OMAHA—Developers need to look forward to the Internet of Things, find something they’re passionate about in the vertical and go for it, says Pete Brown, project manager on for a Microsoft team focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT).
Brown, the first keynote speaker at the 11th annual Heartland Developers Conference, said IoT is a $1.7 trillion market with billions of devices coming online by 2017.
The Internet of Things is the idea of connected devices using data to improve our lives and efficiency. Technology like Nest, the learning thermostat, and Internet-connected lights, are a few examples.
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In the future, he sees uses devices like Fitbits for cows to optimize milk production and baby monitors that tell you all sorts of information.
“It’s a great opportunity for developers and IT because someone has to manage those devices and each have a ton of places you can write code,” Brown said Thursday morning at the La Vista Embassy Suites Conference Center. “Find something that interests you in IoT in a vertical you understand—devices, services, cars, connected babies… something and get into it.
“When you go to session don’t just think about how it affects your coding for mobile or desktop, but think how you can apply it to IoT.”
He also encouraged the 600-plus attendees to share their passion with the next generation of makers and developers. Brown’s hour-long keynote also touched on the history of connected devices like barcode scanners that connected to inventory servers, including UPS’ package tracking technology.
“Devices talking to one another was a big deal back in the day,” he said.
He also talked about the technological advances Microsoft and Intel are making with small chips that can run full Windows software on small devices. Brown demonstrated the Galileo chip by writing code in Visual Studio to make a green LED light up.
“A blinking LED doesn’t sound like it’s a big deal, but you’re doing it with the full Windows and Visual Studio and you can debug it directly from Visual Studio itself,” he said. “It’s not a big deal to us either, but when you do that for a first time as a kid, it’s a visceral experience. It goes back to educating them in tech. It’s a great experience.”
He said he hopes this generation and the next can lead the charge on commercialization of the Internet of Things.
