NodeCircle - IoT Device Management Platform

Main Benefits

• Ensure that business devices work as intended
• Enable efficient deployment and usage of business devices
• Enable business to make efficient use of their business devices
• Enable optimization of device fleet utilization
• Enable real-time insights

Core Capabilities

• Remote Device Management
• Remote Software Management
• Remote Content and Data Management

Key Features

• Multi-Platform Support: Android, Linux, Windows
• Flexible Deployment: Public Cloud, Private Cloud, On-Premise
• Extensible Modular Design: Plug-In Framework for Device-Side and Server-Side
• Private-Open Source: Custom Development and Deep Integrations

Management of Business Devices

Businesses increasingly rely on ever larger and more diverse fleets of connected devices to enable and drive their business operations. Ensuring that all these devices work as expected is a key challenge of any modern business.

In this age of IoT, efficient management of these business devices is essential. Most modern businesses need a device management platform to achieve this.

Such a platform should enable inventory and asset management as well as remote monitoring, control and management of a broad range of devices. Without the right solution companies will face increased costs, delays, overheads, and operational complexity.

NodeCircle is designed to offer a complete and fully integrated solution to cover the end-to-end needs of companies with business devices or IoT devices.

Get a free copy of the whitepaper covering trends and perspectives on device management solutions

Take me to the whitepaper

Get a free copy of the whitepaper covering trends and perspectives on device management solutions

Take me to the whitepaper

Devices Supported by NodeCircle

Devices
Supported by NodeCircle

NodeCircle is designed to work with a wide range of device categories both user operated as well as unattended industrial ones.

User Operated Devices

Smart Home Appliances, Point of Sale Terminals, Payment Terminals, Info Tablets, Info Boards, Self-Checkout Kiosks, Ticket and Vending Machines, Embedded Entertainment Systems

Unattended Industrial Devices

Manufacturing Robots, Agriculture Robots and Sensors, Building Control and Monitoring Devices, Remote Weather Devices, Surveillance and Security Devices, Embedded Mini PCs and Single-Board Computers

Operational Objectives
Facilitated by NodeCircle

The client intends to, or already runs, a custom business-relevant software application, on devices installed or deployed remotely, with local copies of application resources and data. In this context, the client has the following main operational objectives:

Ensure that the devices
work as expected

• are in a healthy, usable state
• are running, connected, and available
• are located where they are expected
• have the desired functionalities active
• have the right data and configuration
• are compliant with security requirements
• are commercially performing as expected

Take corrective action
on devices as needed

• track and diagnose remotely
• re-configure remotely
• perform remote support
• access remotely for retrieving logs
• change settings and configuration remotely

Technical Needs Fulfilled by NodeCircle

NodeCircle fulfills the technical device management needs derived from the operational objectives of IoT businesses. Companies need to Ensure Security and Regulatory Compliance as well as Investigate and Troubleshoot Problems. All of these must be performed remotely.

Manage the Devices

For almost all cases, device management is a basic need, covering firmware updates, security updates and essential device hardware level related configuration.

• Enroll or Onboard the Devices
• Update the Firmware and Operating System of Devices
• Execute Maintenance Commands on Devices
• Monitor the Location, Connectivity, and Availability of Devices
• Control Hardware Level Configuration and Settings

Manage the Software

To enable a business use case, most devices utilize a dedicated functional software, an application, which needs to be maintained as well with updates, bug fixes and improvements for end customer experience.

• Update the Software on the Devices
• Configure the Software on the Devices
• Monitor the Correct Functioning of the Software

Manage the Content and Data

In some scenarios, the content used by the software running on the devices needs to be maintained as well, with examples such as data files, digital media, AI models.

• Deploy Application Data and Content
• Update Application Data and Content
• Collect Usage Data and Analytics

NodeCircle Components

NodeCircle Web Portal

1. Devices assigned to static or dynamic Device Groups.

2. Packages assigned to Device Groups to define their Target State:

• Software Packages / Services
• Configuration Files / Runtime Parameters
• Resource Objects / Firmware and OS Packages

Client Web Plugins for NodeCircle

1. Developed by Client or by NodeCircle based on Client request.

2. Plugins manipulate or visualize client-specific data:

• Import additional data from external sources.
• Export data after relevant business logic processing.
• Visualize, formatted and filtered data on NodeCircle dashboards.

