Connected Devices: Getting Real on Usages

Does it matter if you are building a 'connected device'? Are you solving a problem or creating more problems? To find the answer, we have to go back to the 1st principle – does it offer any value to your customer?   At RE.WORK Connect Summit in San Francisco next week, Nahid Alam will look at the trends in connected devices, and discuss the challenges and potential solutions in building products that solve a real use case. Nahid, previously Senior Design Engineer at Intel, is the CTO and Co-founder at Obe, a company that builds beautifully designed, practical smart products that help people take better care of themselves and their pets. We caught up with Nahid ahead of the event to hear more about Obe and her thoughts on IoT.What was your motivation behind founding Obe?Taking an electronic product from inception to retail is my biggest motivator. My co-founder is a dog lover and used to overfeed her dog unknowingly. It caused many expensive and painful dog health issues. We came together to solve the dog wellness problem with Obe.   How have recent IoT developments aided to the progress of Obe?The recent technology development has helped Obe tremendously. We've been doing quick prototyping as the tools and technologies are more and more available at a lower cost. Low cost access to cloud backend technologies, manufacturing technologies like 3D printing, CNC milling and access to low cost component has made it easier than before.   What industries do you think will be disrupted by IoT in the future? And how?Industries where there is a customer "need for convenience" will be disrupted. If you can apply the technologies to provide value to your customer in a user friendly fashion that wasn't done before, that is a disruption.   How can the technology and ethos behind Obe be applied in other areas?The tools and techniques are applicable to any other IoT use cases. Obe wants to solve dog lovers problems - taking guesswork out of feeding your dog. Obe is WiFi connected product, providing insights to your dog's wellbeing. The tools and techniques are applicable to any other IoT use cases.   Which areas do you feel could benefit from cross-industry collaboration? I think the cross industry collaboration is needed between chip makers, cloud service providers and manufacturers.   What new developments can we expect to see in IOT in the next 5 years?The possibilities are endless but I am personally waiting for more innovation in kitchen gadgets & food tech.  Nahid Alam will be speaking at RE.WORK Connect Summit, in San Francisco on 12-13 November. Tickets sold out for last year's event, book now to avoid disappointment!For further discussions on Internet of Things, Wearables, Connected Devices & more, join our group here.