loT Solutions Architect

We all know that the number of IoT devices has been on the rise. According to a recent study by Statista, it is studied that the number of IoT devices in the world will hit over 30 billion by 2030. Huge! The need for IoT technology and solutions is emerging very rapidly. With IoT technology, companies can track the performance of systems and processes. And they can optimize their performance. So, it's not a wonder the demand for IoT solution architects is also emerging in parallel.

Every IoT solutions architect identifies business requirements, design and deploy IoT solutions. Not only business but IoT technology is also increasingly being used in building smart homes. IoT solutions architects collect data from IoT devices to analyze and gather insights. In short, they play a pivotal role in optimizing business processes and systems. Also, they enhance productivity.

Well! This blog discusses what an IoT solutions architect is, how they work, their skills, and related certifications in greater detail. Let’s have a look at them.

IoT Solutions Architect: Table of Content

Who is an IoT Solutions Architect? What Does an IoT Solution Architect do? To Become a Competent IoT Solution Architect Skills That an IoT Solutions Architect Must Have Companies Who Hire IoT Solution Architects IoT Solutions Architect Salary Structure IoT Solution Architect Certifications IoT Solutions Architect FAQs Conclusion

Who is an IoT Solutions Architect?

An IoT solutions architect defines the IoT vision for any organization and implements the IoT solution effectively. The architects closely work with engineers, business users, data analysts, and other teams to understand the business requirements and implement IoT solutions.

At first, IoT solution architects identify the hardware and software requirements to implement IoT solutions. Then they integrate them with the networks, systems, or equipment. After the IoT implementation, they analyze the data from the various IoT devices. Based on the analyses, they make recommendations and share insights with other teams to improve systems and equipment for better functioning.

In short, an IoT solution architect acts as the bridge between a business problem and a solution.

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What Does an IoT Solution Architect Do?

A job of an IoT solution architect is no less than that of a software developer. Every IoT solutions architect design and implement IoT solutions to resolve business problems. They analyze the data received through IoT devices to gather insights. As a whole, they empower systems and equipment used in businesses with the help of IoT tutorial. And they help to boost productivity to high levels.

An IoT solutions architect mainly interacts with service engineers, developers, and sales teams to build realizable IoT solutions. They track the availability, scalability, and performance of business processes. They communicate with stakeholders to update the progress of IoT implementation and the performance of IoT solutions.

To Become a Competent IoT Solution Architect

If you want to become a competent IoT solutions architect, you must have the following qualities, qualifications, and requirements.

Let’s take a look at them below:

• First and foremost, you must have at least a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering or any other similar program. If you have a Masters in information systems management, it will be an added advantage.
• Having a solid knowledge of IoT technology is a must to become an IoT solutions architect. Attending a course and completing a certification in IoT technology is a wise idea. That will definitely authenticate your technical competency to employers.
• An IoT solutions architect needs to be reasonably good in familiar programming languages, embedded systems, data analytic tools, cloud computing, etc. If you have a few years of experience in software development, it will help you understand codes and other tools.
• An IoT solutions architect needs to gain some practical experience through internships, hands-on training, projects, attending conferences and workshops, etc.
• To be a competent IoT solutions architect, you must have excellent data management skills. Know that data is the lifeline of IoT technology. So, you need to organize and process data effectively.
• It would be appreciated if you get a membership from organizations like the Internet of Things Professional Association (IoTPA). It will help to connect with a lot of IoT professionals across the world and update your knowledge constantly.
• Above all, IoT solutions architects must have good leadership qualities. This is because IoT solutions architects need to interact with various teams and implement IoT solutions successfully

Skills That an IoT Solutions Architect Must Have

IoT solutions architects should have sharp technical and non-technical skills. It will help them to implement IoT solutions effortlessly.

On this note, you can find below the list of technical as well as non-technical skills that an IoT solutions architect must develop. As a result, they can excel as a successful IoT solutions architect.

