While executives worry about lengthy and complex software and product development cycles, IoT software developers are more concerned about ensuring security, according to our survey. Security (38%) is the second-highest challenge facing respondents who target IoT industries.
Fortunately, the industry has linked arms in recent years to embrace holistic approaches to end-to-end security. This ranges from rapidly expanding design-for security frameworks and certification efforts such as PSA Certified, to confidential computing innovations at the device level that take the concept of hardware compartmentalization to new, more secure levels.
And while there’s always increasing pressure to shrink development cycles, the complexity of today’s emerging technologies can affect these cycles. Of those surveyed working in IoT, fewer than 1 in 10 software developers see achieving the right level of processing power as a challenge.
Paul Williamson, SVP and GM IoT & Embedded
What jumps out here is that everyone is concerned about lengthy and complex software development cycles. Indeed, where the software rubber meets the hardware road, complexity is developers’ second-biggest concern behind security. Software developers are often required to deliver in a number of areas, so time to completion is critical for them and complexity doesn’t help.
Another major concern rooted in complexity is the porting of software. Executives in particular worry that portability issues can mean sticking with older technology they’ve deployed or accepting a delay in the project to gain access to newer technology.
While security is a concern for all, software developers worry the most. Likely, this is because many of the highest-risk attacks enter through software, rather than hardware.
Lower on the list of concerns is that today’s developers and engineers have vastly more choice in processing performance, efficiency, and heterogeneity than ever. Respondents’ previous concerns, it appears, have refocused into other potential challenges.
I hear loud and clear the 25% of c-suite respondents who name cost savings as having a greater impact than any other factor: lowering the cost of developing on Arm silicon is imperative.
Software developers, too, understand the significant benefit of CI-CD in accelerating time to revenue and cutting the costs associated with long, drawn-out development cycles.
However, it’s evident that virtual platforms have yet to demonstrate their value to those most likely to benefit. Only 1 in 10 software developers recognize the great impact they will have in the coming years.
• 1 in 5 software developers and system architects say CI-CD will have the greatest positive impact on their success in the next 5 years.
• In the IoT consumer technology market this rises to 43%.
• 1 in 4 C-suite respondents say cutting costs through simplification and automation will have the greatest impact.
Running at speeds comparable to the real hardware, Arm’s Fixed Virtual platforms are complete simulations of an Arm system, including processor, memory, and peripherals. With FVPs, software developers can work on application, firmware, and early driver development far ahead of hardware availability.
This way, the whole ecosystem, including OEMs, can start to develop long before the silicon is available – resulting in fairer distribution of economic value, faster time to revenue, and greater return on investment for everyone. For SIPs, that means stronger demand for chips before they’re even taped out.
In the next five years, I strongly believe we’ll be able to demonstrate just how powerful being able to develop on Fixed Virtual Platforms (FVPs) can be in accelerating development on Arm silicon.
