Industrial Internet of Things Platform Comparison

Lauren MarckBusiness Strategy, Industry Trends, Technical Tips16 Comments

IoT Matrix diagram

Last updated June 12, 2017.
Published on February 8, 2016.

The market for Internet of Things (IoT) platforms is rapidly evolving. With an ever increasing number of available platforms to choose from, we decided it would be helpful to lay out their features and capabilities for easy comparison. To complete our matrix, we used the following criteria: a major IoT player with a platform that has real-world success implementing industrial use cases.

The first section gives general information about the various platforms, including the platform name, the Platform as a Service (PaaS) used, and the date the platform became available. Most were released fairly recently, whereas Cumulocity’s platform has been around since 2010, C3 IoT’s since 2009, Connecthings’ since 2007, M2Mi’s since 2006, and Jasper’s since 2004. All platforms are delivered in the cloud, however, Bosch, C3 IoT, Carriots, Kaa, M2Mi, and PTC also offer their solutions on-premises.

Analytics: All platforms have strong analytic capabilities, including Hadoop scale data management and storage, as well as the ability to gather real-time data insights.

Application Development & Integration: Almost every company offers a platform that can be connected to via more than just Ethernet or WiFi, such as via cellular, satellite, or low power/short range communication (Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc.). Common communication protocols among these platforms include HTTP and MQTT. MQTT is an extremely lightweight machine-to-machine (M2M)/IoT connectivity protocol. All platforms have device management and data management capabilities.

Devices: One thing that most all platforms have in common is the ability to send device commands, meaning they are able to send messages to the devices. Other common capabilities of these platforms include device identification, device lifecycle management, device registries, and device/client/service libraries. A few of the platforms include object storage, some provide SDKs, and some have virtual device capabilities.

Security: All platforms securely send and receive data, use strong authentication and authorization methods, and use encryption. The majority also have audit capabilities.

Workflow / Event Processing: Most of the platforms have the ability to create workflows, process events, and create rules.

Other: Ayla, C3 IoT, Connecthings, Cumulocity, GE, IBM, Intel, Jasper, M2Mi, PTC, SAP, and Xively have won awards regarding the Internet of Things. Most all of the platforms have a free trial and/or a starter kit for an easy jump start. As far as pricing goes, most depend on the number of devices that are connected plus the amount of data traffic and data storage used. However, some platforms have everything included within the cost of the platform and some charge for the platform plus additional add-ons.

Key:

IoT_key

 

 

 

 

Industrial IoT Platforms: A through I (Amazon, AT&T, Ayla, Bosch, C3 IoT, Carriots, Connecthings, Cumulocity, GE, IBM, Intel)

Industrial IoT Platforms: J through X (Jasper, Kaa, Losant, M2Mi, Microsoft, Oracle, PTC, Salesforce, SAP, thethings.IO, Verizon, Xively, Zebra)

Industrial IoT Platforms: A through I (Amazon, AT&T, Ayla, Bosch, C3 IoT, Carriots, Connecthings, Cumulocity, GE, IBM, Intel)

AmazonAT&TAylaBoschC3 IoTCarriotsConnecthingsCumulocityGEIBMIntel
Platform NameAWS IoTM2XAyla IoT PlatformBosch IoT Suite 2.0C3 IoT PlatformCarriotsConnecthings IoT PlatformCumulocityPredixIBM Watson Internet of Things PlatformThe Intel IoT Platform
PaaS PlatformAWSHeroku, Salesforce, OpenshiftAyla IoT PlatformBosch SI PaaSC3 IoT PlatformCarriotsConnecthingsCumulocityPivotal Cloud FoundryIBM Bluemix, Pivotal Cloud FoundryMicrosoft Azure, AWS, IBM Bluemix
Released DateDecember 2015January 2015August 2014January 20152009~ 2011~ 2007~ 2010February 2016October 2014December 2014
Home PageAWS IoT Home PageAT&T M2X Home PageAyla IoT Platform Home PageBosch IoT Suite Home PageC3 IoT Home PageCarriots Home PageConnecthings Home PageCumulocity Home PagePredix Home PageIBM IoT Foundation Home PageIntel IoT Platform Home Page
APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT / INTEGRATION
Connect via more than the Internet
Application Marketplace
Device Provisioning
MQTT Support
Telecom Integration
Machine Learning
DEVICES
Libraries
Object Store
SDK
Virtual Device
AmazonAT&TAylaBoschC3 IoTCarriotsConnecthingsCumulocityGEIBMIntel
SECURITY
Audit
Identity & Access Management
WORKFLOW / EVENT PROCESSING
Workflow
Event Processing
Rules
OTHER
Awards/RecognitionNo awards foundNo awards found2015 IoT Excellence AwardNo awards found2015 Fierce Innovation AwardNo awards foundBest IoT Start-Up 2016 (awarded by Ericsson), Most
Innovative Apps for Transport 2015, Best RFID/NFC Application 2013 + more
2015 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for New Product Innovation + several more2015 Global Industrial Software Growth Excellence for Application Convergence AwardBest IoT Product - Inquirer Tech Hero AwardsIntel IoT Gateways and Intel IoT Platform were winners of 2015 IoT Innovations award from Connected World magazine
Training/AccessAWS IoT Starter Kits, AWS IoT Free Tier,Free Trial, Sample Apps, Tutorials, IoT Starter KitFree Ayla Developer Account, Ayla Design Kit, Free IoT Hands-On Labs, DemoTraining Courses (Berlin, Germany)Training / resources provided during trials (3 trial options)Free Tier for Testing and PrototypingiOS and Android Quickstart for Beacons documentation, sdk-tutorial (GitHub)Free TrialPredix Startup Program, Predix Security Starter KitjStart, Quickstart, Free Trial, IoT StarterIoT developer program (devkit, tools, training and developer outreach)
AmazonAT&TAylaBoschC3 IoTCarriotsConnecthingsCumulocityGE IBMIntel

