Azure IoT Hub is a managed cloud platform for bidirectional communication between IoT applications and millions of devices. The service provides device management, secure authentication, and integration with Azure analytics services.
What is Azure IoT Hub?
Azure IoT Hub acts as a central message broker between IoT devices and cloud applications. Unlike generic messaging services like Event Hubs or Service Bus, IoT Hub is specifically designed for IoT scenarios with bidirectional communication, device management, edge computing integration, and per-device security.
A typical IoT Hub setup consists of devices sending data via MQTT/AMQP/HTTPS, IoT Hub receiving and routing messages to backend services, and backend processing via Azure Functions, Stream Analytics, or Logic Apps.
Typical Use Cases
IoT Hub excels at predictive maintenance in industrial plants, smart building energy management, connected vehicle fleet telemetry, medical device patient monitoring, and retail smart shelf inventory management.
Frequently Asked Questions about Azure IoT Hub
What is the difference between IoT Hub and Event Hubs?
IoT Hub is specialized for bidirectional communication with IoT devices and provides device management (Twins, Provisioning, Firmware Updates). Event Hubs is a generic event streaming service without IoT-specific features. IoT Hub uses Event Hubs internally for device-to-cloud messaging but additionally offers cloud-to-device messaging, direct methods, and device twins.
Can I combine IoT Hub with Azure IoT Edge?
Yes, Azure IoT Edge extends IoT Hub with edge computing. Edge devices execute logic locally (offline-capable), while IoT Hub serves as the central cloud component for management and aggregation. Edge modules can run AI models, Stream Analytics, or custom code.
Which protocols does IoT Hub support?
IoT Hub supports MQTT, MQTT over WebSockets, AMQP, AMQP over WebSockets, and HTTPS. MQTT is optimized for constrained devices (low bandwidth), AMQP for enterprise messaging, HTTPS for firewall scenarios.
How does IoT Hub scale?
IoT Hub scales to millions of simultaneous device connections. In the Standard tier, you choose units (S1, S2, S3) based on message throughput. Each S1 unit supports 400,000 messages/day, S3 up to 300 million. Scale horizontally by adding units.
What does Azure IoT Hub cost?
IoT Hub offers two pricing models: Basic (D2C only, cheaper) and Standard (full features). In the Standard tier, you pay per unit and tier (S1/S2/S3). S1 costs approx. $25/month for 400,000 messages/day. Additional messages cost extra. Basic is significantly cheaper but lacks cloud-to-device features.
How do I secure IoT devices against unauthorized access?
IoT Hub uses per-device authentication via X.509 certificates or SAS tokens. Each device has its own credentials. Connections run over TLS. Additionally, Azure Device Provisioning Service (DPS) can be used for zero-touch provisioning. Private endpoints prevent public accessibility.
Can I operate IoT Hub in compliance with GDPR?
Yes, by hosting in EU regions (West Europe, North Europe), IoT Hub meets GDPR requirements. You must ensure that device telemetry contains no personal data or obtain appropriate consents. Microsoft provides data processing agreements.
What are Device Twins and what are they used for?
Device Twins are JSON documents that store device state. They have ‘desired properties’ (set by backend) and ‘reported properties’ (reported by device). Example: Backend sets ‘desired temperature: 22°C’, device reports ‘reported temperature: 21.5°C’. Twins enable state synchronization without real-time connection.
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Azure Partner, innFactory supports you in implementing Azure IoT Hub. We help with IoT architecture, device provisioning, edge computing scenarios, and integration with Azure analytics.
Contact us for a non-binding consultation on Azure IoT Hub and Microsoft Azure.
Available Tiers & Options
Basic tier
- Device-to-cloud messaging
- Device management and provisioning
- Cost-effective for simple scenarios
- No cloud-to-device messaging
- No device twins
Standard tier
- Full bidirectional communication
- Device twins and module twins
- File upload from devices
- Direct methods
- Higher cost than Basic
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between IoT Hub and Event Hubs?
IoT Hub is specialized for bidirectional communication with IoT devices and provides device management (Twins, Provisioning, Firmware Updates). Event Hubs is a generic event streaming service without IoT-specific features. IoT Hub uses Event Hubs internally for device-to-cloud messaging but additionally offers cloud-to-device messaging, direct methods, and device twins.
Can I combine IoT Hub with Azure IoT Edge?
Yes, Azure IoT Edge extends IoT Hub with edge computing. Edge devices execute logic locally (offline-capable), while IoT Hub serves as the central cloud component for management and aggregation. Edge modules can run AI models, Stream Analytics, or custom code.
Which protocols does IoT Hub support?
IoT Hub supports MQTT, MQTT over WebSockets, AMQP, AMQP over WebSockets, and HTTPS. MQTT is optimized for constrained devices (low bandwidth), AMQP for enterprise messaging, HTTPS for firewall scenarios.
How does IoT Hub scale?
IoT Hub scales to millions of simultaneous device connections. In the Standard tier, you choose units (S1, S2, S3) based on message throughput. Each S1 unit supports 400,000 messages/day, S3 up to 300 million. Scale horizontally by adding units.
What does Azure IoT Hub cost?
IoT Hub offers two pricing models: Basic (D2C only, cheaper) and Standard (full features). In the Standard tier, you pay per unit and tier (S1/S2/S3). S1 costs approx. $25/month for 400,000 messages/day. Additional messages cost extra. Basic is significantly cheaper but lacks cloud-to-device features.
How do I secure IoT devices against unauthorized access?
IoT Hub uses per-device authentication via X.509 certificates or SAS tokens. Each device has its own credentials. Connections run over TLS. Additionally, Azure Device Provisioning Service (DPS) can be used for zero-touch provisioning. Private endpoints prevent public accessibility.
Can I operate IoT Hub in compliance with GDPR?
Yes, by hosting in EU regions (West Europe, North Europe), IoT Hub meets GDPR requirements. You must ensure that device telemetry contains no personal data or obtain appropriate consents. Microsoft provides data processing agreements.
What are Device Twins and what are they used for?
Device Twins are JSON documents that store device state. They have 'desired properties' (set by backend) and 'reported properties' (reported by device). Example: Backend sets 'desired temperature: 22°C', device reports 'reported temperature: 21.5°C'. Twins enable state synchronization without real-time connection.
