Connected retail / Target
From the cloudto the shop floor.
An engineering story from Target’s IoT platform, connecting cloud services with the edge inside retail stores.
The engineering context
A platform that reacheswhere the work happens.
Retail systems operate across two distinct environments: shared cloud services and physical stores. An IoT platform provides a way for devices and applications in those environments to exchange information.
At IoTFuse 2019, Target principal engineer Dan Cundiff presented the company’s approach to building an IoT platform. Our published platform history identifies Mainflux as an open-source foundation connecting cloud services and store-level edge infrastructure.
A view of the system
Connections that
make the work possible.
A conceptual view of the use case.
- 01 / Physical environment
Store devices
Connected systems in retail spaces
- 02 / Local connectivity
Store-level edge
Services close to the devices
- 03 / Shared platform
Cloud services
Connectivity across environments
The setting
Target’s approach to building an IoT platform, presented at the IoTFuse conference in 2019.
The foundation
Mainflux provided part of the open-source connectivity foundation described in our platform history.
The reach
A system spanning cloud services and edge infrastructure within retail stores.
The primary source
Hear the engineering story
Dan Cundiff’s IoTFuse 2019 talk, Building an IoT Platform at Target, presents the company’s engineering perspective. Our Magistrala platform history documents the Mainflux connection and links to the same presentation.
The historical platform was named Mainflux. Explore Magistrala in our current portfolio for today’s connectivity work.
Watch the conference talk Read our platform historyExplore the platform
Magistrala
Discover the connectivity platform in our current product portfolio.