$13 trillion in ROI will be generated by 2025 - BI Intelligence.

Over 20 billion devices will be connected to the IoT by 2020 - Gartner

These predictions about IoT clearly reflects how rapidly this futuristic technology is evolving. To stay ahead of the curve, diverse industry-specific businesses are already investing heavily in different IoT initiatives. No wonder why IoT has become the “talk of the town” in the digital world. 

In this article, you are going to get a detailed insight on IoT - perks of adopting IoT in businesses, which industries are benefiting the most from it, how IoT is transforming the mobile app development sector along with what we can expect from this futuristic technology in 2020 and beyond.

IoT advantages for businesses 

By 2020, the IoT platform is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 40%. So, what’s the secret behind its global popularity?

Well, through customized IoT mobile solutions, this advanced technology helps in addressing some common business challenges including

• Safe data access

• Safe data storage

• Device control and management

• Integration and maintenance

Allowing the real-time data exchange to carry out different business actions and analysis is one of the major reasons why businesses are going gaga over it. The list of IoT’s wide range of business benefits includes

• Enhanced productivity

When it comes to the point of dealing with real-time data and variables, IoT does it the best. IoT-based applications help in management procedures. Also, it can help in carrying out automation of routine-based functions, informing employees about expected technical disruptions along with supporting remote troubleshooting procedures.

• Better customer experience

With IoT-based applications, businesses can offer a seamless and smart customer experience. Users can carry out transactions using smart trackers, mobile card readers, etc. Also, the smart meters and smart grid technologies help users to identify and resolve issues. 

IoT-based devices are capable of collecting a plethora of data on users’ behavior which helps businesses to come up with innovative ways to keep their customers engaged and offer better customer experience.

• Cost-effectiveness

Both the IoT devices and the IoT-based applications assist professionals not only to monitor equipment but also to diminish the downtime along with the risk factors. The applications based on this advanced technology can successfully predict possible system misalignments and failures which in turn helps in saving a lot for businesses.

Thus, IoT has become one of the most loved technologies to implement these days. 

Industries to benefit from IoT applications

As IoT technologies help in reducing overall business operating costs, increasing business visibility, business efficiency and productivity along with creating additional revenue streams, businesses across diverse industries are embracing it wholeheartedly. 

Healthcare and fitness

Today’s market is flooded with different IoT-enabled wearables. Such smart wearables help in monitoring calorie intake, heart rate, steps taken while walking, sleep along with tracking various other activities that help us to stay fit and healthy. 

Other than personal use of health wearables, some smart appliances like thermometers, scales, blood pressure monitors, etc. are presently available in the market. 

Smart home

The idea of home automation was relatively unfamiliar to most people until recently. With the emerging IoT technology, smart home automation has started to show its true power. Smart homes make our lives easier, more convenient, and more comfortable. 

Increased energy efficiency, better home security, savings on the electricity bill, maximized comfort, etc. are some popular reasons why smart home automation development with IoT is trending in the market these days. 

Retail and Supply Chain Management

Well, if you think different IoT devices and applications in the Retail industry is limited to only shopping and SCM, you are wrong. Enabling IoT in business is an opportunity for hospitality service providers, restaurants, and other businesses to manage not only their supplies but also to gather valuable insights. 

It allows business owners to avert order overflow, effectively restricting the employees who abuse their privileges along with managing the merchandising and logistical expenses in a better way. Business owners now can manage their inventory in real-time with IoT. 

Automotive

Self-driven cars or connected cars are no longer fiction only. Thanks to IoT. Thus, in the automotive industry, IoT use cases are actively expanding. Smart applications are being developed and integrated into car infotainment systems so that providing telematics, in-car navigation, and entertainment becomes easier than ever.

Also, IoT-enabled apps make sure predictive maintenance, surveillance, security, and safety of the vehicle along with real-time monitoring, cognitive insights for the management, etc. 

Other than the above-mentioned ones, industries related to manufacturing, agriculture, logistics are also ripping benefits out of IoT. 