Let’s have a look ahead

1. Technical Skills

• An IoT solutions architect must have a solid knowledge of IoT technology and deployment strategies.
• They must be good in software programming in Python and Java languages. They must have good knowledge in networking, and other components connected with IoT devices and technology.
• Having knowledge of HTML, as well as CSS, is essential for an IoT solutions architect
• Expertise in Mathematics is appreciated.
• Having knowledge of apps like M2M is highly appreciated. These apps share information from machine to machine without the need for humans.
• Knowledge of network architecture, firewalls, cryptography, security protocols, and operating systems is essential for an IoT solutions architect. This is because IoT solutions usually secure and share a huge volume of data. 
• The IoT architects should have good design and implementation skills

2. Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills

• An IoT solutions architect should be able to analyze data collected from IoT devices efficiently
• They must make recommendations to other teams to solve business problems. So, they help to close gaps in processes and systems.
• They must be able to dig out insights from the analyzed data accurately.
• They must be familiar with data analytics tools such as Tableau.

3. Attention to Detail

• An IoT solutions architect should be able to perform in-depth analyses of the data collected from IoT devices. From the results of analyses, you should precisely identify the areas of improvement and gaps in processes and systems.
• Simply put, they must look at things that others cannot do and should take advantage of everything.

4. Communication and Teamwork

• Communication is one of the essential skills that you must have as an IoT solution architect. You must be capable of making effective communication with various teams.
• They must understand business processes and problems precisely through good communication.
• They must closely work and collaborate with various teams, which will help them to implement IoT solutions.

5. Leadership and Management Skills

• An IoT solutions architect should have good decision-making skills
• They should seamlessly interact with engineers, data analysts, and others to bring out the best in every opportunity.
• They must have strong project management skills.
• They should exhibit good persistence in all tasks that they do.
• They must have passion as a good leader and spread it to their peers seamlessly.

6. Continuous Learning

• An IoT solutions architect must be keen to learn new concepts and continuously acquire new skills. In short, you must be willing to know all the time.
• They must constantly be updated with the latest trends in IoT technology.
• They need to apply best practices to improve the performance of IoT solutions as much as possible.

Companies Who Hire IoT Solution Architects

It doesn’t matter whether it is a start-up, medium-sized, or large-scale company – all of them employ IoT solutions architects across the globe. Following is the list of sectors and companies that hire IoT solutions architects widely.

Let’s have a look at them below:

1. Technology: Companies such as Cisco, Intel, IBM, etc., widely employ IoT solutions architects to track their products' performance using IoT technology.

2. Manufacturing: The companies such as GE, Siemens, etc., employ IoT solutions architects to optimize the productivity of Manufacturing processes and machines.

3. Internet Service Providers (ISP: The companies such as AT&T, Verizon, etc., hire IoT solutions architects to analyze their networks and infrastructure using IoT technology. 

4. Consulting Companies: The companies such as Accenture and Deloitte employ IoT solutions architects to design and implement IoT solutions for their clients.

5. Healthcare: The companies such as Medtronic, Philips, etc., hire IoT solutions architects to monitor their medical devices and implement IoT solutions in telemedicine platforms. Also, they use IoT devices to monitor patient movements and the working of clinical equipment remotely.

Apart from all these, IoT technology is widely used in agriculture to use drones and monitor cattle movements. Similarly, it is used in the energy sector to optimize energy consumption. No surprise finance industry used IoT technology in interactive credit cards. Also, the retail and hospitality industries have increasingly used IoT devices and solutions.

It is essential to note that hiring IoT solutions architects is not limited to these companies. Many other sectors employ them. It helps them to implement IoT solutions for their processes and equipment.

IoT Solutions Architect Salary Structure

Are you wondering what IoT architects' salary ranges would be? Following is the range of salaries of IoT solutions architects based on their experience level.

• Entry level: On average, entry-level IoT architects with 0-5 years of experience can earn up to 6 LPA.
• Mid-level: IoT architects with 7-8 years of experience can earn up to 13 LPA.
• Expert-level: IoT architects with more than ten years of experience can earn up to 25 LPA.

However, the figures may vary depending on the education qualification, achievements, projects worked, certifications, etc.

IoT Solution Architect Certifications

Achieving IoT certification is helpful to show employers that you have the necessary competence in IoT technology and deploying IoT solutions across various systems and processes. Leading organizations such as Microsoft and Stanford offer advanced IoT programs for learners. To achieve certification, you need to complete all the course modules included in the program and take the exams if required.

