IoT EcoSystem
IoT EcoSystem Overview
An IoT device cannot exist without a supporting infrastructure. This was made obvious when we finished the design of our first IoT device many years ago. After the prototype was approved, the customer asked us to build 100 units for a mini pilot production run. This is when we discovered that we needed an easy way to register and activate these devices. Once activated, we needed an easy and automatic way to bill / charge for the monthly cellular data usage and system monitoring fees. Finally, we needed an easy way to onboard new users, giving them access to the IoT device monitoring dashboard. All of these pieces make up our IoT EcoSystem. When a customer calls and asks us to design a new IoT device, we build that device on top of this existing infrastructure giving our customer an unparalleled advantage in the market.
IoT Device
An Internet Of Things or IoT device is a device that can send sensor data to the cloud so that a web based dashboard can easily display it on a mobile device anywhere in the world. Blue Sparq can custom make an IoT device or control system to satisfy your application. Please contact us today!
For more information please view our Hardware Development, Mechanical Design, and our Manufacturing pages.
IoT Registration / Activation Portal
Once a customer receives their devices, they must log in to our IoT Registration / Activation portal to activate them. First, they will create an account with a user name and password. Next, they will provide their credit card or bank account information. This information will be used to automatically charge the monthly fees associated with each device. Finally, they will need to enter the serial number of each device to activate it. From there, our backend will automatically reach out to the appropriate cellular service provider via API and activate the sim card inside the device. This portal can be white labeled to match the customer’s branding.
Automated Billing System
Blue Sparq maintains relationships with Verizon, Kore, and Hologram to provide its customers with the best quality cellular data available. Our IoT Registration / Activation portal uses APIs provided by these cellular service providers to easily activate sim cards in our IoT devices. An automated billing system is required to ensure all of the data and system monitoring fees are paid by our customers / users in a timely manner so that we can pay the cellular service providers. Our billing system monitors credit card expiration dates as well. If the credit card is close to expiring, an email will be sent automatically, asking the user to update their credit card information. If they fail to do this, and the credit card expires, our system will automatically shut down the IoT device. This automated billing system can be white labeled to match the customer’s branding.
New User Onboarding Portal
The new user onboarding portal is very similar to the IoT Registration / Activation Portal. This onboarding portal is used to add additional users to the IoT device monitoring dashboard system. An email invitation is sent to the new user and from that email they will find a link that will take them to this onboarding portal. From there they will create a user name and password which will allow them access to the IoT device monitoring dashboard.
IoT Device Monitoring Dashboard
A cloud dashboard is designed to monitor all aspects of the device. All of the telemetry data that is being recorded by the device is uploaded to the cloud. Once into the cloud, users can easily monitor the telemetry data. The dashboard is also a tool used to make debugging easier. It allows for diagnostic tests, log uploads, and to check signal strength of the device. Updates to the device, such as firmware and UI, can also be made through the dashboard. The dashboard provides the end user all the tools needed to monitor their device.
For more information please view our Software Development Page
