What are the Challenges of Internet of Things?

In recent years, there have been loads of technological trends, one of which is IoT (internet of things) in large scale manufacturing. In simple terms, the internet of things involves communication between devices and the use of sensors to measure data and share the same over the internet and without any direct human intervention. What are the challenges of Internet of things?

IoT Testing? But not Without its Challenges

Along with other technologies such as 5G, IoT is growing really quickly. It is said that in 2021 alone, digital companies have increased technological spending to 55% of the total cost. This means that companies are 4X likely to drive solutions that are powered by the latest digital transformations with IoT taking center stage. Meanwhile, you can tap into the many Quality Assurance (QA) opportunities in IoT testing by getting a quality assurance certification. 

For instance, the thermometer in your home can sense the temperature of your room, transmits the data to your MP, which plays a particular genre of a song based on your preference in such weather conditions. So it could play Lana Del Rey’s song on a dark cozy night and an Eminem song on a bobbly bright Saturday. This is IoT at work. 

As the application of IoT becomes more and more tangible before our eyes, however, there is a need to be certain that these devices work without deficiency. The devices must be able to operate without heavy security threats, data leakages, connection problems, and performance fluctuations. To attain this level of consistent quality, a decent amount of testing needs to be done. This is where IoT testing comes into play and it is quite a precarious procedure.  

Before delving into the Issues IoT brings, it is critical to understand why companies are embracing IoT in the first place. 

Is IoT Really Worth the Buzz?

To answer this succinctly, it is a yes. And for good reasons. Here are some of the reasons IoT is fast-growing technology. 

1. Lower cost: In the long term, IoT operates at a lower cost of maintenance. Since many of the devices and equipment are linked together, the sensors can identify minor problems and stem them before they metamorphosize into a full-blow major repair that costs more money. 
2. A better workflow: Since human intervention is limited, there is a better workflow. As an example. the PC, internet connection, and printer of a company can sync together to download and print out a company’s analytics every Monday before the business meeting. This way, human inefficiencies are eliminated. 
3. Better interaction with end-users: Chatbots and dedicated apps are a way IoT can improve a company’s customer services. The chatbot fetches specific information required of a customer based on factors such as date, time, customer’s historical data, and so on. 

While IoT is no doubt a fantastic technology, making it work well which requires IoT Testing can be daunting. Without mincing words, it comes with its fair share of challenges. You can learn more details about IoT testing by getting a QA testing certification. In the meantime, let’s see some of the challenges IoT testing poses. 

Challenges Involved in IoT Testing

• It involves the quick transfer of massive data: You may have guessed. Data is the bedrock of IoT devices and for them to function effectively, the data should be of high volume and velocity. This creates a bottleneck as some IoT devices are inundated with lower computing power or sometimes, have poor internet connection due to overloading. 
• IoT devices can be prone to cyber attacks: IoT is generally vulnerable to medium to high cyber attacks. The attacks most especially target stealing personal data. Consequently, It is essential to protect your data while working remotely with IoT devices or make sure that the software of the IoT technology has a solid data safety and privacy architecture. 
• There are too many IoT devices: Because each IoT device has a specific function, you’d need many of them to maximize the potential of this technology. Furthermore, each of these devices has its specific hardware and software makeup. What this means is that devices would need to send and receive information from thousands of architectures and verify their genuineness. It is almost impossible to correctly ascertain the quality of each request making things more difficult for testers. 

How to Address the Challenges in IoT Testing

To solve the challenges posed by IoT testing, testers need to take a deep dive into the architectural makeup for each device (software and hardware) and build a system that tests virtually all features seamlessly. These can be done using the following testing techniques.

• Cross-platform testing: Cross-platform testing involves running a single test case on one machine for all its implementation across the board without reproducing it on other machines. This saves a tremendous amount of time involved in the software development life cycle. 
• Test automation: With thousands of applications and devices to test, manual testing is just a no-no. Automation testing helps you perform faster and more accurate tests even for as many protocols as possible. It also boosts workflow for creating APIs laced with IoT-based solutions. 
• Cybersecurity Testing: Here, the QA tester creates multiple layers of protection to secure the user’s privacy. In addition, the tester discovers possible loopholes and threats in the applications and blocks them accordingly. To be certain of a top-notch cybersecurity framework, the QA tester should follow world standards such as OWASP, PCI DSS, HIPAA, etc. 
• Performance testing: Since IoT devices have unique operating frameworks, several conditions need to be verified. Test cases are attributed to large volumes of data and fast connectivity. For seamless usage of these devices, performance testing needs to be top-notch. Testers should stay up to speed with device updates and many IoT intricacies. 

IoT Testing Challenges

IoT is undoubtedly one of the fastest-growing technologies of this time. And while it holds amazingly lofty promises, a lot is at stake for the QA testers to subdue the challenges it poses. As it stands, cross-platform tests, test automation, cybersecurity testing, and performance testing are techniques that will suffice in getting the job done. These are all key strategies for improving business performance and quality in the future.