When talking about future-proof technologies or solutions we always face a dilemma – we can’t know what the future looks like. We can make educated guesses and we can have well-argued opinions, but at the end of the day we simply don’t know. This doesn’t mean, however, that we shouldn’t prepare for different scenarios and choose technologies that are as future-proof as possible.
Firstly, technology should never be the starting point; instead we should concentrate on business and application needs. These needs evolve over time and so should the technology. When choosing a wireless connectivity solution for IoT one should pay attention to at least five factors.
- Scalability, in terms of the number of devices, network coverage, and data capacity
- Remote upgradeability
- Software & hardware decoupling
- Flexibility for different application needs
- Continuous development
On top of these must-haves, there is one very practical question to be answered. Because IoT or digitalization of different applications have so diversified needs for the networking technology, it is crucial that applying the technology in real-life applications such as lighting, building management, production processes or logistics, is easy and straight forward.
We all know of superior technologies that have never triumphed, or even surfaced the market. I believe that connectivity should be a platform on which the applications are built on and developed on, not only a technology. End user deserves not only the best technology in terms of KPI’s but in terms of value. The end users deserve better and more.
