“Software is consuming everything,” You’ve seen it, heard about it, and perhaps even helped develop the programme. Innovators are exploring for novel ways to offer their software to end customers as various software categories become more crowded and competitive. Including hardware in the form of a mobile device that is only used for a certain application or use case as part of your software offering is one trend that has been gaining attention. There is a sizable market for dedicated devices, but software developers frequently don’t know where to look when assessing hardware possibilities for their application.
We’ll be publishing a series of blog pieces over the coming weeks that will cover all you need to know about creating a dedicated device, including the factors to take into account with regard to hardware, operating system, device administration, and operations.
We’ll start off this blog article by discussing the key factors you and your team should look into when selecting a dedicated device to support your creative software solutions. Hardware Sourcing, Cost Considerations, End-of-Life, Connectivity, and Customization are the primary subjects that will be explored. We will also discuss the advantages and drawbacks of each sort of hardware sourcing choice within each of these factors.
First thing to think about: Hardware sourcing
What possibilities are there for hardware suppliers right now in the market for smart hardware?
You’ve determined a problem that can be resolved with a combined software and hardware product, and you’ve built an inventive solution for it. But how do you go about choosing and analysing your hardware? It is crucial to choose the correct hardware to deliver your programme because it can have a significant negative influence on your software, user experience, and business operations.
There are currently three main hardware categories to take into account when purchasing your fleet of specialised mobile devices. Making the optimal choice for your needs will be aided by your team and you being aware of what each option entails.
Gadgets that are available for purchase from stores and are marketed for the average customer are known as consumer-off-the-Shelf (COTS) devices (also known as original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs). The creation of a dedicated kiosk experience is then supported by pairing these devices with an MDM/EMM.
Devices created specifically for your product and purchased directly from the manufacturer are referred to as custom devices (DIY). These devices often come with an OS (commonly Android) that was created in-house and tailored for your particular use case.
A mobile infrastructure provider called Mobile IaaS Devices (MIaaS) combines enterprise-focused mobile devices with developer tools to create a bespoke operating system and cloud services to manage your device fleet.