• Launched SmartThings Family Care (August 2024): Introduced a caregiver-focused service that leverages AI and connected devices to monitor daily activity patterns, send alerts, and assist with scheduling medication reminders and medical appointments.

• Achieved ISO 27001 Certification for SmartThings (July 2024): Secured ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification from the British Standards Institution (BSI), validating SmartThings' adherence to international standards for information security management and data protection.

• Introduced SmartThings Pro (June 2024): Unveiled SmartThings Pro at InfoComm 2024, a business-focused evolution of the platform with customizable APIs and AI-powered energy management, driving operational efficiency and sustainability.

• Released Map View for 3D Home Visualization (May 2024): Launched a new SmartThings feature that enables users to create a 3D map of their home, simplifying device management with real-time monitoring of security cameras, temperature, energy usage, and more.

• Integrated Tesla Energy Products into SmartThings (October 2023): Partnered with Tesla to enable SmartThings control of Powerwall and Solar Roof, providing users with a unified platform for energy management and automation.

• Launched SmartThings Station at CES (January 2023): Introduced an innovative smart home hub that combines Matter support, Zigbee and Thread connectivity, 15W wireless charging, and a Smart Button for triggering home automations.

• Embedded SmartThings Hub in Family Hub Refrigerators (January 2023): Integrated SmartThings Hub functionality into Samsung’s Bespoke 4-Door Flex™ refrigerator, eliminating the need for a separate hub while supporting Matter and other smart home protocols.

• Replaced Legacy Technical Debt (2018–2023): Executed a multi-year initiative (Phoenix project) to modernize SmartThings' backend infrastructure, improving reliability, scalability, and performance across the platform.

• Redefined SmartThings Vision and Mission (April 2022): Recast SmartThings' strategic direction to align with Samsung’s broader vision, emphasizing intuitive, trusted, and frictionless connected experiences that drive recurring business value and sustainable differentiation.

• Embedded SmartThings Hub in Samsung TVs & Smart Displays (January 2022): Integrated SmartThings Hub functionality directly into select Samsung Smart TVs and Smart Monitors, eliminating the need for a separate hub and simplifying smart home device management.

• Committed to the Matter Standard (October 2021): Announced SmartThings’ integration with the Matter smart home standard at the Samsung Developer Conference, enhancing interoperability and enabling seamless connectivity with Matter-certified devices.

• Retired Legacy Hubs (June 2021): Phased out support for the first-generation SmartThings Hub (2013) and SmartThings Link for NVIDIA SHIELD, driving users to transition to modern hardware for improved platform performance and security.

• Redefined SmartThings Values (March 2021): Defined from the bottoms up by our employees in partnership with People Operations, a new set of company values (inclusion, trust, collaboration, ownership, resilience, and empathy) were introduced and embedded into company culture and decision-making. Rolled out a performance management framework assessing employees 50% on goal attainment and competencies and 50% on values-driven behavior and leadership, fostering a strong, principle-based workplace culture.

• Launched Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Initiative (August 2020): Established an employee-led forum to drive cultural change and integrated DEIB progress into executive bonuses, embedding inclusivity at the core of SmartThings’ practices and decision-making.

• Unified SmartThings App (August 2020): Consolidated Samsung's IoT applications—including Samsung Connect, Smart Home, and Smart View—into a single SmartThings app, streamlining user experience by centralizing control over all SmartThings-enabled devices across smartphones, TVs, and cars.

• Launched SmartThings Find (April 2020): Introduced a device-tracking solution that enables users to locate their Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and wearables, even when offline, addressing a growing need for lost device recovery.

• Integrated SmartThings into Samsung Appliances (September 2019): Enabled SmartThings functionality in Samsung appliances, such as the Family Hub refrigerator, through an add-on SmartThings dongle, expanding the ecosystem and driving adoption of connected home experiences.

• Announced Strategic Smart Lighting Partnership (October 2019): Partnered with Signify (Philips Hue) to integrate smart lighting control into SmartThings, enhancing the smart home experience.

• Expanded Voice Assistant Integration (August 2018): Announced integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, enabling hands-free control of SmartThings devices and significantly improving accessibility and user engagement.

• Consolidated to a Single Cloud Platform (June 2018): Successfully unified ARTIK Cloud and Samsung Connect Cloud into SmartThings Cloud, enhancing interoperability across Samsung and third-party IoT ecosystems, resulting in a more seamless and scalable smart home platform.

• Recognized in Gartner Magic Quadrant for Industrial IoT Platforms (November 2019): Recognized by Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for completeness of vision in the Industrial IoT sector (made public after my departure).

• Achieved ISO/IEC 27001 Certification (January 2018): Reinforced Exosite’s commitment to information security and data privacy, ensuring compliance with global security standards.

• Launched ExoSense™ Condition Monitoring Application (January 2018): Introduced a turnkey industrial IoT solution enabling manufacturers to rapidly deploy condition monitoring for connected products.

• Unveiled Exchange, an IoT Marketplace (July 2017): Created a centralized marketplace to accelerate connected-product development by providing access to pre-built solutions, data integrations, and business accelerators.

• Honored as a Titan of Technology (April 2017): Recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal for contributions to the tech industry and IoT innovation.

• Launched Murano® IoT Platform (June 2016): Introduced Murano, a cloud-based IoT platform designed to help businesses efficiently develop, deploy, and manage connected products.

• Released ExositeReady™ Gateway Engine (September 2016): Developed a scalable IoT gateway solution to accelerate industrial connectivity and enable seamless device-to-cloud integration.

• Received Strategic Investment from Parker Hannifin (July 2015): Strengthened Exosite’s global expansion efforts and enhanced industrial IoT capabilities through a strategic equity investment from Parker Hannifin Corporation.

• Introduced Exosite Portals IoT Platform (September 2012): Launched a multi-tenant, cloud-based IoT platform, empowering businesses to create and manage connected solutions at scale.

• Led Product Software Development and Engineering Talent Management: Drove recruitment, mentorship, and career growth initiatives to attract and retain top talent in software engineering and product development.

• Shaped and Communicated Corporate Software Strategy: Identified key technologies and partnerships that strengthened Logic PD’s market position and ensured long-term business stability.

