Software engineering in IoT: Insights from a survey of 361 experts

The Internet of Things (IoT) has rapidly integrated into almost every aspect of daily life. The exponential growth in connected devices has established IoT as a critical component in various domains, including industrial automation, building management, healthcare, transportation, and logistics. These complex systems combine digital and physical elements distributed across networks from the Edge to the Cloud, supporting real-time decision-making and automation. Software plays a fundamental role in IoT systems, underpinning every layer from sensor firmware to cloud infrastructure, and is essential for the design, development, and maintenance of robust and scalable IoT solutions. Effective Software Engineering (SE) practices are vital to meeting these systems’ diverse and evolving demands. This study aims to gain a detailed understanding of IoT system development, focusing on identifying prevalent software technologies, adopted SE practices, and IoT-specific approaches. We also seek to explore the challenges and needs faced by SE experts in this field. To achieve this, we conducted a survey gathering insights directly from 361 IoT practitioners and experts across 53 countries. This diverse participation provided a comprehensive view of IoT systems, offering valuable insights into current practices and future trends in the industry.