IoT platforms

Information from the network layer is often managed with the help of IoT platforms. Many companies today provide IoT platform services, where they help not only with data but also enable seamless integration with different hardware. Since they function as a mediator between the hardware and application layer, IoT platforms are also referred to as IoT middleware and are part of the service layer in the IoT reference stack. IoT platforms provide the ability to connect and communicate with things from anywhere in the world. In this book, we'll briefly cover some popular IoT platforms such as the Google Cloud Platform, Azure IoT, Amazon AWS IoT, Predix, and H2O. 

You can select which IoT platform is best for you based on the following criteria:

• Scalability: Addition and deletion of new devices to the existing IoT network should be possible
• Ease of use: The system should be perfectly working and delivering all its specifications with minimum intervention
• Third party integration: Heterogeneous devices and protocols should be able to inter-network with each other
• Deployment options: It should be workable on a broad variety of hardware devices and software platforms
• Data security: The security of data and devices is ensured