• Drove Technology Innovation: Co-led the Technology Roadmap Development program, fostering company-wide contributions that enhanced the IP portfolio and guided future innovation efforts.

• Launched and Expanded the 3rd Party Partner Program: Built strategic business relationships that provided value-added solutions for customers and reinforced Logic PD’s reputation as a trusted technology advisor.

• Established the Early Adopter Program (EAP): Provided key customers with early access to hardware and software, accelerating feedback cycles and strengthening market adoption.

• Directed Service Software Development Engineering Talent: Led recruitment, offers, reviews, training, career development, and mentoring efforts to achieve $2.2M in annual revenue with $0.9M gross margin.

• Developed Business Through Client Engagement: Presented product development services to potential clients via project plans, statements of work, terms and conditions, and consultative selling techniques.

• Managed Design Service Resource Staffing: Assigned personnel to product development projects using sales forecasts, yield projections, and resource modeling techniques to optimize efficiency.

• Introduced Monte Carlo Risk Assessment: Implemented Monte Carlo methods, tools, and processes for the business development team to quantitatively assess design service program risk, improving pricing strategies for fixed-bid programs.

• Program and Systems Lead for ITAR-Rated Soldier Vision System: Led a $1.8M design services program with a 30+ member team over 18 months, delivering mission-critical defense technology.

• Led Design and Implementation of ISO13485-Compliant QMS: Directed a team of managers and executives to design, implement, and roll out an ISO13485-compliant Quality Management System, enabling 125 employees to meet regulatory standards under an aggressive timeline.

• Led Development of Next-Generation Portable Video Borescope: Managed a geographically distributed team to design a Linux and TI-OMAP-based video borescope, driving innovation in portable imaging technology.

• Facilitated Software Study Group: Organized and led a study group for 30 highly motivated software engineers, senior software engineers, and principal systems engineers to enhance technical knowledge and collaboration.

• Led Project Management Improvement Group: Developed a structured project management process and provided training and mentoring to ensure consistency and efficiency across teams.

• Led Development of Engine Trend Monitoring Device: Managed a multi-discipline team of engineers to create an Engine Trend Monitoring system for Turbo-Prop Commuter Planes and Homebuilt aircraft, enhancing operational safety and performance monitoring.

• Participated in Medical Practice Team: Contributed to the expansion of Logic’s capabilities in the medical field, increasing brand awareness and market positioning within the industry.

• Led Software Process Improvement Group: Refined software development processes and provided training and mentoring to enhance efficiency, quality, and team adoption of best practices.

• Developed MFC Application for Heart-Lung Machine Control: Created an application to control a heart-lung machine (HLM) bio-pump, leveraging an XScale PXA255 Windows CE 4.20 hardware platform for real-time medical device operation.

• Led Development of Software Development Process: Managed a team of four Senior Software Engineers to define and implement Logic’s Software Development Process, including associated templates and forms.

• Wrote U-Boot Extension for Traffic Camera System: Developed a U-Boot extension to manage a Broadband over Powerline (BoP) chipset for a traffic camera system, enhancing networked traffic monitoring capabilities.

• Developed Inventory Scanner System for Bicycle Shops: Designed and implemented an inventory management system using Windows CE, C++, and a PXA270-based Symbol Scanner device to streamline retail operations.

• Managed Development of Handheld Wireless Voice-Controlled Music System: Led a distributed team of engineers to create a platform enabling voice-controlled music and information access on a handheld device.

• Developed User-Mode Linux Application for Digital Potentiometer Control: Created a C-based Linux application to read and write to an Analog Devices 5245 digital potentiometer using the I2C protocol.

• Developed Linux Board Support Package (BSP) for Brain-State Assessment Device: Built a Linux BSP using C, gcc, binutils, and glibc for a TI OMAP 5910-based medical device assessing brain activity.

• Developed Windows CE DLL for Automobile Engine-Analysis Scope: Designed a DLL to communicate over Microsoft ActiveSync RAPI (Remote API), enabling seamless data transfer between a PC and an engine-analysis scope.

• Led Pacemaker and Defibrillator Software Porting Project: Directed a team of seven engineers over two years to port pacemaker and defibrillator software from QNX RTOS to a next-gen platform based on Red Hat Linux.

• Developed Mapping Application for Infrared Laser Radar Devices: Created a mapping system using Microsoft .NET, C#, C++, and GDI+ to manage an array of infrared laser radar devices and night-vision cameras.

• Developed Drug Testing and Chain-of-Custody Application: Built a .NET-based application using COM+ and Microsoft SQL Server to digitize and streamline drug testing and chain-of-custody documentation.

• Developed Automated and Manual Testing for Fiber-Optic Safety Sensor: Designed and executed automated and manual tests using an oscilloscope and signal generator to verify the functionality of a safety-critical fiber-optic sensor.

• Developed GUI Application for Programming Industrial Safety Sensors: Built a dynamic GUI application using MFC and C++ that allowed industrial safety sensors to be programmed via XML-based configuration.

• Designed Custom Language and Interpreter for Print Automation System: Collaborated with two Software Engineers to develop a specialized language and interpreter using C and a Hitachi H8S microcontroller to control a printer laminator/cutter/stapler/stacker device.

Areas of focus: strategic growth & adaptation, leadership & talent development, culture & engagement, decision-making & influence as part of the Executive Education program at Harvard Business School.

Studied extensible language grammars and lock-free memory abstractions for multi-threaded applications.

Studied computer science and minored in mathematics. Bible study leader. Bass player at chapel/vespers. Tennis team captain.

Honored to be part of a panel at CES moderated by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy from The Verge about the current state of smart home device interoperability and insights from the last two years of Matter adoption in the smart home industry. Full video.

• Ben McInnis, Director of Smart Home at Amazon
• Matt Van Der Staay, Engineering Lead of Home at Google
• Darcy Clarkson, CEO of BSH Home Appliances Corporation - North America
• Michelle Mindala-Freeman, COO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance
• Mark Benson, Head of SmartThings at Samsung Electronics

ABSTRACT: Experts discuss Matter & smart home adoption, sharing insights from two years of experience & highlighting opportunities for service providers to shape a connected future.

