It’s funny how changes in thinking, the economy, technology, or values can seemingly happen without a great deal of fan fare.  Often times, we stop and ask ourselves, “How did I get here!?”.  Perhaps, this phenomenon occurs because, as a society, we have a tendency to swallow up the next trend, without ever noticing how it affects society as a whole.  It is only when we look at our past, that we are able to connect the dots, to understand how we evolved.

For instance, can you identify the object in this picture?

Answer: It is a 250 MB hard drive circa 1979.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to point out that things have evolved a bit since then.  Even more incredible is that fact that what you marvel at today will certainly become obsolete in the near future.  And, the things you will marvel at tomorrow will probably be made by a company you have never heard of before. (Will you invest in the next Apple or Microsoft?)continuous battery monitoring, I use industry trade shows as a benchmark.  Specific to the OSP Expo, BatteryDAQhas been an exhibitor for the last four years, and we always enjoy some worthwhile successes, as a direct result of attending the show.  One of the things I make sure I pay attention to are the questions I am asked by attendees.  Why?  Because it lets me know how things are evolving.

Some exhibitors tell me they had a great show.  I’ll ask why.  They reply because they gave away more candy, or pens, or bottle openers than the year before.  I’m not kidding.

While I was very pleased with the amount of caramel creams we gave away, it had nothing to do with my assessment of our success at the OSP Expo in Denver, CO.  I will report that state-of-health battery monitoring is mainstream.  I judge our success by the questions I am asked.  Over our four years exhibiting at the show, the questions have evolved like so:

Year 1 – “I looked into battery monitoring a few years ago.  It was too expensive.  We don’t do anything.  Why should we?”

Year 2 – “So this compact unit can measure, voltage, temperature, and internal resistance?  Where is the rest of it?  How much does it cost?”

Year 3 – “I’m in the middle of a project that involves battery monitoring.  How does your solution connect to each battery?  What type of data does it collect?  How can I manage hundreds of sites?  ”

Year 4 – “I need to set up a trial with your equipment.  Can we set a conference call to discuss specifics?”

The market has evolved.  Continuous battery monitoring is now a best demonstrated practice.

Take a look at what is possible on our website,  www.batterydaq.com, or contact me directly at tom.shannon@batterydaq.com.  We would really like to hear about your applications and discuss how we can help protect your assets.