The profusion of intelligent appliances in homes and work locations has completely reshaped the way we live and work. We now have the capacity to program many of the gadgets we utilize on a daily basis to function at highest productivity levels, autonomously, owing to the Internet of Things (IoT)technology. However, creating IoT solutions can be intricate and time-consuming, requiring outstanding application advancement. Azure IoT Central is a fully automatic Software as a Service solution that hastens and simplifies the execution and administration of IoT solutions. It reduces the intricacy of IoT development and decreases costs by presenting a managed service to configure, secure, and monitor cloud-connected devices and their data feeds without writing code.
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What is Azure IoT Central?
Microsoft Azure Internet of Things (IoT) Central is a cloud service accessible via a web browser that allows the user to create, manage, and monitor IoT solutions without the need to build infrastructure. It provides preconfigured templates for common IoT scenarios like asset tracking, remote monitoring, and predictive maintenance, which can be customized to suit unique business requirements. IoT Central saves enterprises time and resources that would otherwise be spent developing and maintaining an IoT platform from scratch. The service handles all the underlying IoT components including device management, data collection, analytics dashboards, and integrations with other Azure services.
How to Develop an IoT Solution Using Azure IoT Central
Building an Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and managing connected devices at scale can be a complex endeavor. Azure IoT Central is a fully managed IoT SaaS that simplifies the process for IoT solution development and device management. The basic steps for developing an IoT solution using IoT Central are:
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Create an IoT Central Application
The first step is registering an Azure IoT Central account and creating an application container that will hold all relevant assets including devices, device templates, rules, and dashboards.
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Define Device Templates
IoT Central has default device templates for common scenarios but custom templates can be created to meet specific needs. Templates define the telemetry, properties, and commands supported by devices.
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Connect Devices
Once templates are ready, devices connect to the IoT Central application using various connectivity protocols including MQTT, HTTPS, and AMQP. Devices can connect directly or through an IoT hub.
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Configure Rules and Alerts
IoT Central allows setting rules and alerts to automate actions based on device data. Rules can trigger alerts through email, SMS, or other notification channels when certain conditions occur.
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Visualize Data with Dashboards
IoT Central’s drag-and-drop dashboard designer allows creation of custom dashboards to visualize device telemetry using charts, gauges, maps and other visualizations to monitor performance and identify trends.
Advantages of Adopting Azure Central
There are several benefits of utilizing IoT Central for quickly deploying IoT solutions, including:
Low-code Programming:
IoT Central offers a low-code platform for creating and deploying IoT solutions, which decreases the time and cost of IoT development. It enables enterprises to directly connect their devices to the cloud.
Preconfigured Templates:
IoT Central provides preconfigured templates for common IoT scenarios, which lessens the time and effort required for IoT solution design.
Simplified Device Management:
IoT Central handles device connectivity, data management, and visualization, streamlining IoT solution management.
Integration With Other Azure Services:
IoT Central allows integration with other Azure services like Stream Analytics, Power BI, and Azure Functions, enabling advanced analytics and automation.
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Comparison between Azure IoT Hub and Azure IoT Central
| Comparison Factors | Azure IoT Hub | Azure IoT Central |
| Flexibility | Provides more flexibility for customization. | Limited flexibility due to SaaS nature. |
| Level of Technical Skills | Requires software development skills and knowledge. | No coding or cloud skills needed for configuration. |
| Cost | Payment based on total number of messages per day. | Pay-per-device payment model. |
| Maintenance | User is responsible for maintenance. | Microsoft handles all maintenance. |
Also Read: Why you can choose Azure over AWS?
Final Words
Azure IoT Central aims to simplify the process of building and managing IoT solutions for enterprises. IoT Central provides pre-configured templates, low-code configuration, pay-per-device pricing model, and device management capabilities that allow businesses to focus on their core competencies rather than investing time and resources in building an IoT platform. For organizations just starting their IoT journey or those seeking a rapid way to deploy solutions at scale, Azure IoT Central can help accelerate IoT adoption and time to value.
Stridely’s IoT experts can assist organizations in leveraging Azure IoT Central to:
- Evaluate their specific IoT use cases and requirements
- Select the appropriate IoT Central templates and customize them
- Connect devices and set up rules, alerts and dashboards
- Integrate IoT Central with other Azure services and internal systems
- Monitor performance and continuously improve the IoT solution
- Train users and provide ongoing managed IoT services
Our experience in implementing various IoT solutions across industries using Azure IoT Central can help you overcome common challenges and accelerate your IoT initiatives. We adopt a consultative approach to understand your objectives and customize recommendations to maximize the benefits from your IoT investments.