Honored to take part in the Samsung eXperience 2024 event at the Venetian in Las Vegas. During the event, I was interviewed on stage as part of a thought leadership and innovation segment on the state of the smart home in the US, recent product announcements, and what people can look forward to in the future.

ABSTRACT: This fireside chat with Mark Benson focuses on innovation as it relates to the smart home in the US including user trends, device category trends, use case trends, economic trends, and demographic shifts. In addition, Mark will share the latest SmartThings product announcements and what may be coming in the future.

Honored to be invited to speak to the Willmar Rotary Club on my life, career highlights, and leadership roots in Willmar, Minnesota where I grew up in a family and surrounded by people that were hard-working, honest, kind, driven, and full of character and integrity.

ABSTRACT: In this presentation, Mark Benson shares about the global impact that Samsung and SmartThings are making in the lives of millions through smart home technology and experiences. Also, Mark shares his personal story of growth into leadership and the roots that he formed in west centeral Minnesota centered on core values of trust, honesty, integrity, kindness, and hard work. Mark shares how these roots have formed his leadership style and approach, and are in turn having a significant impact on the company he leads and the hundreds of millions of US homes that he impacts every year.

Honored to speak on a US Cyber Trust Mark panel called, "A Secured IoT World?: Programs, Rules, Brands, Retailers and Consumers" along with Michael Dolan (Senior Director, Head of Enterprise Privacy and Data Protection, Best Buy), Kat Megas (Cybersecurity for IoT Program Head, NIST), Scott Register (Vice President, Security Solutions, Keysight Technologies), and moderated by Mike Bergman (Vice president, Technology and Standards, Consumer Technology Association).

ABSTRACT: The Internet of Things (IoT) enhances how we live, work and play. Increased adoption of connected devices prompts questions about how to effectively address security of these devices, protect the networks they run on and safeguard the data they collect. 

A public-private sector effort led by the White House, with input from CTA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other government and private sector stakeholders is developing a voluntary cybersecurity label program for consumer connected devices (consumer IoT). The U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program will give consumers more information about the cybersecurity of the connected products they buy and ensure that those products meet certain standards.

This panel discusses the implications of the US Cyber Trust Mark, the EU CRA, and other related programs.

Full video replay

Honored to be a featured speaker at the 2024 Parks Associates CONNECTIONS Summit at CES. The CONNECTIONS Summit is an annual research and industry event hosted by international research firm Parks Associates at CES in Las Vegas. In 2024, the executive event focuses on new trends, emerging technology and standards, new business models, and partnerships impacting the connected home.

ABSTRACT: This fireside chat covered four distinct aspects of the smart home industry, including the unique position and focus that SmartThings has on services as well as perspectives on user growth and challenges, device trends and partnerships, and how services and cross-brand experiences bring it all together.

Honored to give an invited talk as a special guest to the board of the Association for Smarter Homes & Buildings on the future of the smart home and it's application to commercial, multi-family, and hospitality sectors.

ABSTRACT: This talk emphasizes the significance of partnerships and interoperability in shaping the future of smart living across various domains, such as single-family homes, multi-family residences, vacation rentals, and hospitality. It also delves into key use cases and opportunities in the smart home sector.

Honored to be a keynote speaker at the 2023 Parks Associates CONNECTIONS Summit at in Dallas .

The CONNECTIONS Summit is an annual research and industry event hosted by international research firm Parks Associates. In 2023, the executive event focuses on new trends, emerging technology and standards, new business models, and partnerships impacting the connected home.

ABSTRACT: Smart home adoption is at a massive inflection point, with a strong potential for exponential growth. This is accelerating as the smart home goes mainstream, driven by transformative technologies like Matter and innovative connected experiences, creating new opportunities and challenges to address.

While the average household has smart devices, the average user continues to encounter roadblocks to fully realizing the potential of a smart home. Overcoming these barriers through the experience that consumers care about are the key to unlocking mass adoption.

In this session, Mark Benson, Head of SmartThings, will talk through the unique needs of the mass consumer market for Smart Home, and how Samsung and SmartThings are using services and experiences to take advantage of the present opportunities we see to provide our users with convenience, security, sustainability, and fun!

Honored to be giving a guest lecture today at the MIT Media Lab titled "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations: The Birth of the True Smart Home" including smart home trends/standards/experiences, the story of Matter, and lessons learned for applying to spatial computing, metaverse applications, and extended reality domains.

ABSTRACT: This lecture covers smart home innovation in three parts:

1. The latest trends in the smart home industry and how the pandemic has changed people's relationships with their homes.

2. The story of how Matter came to be and how it is now poised to make significant progress towards a more seamless and integrated device onboarding experience for users.

3. How Matter is opening the doors of innovation to a bright future of smart connected devices and meaningful experiences that will impact people's homes and lives over the next decade.

Finally, this lecture concludes with lessons learned from smart home industry standardization efforts that are applicable to many diverse innovation and problem solving domains including mixed reality, spatial computing, and metaverse domains.

Full video replay: Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations: The Birth of the True Smart Home

Honored to speak on behalf of Samsung at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Bringing Calm to Our Connected World and Samsung's philosophy of prioritizing more seamless connected experiences that are driving innovation behind the latest products.

ABSTRACT: This ethos of consumer-first innovation is the center of what we do at SmartThings. With the SmartThings platform, we don’t want users to feel like they need to change their behaviors to enjoy smart home experiences that make them feel safe, make life a little easier and also add a little fun.

Our goal is for SmartThings to be so in tune with user behaviors that it is capable of independently running your home, your connections with family or whatever else you need. This is why we get so excited when we introduce things like SmartThings Station, or we uplevel our collaboration with the Matter standard, as together, they are a roadmap of our mission to make SmartThings the core enabler of our vision for a better-connected world that is truly centered around the user.

Honored to deliver a presentation at an invite-only Wall Street Journal Techlive event for an audience of hollywood stars and high tech executives on the future of the smart some in Laguna Beach, CA.

