Welcome to a new installment on the Eustace blog, something we like to call, “Fresh Tech.” In it, we’ll be giving you the latest scoop on a hot new product that is sure to take your breath away.
For our first installment of Fresh Tech, we wanted to let you in on a revolutionary new product that has been blowing up our Chatter feed–Ninja Blocks. Remember when controlling your house lights with your iPhone was cool? Okay, maybe it still is, but the app hasn’t taken off as a “must-have” yet–probably because it’s tightly packaged for a singular function, and holds no flexibility for developers. The beauty of Ninja Blocks is that they are tiny, powerful computers that are built for plug-ins to allow for control of environment (sensors), performing actions (actuators), and even interact within the cloud. Unlike the app mentioned above, Ninja Blocks are blank slates that are ready and waiting for new plug-ins. It’s a developer’s paradise!
This new technology holds incredible potential for business operations. With Ninja Blocks, you can program in “recipes” of actions to follow certain events. This would allow an unparalleled level of process automation, at such a small price that even small companies could afford it. For our company, it’s an exciting product because it holds huge possibilities within Salesforce. For example, one could set business software to post to Chatter if a server goes down, an alarm is set off, or if an emergency happens. From a business automation perspective, currently this is the kind of thing that only companies like GE, with large development budgets, can afford to do.
The creation of this type of platform is setting the table for the development world and paving the way for cloud-hardware integration of all shapes and sizes. It reflects the modern trend in technology deployment: make it easy for your fellow programmer to deliver ideas to the public and let them consume, creating a natural selection process. The most successful developers are never those who first create a new product, but instead those who sit back, wait, then pounce at the opportunity to develop that product into something more flexible and mainstream–This is exactly why Google leapt over Yahoo, Facebook triumped over Myspace, and Salesforce won over Goldmine. All of these winning companies have this concept in common: Don’t deliver a product in a box, deliver a box of tools and starter kit, letting everyone make it their own.
Have you started using Ninja Blocks? Have you brought them into your business operations? If so, do tell how in the comments!
