Consumer IoT Solution for Pool Equipments Controlling & Automation
Speck Pumps, Germany’s leading swimming pool equipment manufacturer, needed a custom IoT solution to let end users monitor, control, and manage their pool devices remotely. Intuz built a full-stack IoT platform spanning firmware, cloud architecture, and web and mobile applications across three platforms.
Challenges
The Problems
We Set Out to Solve
Problem 1
Managing Multi-Port IoT Controllers
Speck Pumps needed a platform that could handle IoT-based pump controllers with multiple controllable ports. Each port had to be independently managed, adding significant complexity to both the firmware and the application layer.
problem 2
Choosing the Right Chip
Selecting a chip that was both cost-effective and fully capable of supporting OTA updates was a core early challenge. The wrong choice would have compromised the entire device update and management lifecycle.
Problem 3
Cloud Cost and Compliance
The platform needed to stay cost-efficient on Azure while meeting strict GDPR requirements. Balancing real-time data sharing for multiple users against cloud event costs required deliberate architectural decisions.
Problem 4
Real-Time Multi-User Access
End users needed to share device access with family members and technicians without conflicts. The system had to handle simultaneous control requests and real-time status updates reliably across all connected users.
Problem 5
Supporting Multiple Device Models
Changes to device models needed to reflect dynamically across both mobile and web applications without manual rebuilds. As the system grew, the architecture had to remain flexible to support multiple devices with different configurations.
Technical Challenges
Where the Technical Challenges Were
and How We Solved Them
Building IoT for real hardware in the field comes with challenges that standard application development never surfaces.
01
Chip Selection for OTA Compatibility
The platform required a chip that was cost-effective and fully capable of supporting over-the-air firmware updates – a combination that narrowed the options significantly. Choosing the wrong chip would have broken the entire update pipeline and potentially required hardware recalls. After evaluation, Intuz selected the ESP32 WiFi chip, which met both requirements and formed the foundation for all firmware development and device onboarding work.
02
Controlling Azure IoT Event Costs
Azure IoT Hub operates on an event-driven model where every device message generates a billable event. At scale with multiple users and devices, direct communication through the Hub would have created unsustainable cloud costs. Intuz implemented WebSockets with a single IoT Hub channel and a triggering mechanism that synchronized requests efficiently, reducing the total number of requests, responses, and events without compromising real-time performance.
03
Real-Time OTA Without User Disruption
Pushing firmware updates to devices with multiple active users simultaneously creates a real risk of conflicts and a poor user experience. Without coordination, users could attempt to control a device mid-update. The system was built to notify all users with shared access in real time when an OTA begins, with all logged devices displaying live runtime update status to prevent conflicts across every connected session.
04
Dynamic Configuration Across Multiple Device Models
As the product line expanded, the platform needed to support multiple device types and configurations without requiring code changes or redeployments for each variation. Intuz architected a fully dynamic configuration system managed through the admin panel, where admins can add, alter, or delete device models and have those changes automatically reflected across both mobile and web application interfaces in real time.
05
Zero-Downtime Continuous Deployment
A manufacturing client with active devices in the field cannot tolerate meaningful downtime during deployments. Standard pipelines would introduce interruption windows that affect live users. By integrating GitHub Actions for continuous integration and deployment, the system was structured so that each new push results in no more than 4 to 5 seconds of downtime, keeping the platform available even during active releases.
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Solution
A Full-Stack IoT-Enabled Platform
Built for Scale and Compliance
Intuz handled the project end to end – from chip selection and PCB consulting to firmware development, cloud architecture, and application delivery across web, iOS, and Android.
Device Onboarding and Access Management
Once a device is onboarded, users can control it and its individual ports directly from the app. Access can be extended to family members or technicians, with the platform managing concurrent permissions and real-time control requests across all connected users without conflict.
OTA Update Management
Admins can push new firmware binaries for each device type directly from the admin panel, with full version tracking maintained at all times. During any active update, users with shared access receive real-time notifications and all logged devices display live update status to prevent conflicts across every connected session.
GDPR-Compliant Data Handling
The platform was built with data privacy as a structural requirement, not an addition. All user data and identification keys are encrypted before being stored in the database, ensuring the system meets GDPR compliance standards for Speck Pumps’ European market.
User Device Onboarding and Setup
Users add a new Speck device through a guided flow that captures device details, connects it to the home wireless network, and registers it to the account. Once setup is complete, the device and its ports are immediately available for control across both the web and mobile interfaces, without requiring any manual technical configuration from the end user.
Continuous Integration and Deployment
The platform is integrated with GitHub Actions pipelines to ensure every update goes live through a controlled, automated process. Each new deployment creates no more than 4 to 5 seconds of downtime, keeping the system available to active users even during active releases.
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Tools & technologies
The Stack That Powers It All
Every tool was chosen deliberately – built to handle real hardware, real users, and real compliance requirements.
