Particle CEO Zach Supalla Talks the Reality of IoT – InApps 2025

Main Contents:

Particle CEO Zach Supalla Talks the Reality of IoT – InApps is an article under the topic Software Development Many of you are most interested in today !! Today, let’s InApps.net learn Particle CEO Zach Supalla Talks the Reality of IoT – InApps in today’s post !

Key Summary

This article from InApps Technology, authored by Phu Nguyen, features a podcast interview with Zach Supalla, CEO of Particle, discussing the current state of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Particle’s comprehensive IoT platform. It explores the challenges, opportunities, and practicalities of IoT development across hardware and software. Key points include:

IoT Market Context:
- Evolution: IoT is becoming ubiquitous, with internet-enabled devices (e.g., sprinklers, utilities, transport) increasingly standard, blurring the line between traditional and connected devices.
- Market Stage: Supalla describes IoT as in a “trough of disillusionment” (Gartner term), but notes significant advancements in development tools and scalable deployment systems, enabling more practical applications than three years prior.
Particle’s Role:
- Comprehensive Platform: Particle provides an end-to-end IoT solution, including:
  - Microcontrollers: Cloud-connected devices like the Electron (cellular-enabled) for easy hardware integration.
  - Device Operating System: Manages device functionality.
  - Cloud Services: Facilitates connectivity and data management.
  - Development Tools: Supports software integration for web/mobile apps.
- Purpose: Simplifies IoT development by addressing both hardware (e.g., microcontrollers with radios) and software (e.g., APIs for mobile/web apps) needs.
IoT Development Process:
- Hardware Integration: Embedding a cloud-connected microcontroller (e.g., for an air conditioner) handles compute and connectivity, completing the embedded engineer’s task.
- Software Integration: Developers build mobile/web apps for remote control (e.g., air conditioner settings) or service/maintenance (e.g., ticketing systems for repairs), relying on APIs for seamless communication.
- Example Use Case: An air conditioner with Particle’s microcontroller enables remote control via a mobile app and maintenance via web apps, streamlining user and service interactions.
Key Discussion Points:
- 0:40: What Particle does—offers a full-stack IoT platform.
- 2:06: Comparison to modern software development, emphasizing integrated hardware/software solutions.
- 4:30: Managing complexity across IoT platforms and components.
- 7:36: How devices communicate, leveraging APIs and cloud connectivity.
- 10:05: When to use lightweight solutions like Particle vs. heavier systems like Linux on Raspberry Pi (better for complex, high-compute tasks).
- 15:38: Supalla’s thoughts on LoRa (a low-power, long-range wireless protocol), likely discussing its relevance for IoT use cases requiring extended range and low bandwidth.
InApps Insight:
- InApps Technology aligns with IoT trends, leveraging Microsoft’s Power Platform and Azure, using Power Fx for low-code IoT integrations and Azure Durable Functions for scalable workflows.
- Integrates Node.js, Vue.js, GraphQL APIs (e.g., Apollo), and Azure to support IoT development, targeting startups and enterprises with Millennial-driven expectations.

Read more about Particle CEO Zach Supalla Talks the Reality of IoT – InApps at Wikipedia

You can find content about Particle CEO Zach Supalla Talks the Reality of IoT – InApps from the Wikipedia website

Particle CEO Zach Supalla Talks the Reality of IoT

Also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, PlayerFM, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn

The Internet of Things is slowly working its way into our lives, to the point where we’ll just call them Things. With so many software projects, open source tools, and hardware devices out there, it can be tough to even make the distinction between a modern sprinkler system and one that is internet-enabled: non-internet-enabled devices are becoming increasingly less common from hardware vendors across many verticals, from farming to utilities, to transport.

Zach Supalla, CEO of Particle, has built a company around redefining what it means to be an Internet of Things (IoT) platform. While many companies offer a software management layer, or a set of hardware platforms upon which to build, Particle offers the entire retinue of needed assets, from microcontrollers with wireless chipsets, to a device operating system, to a cloud service provider, to development tools.

Supalla agreed that the IoT market is in something of a trough of disillusionment, to use the Gartner term, but he added that this is also a time of great change and innovation in the space. While developers may have been told they could do just about anything with IoT three years ago, today, they really can, thanks to better development tools and systems for managing at-scale deployments of Things.

“What is the perfect solution in our eyes, for how IoT development works? There is always this physical component. Let’s say you make an air conditioner, and you say I want to make my air conditioner be internet connected. Well, we have to include some kind of compute, some kind of microcontroller, and we have to include a radio. So we say, here is a cloud-connected microcontroller, like our Electron cellular-connected micro-controller, put this in your product and that part is taken care of,” said Supalla.

“Now, from the hardware systems embedded-engineer perspective, integration is complete. On the other side, you’ve got someone responsible for building mobile and web applications to talk to these things. If we’re talking about an air conditioner, that might mean someone is building a mobile app that you can use to control your air conditioner remotely. Somebody else is building a set of web applications that do service and maintenance, so they look at that information and stream that into some kind of ticketing solution to say if it’s misbehaving somebody will come out and fix the thing. There’s a couple different pieces of web and mobile logic that make this thing work. What that person wants is an API,” said Supalla.

Find out more about the current state of IoT in the rest of this podcast.

In this Edition:

0:40: What does Particle do?
2:06: How does the Particle way of doing things compare to how we think of building modern software?
4:30: How does one develop with all these moving pieces and platforms?
7:36: How does everything talk to each other?
10:05: At what point does it become more sensible to install Linux on a Raspberry Pi?
15:38: What do you think of LoRa?

Feature image via Pixabay.

Source: InApps.net

Rate this post

Phu Nguyen

As a Senior Tech Enthusiast, I bring a decade of experience to the realm of tech writing, blending deep industry knowledge with a passion for storytelling. With expertise in software development to emerging tech trends like AI and IoT—my articles not only inform but also inspire. My journey in tech writing has been marked by a commitment to accuracy, clarity, and engaging storytelling, making me a trusted voice in the tech community.