ABSTRACT: The smart home industry is in the midst of an inflection point. The pandemic has made people reimagine their homes beyond just a static space to live. This effect has given rise to the need for better interoperability and ease of use for smart home devices, and experiences that they enable. In addition to the consumer trends, the industry is also coming together around a smart home connectivity standard called Matter, which aims to simplify the setup, onboarding, and use of smart home devices in a way that is easier to understand and use. In order for the industry to come together in this way, it requires companies to come together on this common standard, while still leaving lots of room for innovation and differentiation when it comes to advanced product features and services such as pet care, elder care, and energy.

Honored to deliver part of the keynote presentation for the Samsung Developer Conference about the SmartThings vision for enabling smarter lifestyles, supporting industry standards like Matter and HCA, and enabling partnerships that deliver rich and immersive experiences that matter to users.

Abstract: Samsung shares more about its commitment to creating simplified, game-changing customer experiences, including the company’s updated vision for SmartThings as it evolves from a connectivity platform to an enabler of smarter lifestyles. From deeper integration with Bixby to seamless connectivity with Matter-compatible devices, SmartThings is creating a richer, more open world that empowers all users to streamline their connections and their daily lives.

More links:

• Live SDC22 Keynote
• Samsung Showcases Evolution of SmartThings and Introduces New Device Experiences at SDC22

Honored to deliver a keynote presentation for the Edge Impulse Imagine event at the Museum of Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA on how the pandemic has changed people's relationships with their homes, emerging expectations of smart home experiences, and the critical importance of empathy-centered design thinking.

Abstract: The pandemic has forever changed the world and how we think about our lives, our work, and our relationships with people and our surroundings. Our homes have been reimagined, perhaps as they were originally intended, as places of rest, relaxation, and safety – and more recently, as places of work and exercise. As a result, people want their homes to be better. To work for them and be customized to their needs.

But in order to meet these evolving user needs, smart home brands and ecosystems must innovate in new ways, collaborate together, and be obsessed with delivering valuable experiences for users.

This presentation explains how the pandemic has permanently altered the complexion and trajectory of the smart home industry, the central role that radical empathy plays when innovating new product concepts at the edge, and how to overcome internal and external barriers to change in order to make a lasting difference in the lives of users.

Full presentation here: Empathy at the Edge: Innovating for the Next Generation of Smart Home Living

Honored to deliver a keynote presentation for the Commscope Ruckus Big Dogs partner conference in Austin, TX on building for the future smart connected living, particularly within multi-dwelling units such as apartments, condominiums, and hotels.

ABSTRACT: As alarm systems, thermostats, air conditioners and other home devices become increasingly connected, the next generation of residents are seeking to drive value and convenience by creating a tailored, technology-enabled environmental experience in their homes. As a result, developers and property managers are investing in the value of creating connected living experiences. This presentation has three parts, (A) how resident behavior and expectations for smart homes is changing, (B) how Commscope Ruckus and Samsung SmartThings are working together to provide innovative solutions for the industry, and (C) how partners can engage with Ruckus and SmartThings to build solutions for next generation convenience, safety, security, peace of mind, and improved energy efficiency for residents.

Press release: Samsung SmartThings Teams with CommScope RUCKUS to Bring Next Generation Networking to Property Developers and Tenants

Honored to deliver part of the keynote presentation at CES 2022 this year on behalf of Samsung. Lots of exciting product, partnership, and industry announcements with a focus on sustainability and coming together for a better tomorrow.

Headlined by Vice Chairman, CEO, and head of Samsung Electronics’ DX (Device eXperience) Division, JH Han, it was a pleasure to present alongside Gary Shapiro, Georgina Tordoff, Andrew Georgiou, Anna Groffsky, and Katherine Shin.

📢: Pearson Cummings, Monica Couvillion, Greg St. Claire, Samantha Fein, Christine Lehrer, Veronica Ford, Suhyun Kim, Faith Kim, Brenda Bomyoung Jung, and Yoon Ho Choi.

ABSTRACT: On January 4, Samsung Electronics will kick off the 2022 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with a pre-show keynote address held a day before the world’s most influential technology event is set to begin. The keynote will take place at 6:30 p.m. local time (9:30 p.m. EST) at the Venetian’s Palazzo Ballroom in Las Vegas.

Held under the theme of ‘Together for tomorrow’, the keynote lays out a vision that empowers everyone to create positive change and drives collaborations that address some of the planet’s most pressing challenges. The keynote illustrates how Samsung plans to make its vision a reality by introducing a range of sustainability initiatives, purposeful partnerships, and customisable and connected technologies.

Keynote video: Together for Tomorrow: Full Replay

Presented as part of the Predictions Panel at CIO Synergy in Minneapolis, an invitation-only event for CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs, to share ideas, current trends, and future insights.

ABSTRACT: This presentation outlines three predictions for the coming year.

First, conversational AI and the quest for better context will drive the accelerated integration of ecosystems. Increasingly, business success hinges on a company’s ability to create seamless, enjoyable experiences across disparate touchpoints. As these digital experiences become a major differentiator, savvy IT leaders are redefining their roles within the enterprise to focus on driving business value. Rather than protecting risks and reacting to emergencies, successful IT leaders will proactively enable the business to deliver value to customers across myriad digital touchpoints.

Second, the demand for lower latency and better cost performance of IoT cloud platforms will pace edge/fog computing trends. In the IoT platform space, companies at the top compete on market share, features, performance, and brand differentiation. However, the long tail of IoT competes primarily on price. What’s true for every company in this space is that efficiency (lower latencies, lower cost) are necessary to compete in a meaningful way. Because of this, there is a move towards edge/fog computing. IT leaders in organizations that are adopting IoT are uniquely positioned to drive change in adoption of cloud technologies for emerging business objectives like IoT, and start expanding knowledge and influence into edge devices.

Finally, the drive for better analytics and intelligence about customers combined with growing privacy concerns and regulations will create further competitive separation for companies that leverage data to not only to streamline their business, but to create more engaging user experiences. IT leaders are in a unique position to lead the business through the necessary changes to get there.