Let’s see a few popular IoT certifications that are helpful to become an IoT solutions architect.

1. Cloud Credential Council (CCC) IoT Foundation (IoTF)

This course comprises six modules: IoT architecture, business use cases, security governance, etc. All who have an IoT background, as well as cloud computing, can take this course confidently. And they can become highly-equipped IoT solutions architects. This program is offered in both online and offline modes.

2. Arcitura Certified IoT Architect

This course covers IoT technology and architecture, deployment, telemetry, and more. By completing this course, you can understand IoT concepts and their business value entirely. You will become proficient in IoT design by learning connectivity concepts with scaling. You must pass an examination to get the certification and become a certified IoT architect.

3. IoT Inc’s ICIP program

Completing this course will give you a concrete idea of building IoT devices and deployment. This course unites business requirements, IoT implementation strategy, and associated Technology. So, IoT solutions architects can completely understand needs and deploy IoT solutions. Mainly, you can implement digital transformation using IoT technology by completing this course.

4. Stanford’s Internet of Things Graduate Program

This program will teach IoT concepts, implementation, and analytics. Also, you can learn data processing, IoT sensors, data security, and many more. It would help if you had some popular programming languages to attend this course. Above all, you must complete this course within three years.

5. Microsoft Professional Program for IoT

This course teaches you all you need to learn about IoT solutions. This course consists of eight modules, such as basics of IoT, implementing IoT devices, embedded device hardware, analyzing and sorting IoT data, representing and analyzing IoT data, and evaluating IoT solutions. You can learn about IoT devices, architectural design, data analytics, business planning, etc. On top of all, this program ends with a project.

IoT Solutions Architect FAQs

1. How do I become an IoT Solutions Architect?

You must have a bachelor's degree in computer science or related programs. Also, you must have technical expertise in programming languages like python and java, data analytics tools like Tableau, Power BI, cloud computing, embedded systems, networks, etc. You must mainly have good communication, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

2. What is the role of the IoT Solutions Architect?

An IoT architect must implement IoT solutions in the business environment. They must improve the operational performance of systems and processes with the help of IoT solutions. They interact with the various teams for the effective implementation of IoT solutions. Moreover, they analyze the data shared by IoT devices and identify crucial information and insights.

3. What are the four stages of IoT Architecture?

The four stages of IoT architecture are given as follows:

• Sensors and Actuators
• Internet Gateways and Data Acquisition Systems
• Edge IT Data Processing
• Datacenter and Cloud

4. What does an IoT Solutions Architect do?

An IoT solutions architect understands the business processes at the root level and figures out the business requirements accurately. After that, they define, develop, and deploy IoT solutions to fill the gaps in the processes or improve the performance of the systems. They monitor systems and equipment performance from the data collected from IoT devices and make deep analyses. With the analysis results, they make further changes or improvements.

5. Do IoT Solutions Architects need coding skills?

Strong coding skills are not necessary for IoT solutions architects. But at the same time, they must have reasonable coding skills. This is required to understand the codes written by developers. Mainly, Java and Python programming skills will be helpful.

6. Is it challenging to become an IoT Solutions Architect?

Not at all. You need to learn IoT concepts and the implementation of IoT solutions. Also, you must improve your communication, collaboration, and analytical skills. So, you can become a competent IoT solutions architect, undoubtedly.

7. What skills do I need to be an IoT Solutions Architect?

To become a competent IoT solutions architect, you must acquire technical and non-technical skills. Regarding technical skills, you must be an expert in IoT devices, IoT concepts, design, and implementation of IoT solutions, data analytics, and programming knowledge in popular languages such as python and java.

Regarding non-technical skills, you must have strong analytical skills, collaboration, problem-solving skills, and continuous learning habits.

Conclusion

In short, IoT solutions architects optimize business processes and systems with their expertise in IoT devices and Technology. The main thing is that they use their leadership skills to implement IoT solutions efficiently. Those who excel in IoT technology and its deployment can undoubtedly acquire lucrative jobs and earn a lump sum salary. To excel in IoT design and implementation, you can use MindMajix IoT courses. Sure! It will be a wise decision and help you to become a highly-skilled IoT solution architect.