Industrial IoT Platforms: J through X (Jasper, Kaa, Losant, M2Mi, Microsoft, Oracle, PTC, Salesforce, SAP, thethings.IO, Verizon, Xively, Zebra)

JasperKaaLosantM2MiMicrosoftOraclePTCSalesforceSAPthethings.iOVerizonXivelyZebra
Platform NameCisco Jasper Control CenterKaa IoT PlatformThe Losant IoT PlatformM2M Intelligence PlatformAzure IoT SuiteOracle IoT Cloud ServiceThingWorx IoT PlatformSalesforce IoT CloudSAP HANA Cloud Platform for IoTthethings.iOVerizon ThingSpace IoT PlatformXively IoT Platform (by LogMeIn)Zatar
PaaS PlatformJasper Control CenterN/ALosantIBM Bluemix, AWS, Google App EngineMicrosoft AzureOracle IoT Cloud ServiceThingworxAWSSAP HANA Cloud Platformthethings.iOThingSpaceXivelyZatar
Released Date~ 20042014Introductory Period~ 2006September 2015January 2016May 2015PilotMay 20152014October 2015May 2013November 2013
Home PageJasper Control Center Home PageKaa IoT Platform Home Page Losant IoT Platform Home PageM2M Intelligence Platform Home PageAzure IoT Suite Home PageOracle IoT Cloud Service Home PageThingWorx IoT Platform Home PageSalesforce IoT Cloud Home PageSAP HANA Cloud Platform for IoT Home Pagethethings.iO Home PageVerizon ThingSpace IoT Platform Home PageXively IoT Platform Home PageZatar Home Page
APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT / INTEGRATION
Connect via more than the Internet
Application Marketplace
Device Provisioning
MQTT Support
Telecom Integration
Machine Learning
DEVICES
Libraries
Object Store
SDK
Virtual Device
JasperKaaLosantM2MiMicrosoftOraclePTCSalesforceSAPthethings.iOVerizonXivelyZebra
SECURITY
Audit
Identity & Access Management
WORKFLOW / EVENT PROCESSING
Workflow
Event Processing
Rules
OTHER
Awards/Recognition2015 GSMA Global Mobile Awards Winner: Best Mobile Innovation for the ‘IoT’ (plus 12 more awards)No awards foundNo awards foundIoT/M2M Innovation World Cup '14/'15 (Security), Gartner 2014 Cool Vendor, 2014 M2M Evolution IoT Excellence Award, CW's 2014 Top 100 M2M providersNo awards foundNo awards found2015 IoT Excellence Award, Most Innovative Platform Solution 2014, Best in Show Award for IoT Solution 2013, and many moreNo awards found2014 M2M Evolution IoT Excellence AwardNo awards foundNo awards found2015 IoT Excellence Award, Most Innovative Platform Solution 2014, Best in Show Award for IoT Solution 2013, and many moreNo awards found
Training/AccessProduct demos, No-obligation trialProduct is Open Source (Free), Kaa Documentation, Kaa Community at Stack OverflowProduct is currently free, the Losant Kit Store contains IoT Dev KitsPrivate product demos, Free TrialIoT Hub Free Tier (Preconfigured solutions included to help customers get started)IoT Discovery Workshop, Oracle IoT Cloud Service Learning LibraryThingWorx IoT Starter Kits, ThingWorx Readiness Assessment, ThingWorx Discovery SessionNone foundSAP HANA Cloud Platform IoT Services Starter KFree Trial, Quickstart DocsDev Kits, Free dev and test sandboxes with RESTful backend servicesTutorials available in the Developer Center, Free Developer AccountFree Trial, Zebra Learning Portal (2017), Zebra Instructor-led Courses
JasperKaaLosantM2MiMicrosoftOraclePTCSalesforceSAPthethings.iOVerizonXivelyZebra

