What Is An IoT Operating System?
An operating system (OS) is essentially the brain and central nervous system of any computing system, including laptops, servers, smartphones, and sensors and is available in both commercial and open source varieties. The OS manages all of a system’s hardware and software and allocates all resources, including processing, memory, and storage. An IoT operating system is an OS designed for the particular demands and specifications of IoT devices and applications. It is critical for connectivity, security, networking, storage, remote device management, and other IoT system needs. Some IoT operating systems also have real-time processing capabilities and are referred to as a real-time operating system, or RTOS.
Why IoT Operating Systems?
Hardware and software cannot function properly without an underlying OS. A computer without an OS is akin to car without an engine—it simply won’t run. The same is true for IoT devices and applications; an IoT OS is necessary for them to work as intended. An IoT OS enables devices and applications to connect with each other and other systems, such as cloud platforms and services. The IoT OS also manages the processing power and other resources needed to collect, transmit, and store data.
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