Page 554 - 5G Basics - Core Network Aspects

1 Applications

Appendix I

IoT ecosystem and business models
(This appendix does not form an integral part of this Recommendation.)

I.1 Business roles
The IoT ecosystem is composed of a variety of business players. Each business player plays at least one
business role, but more roles are possible. The identified IoT business roles are shown in Figure I.1.

Application customer

Platform provider Application provider

Network provider

Device provider

Figure I.1 – IoT ecosystem
NOTE – The identified business roles and their relationships as described in the IoT ecosystem do not represent all
possible relevant roles and relationships which can be found across IoT business deployments.
I.1.1 Device provider

The device provider is responsible for devices providing raw data and/or content to the network provider
and application provider according to the service logic.

I.1.2 Network provider
The network provider plays a central role in the IoT ecosystem. In particular, the network provider performs
the following main functions:
– access and integration of resources provided by other providers;
– support and control of the IoT capabilities infrastructure;

– offering of IoT capabilities, including network capabilities and resource exposure to other providers.
I.1.3 Platform provider

The platform provider provides integration capabilities and open interfaces. Different platforms can provide
different capabilities to application providers. Platform capabilities include typical integration capabilities, as
well as data storage, data processing or device management. Support for different types of IoT applications
is also possible.

I.1.4 Application provider
The application provider utilizes capabilities or resources provided by the network provider, device provider
and platform provider, in order to provide IoT applications to application customers.
I.1.5 Application customer

The application customer is the user of IoT application(s) provided by the application provider.
NOTE – An application customer may represent multiple applications users.

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