If you're just learning how to deploy a Kontakt.io solution, you'll want to get familiar with the Kio platform and deployment steps.
For our developer community that plan to integrate with the Kontakt.io IoT platform services and devices, be sure to learn more about integration and visit our Developer Center to explore our APIs and SDKs.
What's required to deploy Kontakt.io solutions
In general, there are five key steps. You'll be ready to start your Kontakt.io journey when all steps are complete!
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Step 1: Get Kio Cloud Account
The first step of any Kontakt.io deployment is to create or sign in to your Kio Cloud account, Kontakt.io's cloud-based platform.
A Kio Cloud account is required to manage and monitor your Kontakt.io devices and configure Kio Cloud apps to meet your solution requirements.
For those integrating with our APIs and SDKs, your unique API Key is available from your Kio Cloud user profile.
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Step 2: Add Devices
When you receive a Kontakt.io order, you’ll claim the Order ID to add the devices to your Kio Cloud account.
If you are integrating with Cisco Spaces, Kontakt.io orders are claimed in your Cisco Spaces account. Learn how to claim an Kontakt.io order in Cisco Spaces.
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Step 3: Set up Smart Location
Kio Cloud Smart Location is designed for mapping indoor spaces. This includes creating campuses, buildings, and each floor within a building. It also involves mapping the rooms within each floor, providing a comprehensive digital twin of the indoor space.
Required to upload digital floor plan maps - supported files type include JPG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF.
This step is important for location and occupancy accuracy. Learn more about the Kontakt.io Location Engine Reference Architecture that highlights the importance of rooms and more.
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Step 4: Install Infrastructure devices and activate Tags prior to use
Kontakt.io Infrastructure devices, including Portal Lights, Portal Beams, Beam Minis, and Anchor Beacons, are required to be installed onsite using the Kio Setup Manager mobile app. Infrastructure are devices that are stationary, remain in a fixed location, and assigned to their Smart Location install location. Learn more about installing Kontakt.io Infrastructure devices.
Kontakt.io Tags, including Asset Tags, Smart Badges, Nano Tags, and Sticker Tags, require activation to ensure they are powered on and ready for use. Tags are moving devices and their data is being received by some kind of BLE to Wi-Fi infrastructure - including Kontakt.io Portal Lights or third-party BLE-compatible Access Points, such as a Cisco Catalyst Access Point. Learn more about activating Kontakt.io tags.
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Step 5: Explore Kio Cloud
Learn about the Kio Apps or how to consume data through our APIs and SDKs.
About Kio Cloud
Kio Cloud is Kontakt.io's cloud-based platform. It's where you can manage and monitor your Kontakt.io solutions and IoT devices. This include device management and monitoring, the mapping of the physical indoor environment, and managing user access.
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The app where you'll set up and manage the mapping of the indoor spaces where your Kontakt.io solutions and IoT devices will be deployed. This mapping includes campuses, buildings, floors, and rooms.
Smart Location is the location topology that is used by the Kio Cloud Location and Occupancy Engine that computes accurate, room-level data for Kontakt.io's RTLS, occupancy, and indoor navigation solutions.
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The app where you'll monitor and manage your Kontakt.io devices. This includes adding devices with your Kontakt.io Order ID, getting insights into your device inventory and statuses, to keeping devices up to date with the latest firmware, and applying configuration changes.
Devices can also be managed through our Device Management API and SDKs.
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The app designed to keep you informed about the state of your deployed Kontakt.io IoT devices. The app has several features including three available alert types, optional mediums for receiving alerts (email or text messages), and elective monitoring of devices (specific devices, device types, or devices in a particular location).
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The app where you'll manage who has access to your Kio Cloud account.
Users will also find their unique API Key required to integrate with our APIs and SDKs.
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Policy Foundry (for those integrating Kontakt.io device events within their own apps)
The app where you can set policies that trigger events when a monitored condition set in a policy is reached and policy actions that serve as a notification method when an event occurs. The available types of policy actions include email and text messages, and stream events to an AWS Kinesis or Azure Event Hub Stream.
From a policy, you can set its monitored condition to trigger events for badge and tag button presses, occupancy thresholds, device battery levels, to device location events.