No one can escape the requirement that new devices are certified by regulators before they are introduced to market but this is a multi-layered, complex and time-consuming burden that can cause substantial delays to product introduction. The reasons for this are lack of knowledge, failure to recognize the importance of certification and insufficient time being apportioned to gaining approvals. IoT organizations have failed to prepare for certification and faced the consequences in terms of delays, costs and in extreme cases, the need to redesign devices.

A new white paper from Quectel, “How to accelerate, simplify and optimize IoT device certification” has highlighted the different layers of certification that exist and affect IoT deployments. The paper lists not only popular areas that demand certification but also the geographic differences that exist between certification regimes. Requirements in the US, for example, are not the same as those in the EU or Asia yet IoT organisations need to comply in all markets they want to sell or operate their devices.

The paper sets out best practices for complying with these varying demands which are not just geographic but also include carrier certifications, industrial certification and interoperability certification. There is a large volume of work required but IoT organizations can simplify and accelerate their processes, says the paper.

Simple device certification across borders and regions

Certification plays a critical yet often overlooked role in bringing an IoT device from concept to commercial reality. The task is substantial, but the good news is that organizations don’t have to continuously re-invent the wheel and repeated gain certification for components. For example, if a module has been approved by a regulator, industry body and carrier it may not be necessary for the device to gain separate certification.

This is dependent on individual regulatory requirements but often the certification of the module in a device is sufficient and can be used to support certification of the device. This has obvious benefits in aiding efficiency of the process and minimizing repeated effort, so it is well-worth IoT organizations seeking out modules that are already certified in order to help simplify and speed up the device’s overall certification process.

Specifying pre-certified modules is only one way to lighten the load and adopt an optimized strategy for achieving certifications. Certification agents can handle the process on behalf of customers and this can be a good way for IoT service providers to avoid the costs and delays typically associated with gaining all the necessary certifications. As an alternative to building an in-house team of certification specialists, certification agent services can radically streamline the process because they are already familiar with all the requirements a product is likely to face on its road to certification.

Accelerating IoT product releases with our testing portfolio

Quectel delivers a comprehensive certification and testing portfolio through Quectel Certification Services which offers a range of professional services and management tools, depending on each customer’s needs. The experienced Quectel team is far larger than that of a single company and, because it supports so many customers in all markets, it has an in-depth global view of certification demands across nations, industries and technologies. This knowledge and experience would be expensive and time-consuming for all but the largest corporations in the world to build for themselves and we make it easily available to our customers.

Quectel has become so experienced and adept at navigating the challenges of simplifying device certification that it can now achieve a six-to-eight week certification process for Quectel module customers’ devices (based on pre-certified Quectel modules). That is in contrast to going directly to certification organizations which can result in it taking up to six months to gain certifications. For many IoT use cases a six-month delay to launch is unacceptable and could make or break a proposition in markets where being first-to-launch is a critical differentiator. To read the white paper, visit: https://quectel-development.oriel-agency.dev/library/iot-device-certifications-white-paper