on the network that hosts your IoT devices. This software provides a secure connection to monitor and control devices from any location.
Configure Security Settings: Ensure that all IoT devices and remote access software are configured with robust security measures, such as encryption and multi-factor authentication, to protect against unauthorized access.
Monitor and Manage Devices: Use the remote access platform to continuously monitor the status of your IoT devices, troubleshoot issues in real-time, and deploy updates or patches as needed.
Provide Remote Support: If an IoT device encounters a problem, you can access it remotely to diagnose the issue, apply fixes, or guide local staff through necessary procedures, minimizing downtime and maintaining operational efficiency.
By following these steps, businesses can efficiently manage their IoT devices, ensuring optimal performance and security across all connected systems.
It's All About Uptime
Companies need a reliable, secure remote access and support solution to ensure the uptime and usability of all their IoT devices. There is simply too much money at stake to leave them at risk.
Consider the retail industry as an example. Whether a company sells clothing, coffee or event tickets, the POS system is core to the customer-facing experience. When the POS stops working properly, everything suffers, and the business has no way to earn revenue. At the same time, customer dissatisfaction skyrockets. According to The Standish Group, a POS outage costs $282,000 per hour (on average) at retail locations. Even for small to medium-sized retailers, a POS outage can mean losses of $21,000 per hour, according to recent research by Redcentric.
For manufacturers, the analyst firm Aberdeen puts the cost of unplanned downtime at up to $260,000 per hour. To determine what it might cost your company (if you manufacture items), simply multiply the number of downtime hours by the number of impacted workers by their average hourly salary, then add in the value of potential cancelled orders. With or without cancelled orders, the downtime becomes expensive fast.
As for transportation and logistics companies, the pandemic has underscored just how much revenue is at stake throughout the entire supply chain when operations do not run smoothly. It amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenue when considering all stakeholders, from consumers and retailers, to the logistics companies and their manufacturing partners.
Efficiently Support Devices with IoT Remote Access
Organizations that fail to effectively support IoT devices could face some hard times in the form of operational miscues, unproductive employees and unhappy customers.
This is where a modern remote access and support solution like Splashtop Enterprise can prove invaluable to the business. Splashtop provides a single unified platform to support IoT devices across multiple operating systems. From a single console, IT admins can make system updates, train end-users and troubleshoot issues in real time.
Because everything happens via remote access technology, IT help desk personnel can gain access to any IoT device. This is regardless of where the device or the help desk personnel are located. Not only does this reduce the cost of providing in-person support but it also increases efficiency, as you can hire the most appropriate/qualified people regardless of their location.
A special advantage for IoT is Splashtop’s unattended access capability. Many IoT devices operate 24x7 and without users always around them. Using unattended access, your IT team can remote into IoT devices and perform software updates and maintenance to head off any potential device failures or errors. When users are present, Splashtop helps you support them with the ‘attended support’ function. Here, your IT help desk personnel simply access the IoT device and share a screen to troubleshoot any issues in real time.
