Improving the user experience of IoT firmware updates

cantina.co

6 pointsericwbailey2 comments

I think part of the problem with IoT firmware updates is that so many companies are rushing to get v1.0 of their project out the door that it's very difficult to even think of v1.1 or higher. Agile development and Lean Business practices, as practiced by many organizations, can often encourage this short-sighted behavior. So updating gets punted on because it's _technically_ not necessary for the first version, and it's definitely not one of the "cool" core features you get to put on the glossy marketing website for the device.

I completely agree—hope the article communicated that.

Although I think the ideal experience is one where its completely automated and out of mind for the user, I do think the next best thing is to turn it into more of a glossy, marketing-friendly competitive advantage. Something like "better peace of mind through enhanced security" or some other nice-sounding soundbite.

IoT security is a huge concern for me personally, especially in the wake of the Dyn attack. I'd love to see more strategies for helping make things better, especially in the consumer space.

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