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A middle ground is have a local-first control, that the company exposes to the internet via the customer's account. For example, a local administration page th

by RpFLCL 9y ago

A middle ground is have a local-first control, that the company exposes to the internet via the customer's account. For example, a local administration page that can be accessed within the LAN, and which can then be proxied by the provider. In the case that the provider goes out of business you lose the remote control (unless setting up your own VPN) but the device won't be bricked. Unfortunately, I imagine some companies intentionally avoid doing this to require customers to pay a subscription fee.

jasonlaramburu 9y ago
I still don’t think that really avoids the issue of devices losing functionality if the company folds. If an IoT company goes OOB, you also lose things like security updates, tech support etc. I would give an ‘orphaned’ IoT product a year tops before it was no longer safe to have on your network. I think consumers need to understand that when they buy a connected device, they are also buying a license to the software that powers it. That license is generally not perpetual unless specified.
fps 9y ago
Most of these companies don't have any subscription fees. They just provide the "free" cloud service for as long as it takes to make a whole bunch of sales, then shut it down and suddenly all the devices stop working. if you're selling a $50 device that people have to wire into their home, with an expected lifetime in years or decades, it's pretty negligent to not provide for a sustainable service.
- jasonlaramburu 9y ago
  You’re saying it would be more responsible to charge a monthly fee? How could you compete against those firms that do not charge fees?
  - fps 9y ago
    I'd prefer they just let you run the hub/central service yourself, with an option to have them run it for a fee, yes. I think we'll start to see regular consumers harmed by some of these start-ups destroying hardware when they go out of business, and perhaps people will stop buying them unless there's some protection. Then the "free" solutions will be looked at suspiciously and hopefully discounted by the tech press and retailers. Alternately, retailers might be held liable for refunding purchases of products that stop working before the legally mandated warranty date (such as in the EU) or by credit card companies in the US, so they'll stop selling any cloud required garbage.
    - jasonlaramburu 9y ago
      It’s possible but sounds pretty optimistic. More likely that the big 5 tech companies (who can pay for cloud services to function indefinitely) will consolidate the smaller IoT plays, and offer users a limited feature set for free, with premium tiers as well. Also remember that if you’re maintaining the hub yourself it won’t get security updates.

by RpFLCL 9y ago

jasonlaramburu 9y ago

I still don’t think that really avoids the issue of devices losing functionality if the company folds. If an IoT company goes OOB, you also lose things like security updates, tech support etc. I would give an ‘orphaned’ IoT product a year tops before it was no longer safe to have on your network. I think consumers need to understand that when they buy a connected device, they are also buying a license to the software that powers it. That license is generally not perpetual unless specified.

fps 9y ago

Most of these companies don't have any subscription fees. They just provide the "free" cloud service for as long as it takes to make a whole bunch of sales, then shut it down and suddenly all the devices stop working. if you're selling a $50 device that people have to wire into their home, with an expected lifetime in years or decades, it's pretty negligent to not provide for a sustainable service.

jasonlaramburu 9y ago
You’re saying it would be more responsible to charge a monthly fee? How could you compete against those firms that do not charge fees?
- fps 9y ago
  I'd prefer they just let you run the hub/central service yourself, with an option to have them run it for a fee, yes. I think we'll start to see regular consumers harmed by some of these start-ups destroying hardware when they go out of business, and perhaps people will stop buying them unless there's some protection. Then the "free" solutions will be looked at suspiciously and hopefully discounted by the tech press and retailers. Alternately, retailers might be held liable for refunding purchases of products that stop working before the legally mandated warranty date (such as in the EU) or by credit card companies in the US, so they'll stop selling any cloud required garbage.
  - jasonlaramburu 9y ago
    It’s possible but sounds pretty optimistic. More likely that the big 5 tech companies (who can pay for cloud services to function indefinitely) will consolidate the smaller IoT plays, and offer users a limited feature set for free, with premium tiers as well. Also remember that if you’re maintaining the hub yourself it won’t get security updates.