“Evergreen” Embedded Software for the Industrial Internet of Things

Lifecycle Support of Embedded Software a Weak Point

Connecting remote assets in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will inevitably involve embedded systems technology. But embedded system software may prove to be an Achilles Heel for many Internet "things." Lifecycle support for embedded system software is often non-existent, and not automated when it does exist, even on high-priced systems. Furthermore, the software embedded in these products is usually old and contains years' worth of bugs and vulnerabilities. Jim Geer, the head of the CIA's In-Q-Tel venture firm suggests that device software be programmed to stop functioning after a predefined lifecycle to avoid devices being taken over by malware. That is hardly a recipe for a growing market!

Asset Lifecycles More Similar than One Might Think

ARC Advisory Group emphasizes the importance of managing assets through their entire lifecycle. Obviously, some assets are relatively short-lived (cellular handsets, for instance) while others are expected to last for decades (major industrial equipment such as a large turbine-generator). But the lifecycles of assets tend to vary over a far smaller range than other asset properties such as asset installed cost. An electric utility purchases a large new turbine-generator for more than $100 million. The same utility may supply customers with a residential gateway device for less than $100. Asset installed costs can vary by a factor of 1,000,000; but equipment lifecycles do not vary nearly as much. The lifecycle of smartphone handsets is on the short end of the spectrum at two to three years, while a major production plant will have a design life of 30-40 years – varying only by a factor of 20. The figure illustrates the much greater variance in the cost of selected assets vs. the variance in their lifecycles.

ARC Advisory Group clients can view the complete report at this Link.

If you would like to buy this report or obtain information about how to become a client, please Request ARC Info

Keywords: Embedded Systems, Industrial Internet of Things, IIoT, IoT, Lifecycle Management, ARC Advisory Group.