Presented along with Bruce Schneier at the Harvard Club of New York City as part of an invitation-only event put on by Tehama and Pythian on on how CISOs, CIOs, CTOs, VPs of IT, and VPs of Engineering can de-risk their global workforce with secure access, auditing, and compliance in the face of changing regulations, increased competitive pressures, and emerging opportunities/threats like the Internet of Things.

ABSTRACT: Many organizations believe that digital transformation is key to their success over the coming decade. However, far fewer actually know what that means or how to achieve it. In the face of this uncertainty, organizational leaders tend to adopt risk-averse behavior. For information security leaders, this means saying "no" or going slow. However, for business line leaders, this means building fast and cheap products that prove market viability but often end up being essentially insecure. These two organizational forces are at odds and have divergent incentives for success. In order for companies to be successful and harmonize their efforts, they need to have clarity of vision combined with agile and flexible tools that enable them to bring in the right skills at the right time in order to securely manage their emerging IoT initiatives.

Keynote presentation at Smart IoT London, by Mark Benson:

ABSTRACT: As the Internet of Things moves from early hype to production deployments, organizations that have historically made physical things now face significant challenges. Not only do they need to connect their products to the Internet, but also support them. Because of this, I’ve seen many IoT innovation efforts take longer than expected or flounder without clear direction. Companies learn – sometimes the hard way – that it’s one thing to talk idyllically about turning a product-centered business into a service-centered utopia, but quite another to actually make it a reality. This talk will focus on the five symptoms of IoT programs that are destined for trouble and will also provide solutions for getting back on track.

Presented at Agile Day Twin Cities on the intersection of business, technology, and people as applied to Internet of Things initiatives.

ABSTRACT: The internet of things is disrupting nearly every industry. And as the last decade showed us, it takes a lot more than connectivity to win with IoT. This presentation takes a critical look at a product-first approach vs. a value-first approach for developing winning IoT solutions, and its corresponding implications for rolling out a successful corporate-wide digital transformation initiative.

Delivered a keynote presentation at Sensors Expo in San Jose on how organizations can leverage IoT technology to bring people together to drive a sustainable competitive advantage using a technique I call the Inverted Conway Maneuver:

ABSTRACT: Smart connected products will redefine entire markets and the very nature of competition over the coming decade. Organizations attempting to build smart connected products across divisions, product portfolios, and markets are being faced with a stark reality: creating IoT projects are hard and building a long-term organizational competency around doing IoT projects with excellence is even harder. Based on real-world experience, this presentation covers five key behaviors that successful organizations exhibit along their digital transformation journey as they employ IoT technology solutions to drive behavioral change.

Presented at IoT Slam in North Carolina on how organizations can build a long-term sustainable IoT competency, and in the process avoid catastrophic failures.

ABSTRACT: Organizations attempting to build smart connected products across divisions, product portfolios, and markets are being faced with a stark reality: creating IoT projects is hard, and building a long-term organizational competency around doing IoT projects with excellence is even harder. Based on real-world experience, this talk presents five key strategies successful organizations use to build a long-term IoT competency and prevent disaster along the way.

A video of the presentation can be found on IoT Practitioner.

Presented along with Andy Bochman and Ken Hoyme at the University of Minnesota Technological Leadership Institute on how organizations can build a sustainable cyber-physical competency, and the critical role that cross-functional leaders play in driving change.

ABSTRACT: The Internet of Things represents a new set of security threats to organizations looking to build a connected product portfolio. These organizations cannot afford the damage that will inevitably result from insecure technologies and practices — the consequences of failure are too high, not only for the performance of the business, but for the protection of personal privacy, safety, and security for its customers. This presentation examines the role of technology leaders in building a sustainable cyber-physical security competency at their organization that balances business concerns, technology constraints, and user needs in a cross-functional way.

Presented at the IoT Systems Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on how organizational cognition, behavior, and change are central levers for building a lasting IoT competency:

ABSTRACT: Smart connected products will redefine entire markets and the very nature of competition over the coming decade. Organizations attempting to build smart connected products across divisions, product portfolios, and markets are being faced with a stark reality: creating IoT projects are hard and building a long-term organizational competency around doing IoT projects with excellence is even harder. Based on real-world experience, this presentation covers five key behaviors (and corresponding pitfalls) that successful organizations exhibit along their IoT journey.

Presented at the International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) in Las Vegas:

ABSTRACT: With fast approaching energy regulations and increased competitive pressures, reducing energy consumption has never been more important for building managers. This talk introduces a series of smart Internet of Things (IoT) retrofit technologies that can be used to meet regulatory requirements, reduce operational expenses, and increase competitive position.

Presented at Sensors Midwest Industrial IoT University:

ABSTRACT: Although a staggering amount of information is beginning to be gathered every day from IoT connected products, the companies that have access to it are not necessarily using that data effectively. As Tim Hartford of the Financial Times notes, “Big data has arrived, but big insights have not.” Useful data analysis requires much more than the simple collection and summary of data. Companies must have a long-term IoT analytics strategy in place to provide significant, actionable insights that will fuel their business transformation into a connected product company. This presentation covers IoT analytics industry trends and advocates for a phased maturity model approach for creating a smart IoT strategy that starts with basic data collection and stream analytics, moves through descriptive/diagnostic analytics, and culminates in predictive/prescriptive analytics. This presentation ends with practical tips and architectural tradeoffs for creating a future-proof IoT roadmap based on connected devices and data.

Presented at Sensors Midwest in Chicago, IL:

ABSTRACT: IoT device fleets are becoming more pervasive. As devices are becoming connected to the Internet, new possibilities for how to use the data for aftermarket services are opening up. For any IoT solution, there are steps of maturity that occur in sequence: (1) connected, (2) managed, and (3) optimized. Data analytics maturity mirrors these three steps: (1) when devices are connected we can get some descriptive data about them; (2) when devices are managed, we can generate predictive analytics on them to figure out what might happen in the future such as with a motor failure; and (3) we can optimize devices and user interactions by using prescriptive analytics to provide closed loop feedback. This session will lay out the foundations of data analytics and how remote sensing technology can enable a new class of after service-delivery business models.

