Article

• 

  Finding the Positives in the AI Storm

  May 14, 2024

  By Kim Burmeister, CEO As the world scrambles to determine the benefits of AI in their direct world, I continue to be inspired and intrigued by some of the ways this technology is being leveraged in spaces that impact many of our lives. There is no lack of stories that are concerning and negative given the power of AI, but I don’t think we can overlook the application of this tool in the ways it […]

• 

  The Power of Partnerships in Business

  May 8, 2024

  by Kim Burmeister, CEO Every spring without fail, I go to start up my lawnmower, and inevitably, something doesn’t work. By now, you’d think I’d know to test it ahead of time, but regardless of my lack of planning, fixing it isn’t my strong suit. While I could scour the internet for troubleshooting guides, I know it would take me far longer and likely end up costing more in the long run. This scenario sums […]

• 

  Four Key Ideas that Shape CallBox, The IoT Software Framework

  May 8, 2024

  by Brian Tol, CTO CallBox is SpinDance’s in-house framework for creating and operating production-grade IoT products. It provides the foundational features every connected product needs. By using CallBox, firms can focus their energy and development dollars on features, instead of boilerplate infrastructure.  For example, CallBox provides robust solutions for device provisioning, over-the-air updates, analytics pipelines, and remote control tooling. Instead of writing these items from scratch, organizations can instead focus on the features that differentiate […]

• 

  Buy and Build: Using a Decision Matrix to Craft a Great IoT Product 

  April 17, 2024

  By Brian Tol, CTO  Buy vs. Build. It’s one of the first decisions every software team runs into: Do we buy an off-the-shelf solution or build from scratch?  If you’ve participated in a few software projects, you know the question is a false dichotomy. In practice, every project of substance is a mix of buying and building.  The real question, then, is how much do we buy and how much do we build? In this […]

• 

  Harmonizing Complex IoT Ecosystems: The Role of a System Interfaces Repository

  April 10, 2024

  By Ben Jacques, Director of Engineering The Challenge: Code organization is hard. Many blogs and heated reddit discussions have been created on the best way to tackle multiple projects. One of those debates is around the pros and cons of monorepos and polyrepos (https://github.com/joelparkerhenderson/monorepo-vs-polyrepo). In my experience, there is never a one-size-fits-all approach. However, when you find something that works for your code and your team, it makes everyone’s lives easier. For us, that has […]

• 

  The Critical Importance of Starting with ‘Why’ in Software Development

  April 29, 2024

  By Kim Burmeister, CEO In the fast-paced world of software development, it’s common for teams to dive straight into the “what” of a project—what features to build, what technologies to use, and what outcomes to achieve. However, this approach often overlooks a crucial component: the “why.” Simon Sinek, an award-winning author and TED talk expert, emphasizes the importance of starting with ‘why’ in his book, “Start with Why.” He argues that understanding the purpose behind […]

• Don’t Brick Your Devices: 5 Problems and Solutions for IoT Over-the-Air Updates

  March 30, 2024

  One of the most important features of an IoT product is over-the-air updates. In fact, over-the-air updates, also known as OTAs, are likely the most important feature. What are OTAs? In a nutshell, they are software updates that are sent from a central server to remote IoT devices. These updates can include bug fixes, security updates, and/or new customer-facing features.  Getting OTAs right are critical to the long-term success of a connected product. In our […]

• 

  Orchestrating Success: A Comprehensive Approach to Seamless Collaboration with Multiple Partners

  March 18, 2024

  In the ever-evolving landscape of software development, successfully managing projects with multiple partners is a complex endeavor. One of the primary challenges of multi-partner projects is striking a balance between diverse perspectives, working styles, and organizational cultures. Each partner brings their own set of strengths and idiosyncrasies to the table, enriching the collaborative process but also introducing potential points of friction. Navigating these differences and fostering a culture of mutual respect and understanding is essential […]

• 

  AWS CDK: A Paradigm Shift in Infrastructure as Code

  March 13, 2024

  Efficiently managing cloud infrastructure is paramount for organizations navigating the complexities of modern cloud environments. As solution builders strive to streamline deployment processes, enhance productivity, and ensure consistent adherence to best practices, they encounter a significant challenge:  Traditional infrastructure management tools often diverge from the familiar paradigms of modern programming languages and concepts. For years, development teams have grappled with the disjointed nature of infrastructure management tools. These tools were typically handled by operations teams, […]

• SpinDance is Happy to Announce CallBox 1.1!

  February 13, 2024

  CallBox, SpinDance’s in-house framework for production-grade IoT products, streamlines the development of consumer and commercial connected products. Check out our landing page to learn more about the framework’s many benefits.  With over 100 improvements and a smattering of bug fixes, the 1.1 release builds on the stability of our 1.0 release with some great quality-of-life improvements.  Among the major updates, three in particular should improve the experience for operators, manufacturers, and developers: Streamlined over-the-air updates […]