NodeCircle Software on Device

1. Ensures the Device reaches its Target State.

• Updates and changes applied automatically when connectivity is available.

2. Reports Status, Compliance, or Errors to the NodeCircle Web Portal.

3. Enables maintenance and troubleshooting with remote support.

1. Ensures the Device reaches its Target State.

• Updates and changes applied automatically when
connectivity is available.

2. Reports Status, Compliance, or Errors to
the NodeCircle Web Portal.

3. Enables maintenance and troubleshooting
with remote support.

Client Software Integration on Device

1. Publishes business-relevant status information and data.

• Application functional status, errors,
business performance metrics.

2. Client application data consumed by
NodeCircle Software on Device.

3. Client application data forwarded reliably
to NodeCircle Web Portal.

1. Publishes business-relevant status information and data.

• Application functional status, errors, business performance metrics.

2. Client application data consumed by NodeCircle Software on Device.

3. Client application data forwarded reliably to NodeCircle Web Portal.

Use Case Examples

Custom self-service payment terminals
with client-specific embedded application.

Platform: Android
Deployment: Client Hosted

Custom self-service payment terminals with client-specific embedded application.

Platform: Android
Deployment: Client Hosted

IoT kits for sensors and actuators that control
pay-as-you-go meeting booths in public places.

Platform: Linux
Deployment: Shared Tenant

IoT kits for sensors and actuators that control pay-as-you-go meeting booths in public places.

Platform: Linux
Deployment: Shared Tenant

PoS devices with specialized readers for
Google and Apple Wallet loyalty cards.

Platform: Windows
Deployment: Dedicated Tenant

PoS devices with specialized readers for Google and Apple Wallet loyalty cards.

Platform: Windows
Deployment: Dedicated Tenant

Pricing Model

NodeCircle operates three part model consisting of License Fees, Hosting Costs, Optional Add-Ons.

License Fees

1. Flexible SaaS Price per End-Point
2. Enterprise Volume-Based Pricing

Support Included:
• unlimited service level support
• unlimited advanced troubleshooting

Discount Models:
• Advance Payment Discounts
• Commitment / Volume Discounts
• Option for Perpetual, Unlimited Use License

Hosting Costs

All NodeCircle licenses include unlimited data traffic and storage.

The data and compute costs are paid by the client as an expense without any markup.

NodeCircle pricing is thus straightforward and limited to the actual usage pattern of the client.

Optional Add-Ons

• Advanced integration support
• Custom plugin development
• Custom feature development
• Source code rights for forked development
• Managed service for devices related operations
• Managed services for client hosted environments

Request a personalized quotation

Business Continuity Assurance

Large tech companies such as Google and Bosch have, in the recent past, suddenly discontinued key IoT monitoring and management solutions, causing disruption to the users of the respective solutions. This may be cause for concern from the perspective of business continuity for clients evaluating IoT or business device management solutions. NodeCircle provides specific business continuity assurance via contractual options to access source code and be able to operate NodeCircle as an in-house solution if and when so desired.

It is exceptionally rare for SaaS solution providers to offer such assurance options to clients. NodeCircle aims to be a market leader by putting the needs and concerns of its clients first.

About

NodeCircle is a spin-off of IoT intellectual property from an award-winning UK tech R&D company, NGI Systems. www.ngi.systems

The solution was originally designed and built starting in 2015 to manage connected devices in the restaurant ecosystem, such as POS systems, ordering kiosks, and kitchen display systems. This was initially a barebones solution without an interactive user interface.

The capabilities of the solution were expanded to support the specific needs of payment terminals and payment acceptance devices, in terms of security and firmware management, alongside adding support for multiple operating systems, and a dedicated web portal.

Over time, in the technical incubation of NGI Systems, NodeCircle began to transition from highly bespoke and client-specific deployments, to be offered as an increasingly standardized SaaS solution for IoT device management, while retaining an innovative modular and plug-in capable architecture.

The formal spin-off was concluded in 2024, transitioning NodeCircle into a standalone company, focused on developing and operating the solution for the global IoT market.