Presented at the 2016 Minnesota Water Technology Summit at US Bank Stadium:

ABSTRACT: As populations rise and urbanization trends continue, water utilities are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the growing demand for water resources. Challenged by aging infrastructure, an aging workforce, and limited budgets, utilities must find ways to run more efficient operations. With modern inline sensing equipment, simple communications hardware, and a flexible software platform approach, utilities can use real-time sensor data to better manage the quality of their water networks and the efficiency of their plant operations. This presentation explains numerous benefits from using inline monitoring technologies to improve the efficiency of plant operations and concludes with an argument that the health of the water management industry depends on a thriving ecosystem of policy makers, environmental agencies, manufacturers, municipalities, plant operators, and users.

Presentation and facilitated think-tank session at Frost & Sullivan Growth, Innovation, and Leadership, Silicon Valley 2016:

ABSTRACT: The Internet of Things trend is forcing organizations out of their comfort zones to rapidly innovate new technology and business offerings in order to remain competitive on the global stage. However, to succeed at monetizing in new technology spaces, organizations must overcome internal barriers to change such as technology debt, rigid business models, outdated user experiences, incumbent processes, skill gaps, and in many cases (sadly), a lack of strategic vision. This session uses interactive group discussion, frameworks, lessons learned, best practices, metrics, and business model case studies to help participants address these challenges at their organization.

Presented at the Peggy Smedley Institute 2016 in Del Mar, CA:

ABSTRACT: As manufacturers begin creating smart, connected products, a flurry of IoT platform technologies have emerged. However, it is still in the early days of IoT platform maturity and many platforms suffer from a lack of features, security guarantees, scalability concerns, and inflexible interfaces. This presentation by Mark Benson, Exosite, explains the concept of an IoT platform, what problems it solves, and how to make buying decisions when looking for an IoT platform for your connected business.

Presented at IoT Evolution 2016, Las Vegas:

ABSTRACT: Most organizations leverage multiple software packages, each with their own data and dashboard systems. These systems are in addition to corporate dash-boarding frameworks that are used to drive business decisions. The Internet of Things represents an opportunity to aggregate data from multiple data sources into a format that enhances the efficiency of the business decision making process. This presentation examines the way in which the IoT creates both challenges and opportunities for business process optimization, organizational alignment, and technology innovation. The presiding conclusion in this presentation is that corporate dashboards are only useful when they are actionable, and if an IoT solution doesn’t have a clear path to create actionable results, a more basic approach should first be taken which seeks to understand customer and business needs prior to making a larger IoT investment.

Presented at Sensors Expo 2016 in San Jose:

ABSTRACT: A recent report by Forrester says more than 4 in 5 manufacturers say IoT will be the most strategic and important technology initiative this decade. With the emergence of smart connected products, it is becoming even more important to integrate the data from those products with enterprise IT. Because the IoT is an emerging digital ecosystem, it requires a integrative platform approach that meets near term needs yet is flexible enough to meet the long-term demands of the future. This presentation examines leading trends in modern IoT platform design and recommendations for building a lasting connected product foundation

Presented at Sensors Expo 2016 in San Jose:

ABSTRACT: IoT device fleets are becoming more pervasive. As devices are becoming connected to the Internet, new possibilities for how to use the data are opening up. For any IoT solution, there are steps of maturity that occur in sequence: (1) connected, (2) managed, and (3) optimized. Data analytics maturity mirrors these three steps: (1) when devices are connected we can get some descriptive data about them; (2) when devices are managed, we can generate predictive analytics on them to figure out what might happen in the future such as with a motor failure; and (3) we can optimize devices and user interactions by using prescriptive analytics to provide closed loop feedback. This article lays out the foundations of data analytics and data science for IoT device deployments as well as recommendations for making an IoT roadmap future-proof.

Presented at Vantage Advanced Professional Studies, Minnetonka:

ABSTRACT: The Internet of Things represents a new twist on the profession of business analytics. With the advent of smart and connected devices, new types of data are becoming available that enable business analysts to gain deep insight into not only how a business operates internally, but how its machines operate in the world, how they are distributed and sold, and how they are used by people. This presentation has three parts: (1) introduction to the Internet of Things for business analysts, (2) three case studies that show how business analysis is used in action on Internet of Things projects, and (3) perspectives on the future of business analytics as we live in an increasingly connected world.

Presented at IoT Fuse 2016 in Minneapolis:

ABSTRACT: Manufacturers looking to create profitable Internet-connected products are faced with numerous challenges: new technologies, new business models, a volatile competitive landscape, and an emerging set of customer needs and wants. In order to bring a connected product to market, these manufacturers must learn to embrace an expanding and ever-changing multitude of technologies and services that must be made to work in harmony. Doing this well depends on how effective an organization is at embracing change and transforming operations to support the new direction. This keynote panel presents key considerations and recommendations for manufacturers to consider in order to build a profitable and growing business based on digital customer experiences.

Presented at IoT Evolution 2016 in Las Vegas:

ABSTRACT: There is an epic battle going on right now between disruptive innovation and an immovable object. The disruptive innovation is emerging connectivity technology and service-based business models that are changing the way that consumers interact with their devices, their environments, and their data. The immovable object is the inability of large organizations to successfully make the changes necessary to become a progressive data-driven company that listens to its users. Here, a contrasting set of successful and non-successful case studies are shown along with recommendations as to how companies can make the difficult changes ahead in order to compete and compete well in our emerging digital economy.

Presented at IoT Evolution 2016 in Las Vegas:

ABSTRACT: The stickiness of a connected product brand is a combination of user experience UX relevance and the degree to which the product garners trust. As such, the product design process should carefully consider the UX to ensure that product features and usage modes are relevant, easy to understand, and enjoyable to use. By looking at a case study of an award-winning smart device enabled garage door controller by Genie called the Aladdin Connect as an illustration, we’ll examine how connected products are (A) becoming the new normal for consumers, (B) closing the intimacy gap between OEMs and consumers, and (C) enabling competitive interoperability in a way that is changing the competitive landscape and influencing consumer buying decisions.

Presented at Internet of Things Developers Conference 2015 in San Jose.

