IoT Access Points Bring Enterprise Power to Retail Device Networks

New platforms that support multiple wireless IoT protocols and use cases make it worthwhile for retailers to consider their connectivity options

Gateway vs. Access Point: What’s the Difference?

For those in the IT world, terms like hub, gateway, router, and access point indicate the network stack layers a product supports and its role in connecting IP-enabled clients such as laptops and phones to the Internet.


The IoT market has used (and mis-used) these terms interchangeably to describe a category of products that sit on the edge and connect non-IP, low power wired and wireless devices (such as sensors) to an IP network. Beyond that, the capabilities and sophistication cover a broad spectrum, from Raspberry PI to our own enterprise-grade Cascade 500 Gateway. Often an IoT solution provider will bundle a sensor-and-gateway combination to enable faster deployment, but that leads to installing a proprietary gateway for every sensor type.

 

A new class of product, which we call the IoT Access Point, builds upon the IoT gateway with higher processing and multi-radio support that, in the IT world, is typically seen in much higher-end enterprise WiFi Access Points. The primary goal of the IoT AP is still to connect non-IP IoT devices to the cloud, but it brings expandability on several levels to create a more advanced IoT network capable of supporting many different solutions with one network.

IoT Access Points Are Designed for Unified IT Networks

While millions of single-purpose IoT gateways have been deployed in commercial spaces, many projects don’t make it beyond the proof-of-concept phase due to cost and complexity issues. These include IT integration, InfoSec testing, and physical installation on the network, which are costly and often underestimated in the planning phase. Certifying and installing multiple gateways from different vendors reduces the return-on-investment (ROI) of a project even further. Since an IoT Access Point effectively acts as multiple gateways servicing many applications, the effort to qualify one platform becomes more worthwhile and better aligns the IoT and IT stakeholders.


Thus the emergence of the IoT Access Point isn’t just an iteration on the old gateway approach, it’s a completely different option for solution providers and retailers to consider in their IoT architecture. Gateways will still have a role for dedicated loggers and other highly specialized use cases, but in many commercial spaces including retail, a more generalized approach is starting to take hold.

Should Retailers Use an IoT Gateway or Access Point?

While an IoT Access Point may be a more forward-looking approach, there are still benefits to a traditional gateway approach. Rigado offers the Cascade 500 Gateway and the recently announced Cascade 5000 IoT Access Point, and we often get this question. Here is a breakdown of the two options: 

An IoT gateway:

  • Typically uses one IoT protocol such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, or LoRA
  • Connects one specialized device type such as a data logger, temperature sensor, or asset tracker. Multiple device types can be supported, but with performance limitations
  • Minimizes up-front cost, has limited long-term expandability

An IoT access point:

  • Supports coexistence of multiple radios and protocols, for example Bluetooth and WiFi HaLow
  • Connects a variety of sensors types, such as asset tags and electronic shelf labels, concurrently across those protocols at very high scale
  • Has higher up-front cost with greater expandability for better long-term cost

We should also note that retailers may use IoT gateways in the PoC or Pilot stage of a program given the lower scale requirements, with the understanding that the long-term deployment would utilize an IoT Access Point. In Rigado’s case, both the Cascade 500 and 5000 are managed and IT-certified in a similar way, so it’s a seamless transition between products from pilot to production.

What About WiFi Access Points?

We’ve discussed how IoT Access Points represent a new generation of IoT connectivity, but at the same time, traditional WiFi Access Points are now adding IoT radios and edge data processing to their products. Does this mean multiple access point products competing to control the IoT network? Not necessarily, and again it represents more choices for the retailer and their IT and OT (operations) teams.

 

Some retailers may want a fully distinct and separate IoT network which is used by an OT team, but with the security and compliance ensured by the IT team. In this case, deploying new IoT Access Points makes the most sense. This approach requires new network hardware but offers the cleanest separation of IT vs. OT services because they are on different networks.

 

Alternatively, a retailer may want to combine everything including WiFi services and IoT into one unified network. Here, leveraging the installed base of WiFi access points and enabling IoT-aware radios and software on those platforms is more optimal. This path can also include a hybrid approach, where IoT gateways and access points provide supplementary coverage where the WiFi APs may not be deployed. Rigado's Edge Connect software brings unique value to such a deployment model by running on enterprise APs and ensuring consistency of data delivery across multiple hardware vendors.

 

The bottom line is that the type of space, use cases, and desired network architecture will determine when to use a dedicated network or shared infrastructure.

Wrapping Up: More Options, More Questions

Even knowing the tradeoffs of gateways and IoT Access Points, and understanding the added option of leveraging existing networks, retail CIOs and IT teams will often have unique circumstances to consider. The path to smarter retail operations that use a multitude of sensors and devices to feed cloud data analytics is never a straight line, and Rigado brings years of product design and real-world deployment experience that can help chart the course. We are excited to have announced the Cascade 5000 IoT Access Point, which is uniquely design for IoT applications in retail spaces. Reach out to us to learn more about it, or to have a conversation about the right IoT network approach for your organization.   

About Rigado

Rigado is leading the retail IoT transformation with unified networks that run on IoT gateways, Wi-Fi Access Points, telematics equipment, and more. Contact us today to learn how you can lower your cost to develop and deploy a unified sensor network using existing infrastructure in any enterprise environment.