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Custom vs Off-the-Shelf: The Pros & The Cons

A custom-designed product can break through a crowded marketplace, and open a business to a whole new sector of consumers. When you search for a path to achieve this, however, you’ll find many options, from standard, commercial off-the-shelf (aka, COTS) components, to custom parts, to highly-custom projects. When considering creating a custom IoT application, how do you make the decision between the multitude of options?

Quick and inexpensive entry into condition monitoring

Sensors can keep your machines and systems healthy and efficient. Being able to closely and continuously monitor the condition of production equipment in a factory will allow for targeted servicing and maintenance, fewer breakdowns and an increase in overall efficiency. The Schildknecht IoT Ready-To-Use system offers a quick and cost-effective entry into condition monitoring.

Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) vs. Custom Products

Let’s say you work for a company developing a new product that uses a Serial interface, and you have been tasked with finding a way to integrate Ethernet connectivity. You research all the different options for exports, components that can convert connections like Serial into other interfaces, and come across a number of options.

EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, or both?

EtherNet/IP and PROFINET are two protocols that utilize and add value to standard ethernet technology. Speed is often mentioned as a key benefit of PROFINET, while interoperability often goes into the EtherNet/IP column. Yet when it comes to one over the other, it's not so black and white. For product design and development, you may want to hedge your bets and support both.

Popular Applications for the Internet of Things

There are currently billions of interconnected devices communicating with each other over the internet. These devices are constantly gathering information about their environments, and analyzing the data to help make informed decisions or to automate actions. The Internet of Things (IoT) is made up of a wide-range of devices that can be used for various applications. The applications listed below are only a few of the many possibilities for these devices.

IoT is Transforming the Political Landscape

The nature of political campaigning is changing rapidly as the intrusion of the Internet of Things (IoT) within popular culture continues to expand at a rapid rate. In the past, the infrastructure of political campaigns was heavily based on polling, surveys, door-to-door campaigning, and cold calls. These methods were deemed very effective among politicians at the time, but in the modern era, relying on these tactics as a means to learn more about voters is a waste of time and resources. IoT technology has changed the way voters interact with the government as more information about their habits and beliefs will be tracked and analyzed with the sensors built into this technology.

Grid Connect Named One of 2017 Best Places to Work in Illinois

Grid Connect was recently named as one of the 2017 Best Places to Work in Illinois. The awards program began in 2006 and is promoted by The Daily Herald Business Ledger in partnership with the Human Resources Management Association of Chicago (HRMAC), the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, MRA-The Management Association, the Small Business Advocacy Council, the Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group.

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