The convergence of communication and control

As of late, many companies have been merging access control and building automation to the internet.  I spent a day this week linking a car wash to an access control system so that it may be operated from anyplace on the planet as well as keep records of its use.  We are seeing similar models coming form security firms such as ADT with its Pulse offering and individual pieces such as Craftsman's internet enabled garage door.

I see this as a step in an interesting direction.  We have the technology in place for web enabled devices.  It is only a matter of time before these companies integrate them with social media to provide the ultimate in convenience.  Imagine that you can share your photos on Facebook directly from your camera and when a relative sees them they can click them and add them to a farmville-esq layout of their home in a digital photo frame.

There are downsides in both privacy and security because, of course, it is only a matter of time before some teenage hacker finds a way to display penises on your grandmas photo frame but I think that the trade off is certainly worth it.  Also, those who create these devices have access to very sensitive data.  New smart phones track our every move and can share our private photos with any company or any government agency without violating the law.

  I think all of the technology convergence is related, so any discussion doesn't follow any logical line of devices that should be related.  I mean, what else do a car wash, a garage door, a red light, and a photo frame have in common.

Another issue is in this world of software as a service and other licensing models. It is easy to see a company "bricking" your home device because you did something the company or government didn't approve of.  We have heard of this in the "Smart Grid" area of things.  Government policy could control your thermostat and control other device usage.  It is easy to dismiss those possibilities as far-off fantasies but in this world of increasing regulation it really is a possibility.  We have already seen similar devices used to enforce traffic laws.

Anyway, I think that the technology itself is neutral but it has the potential for exploitation, so it is very important that we stay vigilant and not fall for the old strategy of increasing legislation and giving someone else power thinking it is better for us or better for society.