Re: Need help for Engineering Management project

["Robert L Bass" <no-sales-spam@bassburglaralarms>]

> So what I ask of all of you here in this
> Google Group is, quite broadly, what
> do you think of the idea?  How practical
> is the implementation of such an iBode
> system?

There are a few positives and at least
one negative I can foresee.

It sounds like it has real potential -- not
just as a class project but as a real world
market entry.  Apple has the attention of
a significant segment of the population.
If they (you) implement an effective
marketing campaign such a venture
could gain a strong following in the HA
marketplace.

> What do you think are the biggest potential
> problems we might encounter?

First you'd have to get Apple interested.
They're not a pair of brave, young entrepeneurs
operating out of a garage any more.  It's a
big, established company with its own ideas
and marketing / development strategy.

The next obvious hurdles will be proof of
concept and development of a working
prototype.

With Apple's financial backing and advertising
know-how, building consumer interest will
be easier than for some of the other recent
startups (CQC, HomeSeer, etc.).  However, for
a company the size of Apple to jump into the
HA market you'll need to attract far more
consumer interest than small startups need.
The HA marketplace is still a relatively small
segment of the overall community.  It might
not be possible to develop sufficient sales
to maintain Apple's support.

> Do you have any new ideas for how to
> approach our Technology Strategy that
> we might have overlooked?

Perhaps an old idea might help.  Integrate
existing technology to make the iBode
compatible with most of the existing hardware
already on the market.  Look at what ELK
Products has done with their ELK-M1G
system.  Rather than reinventing and trying
to sell lots of HA wheels, they have made the
ELK-M1G system compatible with numerous
competing HA control technologies.  This
gives them a much broader target within the
HA and security marketplace.

> Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Good luck with your project.  Do let us know
what ideas you come up with and how the
project progresses.  Who knows?  You might
even develop something to sell to Apple or
one of the other players.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

=============================>
Bass Home Electronics
941-925-8650
4883 Fallcrest Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34233
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
=============================>