The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly becoming mainstream across all sectors, offering businesses solutions to overcome logistical challenges, reduce unnecessary expenses, and improve productivity. The integration of IoT provides significant benefits for technology-driven companies, especially those that rely on remote access to their IoT devices.
In this article, we will explore the rise in popularity of managed remote access, a trend that is revolutionizing the way businesses manage and monitor their resources remotely. We will closely examine the fundamentals of managed remote access, its benefits, and the best practices associated with its implementation.
What is Managed Remote Access?
Managed remote access is an advanced technology that allows users to manage and monitor their IoT devices remotely. This means that tasks such as troubleshooting, deploying updates, monitoring performance, and managing settings can be performed remotely as long as there is internet connectivity.
The need for this capability arises when managing multiple IoT devices spread across different locations. Physically accessing each of them would not only consume time but also be impractical. Therefore, using remote access for IoT offers a solution by enabling efficient management of these physical devices from a centralized location.
Managed Remote Access and IoT: How Can They Help Us?
IoT consists of numerous devices connected to the internet, providing real-time data for diagnostics, maintenance, and planning. These include cameras, industrial sensors, household appliances, cars, and many other tools.
However, the proliferation of these devices presents challenges for organizations in areas such as maintenance and security. Some of these challenges are logistical. Remote access can help address these issues in many ways, which we will explore in this blog post.
IoT promises to bring benefits across various sectors of business and society. For example:
- Smart buildings enable smarter energy consumption and optimal facility planning.
- Smart agriculture supports remote farming and on-site assistance.
- Smart factories reduce downtime and streamline interactions between suppliers and customers.
- Smart businesses enable better tracking of customer flows and enhanced advertising efficiency.
- Smart cities benefit from improved public service management systems, traffic control, and environmental monitoring.
Smart Buildings and Managed Remote Access
Smart buildings, equipped with IoT devices, promise more innovative data monitoring, such as energy consumption, water usage, environmental statistics, and infrastructure failures. With many IoT devices installed throughout the building, sometimes in hard-to-reach locations, a reliable remote access solution is essential to monitor and manage the “health” of the building and its occupants.
The ability to remotely connect to a device from anywhere allows you to quickly monitor what’s happening in real-time and resolve any issues. It also enables you to perform maintenance such as software or hardware upgrades without physically accessing the devices.
Smart Agriculture
Smart agriculture uses IoT devices, such as sensors, to monitor soil moisture, nutrient levels, livestock health, control irrigation, apply fertilizers, and even remotely operate farming machinery. By utilizing remote access, farmers can regularly retrieve data on their crops and livestock, using it to make decisions that will increase their yields and profits.
A reputable remote access solution allows workers to perform many technical tasks remotely, such as routine system maintenance or machine control. When travel is necessary, remote access is a useful technology that allows off-site employees to stay connected regardless of their physical location, minimizing disruptions and improving work efficiency.
Managed Remote Access for Smart Factories
Smart factories sometimes require on-site interventions to maintain remote computer systems that operate, for example, industrial machines. However, in some cases, it is much more efficient to perform certain remote maintenance tasks, such as monitoring system health, troubleshooting issues, and upgrading software.
Over the years, we have seen how businesses use remote access software to support distributed computer systems and devices, minimizing time spent traveling between sites and reducing any service interruptions. It is likely that this will become even more widespread as the number of smart devices in the workplace increases.
The ability to perform remote maintenance leads to more efficient customer service, reduced maintenance costs, and, most importantly, increased production time.
Retail
In the retail sector, IoT technology plays a role in analyzing real-time sales data of goods and monitoring changes and trends to enable a business to respond more flexibly to rapidly evolving demand and tight deadlines.
Remote access to IoT data from multiple points of sale allows for a comprehensive view of business activity at local, national, or even global levels. Organizations can also use this information to assess the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
Changes in consumer behavior and sales can potentially be attributed to specific campaigns, enabling more targeted and efficient use of advertising budgets. Remote-access data from multiple sites can be used for more accurate long-term planning, improving efficiency across all areas of the business.
Smart Cities with Managed Remote Access
Smart cities promise to revolutionize life in the modern city with smart utilities using sensors to monitor the flow of energy across the grid, from power plants to consumers.
