The Power of Digitization and Connectivity: A Deep Dive into IoT Infrastructure and Value Creation

As we stand on the brink of transformative industry shifts, many companies are grappling with how best to leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) to optimize processes, gain data-driven insights, and drive long-term value. IoT’s potential to connect telemetry across devices—from industrial machinery and HVAC systems to household appliances—is redefining what businesses can do with their data. But achieving meaningful connectivity goes beyond just installing IoT; it involves creating a robust infrastructure that centralizes data for comprehensive insights, scalability, and value generation.

In this article, we’ll explore how IoT infrastructure serves as the foundation for data-driven growth, examine the pivotal stages in deploying IoT to create business value, and highlight our unique approach to IoT solutions that prioritize customer ownership and long-term adaptability.

Why IoT Infrastructure Matters to Your Business

At its core, an IoT infrastructure is a connected ecosystem of devices, data, and processes that converge on the cloud. This framework enables a unified view into an organization’s operations, offering a deeper understanding of business metrics across facilities and workflows.

For many companies, the potential applications are vast. Consider the scenarios: monitoring material handling in manufacturing, optimizing climate controls in commercial buildings, or analyzing equipment health in an industrial setting. Once the telemetry from these assets flows into the cloud, it combines with adjacent systems, giving stakeholders, field technicians, and executive teams alike the ability to view, analyze, and act on real-time data. This foundational connectivity future-proofs businesses to harness today’s digital innovations and prepares them to tap into the tech advancements of tomorrow.

IoT Value Generation: Connecting Devices for Strategic Impact

An effective IoT setup generates insights but, more importantly, drives value for the business. Every IoT device produces data that enables organizations to control and optimize operations to reach specific objectives, such as enhancing efficiency or reducing downtime. However, the true potential of these devices remains unrealized in isolation. They must connect with each other and integrate with the cloud to enable informed decisions and consistent value creation.

By establishing connectivity across these devices, companies open up opportunities for powerful, cost-effective solutions that improve processes, streamline workflows, and uncover new revenue streams. These efforts ultimately generate strategic business impact, allowing companies to monetize the solutions that IoT enables.

The Standard IoT Deployment Pattern: Node-Gateway-Cloud

While every IoT deployment is unique, we follow a proven Node-Gateway-Cloud model, which serves as the backbone of IoT systems across sectors. In this model:

• Nodes: Devices are embedded within assets or strategically placed throughout the environment to capture data. Custom hardware is often required to meet specific installation needs, balancing unit cost with functionality.
• Gateway: Serving as the link between local devices and the cloud, the Gateway device executes real-time analytics and ensures reliable data transmission.
• Mobile Application: This essential element streamlines device onboarding and provides technicians with troubleshooting tools for efficient system maintenance.
• Cloud System: The cloud aggregates data from all connected nodes and processes it for access by various stakeholders. Though often viewed as a single entity, in reality, the cloud is usually a composite of multiple platforms—each optimized for distinct functions, such as firmware management, primary data processing, or AI workloads. This modular approach enhances flexibility and ensures that businesses can scale their IoT systems without limitations.
• AI Platform: This is where the true value of IoT data comes to life, supporting AI-driven analytics that enhance decision-making and optimize processes.

Embracing Custom IoT Platforms for Unique Business Needs

One-size-fits-all solutions rarely meet the nuanced demands of modern businesses. At Very, we reject the notion of a singular IoT platform that monopolizes data ingestion and management. Instead, we offer a suite of custom hardware, software, cloud, and design stacks that can be configured to meet the specific needs of each client. This approach not only enables rapid deployment but ensures that companies retain full ownership of their infrastructure and data, safeguarding privacy and intellectual property.

By giving companies control over their data, we provide them with the freedom to scale and adapt their IoT ecosystems to keep pace with industry demands. At Very, we believe that IoT is more than just a connectivity solution; it’s a launchpad for data-centric innovation, productivity, and transformation.

How Very Powers Connectivity and Intelligence Across Industries

At Very, we bring connectivity and intelligence to businesses through four core practices:

1. Product and Interface Design: The user experience for all stakeholders is at the heart of our IoT approach. We emphasize understanding the value stream we’re building, ensuring the IoT deployment meets both user needs and business goals.
2. Hardware and Firmware: From sensors to connectivity modules, our hardware and firmware teams specialize in creating physical IoT components that interact seamlessly with business processes.
3. Software and Digital Infrastructure: Access to IoT data should be streamlined and accessible. Our digital infrastructure is designed for scalability, giving businesses the right tools to monitor and manage their systems with ease.
4. Data Solutions, AI, and Machine Learning: IoT data is the starting point; we apply advanced analytics and machine learning models to unlock new levels of insight. This helps businesses become pioneers in the ongoing wave of digital transformation.

Final Thoughts: Preparing for a Connected Future

The role of IoT in business is clear: it’s a strategic investment that empowers companies to drive efficiency, innovate at scale, and discover new avenues for value. As IoT technologies continue to advance, businesses will need flexible, custom solutions to fully harness the power of digitization and connectivity.

Very’s proven IoT framework provides that, enabling organizations to make the most of their data assets while securing their digital transformation future. As companies across industries look toward an increasingly connected world, IoT infrastructure remains the critical foundation for sustainable growth and a competitive edge in the age of information.

Read the full whitepaper to explore these topics and more, and learn how to future-proof your operations with industrial digitization.