Why I am less optimistic about SmartThings solution for IoT

As you know, I am working for a smartHome solution in the corporation, which bases on SmartThings(ST) strategy. But as following, I am not feeling optimistic about this IoT solution. OK, I will tell you some reasons.

1) ST uses a hub to interactive with connected devices, which supports ZigBee ,ZWave and LAN protocols. Although I agree ZigBee/ZWave also good protocols for communication, especially interoperability, maybe better than WiFi and BLE. But in the hub, it manipulates ZigBee stack through Ember stack other than TI Zstack, which I think is also popular in the market. From the ZigBee Alliance proposal, there is still some barrier for interoperability between these two ZigBee stacks, not to mention devices using a 3rd party implementation for ZigBee.

2) Considering localization for China, it's difficult to utilize ZigBee devices as the export forbidden from USA government. Amazing reason!

3) Currently, for each type devices, you should prepare a specific Device Things Handler app to deploy into the ST cloud, which will frustrate the manufactures or device maker. Especially to the StartUps, it's a high level boundary for them to develop the app using groovy. Also, in the controller side, too many integrated app panels will lower customers' stickability

4) Almost all jobs are deployed in the ST cloud, data aggregation, analytics and action control message etc. This leads a low efficiency and high latency. In my opinion, fog computing(proposed by Cisco) maybe a good alternative to the concentrated Cloud architecture. The hub can be developed to more smart as a fog edge node, taking more workload.

5) Insufficient security strategy. There is OAuth for hub and cloud, but hub and devices, especially the 3rd devices, no enough authentication and encryption, just TLS in network layer. We should take more attention to this potential risk.

OK, apologize to my complaint, a startup solution will not satisfy our guys, but it will evolve and improve. Look forward more satisfied solution in a foreseeable future

个人介绍：

周明春  Samsung Electronics VD IoT Platform高级工程师，在物联网，云计算，移动通讯，网络安全和消息传递基础构架领域拥有超过9年的专业知识和经验。拥有丰富的企业消息传递基础构架开发，物联网、云、设备联接解决方案开发，以及成熟的管理软件和解决方案，如敏捷和DevOpts的开发经验。在国内首次提出SDT(softwaredefined Things)的IOT概念，拥有3项专利。

是三星、英特尔、戴尔所成立智能家居设备标准联盟开放互联联盟(OIC)的代码贡献者(https://gerrit.iotivity.org/gerrit/p/iotivity.git)

https://www.iotivity.org/documentation/iotivity-services/protocol-plug-manager

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