Remote devices that enable these advancements include communication infrastructure for monitoring electrical substations and transmission equipment. By using a managed remote access solution, utility companies can adjust energy network performance, prevent outages, and help quickly restore power when needed. They can also allow customers to manage their energy consumption, even at the level of individual devices connected to the grid.
Other smart city applications include public safety and traffic management, smart lighting, and water treatment services. In a smart city, remote access solutions play a role in monitoring and maintaining all these systems. Having remote access to data from sensors and cameras 24/7 can help reduce traffic congestion, optimize transport networks, and ensure the availability of utilities throughout the city.
And speaking of traffic, remote access also allows employees to regularly work from home without a loss in productivity. The growing trend of remote work promises to reduce the number of people commuting to the city each day, easing road congestion and overcrowding on public transportation, while also reducing pollution.
Et en parlant de trafic, l’accès à distance permet également aux employés de travailler régulièrement depuis leur domicile, sans perte de productivité. La tendance croissante au travail à distance promet de réduire le nombre de personnes se rendant en ville chaque jour, ce qui soulage la congestion routière et la surpopulation des transports en commun, tout en réduisant la pollution.
Benefits of Managed Remote Access
By enabling proactive remote monitoring, remote maintenance, and increased responsiveness, managed remote access paves the way for enhanced productivity, reduced operational costs, and peace of mind for businesses of all sizes. Let’s explore how this solution is transforming the way companies operate in an increasingly interconnected and dynamic world.
Managed Remote Access for Remote Work
Remote access is one of the key advantages for businesses, enabling them to transfer a large portion of their workforce off-site. Employees can monitor device performance, make necessary adjustments, and respond to security incidents without being physically present.
For example, employees at large agricultural operations can track weather conditions and crop growth from their central office or home. This flexibility is especially important during times of uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many production plants to drastically alter their work processes.
A survey by the National Association of Manufacturers reveals that nearly 53% of the business leaders surveyed believe the pandemic will have a lasting financial and operational impact. With remote access to equipment, businesses can adhere to social distancing guidelines while ensuring the proper functioning of their critical equipment.
Remote Maintenance with Managed Remote Access
Another key advantage of remote access is the potential for predictive analytics and remote maintenance of equipment. As Deloitte explained, predictive maintenance allows businesses to identify performance issues and mechanical faults that could lead to major repairs if left unresolved. Rather than waiting for a breakdown to occur, IT professionals can anticipate these issues and take action, thus reducing unexpected downtime and productivity loss.
Strengthening Network Security
While most IoT devices are considered cybersecurity vulnerabilities, they can strengthen network protections when integrated effectively. Most remote access solutions come with event logging features that help IT administrators understand what’s happening on their networks.
These logs capture a wealth of details: who accesses the network and remote devices, what tasks are performed, and when. Event logging not only helps identify cyberattacks but also spot management inefficiencies and ensure the proper functioning of remote devices.
Discover HâpyCO, the revolutionary solution that simplifies and optimizes the management of your IoT infrastructure.
Best Practices for Effective Managed Remote Access
To ensure the efficiency and security of remote access to connected devices, certain best practices must be followed:
- Strong Authentication: Use secure channels like SSH keys and implement “Zero Trust” models to reduce credential leaks. Adopt a “Just-in-Time” architecture to provide short-lived authentication tokens.
A Zero Trust model is an approach to cybersecurity that does not rely on the network perimeter to protect data and resources. It assumes that any person or device, whether inside or outside the network, must be authenticated and authorized before accessing resources.
The “Just-in-Time” (JIT) architecture, also known as the “on-demand” architecture, is a software design approach that provides resources and access privileges only when they are needed and for the strictly required duration.
- Data encryption and secure communication: Use protocols like SSH and VPN to encrypt data in transit. Regularly update device software and firmware to close vulnerabilities and take advantage of the latest improvements.
Conclusion on Managed Remote Access
In conclusion, managed remote access to connected devices proves to be a revolutionary technology that allows you to control your equipment remotely, wherever you are. This trend comes with a multitude of tangible benefits: increased efficiency, enhanced responsiveness, and unmatched convenience.
However, it is crucial to ensure secure management by adopting recognized protocols such as SSH and VPN, while adhering to established best practices, including the implementation of robust authentication mechanisms and regular software updates.
Our HâpyVPN Solution
Explore the power of secure connectivity with HâpyVPN, your essential partner for an uncompromised industrial VPN experience.
