IoT Smart Metering Solutions

Smart meter manufacturers can take advantage of an IoT platform for a number of use cases: from running remote software updates and tracking performance of their devices to offering a full-scale IoT smart metering application for their customers. OEMs who provide a flexible IoT solution together with the device will have a significant edge over the competition, that’s why fully adopting IoT technology is so important for hardware manufacturers. With the right IoT platform, developing a customer-centric smart metering solution is rather straightforward. It is also easier to create personalized versions of the solution for important clients if it is built on a flexible IoT platform rather than hard-wired with a limited number of functions and capabilities.

Using an IoT smart metering solution for their devices, manufacturers can simplify their product development and user analytics tasks.

First, rolling out new software can be done in a few clicks. You can segregate them by customer, release version, location, etc. You can also maintain several versions at once in your system. Second, you can collect device performance data to pre-empt malfunction, run tests, and track other KPIs according to your product specification. You can also use this data to validate warranty claims.

What’s especially convenient, modern IoT platforms provide flexible user access management that enables manufacturers to use the same platform instance for multiple user roles. Device managers will log in to a workspace with their unique dashboards and device management access rights while customers will only see their metering dashboards, alerts, and analytics charts. One platform can serve both parties, vendors and customers, at the same time.

Smart metering solutions can be quite complex, and that’s why not every company can build them in house, even with the right IoT platform. That’s where technology partners and solution integrators step in. Their specific use case is, first of all, to find a platform for smart metering solutions that is both powerful enough to address diverse customers’ needs and easy enough to use so that the development process takes minimum time and effort. Additionally, they require flexible integration and customization options in order to connect diverse solutions into one.

Now, how do you use an IoT platform to acquire actual smart metering projects? The common way is to build a proof of concept and make a strong match for the client’s requirements.

That’s why rapid prototyping capability is another important criteria for solution integrators looking for a smart metering platform. In Kaa, for example, we offer a free plan for 5 devices so that companies can build and thoroughly test their solutions at small scale before subscribing to paid plans. We also have a ready-to-go smart metering solution prototype, which we call a template, within the platform so that you can show your customers a rich demo before even learning how to develop anything in Kaa.

Last but not the least, there’s the question of the platform’s vendor availability and support. Solution integrators must know they can count on the vendor’s product team to help them cope with complex projects, training, and the end user support. The cost of such support services should be also taken into account.