IoT is no longer a purely technical subject. Until now, those who preferred to grab tools and design devices supporting the development of the Internet of Things were mainly interested in this topic. However, the perspective of 2020 has shown that the industry people are increasingly looking towards the clear presentation in the front-end layer. It would mean that there is a trend in greater attention to aesthetics and usability for business tools, especially those that support smooth decision-making.

We asked our Pre-sales Expert and BA about his insights into IoT development towards the front-end. He tells not only about trends but also answers the question of how changes in IoT trends can change the market.

Q: What significant change have you noticed in the context of front-end perception and visualization in IoT?

A: Let's start with the fact that IoT used to be more into strict, technical parts of data. In the past, not many companies in that area thought about the user experience side of their products.

Q: Does it mean that 2020 and now 2021 set a new trend?

A: Exactly! In 2019, it didn't make much sense to showcase the UI visualization tools. Most of the companies involved in building and implementing the back-end focused on extending the functionalities they provided. It's a bit as if they are striving for total expansion, that is, equipping everything with sensors, thus introducing the Jetsons' kind of life. It isn’t difficult to understand - the more sensors gather the data, the greater the number of reports is being made. Likewise, it's of key use in API development but also in mapping everything that happens in the factory.

Q: How is it now?

A: IoT companies mainly focus on development, which is still happening. However, at this point, we notice the next stage of this development, i.e., focusing on the business aspects. The market periodically creates needs that have to be taken into account. And yet, the collected data should be processed somehow. The necessary thing is to figure out the company's understanding of this data. Finally, the organization should use it for a specific purpose. At that point, IoT companies didn't focus a lot on what their clients actually do with the data.

Q: And so the breakthrough happened.

A: Last year, we noticed a change in the way industry people understand the importance of data collection from smart devices. At that point, IoT companies didn't focus a lot on what their clients actually do with the data. And if it's clear, digestible, and meaningful to the end-user, then this is the place to grow with the support of such organizations like Synergy Codes.

Q: So it’s about a development opportunity. Can you explain it a bit?

A: It turns out that we are witnessing business development in the IoT area. Today the IoT companies expand and to the hardware & data integration side they add the front-end-based visual component that makes the data understandable. Thanks to it, a typical development leap is possible. What I mean here is the transfer of the collected data to the appropriate tools, which process, present, and allow to manage this data in the most readable and convenient way possible.

Q: At Synergy Codes, we have been working on such solutions for over a decade. So how do you see the development of the data visualization niche?

A: In my opinion, soon, all interested parties will be dependent on visualization to some extent, or they will use it daily. The competition in the IoT world will probably extend to the front-end and viz layer as well. Who has the best optimization, who has the biggest amount of charts, who has the nicest UIs - there will be lots of USPs to cover in this area and we as Synergy Codes can serve as a leverage to some of those companies by bringing our expertise to the table.

Q: Thus, to offer custom solutions?

A: Exactly! We enter the field of data science here, so differentiating which company has better-automated analyzes introduces algorithms and things like that. On our side, we have designed products to support, for example, smart production or smart buildings. An example is Smartly, which guides the user through all stages of the implementation of sensor data to create monitoring diagrams, charts with data, dashboards supporting service. Smart Building, in turn, supports the management of a building filled with sensors, helps to manage the space, gives the possibility of immediate reaction to alerts, and so on. The main thing is that these products are not only designed to convey a visual message but, most of all, we care about obtaining the effect of usability for the end-user. We give a chance to manage critical data visually, which is more effective.

Q: What exactly do you mean by usability effect for end-user?

A: What I mean is the combination of all technical and visual aspects. From the sensor physically placed on the factory floor to the final user perception. It can ultimately help the user understand what exactly he or she is viewing at a given moment and thus determine the project's success. In short, the clearer the data, the easier it is to manage and direct the project.

Q: Let's summarize: it turns out that the back-end in IoT needs a front-end.

A: That's it. I would say that this is a great space to develop for the IoT companies right now. That being said, I can only invite such companies to cooperate, as we might bring in our grounded expertise in this area.