The Doppler Quarterly Winter 2018 | Page 55

form? Are apps readily available in the market, or are they scarce? • Ecosystem: Can and will the client’s partners and customers use the same platform? Will their hardware and software vendors support it? • Security model: Is there flexibility to support different use cases? • Deployment model: Does the platform support multiple models and provide global coverage (i.e., edge, on-premise, public cloud, multi- cloud, etc.)? • Autonomy and control: Does it support discon- nected/remote use cases? • Analytics, machine learning: What are the out- of-the-box capabilities to power the client’s algorithms and speed up their development time? • User interface: Can the client control the branding and/or build engaging experiences that will increase adoption by employees, part- ners and customers? • Flexibility and openness: Will the IoT platform support multi-vendor devices, networks, multi- ple protocols, languages, edge and core ser- vices, etc.? • Vendor viability and risk management: Will the provider be around to deliver support in the years to come? Does the client have an appetite for risk? Is the platform software in widespread use (which would tend to have defects discov- ered and fixed)? By now it should be fairly obvious that there are no perfect fits, and any attempts to analyze an IoT plat- form vendor, RFP-style, in a matrix, may leave the evaluation team scratching their heads and frustrated. However, it’s very likely there will be one or possibly two IoT platforms that will be the closest fits to the unique needs of the client’s business. Choosing the right one will set them on the path for meeting the needs of their employees, partners and customers for many years to come. CTP's IoT expertise and approach can help you get to your goals quickly and stay focused on time-to- value solutions that grow your business. Learn more at cloudtp.com/iot • Integration capabilities: Will it easily integrate with legacy and enterprise systems? • Future-proof: Is the solution extensible, easy to evolve for new IoT use cases and technologies? • Support model: Does the vendor provide ade- quate coverage (language, hours, geography, etc.)? • Pricing model: Does the vendor’s model rea- sonably fit the needs of the client’s business? WINTER 2018 | THE DOPPLER | 53