For the customer, a connected product is not the device alone, but the device, the app and the cloud in one. A washing machine, a thermostat or a lighting system is now judged through the app that controls it. That is why IoT app development is not an add-on to the hardware, but part of the product that decides how it is received.
In our experience, the hard part is tying together three layers, the device, the mobile app and the cloud, into one stable product. We built such solutions for a global appliance manufacturer (a smart home app) and for HVAC systems, so we know where the traps are.
What are connected products, and why does the app decide the product?
Connected products are network-connected devices the customer controls and that deliver data. In practice:
- the app is the face of the product, even when the value sits in the hardware,
- the customer compares it with the best apps on the market, not just with industry rivals,
- device data unlocks new features and service models,
- weak device-app integration spoils the perception of the whole product.
What does an app for IoT devices consist of?
A well-designed IoT solution has several layers:
- a mobile app (iOS and Android) for control and management,
- device connectivity (local and via the cloud),
- a backend and cloud for data, accounts and logic,
- device fleet management: registry, configuration, updates.
Which connectivity protocols should you choose for connected products?
The protocol choice drives range, power consumption and cost. We most often work with:
- BLE for pairing and short-range local communication,
- Wi-Fi where throughput and a constant connection are needed,
- Zigbee, Thread and Matter in smart home ecosystems,
- cellular (e.g. LTE-M) for field devices.
We choose the protocol for the specific product and use case, not “out of habit”.
How do you tie the device, the app and the cloud into one whole?
This is where IoT projects most often drift apart. The essentials are:
- stable APIs between the app, the device and the cloud,
- consistent handling of device states (offline, updating, error),
- secure authentication and encryption of device data,
- deliberate synchronisation between local operation and the cloud.
We look at the product end to end, from firmware, through the app, to the cloud, instead of patching one layer in isolation.
How do you handle scale, reliability and updates (OTA)?
A connected product lives for years and grows into thousands of devices, so from the start we design for:
- OTA (over-the-air) updates of firmware and the app,
- fleet monitoring and failure response,
- a scalable cloud backend (microservices, containerisation),
- telemetry and analytics of device data.
How do you secure IoT devices?
A device in the field is a real attack surface, so we design security from the hardware layer, not just in the app:
- secure pairing and provisioning of new devices,
- data encryption in transit and in the cloud,
- signed OTA updates, so tampered firmware cannot be installed,
- permission isolation and access control for device data.
In connected products, security is not a single feature but a property of the whole chain: device, connectivity, app and cloud. If the weakest link fails, the whole product loses the customer’s trust.
Smart home, appliances, HVAC: where do we have experience?
Our connected-product skills have been proven in real products:
- a smart home app for a global appliance manufacturer, supporting devices from two brands,
- apps and cloud for HVAC systems (heating and ventilation),
- IoT integrations connecting devices to the app and the backend.
What does building an IoT app cost, and what drives the price?
There is no single price, because cost depends on scope. The biggest drivers are:
- two mobile platforms (iOS, Android) plus the backend,
- the number and type of protocols and supported devices,
- cloud requirements: scale, reliability, security,
- OTA updates and maintenance across the product life cycle.
So instead of a “price list”, we agree the scope and priorities with the client, then match the model and team.
How do we do it at RITS?
We do it as a nearshore partner from Poland, with real connected-product experience:
- we built a smart home app (iOS and Android) for a global appliance manufacturer, with IoT support and systems integration (including Java, Node.js, SAP),
- we delivered apps and a cloud backend for HVAC systems (Spring, Kubernetes, GCP, CI/CD),
- we verify skills before the start, and we treat the product end to end: device, app, cloud.
You can build the product with us as custom software (scope, budget and timeline on our side) or augment your team with our specialists. When device data is in play, we add an AI layer: analytics and prediction, with people in the decision loop.
Where to start with an app for IoT devices?
Start from the use case and hardware requirements: how the customer controls the device, what connectivity, what scale. That determines the protocols, the cloud architecture and the app scope. We’ll match the rest, the engagement model and the team, to that goal. See also our article on IT engagement models.
Planning an app for a connected product or IoT devices? Let’s talk - we’ll design the architecture and match the team.