Jesse Chen Sales Director of Overseas Distribution
Jesse is a Sales Director from Seeed Studio, specialising in overseas distribution BU. With a BSc in Telecommunication, Jesse has been in the IoT/AI field for more than 7 years and has a particular focus on using technologies to enable traditional industries to implement digital transformations.
Welcome to our first IoT Coffee Discussion where we discuss all things IoT Connectivity with specialists from a number of leading brands. This is an exciting topic that is continually progressing and shaping the industry. This week we had a chat to Jesse Chen from Seeed Studio to find out more about his opinions on IoT Connectivity and the latest technologies that Seeed are working on in this area.
1. How did you get into your current role?
I started 7 years ago as a maker in Seeed where I help global makers to quickly validate their ideas. I do this by providing them with the tools to lower the barrier to implementing the latest technologies to solve a real world problem.
Makers come from different backgrounds where they bring their unique experience of implementing new technologies to solve real problems in their industries. More and more industries are looking for new technologies to help them implement digital transformations. With growing demands and improvements in technology, here I am.
2. How does your role involve you in the IoT connectivity/Industry 4.0 world?
My team work closely with a number of great regional partners globally (Distrelec for instance), to make sure that users will be able to easily access Seeed’s wide range of IoT products and support.
3. In your opinion, what’s the most exciting thing happening in IoT connectivity right now and why?
There are many exciting things to mention and I would rate “edge computing” the most. Aside from the other benefits that it brings to IoT, it solves security concerns when it comes to corporates, smart homes and other fields. We are increasingly seeing people concerned about their data security/privacy when implementing the IoT in their factories, homes etc.
4. What new products and technologies is Seeed Studio working with/on?
We are redefining computers. The easy way to understand the concept is that you can customize a computer to do a/several specific task(s), by just stacking up different CPU and motherboards (single board computers), mission boards, sensors/actuators, enclosures, etc. according to the demand.
5. What do the terms “IoT connectivity” and “Industry 4.0” mean to you?
There are many to mention but the most important to me is about data. A lot more real world data beyond the screen can be collected and analyzed to help making further decisions and this data can be accessed quickly and easily.
6. There are thousands of connected devices available. What’s your advice on selecting the right IoT connectivity/ Industry 4.0 solution(s)?
It really depends on applications and the background of those implementing it. Generally speaking, with IoT implementation there are 5 layers to deploy; sensors/actuators, wireless channels, gateways, software (embedded and application) and cloud (or edge). The first 3 layers are more about hardware and the rest are software.
My preferable way is to prototype your IoT deployment idea with modular modules and if it works, customize it to fit in your specific application.
7. What factors should a company consider when selecting the right technology for IoT?
Go for a creative and big brand (such as Seeed) who provide the latest, complete and robust solutions. Work with a reliable supply channel (such as Distrelec) who provide domestic and long term support.
8. Why is choosing the right connectivity option so important?
The IoT implementation as mentioned above, involves a lot of know-hows from niche areas. It creates barriers and difficulties in a number of ways for those implementing it. Secondly, after deployment it is expected to work stably for the mid or long term, otherwise consistent support is needed from the manufacturer/partner when there is a problem or when improvements have taken place.
Thus, finding a reliable brand and partner can lower that barrier and reduce difficulties which is very important.
9. Do you have any predictions as to how these technologies might evolve in the future?
Although difficult to foresee at the moment, there will be big IoT/AI applications that pop up in the future with the 5G development, as it will enable larger, quicker real time data transmission.
Seeed is the innovative electronics manufacturer that provides services to empower IoT developers to swiftly realise their products from prototype to mass production. To find out more about this exciting brand and some of the solutions that they provide click here.
