8 Issues Facing IoT Products

One of the plagues facing today’s world is the utilization and management of web-enabled devices, otherwise known as IoT products.

The adoption of Internet of Things technology comes with many benefits says Kate Began, a sales and marketing manager but there are still many challenges to the widespread use of Internet of Things.

What is Consumer IoT?

Consumer IoT (CIoT) refers to connected devices designed for the consumer market. It is anything and everything that can connect with systems, like smartphones, smart home devices, wearables, and other physical things with embedded sensors to exchange data with them over the internet.

What is a Consumer IoT Product?

Consumer IoT product is the integration of IoT into regular consumer devices, systems, and home and office based products.

List of Some Notable IoT Products

There are around 20 billion IoT smart devices up and running on planet Earth (software testing group). Below are 10 notable IoT devices

• Google Home Voice Controller is a smart IoT device that allows users to manage tasks like listening to media, controlling home lights, control the volume of appliances like TV.

• Amazon Echo Plus Voice Controller is capable of checking the weather, manage a home shopping list, set timers and alarms, ask questions, and provide information.

• Amazon Dash Button is a reliable device that informs user of important household items like groceries, drinks, and personal care items.

• August Smart Lock helps users to take control and manage doors from any location stress free. With August smart lock, you will know when and who enters your home.

• Footbot Air Quality Monitor measures indoor pollution and helps to improve the quality of air in the home, office, and other indoor environments.

Other devices are

• Particle Photon Wi-Fi with Headers
• Logitech Harmony Universal Remote
• WeMo Insight Smart Plug
• August Doorbell Cam
• Kuri Mobile Robot

Benefits of Consumer IoT Products

IoT products support the expansion of the internet beyond the normal use of smartphones, laptops, and other devices. It saves time, automating daily tasks at home, office, and other places. The Internet of Things makes a better quality of life, increased efficiency, and possesses strong monitoring features.

The Internet of Things is transforming our homes, offices, cars, roads, cities, and our breakfast. Below is a list of the benefits of using IoT products:

• Business automation processes.
• Less human involvement
• Tracking and monitoring
• Cost efficiency
• Time management
• Owner’s control and privacy
• Accessibility
• Information
• Data collection
• Security
• Smart offices and homes.

What are the Challenges Facing Consumer IoT Products?

1. Customer Experience

Users want to experience the best use of products but they are not patient. The higher the expectation, the more impatient they tend to become.

When customer experience doesn’t match product expectations, it can lead to a poor reputation for the brand’s product, lost productivity, negative reputation.

Another issue with the consumer experience is their tech savviness. Not all customers can differentiate the use of buttons or do a proper device connection. They need assistance one way or the other.

Meanwhile, IoT products are a more technical solution that requires prior knowledge and understanding to get optimum benefit or satisfaction.

2. Maintenance

Maintenance for IoT products is a challenge. Consumers must understand their product to optimize its use and anticipate when failure or error begins to occur.

The costs associated with keeping the product in good shape may be expensive. Discovering product faults also could be frustrating for consumer IoT products.

The durability of these gadgets, products, or devices depends on proper maintenance culture which could be tasking for customers.

3. Scalability

Consumer IoT products must have the ability to support an increasing number of other connected devices without any degradation of service. This is a challenge facing consumer IoT products whether customers will find the newly purchased IoT product scalable with their previous home devices.

4. Product Branding

Think Nest, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Pod, and Samsung Smart thing. These products represent authority, affluence, and friendliness. New products outside the established brand names may crawl to find their way into the market.

This makes Tech marketers and vendors find it challenging to meet customer expectations based on these qualities with IoT products especially when they are new and require some expertise to automate customer lives.

IoT devices need to consider connectivity, data optimization, and easy integration into human processes.

5. Tracking and Monitoring

The cost and scope involved in monitoring products are another challenges for purchasing an IoT product. While it may be conducive to purchasing an IoT gadget, tracking and monitoring pose a challenge for consumers.

However, it depends on the type of product. For instance, a smart TV needs a higher monitoring system compared to an IoT wristwatch.

Other areas related to the tracking and monitoring challenges are integrating new devices, expanding the network, fast decisions when identifying problems, and providing a solution.

6. High Competition

New businesses in this sector must be prepared to stay competitive and innovative as the market keeps yearning for smarter and more innovative experiences. The competition is high generally. Due to this, unsatisfied customers don’t hesitate to go elsewhere. This is another challenge for facing consumer IoT products.

7. New Technology

Consumer IoT product is an emerging market. New technology as such often lacks a consistent and universal ecosystem. This poses a connectivity challenge and related disadvantages.

8. Security Threat

Some consumers lack the knowledge or education regarding the risks of having IoT-connected personal devices. This poses a significant challenge as many IoT devices have default passwords left unchanged and other major security vulnerabilities.