Although embedded systems and embedded software are not new kids on the block, rapid growth in the Internet of Things has recently brought them into the spotlight. If your business has set its products on the path to IoT monetization, these are two terms well worth knowing.
My previous article on monetizing IoT spoke about some of the key drivers of that space, the 10 main IoT areas, the importance of ecosystems, and other major considerations. In this follow-up article, I’ll focus on the 4 Values Framework that we’ve used to help several of our clients – both large, established companies and emerging startups – define their IoT strategies.
I recently joined SafeNet to lead the Product Marketing for the Software Monetization business unit. Many years prior to joining the SM unit, at the beginning of my career in hi tech, I worked on a product called the iPhone – yes, the iPhone. It wasn’t the iPhone of today but it was branded the iPhone and it was just as cool as Apple’s iPhone. I guess you can even say it was a pre-cursor to the iPhone of today; the InfoGear iPhone was a regular desktop telephone jazzed up with a touch screen, keyboard and happened to connect to the internet with the touch of a button. Pretty novel in those days.
The embedded market is currently in a state of change. In the past, embedded system vendors sold systems based on a hardware sales approach with a simple one time sale for the product. IP protection was seldom required as the systems were hard to copy and hack. Today, the various functionalities in embedded systems are more and more realized in software. There are many reasons for this movement toward software driven features which result in reduced time to market, production outsourcing, dealing with the lack of engineering resources, handling connected devices, preparing for the Internet of Things ( IoT) to name just a few.
SafeNet announced today that they are now securing the fast-growing Android mobile device market with its new product, Sentinel RMS Embedded. This announcement is best summarized by SafeNet’s VP of Marketing, Michelle Nerlinger:
For high-tech equipment manufacturers, times are changing. It is clear that the inevitable process has begun, hardware is being commoditized and, moving forward, business will be based more and more on software. Are you ready?
Iritech is a global manufacturer in the biometric authentication equipment and software industry. As one of only two manufacturers of both the biometric equipment and the identity matching software, Iritech knew right away that preventing reverse-engineering of its identity matching software would be an integral part of its business plan to maintain its unique position in the biometrics market. Read More