In this insightful conversation with Marc Pous from Balena, we explore the evolving landscape of IoT and connected devices. Marc, who has been deeply involved in the IoT space since 2007, brings a wealth of experience from his journey through academic research, entrepreneurship, and his current role at Balena, where he’s approaching his fifth anniversary.

We begin by discussing Balena’s core mission: enabling developers to manage fleets of IoT devices at scale. Marc explains how Balena helps companies handle everything from remote management to over-the-air updates for hundreds of thousands of devices. The platform’s unique approach focuses on Linux devices running Balena OS, which exclusively runs Docker containers, bringing modern DevOps practices to the embedded world.

A significant portion of our discussion centers around the technical architecture behind Balena’s platform:

• The use of Yocto for building BalenaOS
• Support for over 100 different ARM devices and x86 platforms
• The automated testing infrastructure (Autokit) that ensures reliable updates
• The importance of secure boot and full disk encryption
• The role of Docker containers in simplifying device management

We dive deep into the challenges of maintaining IoT devices at scale, particularly the critical nature of over-the-air (OTA) updates. Marc shares real-world examples of companies learning the hard way why proper update mechanisms are essential, including a cautionary tale of a company that had to physically replace 500 devices due to inadequate update capabilities.

The conversation takes an important turn toward security and compliance, particularly the upcoming EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). Marc emphasizes how this legislation will fundamentally change how companies approach IoT security, requiring:

• Proper security assessments
• Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs)
• Regular security updates
• Clear product lifecycle management

We also explore the evolution of IoT business models, discussing how companies are adapting to the shift from one-time sales to ongoing service relationships. Marc provides valuable insights into why some IoT projects succeed while others fail, emphasizing the importance of clear return on investment and sustainable business models.

The episode concludes with Marc’s interesting perspective on the future of IoT, suggesting that the term “IoT” itself might disappear as connectivity becomes an expected feature rather than a special category. This reflects a broader maturation of the industry, where the focus shifts from the novelty of connection to the actual value provided by smart, connected products.

For developers and organizations looking to get started with modern IoT development, Marc recommends exploring Balena’s open source projects and documentation at balena.io. Whether you’re using Balena Cloud or Open Balena, the platform offers a proven path to managing connected devices at scale while maintaining security and reliability.

If you found this episode interesting, you might also enjoy my blog post Yocto, RockPi and SBOMs: Building Modern Embedded Linux Images.

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