Which component serves as a link between collected data and central IoT platforms?

The gateway is a crucial component in IoT architecture that acts as a bridge between the data collected from various sensors and devices and the central IoT platforms where this data is processed and analyzed. In an IoT ecosystem, devices generate data that often needs to be conveyed over different communication protocols or network types to be understood and processed by the central system.

Gateways facilitate this communication by converting protocols, managing data traffic, and providing a point of aggregation for data from multiple devices. They can also implement security measures and perform local processing to alleviate bandwidth limitations and improve response times for critical applications. By linking the diverse devices in an IoT ecosystem to the central platform, gateways ensure that data flows efficiently and can be utilized effectively for analysis and decision-making.