Overview
The Internet of Things is a connected network of devices that communicate data with each other. Zoho IoT platform provides powerful features to build applications on the cloud to connect, control, and monitor these devices. Requiring low-code for application development, the Zoho IoT platform enables fast set up and deployment. Data collected are filtered and analyzed with advanced features allowing them to be visualized as meaningful outputs. Connecting devices to the Zoho IoT platform is simple and efficient, as it supports Industry standard communication protocols including MQTT, HTTPS, and LoRaWAN.
Who Uses Zoho IoT?
With over a billion devices expected to connect over the internet in the upcoming years, the Zoho IoT platform is for everyone.
Are you an enterprise providing IoT solutions? Build highly scalable client specific IoT applications to meet your customer's requirement.
Are you an Industry trying to modernize your factory? Build capable IoT solutions to undergo a digital transformation.
Are you a logistics company running a fleet of vehicles? Build a robust application for managing and monitoring your vehicles.
Are you a company providing HVAC solutions? Build a personalized Building Monitoring System that can be easily deployed.
Are you an Institution looking to optimize various electronic equipment in your organization? Build your own in-house smart monitoring system with minimal code.
Are you a hobbyist looking to automate your house? Build a simple application to transform your house into a smart home.
Manual Monitoring vs Remote Monitoring
To illustrate, consider two manufacturing units, Unit 1 and Unit 2, operating at different locations. Each unit has the following assets to be monitored.
UNIT 1 | | UNIT 2 |
Asset | Count | Asset | Count |
Lathe | 8 | Lathe | 12 |
CNC Machine | 4 | CNC Machine | 2 |
Conveyor Belt | 2 | Conveyor Belt | 3 |
Backup Generator | 2 | Backup Generator | 3 |
The advantages of remote monitoring over manual monitoring in such units at different locations are discussed below.
Monitoring each manufacturing unit by conventional method requires two or three personnel just to supervise the assets. If a breakdown occurs, the operator has to notify the supervisor first. The supervisor will collaborate with the other supervisors and identify where the resources can be reallocated to meet production capacity. After reallocation the maintenance team will be intimated to repair the malfunctioning asset. This is a time-consuming and resource demanding task.
Introducing sensors, control switches, energy meters and other IoT devices will simplify the entire process. Creating an application using Zoho IoT Platform helps connect all the sensors and devices. A single personnel can now monitor all assets in a unit. Information on production volume of each asset, fuel level of the generators, efficiency of the conveyor motor, daily operation time of each equipment can be monitored on a single dashboard.
Constant monitoring of the asset allows for scheduling maintenance when the efficiency value falls below the optimal level. Incase of a breakdown, the maintenance team and supervising personnel will be immediately notified. Detailed monitoring of each part, such as spindle, rotor, belt, and so on, in an asset will help identify the cause of breakdown immediately. The supervisor can look at the dashboard and quickly decide where to reallocate the production requirement. Notification of low fuel level can be sent to the personnel through SMS or mail, prompting them to refuel the generator. Automating the On/Off process would enable quick transition from live power supply to the backup generator power.
Management of similar systems can be simplified by introducing IoT devices. Zoho IoT Platform helps build applications tailored to supervise such arrangements. Readily deployable Vertical IoT Solutions for various customer requirements are available in Zoho IoT. Building management, farming, transportation, manufacturing, and smart cities are a few verticals you can readily build with Zoho IoT Platform.
Why Choose Zoho IoT?
Zoho IoT platform was developed to meet the current industry requirements of building IoT solutions. The low-code capability makes Zoho IoT an enticing option. The advanced features make it imperative for creating any modern day IoT application.
Scalability
In an IoT network the number of connected devices will gradually increase over time. Having the ability to easily include those devices without compromising the quality of service is important. Zoho IoT is highly scalable due to the fundamental way it connects devices. The Model-Instance based approach for creating device entities, asset entities, and location entities with templates enable effortless onboarding of multiple devices to Zoho IoT Platform. Data Visualization
Monitoring large swarms of devices generates huge quantities of data. Zoho IoT helps users visualize those data with graphs and charts. Dashboards stacked with robust widgets summarize information about parameters and help monitor performance of the assets in a graphic and intelligible way. Reports that come built-in with the Zoho IoT Platform allow data stored over time to be condensed and extracted as smart reports. Data Management
Data gathered from all devices is the vital component of an IoT network. Who gains access to those data is important. IoT provides an array of options to limit control over devices and access to data. Administrators can create user profiles permitting access to only required functionalities. Data Slicing is a powerful option permitting user specific visibility of information. Device Management
Every IoT solution has thousands of devices connected over the network. Zoho IoT provides a high level of customization, allowing users to determine the way devices are managed. Modules group different assets and devices with common properties providing quick access to each entity. Entities in the same location are grouped together, presenting a tree hierarchy structure facilitating smart monitoring of devices. Automation
IoT systems need to work with minimum human involvement. Zoho IoT provides advanced automation options that make sure the system keeps running without much intervention. Alarm rules allow users to create conditions with triggers that send notification to users through mail or messages when a certain threshold or state is reached.