ABSTRACT: Connected products and services are becoming the new normal in our lives. Companies around the world are building bridges to their customers, reducing operational expenses, and improving the strength and resilience of their brand. However, with great opportunity comes great risk. Security is the foundation upon which all IoT products are built, and if that foundation is unsettled or is breached, user experience may suffer, data may be lost, partnerships may be rocked, and brand trust may plummet. This presentation addresses available best practices, processes, and tools that will enable us to understand and mitigate security hazards that are unique to connected product deployments.

Exosite accouncement.

Presented at Internet of Things Stream Conference 2015 in San Francisco.

ABSTRACT: The growth of IoT is occurring at an incredible rate, justly raising alarms about security and privacy issues as we become increasingly reliant on these intelligent, interconnected devices in our lives and businesses. How are we to protect billions of devices from attacks and intrusions that could compromise our personal privacy, public safety, or business viability? Building an IoT solution involves securing sensors, devices, networks, cloud platforms, web applications, and mobile applications for diverse industries. This presentation examines the landscape of emerging security challenges posed by connected devices and offers a catalog of security deployment patterns that have been successfully used by some of the world’s most well known OEMs to deploy connected product fleets.

Presented at Financial Executives International 2015 in Minneapolis.

ABSTRACT: As the new connected device economy emerges, financial executives in healthcare, banking, industrial, manufacturing, energy, and consumer product companies are under increasing pressure to reduce expenses and create new revenue sources to remain competitive in the marketplace. With the Internet of Things, there are two kinds of companies: those that disrupt and those that will be disrupted. This talk explores ways that financial executives can lead their companies through transformational change to disrupt their industry by reducing costs, increasing operational efficiencies, and innovating new business models that connect better with customers, reduce business risks, and make it easier to comply with regulatory requirements.

Presented at IoT Fuse 2015 in Minneapolis.

ABSTRACT: The Internet of Things is more than a market – it’s a new wave of the Internet. It is predicted that fifty billion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020. However, in order for us to get there, certain maturity milestones must be achieved by the global Internet of Things movement that enable that growth in each of the markets that it applies to. If these milestones are not met, the IoT will not meet it’s full potential. In this talk, a five-phase model of market maturity is introduced along with parallels in other historical markets that have made it through all the phases of market maturity and achieved scale of massive proportions. This presentation concludes with a list of actionable steps that attendees can take to break down walls, develop new technologies, and innovate new product ideas that solve real-world problems in a way that ushers the global IoT movement successfully through the five phases of market maturity and into the history books.

Presented at the Minnesota High Tech Association Tech.2015 conference in Minneapolis.

ABSTRACT: The Internet of Things is on the verge of touching all aspects of our lives from the home to the office, factory, operating room, and battlefield. Although the future of IoT is yet to be written, its success will be found when technology is developed to solve problems instead of looking for problems. This talk focuses on the opportunities for local Minnesota durable goods companies to reinvent their product portfolios, reduce expenses, increase revenue, add product differentiation, reduce risk, make it easier to comply with regulatory requirements, and increase safety.

Presented at the 2014 M2M Evolution conference in Miami, CA, by Mark Benson.

ABSTRACT: Our world is changing. Devices all around us are becoming connected to the Internet. It is estimated that by 2020, 50-75 billion devices will be connected to the Internet – that’s ten devices for each person on earth. Many of these devices are high volume cell phones and tablets (mass production for vertical markets), but most are specialized products like appliances, toys, fitness trackers, environmental sensors, and industrial assets (mass customization for micro-vertical markets). In order for the Internet of Things to fully mature, these specialized connected products that will make up the backbone of the new connected economy, will ship in relatively low volumes (< 500,000 units) and must be easier and cheaper to make than they are today. To solve for this, a Micro-Vertical Engine approach is presented, which provides a process and set of reusable connected building blocks (hardware, firmware, networking, cloud, enterprise integrations, and user interfaces) that together can enable OEMs to rapidly deploy market-disrupting innovations that change users lives.

A video of the presentation can be found here.

Presented at the 2013 Design West conference in San Jose, CA, by Mark Benson.

ABSTRACT: In the last decade the race has been on to find the next peripheral to enable better embedded systems designs. In 2000, it was LCD integration, USB, and CF; in 2005, it was touchscreen integration, hardware acceleration, and SD; and in 2010, it was cellular radios, WiFi, and security. The next peripheral on the horizon is The Cloud. This presentation gives embedded designers a view of what The Cloud can do for their designs and how to think about it in both technical and business dimensions. To make this relevant, a real-world example is given on how to internet-enable a CNC lathe with off-the-shelf products, treating a broad range of topics such as embedded radio modules, short-range RF protocols, network aggregators, cellular gateways, mobile (virtual) network operators, and application enablement platforms (AEPs).

Presented at the inaugural IoT Meetup in Minneapolis, MN, by Mark Benson.

ABSTRACT: The Internet of Things (IoT) movement makes grand promises to internet-enable everything from stop signs to kitchen appliances, each of which requires machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. However, the vocabulary has not been standardized, new product categories are emerging, and consensus standards are immature. This presentation offers three perspectives of what M2M means, how to think about and navigate the M2M ecosystem, and trends to watch for in the coming years.

Presentation at Communications, Microsystems, Optoelectronics, and Sensors (CMOS) in Vancouver, BC, by Mark Benson.

ABSTRACT: In embedded systems there is a science to choosing the right processor for a given design. Usually processors are chosen based on objective factors such as peripheral support, physical packaging, memory, architecture family, and software tools available.

This type of quantitative analysis lends itself well to spreadsheets and formulas that can help choose which processor is best.

However, for small high-performance battery-powered devices that have heavy processing requirements, thermal performance quickly becomes an urgent design issue to overcome and is often viewed as an elusive and opinion-fraught black-art.

Modeling, managing, and characterizing the efficient dissipation of heat in these types of devices is complex. Fortunately, there are new processors coming to the embedded marketplace that have advanced features for managing thermal performance.

This, combined with new advances in software modeling techniques and algorithms gives us a fresh playground to innovate new ways to manage thermals in a way that was not previously possible.

Presentation at the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) Conference, by Mark Benson.

