As the IoT booms, rapidly evolving networks and security standards are driving the need for frequent device software updates. Physical maintenance of large and global device fleets has become cost-prohibitive and too time-consuming for most implementations. Over-The-Air updates (OTA), much like those downloaded on a laptop computer, provide a way forward for IoT devices
However, for a majority of IoT deployments, especially those using highly efficient Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) connectivity, the constraints of remote updates can outweigh the benefits.
OTA update strategies for IoT must be carefully designed to balance device firmware update requirements with LPWAN bandwidth and speed while protecting the battery life of the device.
Over-The-Air (OTA) updates are critical to IoT application success:
- Emerging software-based business models require regular firmware updates
- Cellular network evolution must be supported to eliminate connectivity issues
- Emerging security vulnerabilities must be mitigated in real-time
Thales Update Services provide extremely efficient and secure remote management of Cinterion IoT Modules and Terminals to help proactively control the lifecycle of device firmware. Critical updates are sent simultaneously across large and globally distributed fleets. Secure remote updates are achieved by leveraging encryption mechanisms and digital signatures that ensure only trusted software is accepted on an IoT device.
Thales Update Services - Key Benefits
- One-click software updates across massive fleets
- Secure execution ensures software authenticity
- Efficient Incremental FOTA strategy saves time, cost and energy
- Efficient campaign planning tools
- Flexible pay-as-you-grow model
Thales Updates services keep the overall cost of operations low while keeping millions of widely distributed global assets up to date, secure and working at their best.
Is your FOTA strategy efficient enough for LPWAN applications?
LPWAN networks such as LTE-M and NB-IoT offer important benefits for industrial IoT applications - reliability on existing LTE networks and forthcoming 5G, long-range and coverage in remote locations, and exceptional energy efficiency. However, developers that use LPWAN have learned some hard lessons about the importance of a well-planned FOTA strategy.
Unexpected firmware updates and software rewrites can quickly burn through bandwidth, data plans and battery life. In some cases, it's even more cost and time effective to design a new solution from scratch with a more efficient updating strategy.
Thales delivers a unique incremental FOTA strategy that updates only the portion of code that needs it. This reduces the average firmware file size by 95% compared to competing industry solutions.
Whitepaper: Implementing Cost-efficient Software Updates for Cellular IoT Deployments
Challenges, Considerations, Best Practices. Although the benefits of OTA software updates are clear, IoT devices that implement cellular IoT technologies are limited by processing power and energy budget. To execute efficient OTA updates, companies should utilize the correct tools to assess risks and monitor their software updates process closely. This whitepaper guides you towards achieving excellent fleet operations to contain cost and achieve customer satisfaction.
Download the whitepaper