Trends in the Internet of Things and the Differentiated Development Path of Tencent Cloud IoT

In this article, the speaker, Zhou Jiaxin, product director of Tencent Cloud IoT, shares the current development status of the IoT industry, its latest trends, and the differentiated development path of Tencent Cloud IoT, as presented at the Techo TVP Developer Summit "From Connectivity to Intelligence".

1. Current IoT Development Status

The IoT industry is transitioning from the "everything connected" stage to the "everything intelligent" stage. Three main problems have been identified in the IoT value chain:

(1) Insufficient cost‑effectiveness and low development efficiency. Companies strive for minimal hardware cost and maximal benefit, but higher development efficiency is also demanded, creating a tension between cost and speed.

(2) Varying cloud‑value demands across supply‑chain links. Different participants (device manufacturers, module providers, service integrators) have distinct expectations from moving to the cloud.

(3) Weak linkage between individual devices and the overall ecosystem. Devices need to be integrated with other scenarios and partners rather than existing as isolated products.

2. Tencent Cloud IoT Differentiated Services – "Tencent Lianlian"

To address the above challenges, Tencent launched the "Tencent Lianlian" brand in December 2020, embedding abundant content and ecosystem resources (video, music, finance, insurance) into the IoT platform. The platform offers eight core modules (IoT Enable, IoT Hub, LPWA, TencentOS Tiny, TID, IoT Video, IoT Link, IECP) and integrates big‑data, AI, audio‑video, and security capabilities.

Key advantages include:

Technology + content services, turning devices into ecosystem‑linked assets.

Strong emphasis on application development, leveraging the WeChat ecosystem for user reach without requiring separate app downloads.

One‑click device‑to‑cloud onboarding with SDKs for various chip protocols.

3. IoT Development Process

The development process focuses on improving efficiency by integrating Tencent Cloud’s data, AI, live‑streaming, and P2P capabilities directly into device development, reducing hardware cost and development time.

4. Application Development

Application development is prioritized because the WeChat ecosystem provides massive traffic and diverse user‑interaction tools, enabling devices to reach users through QR‑code scanning and messaging.

5. Visual Data Development

Tencent Cloud IoT is increasingly fused with big‑data capabilities, offering visual analytics, data‑lake integration, and AI voice services for sensor data aggregation and processing.

6. Ecosystem Integration Achievements

The platform has delivered concrete results in several sectors:

Micro‑insurance: rapid property‑damage assessment within minutes.

Low‑carbon fire‑prevention management: connecting over 100,000 devices in a high‑tech park.

Real‑estate & tourism: smart‑apartment upgrades and data‑driven property management.

Hospitality: integration with WeChat and Tencent games for smart hotel experiences.

These cases demonstrate how Tencent Lianlian leverages cloud, AI, and content resources to create value across industries.

Looking ahead, Tencent Lianlian will continue to collaborate with partners to explore greater ecosystem value in the era of "intelligent connectivity".