IoT in mobile app development - what to expect next? 

You have already seen how IoT is transforming the way different industries operate. According to experts, IoT adoption is still in the early phase. The way the connected world of IoT is evolving, soon we can experience its power to the fullest. Even worldwide app developers would agree that IoT is leaving significant impacts on iPhone and iPad app development services. So, what can we expect from this futuristic technology in the future?

Edge computing will become more popular than cloud computing

We all know how cloud computing brought a wave in the digital world. Even today’s IoT devices store all the data in their cloud. However, in the tech world, change is the only constant. And this is why we will probably soon witness edge computing becoming more popular than cloud computing. 

Now, the question is how?

Instead of sending all the data from devices to the cloud, now, the IoT devices will transfer data to a local storage device first. This device can filter, sort, and accordingly can calculate the data and transfer only the required data set to the cloud. 

Undoubtedly, it will reduce traffic to the network. Also, collecting and processing data locally will allow the IoT apps to consume less bandwidth and work in bad connectivity to the cloud. 

IoT security will get more priority

The graph for IoT application adoption in businesses is increasing exponentially. Now, with more devices being connected to the network, not only the data volume increase but the risk for data security increases as well. 

We have seen how the smart home industry and health care industry is adopting various IoT-based applications. So, be it patient’s health-related data or data related to the home security, everything is being stored in the cloud. So, with sensitive data floating in the cloud, we can expect IoT security will get more priority in the next year and beyond. 

A unified framework for integration

To keep the industry safe and secure, a unified framework is required. The lack of a unified IoT framework - this is a serious challenge that IoT has faced while cooperating with different industries. However, another trending technology Blockchain will be a great help to accelerate the IoT adoption process by allowing the app developers to improve and develop mobile and web applications. 

So if someone is looking to develop IoT apps and looking for an Android or iOS app development company, it is important to know beforehand if they are capable and know the integration. 

IoT and AI

Both Artificial Intelligence and IoT are data-driven technologies. And both technologies are used for storing and analyzing data. So, to make automation more efficient, we may see these two thriving technologies being implemented together to gain better visibility along with accurate insights into various services. 

Other than what we mentioned above,

• We will see the rise of predictive maintenance
• Businesses will deliver more personalized customer experiences
• Software-as-a-Service will be the new normal

And all of these will be the direct or indirect impact of IoT being implemented in the mobile apps. 

However, mobile app developers have to advance their skill sets to integrate IoT successfully in their apps. Having sheer knowledge of Swift or Xcode won’t be enough for smart iPhone or iPad app development services. 

Of course, we will witness new technologies being emerged. However, these will make IoT easier to use and more intuitive to a large extent. 

As mobile devices become smaller and smarter, artificial intelligence (AI) is steadily gaining significant popularity among users and developers alike. Every now and then mobile developers around the world are working assiduously to develop and employ the emerging technology in mobile app development which is aimed at improving the way users interact with apps. Already, there are several signs, indications, and signals revealing that the AI will dominate the future of mobile apps.

In the tech world, AI is believed to hold immense potential and Indian app developers are gradually embracing and integrating this relatively new technology into their mobile app development seeing that it presents the best bet for the future. Already, the current mobile app market is consequently being flooded with new mobile applications and models leading to the creation of new and improved mobile app development services.

Even if you don’t notice it, AI is already around you and it has come to stay. In the past, this technology was only regarded as a futuristic concept for movies but today it has become a reality. And there is no better time to get involved with the trend than now. Interestingly, many Indian app developers are beginning to discover that mobile development and AI share common features and can make a perfect match. Obviously, there are lots of possibilities that can be accrued from the advancement of AI.

Combining artificial intelligence (AI) with mobile development will result in the creation of intelligent apps. Basically, this is concerned with the design and development of mobile apps that have the ability to learn, think logically, and solve problems. In a bid to effectively engage users, transform customer experience, and ultimately retain them, many app developers and top app development companies in India alike are already working to integrate the technology into their mobile applications.

