Corporate Vision Corporate Vision Best IoT & Connected Devices Software Engineering Company 2024 - UK While your product or IoT infrastructure may be a stunning example of the power of this new technology, does the app that goes with it offer the same level of polish? Having a working IoT service is only half the battle, especially when aspects such as security, reliability and user experience need to align, in terms of excellence. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at why investing in a quality app is essential. We hear more from Managing Director Andy Farmer below as MyOxygen wins its title in our Corporate Excellence Awards 2024. For users, designers and developers in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector, it’s an exciting time. As the end of 2024 nears, you can expect to find more than 207 billion devices, tools, toys and appliances connected to the worldwide IoT (Marr, B., October 2023, Forbes.) Security With our increased interconnectivity come new avenues for security breaches, something that few in the app industry and within the broader IoT sector have fully come to terms with. According to a recent study carried out by security house Keyfactor, a huge number of encryption keys that are essential to preventing unwanted access to systems were either too weak or had been duplicated, which put them at substantial risk to hacking. Keyfactor (Boehm, E., Keyfactor, January 2024) reports that 89% of organisations they surveyed said their IoT products have faced cyber-attacks in the last 12 months, with the incidence rate increasing for 69% of organisations and resulting in critical monetary losses. Due to the fact that embedded software is usually too low-powered to create truly random number encryptions, IoT devices are most at threat from cyber-attacks. While smart home appliances may offer great benefits, without proper protection, cybercriminals will focus their efforts on these weak links in the system. IoT cyber security is reliant on ensuring data confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the IoT ecosystem. Its holy grail includes secure device design, robust data encryption, strict access control, and continuous monitoring and updating to mitigate emerging threats. An ongoing relationship with your software provider can reduce these threats. Subpar user experience Designing a quality user experience (UX) for a new app is a tricky endeavour; doing so for an IoT system that may span an entire business presents a raft of difficulties for the unprepared. As a result, UX is sometimes relegated to the back burner behind other features such as data collection. Doing so, however, can result in apps that are difficult to navigate and lack personalisation, with reliability and usage compromised. Apart from being extremely irritating, this can lead to a significant drop in productivity. Involving users at the scoping stage can grow engagement and buy-in for ensuing training, and post-creation, particularly in sectors such as healthcare. IoT in healthcare is ‘triangular’, connecting data (patient information or performance data), people (patients, clinicians, caregivers), and processes (healthcare delivery and patient support) (IoT in Healthcare Market - Global Forecast to 2028, Markets and Markets 2024) hence the need for UX to be human-centred. Poor UX can also lead to security risks, as users may be more likely to disable security features or make mistakes that can be exploited by hackers. Working with a specialist While the above points are some of the most egregious sins we’ve noticed on IoT devices and services, the list is by no means exhaustive. Because of this, it really does pay to work with a specialist in the app design industry. By outsourcing your app design requirements to a specialist team with skills and experience in the IoT sector, you are much more likely to receive a finished product that is equally as polished as your own. A collaborative approach ensures that the final product meets the highest standards of security, reliability, and user experience. Furthermore, specialists can help companies stay abreast of the latest trends and best practices in IoT app development, ensuring your product remains competitive in a rapidly evolving market. To discuss in more detail how we can help you design, build and support your next IoT application contact Emma Gregory emma@myoxygen.co.uk or call 0117 321 1896 www. myoxygen.co.uk. Contact: Andrew Farmer Company: MyOxygen Web Address: www.myoxygen.co.uk
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