All IoT platforms are primarily about connecting IoT devices and applications and filling the gap between device network and sensor arrangement.

By using backend applications and intelligent analytics, an IoT platform enables understanding and receiving true value from large data amounts generated by thousands of IoT devices.

Since the Internet of Things attracts a lot of attention and huge investment, there are many IoT platforms providing the ability to develop, deploy, and scale IoT applications.

IoT platforms

1. Microsoft Azure IoT Suite platform

Like other corporations interested in IoT growth, Microsoft works hard on delivering successful tools and technologies for building IoT solutions. Microsoft Azure IoT Suite platform offers a wide range of services allowing to develop, customize, and extend IoT solutions.

Microsoft Azure IoT Suite provides the following capabilities:

• Gathering, storing, and querying large data sets
• Analyzing data collected from multiple devices and applications
• Visualizing real-time and historical data
• Managing multiple devices
• Making integration with back-office systems

Microsoft Azure IoT Suite is a complicated platform mainly introduced by:

• Supported protocols: HTTP, AMQP, MQTT
• Data management tools: Cosmos DB, Microsoft SQL, Azure Storage
• Monitoring and analytics tools: Azure Stream Analytics
• Analytics, machine learning: Azure ML
• Data visualization: Notification Hubs, Power BI
• Monitoring and management features: IoT Hub, Event Hubs

2. IBM Watson IoT platform

IBM Watson IoT platform is a cloud-hosted service, enabling to connect IoT devices and manage the entire IoT landscape. The platform provides such possibilities as collecting, analyzing, storing, and communicating data, while providing the security of multiple devices and applications.

IBM Watson IoT platform includes the following elements:

• Supported protocols: MQTT
• Data management tools: IBM Watson IoT Platform
• Monitoring and analytics tools: IoT Real-Time Insights, IBM Streaming Analytics
• Analytics, machine learning: Predictive Analytics service (on Bluemix) + SPP Modeler (offline)
• Data visualization: Embeddable Reporting, IBM Push Notifications
• Monitoring and management features: IBM Watson IoT Platform

Get insight into the review of other popular IoT platforms, components, and capabilities.