Building a slide deck, pitch, or presentation? Here are the big takeaways:

  • Microsoft introduced a new basic tier of its Azure IoT Hub, which could provide a cheaper on-ramp to enterprise IoT efforts for some companies.
  • Microsoft is commiting to invest $5 billion in IoT over the next four years, focused on enterprise projects.

Microsoft has unveiled a new basic tier for its Azure IoT Hub service that could lower the cost associated with enterprise Internet of Things (IoT) projects and make it easier for SMBs to get involved in the space, the company announced in a Tuesday blog post.

The basic tier was born out of observations made by Microsoft that most of its customers start out in IoT by simply sending device data to the cloud. This is a process that Microsoft called “device to cloud telemetry.”

The new tier handles inbound telemetry scenarios, the post said, but still offers some of the same security and scale present in higher-tier options. It also features zero-touch provisioning and the same reliability as the standard tier.

SEE: Internet of Things policy (Tech Pro Research)

Users can also upgrade to a standard tier with zero downtime and no re-architecture.

“This will seamlessly unlock access for your solution to all the standard-tier features, including bi-directional communications, device management through device twins, and the delivery of cloud intelligence to your devices through Azure IoT Edge,” the post said. “All at a 50 percent savings from the previous standard tier pricing.”

Since the service is lower cost than the standard tier, it could provide an inexpensive on-ramp for companies looking to experiment with IoT–especially if they already use Azure services. This could also be a decent option for SMBs looking to take advantage of data from connected devices.

Here’s how the different tiers compare:

More information on pricing can be found on the IoT Hub website, and users can further compare the tiers here. The new tier is available now.

Additionally, on Wednesday, Microsoft announced that it would be making a $5 billion investment in IoT initiatives over the next four years. According to another blog post, the “goal is to give every customer the ability to transform their businesses, and the world at large, with connected solutions.”