The above products are not by any means all the leading Industrial IoT products on the market. We plan to review and add the following platforms: Autodesk SeeControl, Blackberry IoT Platform, Bright Wolf Strandz IoT Platform, C2M, Concirrus, Connio, Davra Networks RuBAN, Device Insight, Echelon IzoT Platform, EVRYTHING, Exosite, FIWARE, GroveStreams, HPE IoT Platform, Itron, MachineShop, Octoblu, PLAT.ONE, Preva Systems WISE3, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure, Sentilo, Siemens MindSphere, T-Mobile M2M Hub Platform, ThingPlus, Waylay, Wind River Helix / Wind River Intelligent Device Platform XT, Workpad IoT, Wot.io, and WSO2. If you know of an IoT platform that should be on the list, please let us know.

We plan to update the Industrial IoT Platform Comparison as new IoT platforms and product updates are available. If you are interested in being notified when new updates are made or have suggestions as to how to make this comparison more useful, please contact io*@ma*************.com.

M&S Consulting provides Industrial IoT strategy, objective IoT platform selection, and IoT implementation and integration services. Contact us if interested in learning more about how an IoT platform can deliver value to your business.

Change Log:

  • 06/12/17 – Added C3 IoT Platform
  • 04/04/17 – Updated ThingWorx capabilities
  • 01/26/17 – Added Zebra Technologies’ Zatar Platform
  • 12/01/16 – Added new row, Machine Learning
  • 11/28/16 – Added Ayla IoT Platform
  • 11/18/16 – Added Kaa IoT Platform
  • 08/17/16 – Added Verizon ThingSpace IoT Platform
  • 08/09/16 – Added thethings.iO
  • 07/22/16 – Added Xively IoT Platform
  • 07/20/16 – Added Carriots
  • 06/29/16 – Added Connecthings IoT Platform, added Released Date

16 Comments on “Industrial Internet of Things Platform Comparison”

  1. Great comparison, but I think Microsoft is a it misrepresented:
    1. Microsoft has already integrated Jasper into Azure IoT Suite so Telecom integration is quite easy
    2. “Access via more than internet” category seems strange. Communications with non-ip enabled devices are conducted via field gateways. Microsoft has field gateway SDK (sample open source code) for that. I currently run a few projects with this set up.
    Also I would add a bit more depth onto analytics space – big data, machine learning capabilities etc

  2. Request adding Workpad.com to the list, focused on object storage and RESTful accessible time-series storage with little or no development necessary. Includes asset management, streaming video transcoding, mobile-ready UI, and rich reporting and sharing tools.

  3. Just curious why workflow is listed as not included for Thingworx ? Thingworx utilities appears to include process workflow when I look at their product information. Or do you define workflow as something else ?

  4. And where is Kaa IoT Platform?? It looks like one of the best platforms for industrial automation. Can you add it?
    If needed can help to analyze it.

  5. Why AWS has not Telecom Integration? I think it has Workflow too with Amazon Simple Workflow Service

  6. I am looking for a deep definition of each o the areas that this analysis is showing. Could you please help?

  7. You are totally missing one of the leading open source IoT Platform from Eclipse based on Cura and Kapua Open Source distribution and obviously its commercial version available from Eurotech EveryWare IoT with ESF (EveryWare Software Framework) and EveryWare Cloud. Eurotech donated the core to Eclipse since several years. This platform it is available since 2012 and it is today one of the platform with more real production deployments in several different verticals.

    1. Hi Giuseppe!
      Thanks for the interesting comment.
      I’m currently doing some research on OpenSource IoT-Platform and Eclipse IoT seems one of the most promising so far.
      Can you by chance name any companies/projects that have the platform already in real production deployment?
      It would help me a lot to have a few examples and references for further scrutiny.
      Many Thanks & best regards

  8. Have you assessed Siemens MindSphere, Schneider Electric Ecostruxure, ABB Ability, Rockwell FactoryTalk Cloud and Honeywell Sentience yet?

  9. Pingback: Plattformen für das industrielle Internet - VWI Verband Deutscher Wirtschaftsingenieure e.V.

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