ABSTRACT: Slow regulatory cycles combined with the reality of fast-moving technology curves can cause new homecare telemedicine products to feel old to users that have the latest consumer technology in their pocket.

This presentation explores problems and potential solutions to combating this effect.

Problems include (A) fast-moving consumer technology keeps setting the bar for user interaction and design standards, (B) keeping current with latest technology often requires the creation of non-standard proprietary solutions, and (C) the desire to exert control over the safety and efficacy of a medical product causes medical device companies to naturally trend towards vertical integration, and trend away from horizontal market relevance.

This presentation presents possible solutions to each of these problems, but above all, argues that a careful and smart approach to interaction design is the key to wide-spread adoption and success.

Presentation at Design West (was Embedded Systems Conference (ESC), by Mark Benson.

ABSTRACT: Thanks to the laws of physics and the practical limits on rates of thermal heat dissipation, CPU clock cycles in integrated circuits are no longer increasing year-over-year at the same rate that memory densities are.

For this reason, we have seen a proliferation of multi-core CPUs for commercial desktop PCs, and are now beginning to see this trend impact embedded systems as well.

This presentation explains intersecting variables of performance, power, and complexity, and how these variables change dynamically in a multi-core embedded environment.

The primary focus of this presentation is to delineate tools and techniques for managing homogeneous and heterogeneous embedded cores through intelligent architectural decomposition, particularly when low-power design is a primary constraint.

Keynote presentation at the Real-Time & Embedded Computing Conference (RTECC) in Minneapolis, MN, by Mark Benson.

ABSTRACT: Due to the recent increased rate of Android adoption for mobile computing platforms, a natural question arises for embedded product developers and leaders regarding how to engage with the movement and leverage its success.

By using the economic model of Cross-Elasticity of Demand (XED), we can come up with a framework that guides our thinking about how the changing price point for one product family (i.e. the adoption of Android), affects the demand for another (i.e. a given corporate software product roadmap).

This presentation attempts to introduce such a framework by analyzing (A) independent products in the marketplace, (B) substitute products in the marketplace, and (C) complementary products in the market place, with the goal of enabling intelligent and timely business decisions within a dynamic technical climate.

ABSTRACT: A modularized intermediate communication device for a sensor network includes multiple electronic modules assembled in a stack and configured to communicate with one another. Each of the stackable electronic modules includes housing including first and second stacking portions mechanically complementary to each other. Each module further includes a first inter-module communication connector arranged on the first stacking portion, a second inter-module communication connector arranged on the second stacking portion, and a communication device electrically connected to the first and second inter-module communication connectors and communicating with a matching electronic module using at least one communication protocol.

ABSTRACT: A network-connected object for performing a function and communicating with a server computing device via a network includes a functional object, application-specific input/output (I/O) device, and a gateway device. The functional object is configured to perform a function. The application-specific I/O device includes an electronic circuit configured to perform an application-specific function related to the functional object. The gateway device includes a first communication device configured for data communication with the application-specific I/O device, a second communication device configured for data communication with the server computing device, at least one processing device, and at least one computer readable storage device. The gateway device is configured to receive a command and a profile identifier from the application-specific I/O device, determine a client identification key associated with the profile identifier, and transmit the command with the client identification key to the server computing device.

ABSTRACT: A method for configuring network access parameters for a smart object to access a network is disclosed. The method comprises connecting, by the smart object, to a network using a first network access device. The smart object uses a wireless networking protocol to connect to the first network access device. The method further comprises authenticating the smart object with a server on the network and receiving network access information from the server. The network access information relates to a second network access device. The method further comprises using the network access information to connect to the network using the second network access device.

ABSTRACT: A smart object establishes communication with an application provider server computing device by sending a request to a manufacturer server computing device to identify a second server computing device; receiving a response from the first server computing device with an identifier indicating the second server computing device; and using the identifier to establish communication between the smart object and the second server computing device.

ABSTRACT: The invention provides methods for providing a unified single-scan user interface for accessing and managing a remotely located device throughout its life cycle, including cellular network provisioning, cloud data provider registration, initialization and activation, as well as providing end users with easy access to the device and its data. The end user simply powers the device on and the device automatically connects with the communication network and the cloud data provider. The device comes to the end user already provisioned and paired and activated with the cloud data provider and the communication network provider. The end user may provision the device by scanning an optically scannable identification label having device-specific data embedded thereon using a mobile device such as a smartphone or the like.

ABSTRACT: The invention provides systems and methods for providing a unified single-scan user interface for accessing and managing a remotely located device throughout its life cycle, including cellular network provisioning, cloud data provider registration, initialization and activation, as well as providing end users with easy access to the device and its data. The end user simply powers the device on and the device automatically connects with the communication network and the cloud data provider. The device comes to the end user already provisioned and paired and activated with the cloud data provider and the communication network provider. The device is capable of monitoring operational and/or environmental parameters comprising physical and/or chemical data which may be monitored by a mobile device. The mobile device may also initiate modification of the manufactured device's parameters.

ABSTRACT: The invention provides systems and methods for providing a unified single-scan user interface for accessing and managing a remotely located device throughout its life cycle, including cellular network provisioning, cloud data provider registration, initialization and activation, as well as providing end users with easy access to the device and its data. The end user simply powers the device on and the device automatically connects with the communication network and the cloud data provider. The device comes to the end user already provisioned and paired and activated with the cloud data provider and the communication network provider. Device-specific data is, at manufacture, encoded onto machine-readable labels and complied in a table within a remote database. The present invention thus allows identification and provisioning of individual devices using a mobile device such as a smartphone or the like.

ABSTRACT: The invention provides systems and methods for providing a unified single-scan user interface for accessing and managing a remotely located device throughout its life cycle, including cellular network provisioning, cloud data provider registration, initialization and activation, as well as providing end users with easy access to the device and its data. The end user simply powers the device on and the device automatically connects with the communication network and the cloud data provider. The device comes to the end user already provisioned and paired and activated with the cloud data provider and the communication network provider. Further, the user account, or accounts, for the use of the device is both active and recorded for billing by the various service providers supporting the device use, i.e., the communication network provider(s).

Resubmitted under https://patents.google.com/patent/US20160205544A1/