New research from Premier Farnell Shows Growing Role of Hardware in Design Process for Internet of Things solutions
Common Standards and Policies also identified as key to accelerating the benefits of IoT
Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, has published new research on the Internet of Things which confirms that hardware platforms have become an essential part of the early stage design process, enabling engineers to test their designs quickly and cost-effectively; and rapidly deliver proof of concept.
Survey result clearly shows design engineers using a range of hardware platforms to accelerate development pace and shorten time to the market. Results show 50% of developers use single board computers such as the Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone Black as they provide ready-to-use embedded development platforms for building end-products. Other developers advised that they used their own design platforms (27%) or development platforms provided by the silicon vendors (19%).
Respondents to the survey, undertaken by Premier Farnell in late 2018, also advised that they prefer to design a complete solution for edge-to-cloud-security themselves (58%), rather than relying on third-party providers. Security continues to be top on the list of developer considerations (52%). Developers understand the critical importance of choosing an IoT platform that efficiently, securely, and economically supports their IoT applications, rather than relying on external parties which can sometimes cost more to run and maintain.
Cliff Ortmeyer, Global Head of Solutions Development for Premier Farnell said: “Opportunities within the Internet of Things have grown as developers gain greater access to hardware and software solutions that allow them to bring products to market quickly. Premier Farnell provides access to an extensive range of development tools for IoT, and works with innovative providers to bring the latest for AI and security, including the SmartEdge Agile, adding intelligence at the edge with zero-code, to the Zymbit ZYMKEY 4i security module for plug-in security in connected devices.”
The need for common standards and policies was also highlighted as key to accelerating the benefits of IoT. Interoperability (certified standards), connectivity standards, open standards and common privacy policies were all high on the list of developer wishes.
Research also suggested that opportunities within the Internet of Things will continue to grow. Key application areas expected to grow in the next five years include home automation, industrial automation & control and Artificial intelligence. The greatest perceived opportunity for benefits is seen in professional and industrial applications, with operational applications, including opportunities to collate data across entire operations to optimising workplace resources, reducing costs and driving business profitability.
The research was conducted between September and November 2018 with 1042 respondents across Europe, Americas and APAC. Full results of the survey, with additional insights on programming language use, communication method type, hardware components, cloud service providers and sensor technology are available to view at https://uk.farnell.com/global-iot-survey-2018.
About us
Premier Farnell is a global technology leader with over 80 years in the high service distribution of technology products and solutions for electronic system design, production, maintenance and repair. Premier Farnell uses this experience to support its broad customer base, from hobbyists to engineers, maintenance engineers and buyers as ‘The Development Distributor’, working with leading brands and start-ups to develop new products for market, and supporting the industry as it seeks to develop the current and next generation of engineers.
Premier Farnell is a business unit of Avnet (Nasdaq: AVT). Premier Farnell trades as Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America, and element14 throughout Asia Pacific. The Premier Farnell Group is supported by a global supply chain of more than 3,500 suppliers and has an extensive inventory profile developed to anticipate and meet the needs of innovative customers everywhere. Premier Farnell sells direct to consumers through a network of resellers, and its CPC business in the UK.
For more information, visit the website at http://www.premierfarnell.com
