Google IoT Core is shutting down. Mapify IoT can help you.

Sandro Batista
Mapify IoT
Published in
5 min readJan 27, 2023

Google Cloud IoT Core is Google’s approach to an interface between your IoT devices and machines and the Google Cloud Platform. Device connections use the MQTT message protocol and an MQTT broker. With Google IoT Core, your IoT devices and gateways would be connected to Google Cloud services. The problem is Google IoT Core is retiring on August 16, 2023.

You can find more info about Google IoT Core ending at cloud.google.com/iot-core.

So, if your IoT systems have been relying on Google Cloud’s performance and scalability through its IoT Core platform, you need an alternative. You want to keep the same robustness and scalability provided by Google Cloud, but you want things to be quick and straightforward to set up and operate.

This is where Mapify comes in. Mapify enables you to migrate or implement your IoT solutions with an easy-to-use platform while retaining everything great about Google Cloud’s performance and scalability.

Managing your devices in Mapify

Besides allowing you to register your devices with Mapify, you can characterise them with different types and providers. Mapify will track when the device last communicated and enable you to configure your own rules regarding the lack of communication from one or more devices.

Mapify also provides a simplified approach to automated device detection thanks to the message exchange with the devices themselves, which may apply to your solution and save you plenty of setup time.

Mapify allows you to add and manage your devices in a simple and intuitive interface.
Mapify allows you to add and manage your devices in a simple and intuitive interface.

HTTP / MQTT bridge vs external sources

Mapify lets your devices send data to Mapify using HTTP or MQTT, or you can configure Mapify to make regular requests to your own REST API, or even subscribe to an external MQTT broker. Regardless of what option you desire, Mapify has got you covered.

Mapify exposes both HTTP and MQTT bridges to handle your incoming real-time data.
Mapify exposes both HTTP and MQTT bridges to handle your incoming real-time data.
You can also configure Mapify to obtain data from an external HTTP endpoint or subscribe to an external MQTT broker.
You can also configure Mapify to obtain data from an external HTTP endpoint or subscribe to an external MQTT broker.

Message processing with Mapify Workflows

One of the most valuable features we have for real-time IoT is Mapify Workflows. Mapify handles your real-time messages and processes them through a flow of activity nodes of different types, including spatial operations, notifications, persisting data, and many other options.

Creating a Workflow is as simple as selecting a source messages data feed and dragging and dropping activity nodes on the workflow design panel.

Mapify Workflows uses an intuitive drag-and-drop interface for you to easily define your own message processing rules.
Mapify Workflows uses an intuitive drag-and-drop interface for you to define your own message processing rules easily.

Mapify is API-first

Mapify embraces developers. We believe in an API-first approach. This means you can integrate Mapify into your solutions or even build a solution from scratch by leveraging Mapify’s powerful features. Don’t forget there’s an SDK too, which can make it much quicker and easier to create outstanding solutions for your business.

Mapify exposes all its features through a comprehensive REST API interface.
Mapify exposes all its features through a comprehensive REST API interface.

Location-aware by default

Many IoT solutions have a relevant location component involved. Either you are tracking moving sensors, such as those in human-driven or robotised vehicles, or static sensors. However, their location is still very relevant to the business, such as light poles, sound/temperature/air quality monitoring, movement/intrusion detection, traffic signs, traffic events measurement, etc.

Mapify takes that into account, allowing you to process and display location-based data with just a few clicks, so you can quickly gather insights and steer your business the right way.

Visualize your real-time data in Mapify and generate real-time insights.
Visualise your real-time data in Mapify and generate real-time insights.

Create no-code Mapify Apps

Mapify allows you to share your location-based data as a stand-alone no-code web application using Mapify Apps. These apps are hosted by Mapify and are fully scalable, so you don’t have to worry about setting up any infrastructure or software. They are also fully customisable. Therefore, configure your Mapify App with a couple of steps, and you’re to share your unique real-time maps with the world.

Check out this app we created using static and real-time open data from New York City 👇

Emulate device behaviour with Mapify Simulations

Mapify Simulations allow you to simulate a device, including devices with location-based sensors (such as GPS) and observe the changes in sensor state and location. You can even simulate devices moving along a pre-determined path.

With Mapify Simulations, you can design your entire system even without the hardware in place!

With Mapify Simulations you can simulate device messages, including location-based data.
With Mapify Simulations, you can simulate device messages, including location-based data.

Find out what’s wrong and monitor your workflows

Mapify also provides you with a set of features to find any issues you may find setting up your solution, with an intuitive set of charts that allow you to quickly understand what is happening in your instance.

You also have access to a comprehensive Log Console with advanced search and filter capabilities, such as filtering and searching existing log entries by severity level (Error, Warning, Info or Debug), date and time interval, scope, error type or error message text. Clicking on one log line will display a detailed view of the issue found, including, when applicable, the original device message that caused the issue and its stack trace across the associated workflow.

Mapify provides a comprehensive set of tools for logging and debugging your instance.
Mapify provides a comprehensive set of tools for logging and debugging your instance.

We hope this article helps you understand how Mapify can be precisely what you need, regardless if you have your solution running on Google IoT Core and need an alternative or if you are considering building a new solution today.

Any relevant features we didn’t cover? Please set up a meeting with our tech team. We’ll do our best to make your transition as smooth as possible.

Sign up for our trial and experience everything we mentioned in the article, no limits.

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Sandro Batista
Mapify IoT

Art, Music, and Tech lover! Passionate about creating and helping to create meaningful tech-enabled companies. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrobatista/