Why You Should Build Open-Source IoT Devices

If you are wondering how you could give a little boost to your brand in the market, you may think of developing new IoT devices. That’s great, but, how about if you build open-source IoT devices? You may know several open-source platforms like Flutter, Arduino, Thinger, and Node-Red. They are very useful for data collection, processing, visualization, and device management. However, it would be great to give more control to your potential clients regarding the IoT products you could offer to them. If you give customers something they can modify with ease, they will surely remember your brand and keep buying from you in the future.

"If you give customers something they can modify with ease, they will surely remember your brand and keep buying from you in the future."

-DeepSea Developments

Reasons for Open-Source IoT Devices

Building IoT devices that are open source can give your business an edge in the market. Let's take a look at why this is.

1. Customization: We are in an era where customers are happy with customization, and open-source IoT devices are customizable. You can give others greater flexibility and adaptability in designing and using the IoT device. You can access the source code of the device and modify it to your liking, tailoring it to your specific business needs.
   
   
2. Cost-Effective: Another reason for building IoT open-source devices is because they are cost-effective, as they do not require any licensing fees or associated costs. This can result in significant savings for your business, allowing you to invest your resources into other aspects of your business. On the other hand, you can provide higher value to your customers by giving them a product that is not too expensive and that they can program and use as they wish.
   
   
3. Transparency: The users are in control of how the devices work, and they can monitor what data is being stored in the device. IoT open-source devices respect the privacy of your customers, and this can be especially important when dealing with sensitive data.
   
   
4. Collaboration: We can’t talk about open source without mentioning collaborative development. Thanks to a community that is sharing common knowledge about the IoT device, they will be able to share modifications and improvements with others. 
   
   As a result, there will be a wider range of features and capabilities that will make your open-source IoT device more attractive, and thus, used in the market. Additionally, this collaborative environment enables your device to be part of a community of experts, and you as a company could learn from their experiences and knowledge to make improvements in your developments.
   
   Another advantage is that your open-source IoT device also has the potential to integrate with other devices or platforms since many collaborators will be looking for new ways to add features and connections.
   

Potential Downsides

It is worth mentioning that not everything will be perfect when you decide to launch an open-source IoT device. There may be some concerns regarding the standards and quality control of the product, as well as risking the product being used in ways that were not originally intended, further impacting its quality.

Security can be another concern with open-source IoT devices. Since everyone has access to the source code, this also means that hackers can identify vulnerabilities in the code and take advantage of that.

Finally, there won’t be many chances for the company that created the IoT open-source device to provide support. Taking into account that there is a community working together to add features or modify the functioning of the device, there may be obstacles or issues that couldn’t be addressed by the original creators.

Finding the Motivation

Try to reach a community of people you can trust in programming and development. A niche that would surely value the open-source device you want to build.

If you can, try to create enough documentation to guide others on the safest ways to modify the code, and also, we suggest you try to release security updates from time to time to address any issue regarding the stability and security of the device.