The impact of AI on mobile development

Many tech and industry experts are suggesting that AI will be a major trend in various sectors, particularly in the mobile application development. To this end, everyone in the industry including, startups, growing businesses, and top app development companies are investing in artificial intelligence (AI) with the aim of providing efficient customer services and bring about a positive change. While some are incorporating the technology in the form of chatbots, others are looking to embed it into the infrastructure of their mobile app development as assistants to create smart apps.

Already, some tech giants like Uber, Amazon, eBay and the rest are making use of AI and judging from the look of things, it is a meaningful realization. With this new technology, Indian app developers are helping businesses support their customers with relevant, seamless, and personalized services. With time AI in mobile apps will understand customer behavior, thanks to its ability to effectively gather massive amounts of data from previous customer interactions and learn them. Apart from helping to bring customers closer to the business, AI-enabled apps are also helping to enhance customer interaction thereby boosting customer retention rate.

Basically, Indian app developers are finding ways to make use of the data that businesses are getting via mobile devices, online traffic, and point-of-sale machines to impact both business and consumer experience with AI’s influence. As more artificial and machine learning-driven apps make their way into app stores, things will change in the way and manner people communicate and interact. In a bid to create more insightful, context-rich experiences, the algorithms will be able to sift through the obtained data, find correlations and trends and get the apps adjusted to suit the personal needs of the user.

Obviously, there is much to achieve with these artificial intelligence algorithms in mobile app development. There is a wide range of AI-based mobile app development projects undertaken by Indian app developers. With the development of personal assistants, chatbots, and other artificial intelligence features, many big companies are already reinventing their user experience (UX) strategies. And in order to remain ahead of the competition, other businesses are following suit.

The future of AI-driven apps

Now that the entire ecosystem has been enhanced with regular and active access of data management and delivery, many Indian app developers will be employing AI which will become an essential necessity for robust mobile app development in the near future. Basically, there is every need for systems featuring data governance, data security, and metadata management to be fast and robust in indexing and cataloging.

Here are other ways through which AI development will impact the industry

Cloud services

It’s no longer news that businesses are adopting cloud computing technology to improve their services. It may interest you to know that Indian app developers will not only be adopting this technology to enhance development but will also be using it to troubleshoot errors in AI-driven apps.

Business apps

As already mentioned, many businesses are already seeking to enhance customer interaction by investing mobile app development. However, integrating AI will help to boost convenience for customers and also help businesses reach a wider target audience. Businesses will not only be using AI-driven apps to observe internal communications, but these will help to simplify business activities in several ways.

Location-based applications

Today, people are using location-based apps to search and find virtually anything they need in any location. AI-enabled apps will be synchronizing users’ interest, as well as their frequent searches to create results. Basically, these apps will be using obtained data to provide more desirable suggestions. Already, Google users can easily search for promotion offers, nearby restaurants and department stores with their smartphone via Google Assistant or Siri.

Internet of Things (IoT)

In recent times, there has been an increase in a range of new technologies due to the desire to further increase the mobility of users. IoT is one of such recent developments making waves in the industry. No doubt, AI will be enhancing the development of IoT helping smartphone users manage real-life events in the near future.

AR and VR

Together with AI, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) is taking both the gaming and entertainment industry by storm. The release of Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR and other numerous models of VR devices are already influencing the industry.

Every week, thousands of new apps are seen hitting the mobile market. Unfortunately, the number of hackers working assiduously to tap into these apps to implant malware or phish for user information has also been on the increase. By implication, there is every need to take the security of mobile users very seriously particularly when it comes to app development.

Apart from being highly vigilant about security, app developers need to be able to identify these security issues and know how to avoid them, so as to be able to provide users with the security they need to keep their information and other data safe. Security issues can be experienced in various forms during any mobile application development process; some of which are explained below.

Failure to implement secure communications to servers

Most apps are designed to connect back to a server particularly those applications that control sensitive user information. Therefore, as a critical area of concern, mobile app developers must ensure safe transit between the app and the server. Nothing has to be interrupted on an insecure WiFi connection. Basically, this type of security is achievable through SSL certificates and encryption. User information can be compromised particularly if developers fail to employ the right SSL libraries.

