Platio

What the product is

Platio is a non-programming platform for building mobile applications that connect to and utilize IoT devices without coding skills. Made by Asteria Corporation, based in Tokyo, Japan, the platform simplifies the entire workflow of developing, operating, and distributing mobile applications for IoT use cases. Traditionally, building an app that talks to IoT hardware has required 3 separate phases: app development, server setup and operation, and app distribution. Platio consolidates all 3 into one platform, so you can create and deploy IoT apps, which the company says comes "at a heavily reduced cost".

What you build and how

Platio uses a template-based approach to get you started fast. You choose from a variety of pre-built app templates and customize the fields to your needs. The platform does not require you to write code; the template system and configuration screens handle the work. Select a template that matches your use case, customize it for your specific needs, and you are ready to deploy.

The core of Platio is connecting to IoT hardware. The platform uses Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) to establish wireless connections between the mobile app and IoT devices. The company's wording is "Connect to IoT devices through the touch of a button", and data from the device is received in the Platio app. The pages do not name supported devices or device brands, so check compatibility with the company before you plan around a specific sensor.

Once data flows from your devices into the app, Platio handles the backend. Cloud data storage areas are automatically prepared when you create an app, so you do not have to provision, secure, or maintain servers yourself. User account management tools come with the platform, so you do not build login yourself. The company says deployment is ready "once user accounts are registered".

Deployment is quick. The page says "Deploy and use immediately on your mobile device. Revise and update apps through a single click." That makes it practical to try an app against a real device, then revise it.

Distribution runs through Platio's own app rather than the app stores. You download the Platio app to your iOS device, log in with your registered user account and use the apps you have created. The pages describe no Android app, no web publishing and no custom domain. They also describe no API, no integrations with other business tools, no code export and no self-hosting.

The evidence from the pages

Platio solves specific problems in organizations that rely on IoT devices and sensors. The company frames the challenge this way: "Till now, developing apps have been a taxing process. From the planning stages to the actual implementation, developers have had to go through 3 major stages before actually being able to use an app. App Development, Server Setup and Operation, App Distribution. These 3 processes take lots of time and effort, and developing an app for a test can rack up costs. Needless to say, developing applications that can connect to a variety of IoT devices."

The company's solution is to consolidate these workflows: "Through Platio, you can now create and deploy apps, be it a business app for streamlining operations or an app to test the connectivity of your IoT device, without having to worry about the taxing processes. The 3 major processes incorporated to a single platform, all you have to do is select a ready-made app template, customize fields to your liking, and select deploy."

The platform features are straightforward. "Connect to IoT devices through the touch of a button" and "receive data easily by using Bluetooth LE to connect to the Platio app." Templates let you "choose from a variety of different existing templates and customize freely according to your needs." Cloud storage is automatic: "A smart data cloud and storage center that automatically prepares your app for deployment" and "user account management tools and cloud data storage areas are automatically prepared along with the creation of the Platio app." Deployment is simple: "Deploy and use immediately on your mobile device. Revise and update apps through a single click."

The company emphasizes the no-code approach: "Through Platio, you can create business applications without having to type a single line of code. With just 3 simple steps, you can create business apps that will help you streamline your business activities and connect to IoT devices." The steps are: "1. Create Apps easily Create apps without having to code. Just select, customize a ready-made app template to your needs, and you are ready to go! 2. Automatically reserve data storage areas on the cloud As data storage areas are automatically prepared, preparations for deployment are complete once user accounts are registered. Relieve yourself from the burden of having to secure and maintain servers. 3. Access and use the created app on your iOS device Download the Platio app to your iOS device, login with your registered user account, and start using your app!"

Platio publishes use cases across industries. In healthcare, you can "optimize data input efficiency for blood pressure and body temperature measurements" and achieve "reduction in misidentification errors through the use of photos and barcodes." For agriculture, forestry, and fishery, the platform lets you "optimize data input efficiency by linking atmospheric temperature and infra-red instruments to the Platio app" and "input GPS information and photos for records." In retail and distribution, you can "create customized applications that utilize barcode readers to help streamline inventory management" and "keep employees up-to-date by sharing information through the cloud." In manufacturing and construction, you can "optimize data input efficiency by linking manufacturing and construction machines, sensors to the Platio app" and "input and share GPS information and pictures to illustrate and record progress."

The site is offered in Japanese and English. It names Asteria Corporation, with an address in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan, as the company behind the service and as the holder of the trademarks. The site publishes no prices, no plan names, no free plan or trial, no customer count and no security or compliance claims.

Who it suits and who it does not

Platio suits teams that collect data in the field and have IoT hardware or barcode readers to feed it. The use cases on the site cover healthcare data entry, agriculture, forestry and fishery records, retail and distribution inventory, and manufacturing and construction progress records. A non-technical operations team can pick a template, adjust its fields and deploy without hiring developers, and the company says the whole path is built so you avoid "the taxing processes" of server setup and distribution.

The platform also fits testing. The company names "an app to test the connectivity of your IoT device" as one thing you can build, so a hardware team can check how a device talks to a phone app without writing that app from scratch.

Platio is a narrower fit elsewhere. The pages describe iOS only, so a team that needs the same app on Android has no answer there. The template approach is the stated path, and nothing on the pages describes custom logic, formulas or workflow automation, so a team with complex rules should confirm what is possible. Because no prices, plans, security claims or compliance standards are published, a procurement team has to contact the company for those. A developer who wants the source code or self-hosting is not the audience.