Top 5 Biggest Challenges of IoT Technology and Main Issues

Organizations invest more in IoT devices to make good decisions, outperform the competition, reduce costs, and increase efficiency regardless of industry. 

However, IoT networks are spreading rapidly, and their management poses significant challenges. These IoT challenges include connectivity, data barriers, scalability, and security, which businesses today find challenging to manage. 

To be successful, IoT leaders must tackle the following top five IoT management challenges.

1. Data management

IoT networks spawn unprecedented volumes of data that must be managed as a priority. Organizations should be able to collect only the data that they want to record and analyze. A surplus would make it difficult to obtain relevant information. 

IoT experts need to find the right combination of software that will effectively track and analyze the data collected and the storage option that can handle it all. As a result, many organizations are turning to cloud offerings now.

The bandwidth that transports data from the device to the storage to the processor and vice versa is also often overlooked. And yet, even a brief downtime can be critical for an organization managing sensitive data.

2. Battery Life of IoT Devices

Many companies ignore that energy consumption is another factor in managing IoT devices. IoT devices use either regular power supply in hard-to-reach places or battery power in remote areas. 

While most technologies advance rapidly, battery life is still lagging. Organizations continuously monitor the batteries of tiny IoT devices and schedule regular maintenance, recharging, or replacement. 

Finding ways to conserve devices' power when they're not in use can help better manage a fleet of remote devices.

3. Device monitoring

Each new sensor, beacon, or controller should be installed, configured, monitored, diagnosed, updated, and maintained regularly. 

IT administrators can easily manage new devices through online portals or IoT device management software. Older devices may require additional work. This includes, among other things, adding a subnet to improve the performance of legacy devices.

4. Device connectivity

Network traffic and internet connectivity increase with every new IoT device. The network must therefore evolve to accommodate them. Some machines use wired connections, but most rely on wireless technology. 

The latest Wi-Fi technology can ensure high availability and scalability. Some organizations may turn to cellular networks to connect devices in populated or urban areas. 

Remote devices that rely on cellular connections may increase regular fees charged by wireless service providers and any excess charges incurred by the machines.

5. Cybersecurity

Every IoT device is a potential entry point to target a company's network. Provisioning and authentication can help prevent unauthorized users or devices from connecting to devices or the organization's network. 

IT administrators need to plan for updates to IoT devices because IoT technology changes rapidly. Physically connected devices can update securely if they are in the corporate network. 

Updates to remote devices may require additional planning to avoid switching to high work times or power-saving periods of a machine. IT administrators should also put safeguards in place to protect transmitted data.