One area of technology that many vendors and technologies are gunning for is smart metering, whether commercial or residential electric meters, water meters, or something else.

The number of potential meters is HUGE. But which technology makes the most sense for this application? As you might expect, it depends on who you talk to. For this podcast, I spoke to Phil Beecher, the President and CEO of the Wi-SUN Alliance. Phil explained why Wi-SUN makes the most sense in this week’s Embedded Executives podcast.

Fundamental to providing reliable connectivity is the testing of products to ensure that they comply with applicable standards. Wi-SUN certified products undergo rigorous testing by independent authorized testing laboratories. It would be great to see the same meticulous approach applied across all sectors.

Across the globe, cities, and communities are becoming smarter, safer, more energy efficient, and healthier places to live. This isn’t by accident. It’s down to the hard work, vision, and resourcefulness of a multitude of talented stakeholders. At the heart of these sit the engineers designing and building embedded computing and communications systems that add intelligence and connectivity into applications such as street lighting, water treatment plants, building automation systems, and electricity grids.

Smart cities are on the march again. If anything, the experience of the pandemic has strengthened the resolve of urban planners to design and build safer, more efficient, and healthier living environments.

Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are finding their way into every corner of our lives. They monitor how we drive, make factory production lines more efficient, and keep utilities running smoothly. They are also at risk of compromise from adversaries who may be financially motivated cyber criminals, nation-state operatives, or even disgruntled employees.