Tech

Mendix and Internet of Things (IoT): Building Connected Apps and Devices

The Internet of Things (IoT) is reshaping entire industries. Its business value is profound, from unlocking disruptive new business models and digital products to digitizing a company’s internal operations and client experience. McKinsey estimates that IoT could produce up to USD 11.1 trillion worth of economic value per year by 2025. So, as we look into the future, IoT cannot be ignored when developing applications.

Mendix, a leading low-code solution, recognizes the need to build IoT-enabled applications. These apps are connected and combine sensor data with machine learning and predictive analytics technologies, creating intelligent, proactive, and context-aware user experiences. Let’s dive deeper into Mendix and the Internet of Things (IoT), including how this low-code platform supports the development of connected IoT-enabled apps and devices.

What are the Challenges of Building Connected Apps and Devices?

Here are some challenges of developing connected, IoT-enabled apps and devices:

Complexity

IoT-enabled (connected) applications and devices have advanced capabilities, such as automatically detecting issues in a system. However, these capabilities require integrating several complex development processes and technologies. This implies that building IoT-enabled apps or smart apps can be challenging.

Also, IoT-enabled solutions consist of a sophisticated, heterogenous mix of IoT endpoints, back-end systems, and platforms. What’s more, these apps process data from different sources, including sensors, embedded software, machine learning, and processor, among other components. Each data source generates a unique data type and structure, making their development even more challenging.

Scarce, Hard-to-Find Skills

Building connected devices and apps involves integrating modern technologies like big data and artificial intelligence (AI) into your application. So, as a developer, you must be well-versed in your organization’s IoT platform and understand different latest technologies, such as machine learning and big data. These skills are rare and key to helping you generate value from real-time large data streams.

It is Time-Consuming

Besides being a complex, skill-demanding process, developing IoT-enabled apps is time-consuming. Since IoT represents uncharted territory, developers must collaborate with businesses to experiment and bring new IoT solutions to the market. This further extends the time to market a connected app or device. Additionally, the accelerating rate of change makes it harder for IT teams to match new advancements and capabilities.

Mendix: A Rapid Path for Creating Connected IoT Apps and Devices

Considering the challenges associated with building connected apps and devices, Mendix has provided a sigh of relief to developers. This low-code development platform is the easiest and fastest way to create an IoT application or software.

IoT is all about connecting sensors, physical objects, and devices to the internet so that they can be controlled and monitored remotely. Mendix provides an ideal platform for building these connected apps and devices without writing much code.

How Mendix Supports IoT and Building Connected Apps and Devices

Mendix provides numerous capabilities and features to help you build connected IoT-enabled apps and devices faster and more efficiently. Some of them include the following:

1.    Seamless Integration with IoT Platforms

Mendix integrates seamlessly with famous IoT platforms, such as IBM IoT Watson, Google Cloud, Azure, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). As a result, it provides streamlined connectivity between sensors, devices, and other physical objects to the internet.

Moreover, Mendix’s integration capabilities with these platforms enable you to quickly develop IoT apps that collect, analyze, and process data from IoT devices. Also, it provides robust security features, making it easier to manage and secure your connected apps.

2.    Low-Code Development

Did you know that low-code solutions can reduce development time by up to 90%? The Mendix low-code platform lets you quickly develop connected apps and software without writing large chunks of code.

Instead of writing code from scratch, Mendix provides numerous built-in templates, logic, and modules. These components offer a great starting point. What’s more, you can use Mendix’s drag-and-drop interface to pull features into your app, saving significant development time and effort.

3.    Machine Learning and Analytics

The Mendix low-code platform features built-in machine learning and analytics capabilities. These capabilities help you analyze and process data from connected apps and devices. As a result, you can use them to gain insights into your business operations and make informed decisions.

Mendix’s machine learning and analytics capabilities support predictive maintenance, helping your business anticipate and address maintenance needs before equipment failures occur. What’s more, you can add Google Analytics tracking to your Mendix IoT app, allowing you to track events, transactions, and pages.

4.    Simplified Data Modeling

Data modeling is one of the most challenging aspects when creating connected apps and devices. Each IoT device generates different data types, implying that different models are necessary. Fortunately, Mendix offers various tools for modeling data from IoT devices, apps, and sensors. These tools help you understand the data you’re collecting from different IoT devices and how to use it to improve your business operations.

Also, Mendix’s data modeling tools enable businesses to develop predictive models to predict future trends and outcomes based on historical data. As a result, you can generate value from IoT data and make data-driven decisions.

5.    Cloud Deployment

The last thing you need is to build a connected app or device that cannot scale in the future. As initially stated, there is an accelerated rate of change, which makes it harder for IT teams to match new advancements and capabilities in connected devices. And that’s where Mendix comes in.

This low-code application development supports cloud deployment, which has various benefits, such as reliability, scalability, and availability. With Mendix’s cloud deployment capabilities, you can easily manage and scale IoT apps, helping you adapt to the changing demands.

Final Thoughts

Mendix is the fastest and easiest way to build connected IoT apps and devices. The platform’s visual, model-driven development approach enables pro and business developers to create and consume IoT services from the best IoT platforms, such as Microsoft Azure, IBM Watson, and AWS. Through this platform-agnostic strategy, the Mendix low-code development platform enables you to create rich experiences on top of connected IoT devices. This helps transform your business models, products, and operations.

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