Inability to plan for physical security breaches

Nothing much can be done to prevent theft or loss of mobile devices. In fact, mobile app developers have a very little role to play in this. However, they can greatly help to minimize the problem by executing a local session timeout code. Usually, users are obligated to enter a password from time to time to access an app. Rather than making this a daily occurrence, password requirement from devices can be observed once a week or at the fifth time the app is used. Local session timeout can also prevent the use of software that helps users remember passwords.

The use of weak encryption or an entire lack of encryption

Obviously, improves constantly which helps to make algorithms become obsolete and very easy to crack. Failing to use encryption or using weak encryption in an app can put sensitive user information at risk of getting exposed. In the course of using certain apps, users are obligated to input sensitive data like personal identification information or credit card numbers. It is sad to know that this information can be hacked particularly with the absence of good encryption. An app is more likely to be hacked when it becomes more popular. So, if you are looking to push your app to the top, there is every need to invest in good encryption.

Bypassing systematic security testing

Most importantly, Indian app developers need to consider themselves as the last line of defense. You stand to put your app users at risk when you fail to ensure a secure app. In every development process, testing is very important and as such, there is no need to rush in releasing an app. Ensure to test every common inlet for security issues, such as sensors, GPS, camera, and even the development platform. Viruses and malware are no respecters of apps – every app is vulnerable to an attack from them.

Developers should try as much as possible to avoid the eruption of a crash and debug logs during testing. These are often common places hackers often take advantage of for app vulnerabilities. Apart from increasing the speed of an app, NSLog statements on iOS can be effectively disabled during iPhone app development to avoid vulnerabilities. Also, an Android app remains vulnerable until the Android debug log is typically cleared.

Lack of proper planning for data caching vulnerabilities

Unlike standard laptops and desktops, mobile devices are well-known for their ability to store short-term information for longer periods. This caching method generally helps to increase speed. However, since hackers can easily access cached information, there is every possible for mobile devices to be susceptible to security breaches. A major way of avoiding the problem is by demanding for a password to use an app. However, this can affect the popularity of your app, as most app users often find the use of passwords to be quite inconvenient. Alternatively, you can program the cache to be automatically erased every time users reboot their mobile device. This is another meaningful solution to data caching vulnerabilities.

Adopting other developers’ code

Developing an app from the start can be very time-consuming but with the availability of numerous free codes, this process has been extremely simplified. Interestingly, some hackers create codes for unsuspecting developers. In the hopes that application developers would pick up their codes, some hackers have ventured into creating anonymous codes. Through this, they tend to gain easy and free access to any information of their choice after the app has been designed and released.

Although it is never a bad thing to build upon people’s ideas, however, it is highly essential to carry out relevant research before doing so. In order to avoid experiencing security issues, it is well advisable that you make use of code from reliable sources. So, if you’re looking to build upon the ideas of a third-party, ensure to use sources you can trust. As a matter of fact, always use verified and trusted sources for code and ensure to be on the lookout for phishing scams by reading the code line by line.

Slow patching of app

Just because your app has been launched does not mean that you are done with the development process. Hackers are always on the move, they do not relent in their efforts to break through an app and so, they always work very fast. Most times, they search for apps with irregular security updates. Then they exploit these security breaches to bring down the app. Just to let you know, it is good to perform regular security updates by revisiting the app often.

However, users on their own part may be unable to get these patches on time. This is because they have to accept and download them. Additionally, the approval process of a patch on an iOS platform can typically take up to a week. Obviously, patches can take a while to reach users. To this end, you can put user information at risk if you fail to stay right on top of new security updates.

When it comes to creating apps that deal with confidential matters such as personal information and customer credit cards, there is always no room for error. To any app developer, the repercussions of the smallest security breach can be highly catastrophic. As a matter of fact, it is your duty to protect both your app and its users. So, ensure to take all necessary precautions so as not to get caught unawares.

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