Already Miss Google Cloud IoT Core? Here’s an Alternative

When Google announced that it would discontinue its popular Google Cloud IoT Core product next year the reaction of the internet of things (IoT) community was immediate. Indeed there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth, lamentations were heard across the land, and a great shout went out across the land of the internet, yet the gods of Google were unhearing. The decision was made, Google Cloud IoT Core would grace our lives no more.

The outpouring of grief on social media websites like Reddit was biblical in proportion and highlighted how for many, the decision by Google came as a thunderbolt, a complete surprise. “Google is a serial killer,” said pekoms_123 on the r/IoT thread on Reddit, and while we can’t comment on the criminal veracity of their statement it was a sentiment echoed throughout that page. “Killed by Google says it all. Today, it's Google [Cloud] IoT Core, tomorrow it could be another giant cloud IoT service provider,” said another user, CloudoPhile, echoing another common opinion on the site.

So the search is on for many in the IoT community for a Google IoT Core alternative, something that can fulfill all the functions that made Google Cloud IoT Core so popular. The new choice needs to be something that equals Google’s best qualities and yet provides the prospect of greater longevity. Is there something that can answer the cries of lamentation emanating from all corners of the internet?

A Giant IoT Solution

Before we answer that question it’s important to look back at what exactly made Google Cloud IoT Core so popular that its eventual disappearance would cause so much distress. The service was marketed as a ‘fully managed service that allows you to easily and securely connect, manage, and ingest data from millions of globally dispersed devices,’ something that would allow its users to operate internationally with ease and in full security. You could manage your IoT devices and networks in the one location and worked well in tandem with Google’s other offerings, as one would expect.

One of Google Cloud IoT Core’s most popular attributes is that it’s able to easily connect IoT devices via MQTT or HTTP, which makes deployment simple, and it comes with a ‘full set’ of tools you might need. Its security is well-regarded with a number of factors that came included like Stackdriver Logging alongside audit logs, asymmetric key authentication over TLS 1.2 and CA signed certificates can be used to verify device identity and ownership.

All of this combined with a system that allowed you to both view and act on out of box insights Google Big data analytics and ML services such as Cloud Dataflow, BigQuery, Cloud Bigtable and others, and you can understand why many users were aghast at the IoT Core’s cancellation.

The IoT Market Remains Strong

So with all of the qualities outlined above it does come as quite a surprise that Google would announce that it was winding down Google Cloud IoT Core, especially when one considers the position of IoT as a whole. By the end of this year the total number of IoT-connected devices around the world is forecast to reach over 14 billion, representing growth of 18% in the marketplace. Despite global challenges like rising costs of living and inflammation, the ongoing war against Ukraine by russia, and supply-chain issues caused by China’s Zero COVID-19 policy, there is every indication that the global IoT industry is set for continued growth and development.

With that being in mind, public comment on the decision to essentially cancel Google Cloud IoT Core has reached levels one might expect to witness when a TV network decides to end a popular show. Comments ranged from describing the decision as ‘short-sighted and backward looking’ to a palpable feeling of betrayal on the part of some users who felt they had invested time and effort into using Google’s product, only for the rug to be pulled from under their feet. The most obvious reaction however has been frustration, people are frustrated that they now have to search for a new tool that either matches the capability of Google Cloud IoT Core or goes further, and they’re not sure what to pick.

Time to Choose an Alternative

Kaa has operated in the IoT sphere for a number of years and we can let you in on a secret right here, right now: We’re not going to cancel our services just like Google did, we’ll still be here for years to come. Google Cloud IoT Core is/was a top choice for many users out there but of course, we think that our own platform performs a lot better, it offers all the features that came with Google’s terminally ill service and more.

So why would the Kaa IoT Platform be a good choice for those mourning the loss of Google Cloud IoT Core and looking for a replacement? There are quite a few reasons actually including:

• Simple collection & control.

  You can connect and manage IoT devices via the cloud using graphical UI or REST API, and collect and visualize telemetry using a built-in dashboard or 3rd party tools like Kibana, making Kaa highly integratable

• Top level security.

  Your data is always encrypted in transit and at rest. The Kaa IoT platform also includes out-of-box authentication & authorization for users with an open OAuth2 / UMA interface, perfect for users looking to replace Google Cloud IoT Core’s security.

• Deep data insights.

  You can stream data from your IoT devices to any data analytics system via a pre-integrated Kafka channel and change device behavior based on processing results. Look no further for data analysis that rivals Google.

Make the Change Today

Google Cloud IoT Core may well be on its way out but that’s no reason to despair about its loss, Kaa’s IoT Platform is the natural successor and it comes without any of the big tech giant baggage. It’s very much the case of ‘the king is dead, long live the king’ and it’s this sense of continuity that many people online are presently looking for. When change comes suddenly it’s disruptive, no matter what project or industry you might be involved in and needs to be addressed as quickly as possible.

So don’t despair, cease the cries of lamentation and rejoice as there’s a way to address the disruption IoT is currently experiencing and that’s via Kaa IoT’s Platform. You can act today by checking out the rest of our website and learning more about our products, and services, and how they can be best applied at your company. If that’s something that sounds interesting to you then you can also reach out via our contact form and one of our team members will get back in touch shortly.