Now I know what embedded means. It means boring. How can the world’s most creative and technologically dynamic industry produce an event so mind-numbingly boring as Embedded World?
The punters loved it. The aisles of the Nuremberg Messe were packed with people. And they looked like good visitors, interested, serious engineers making serious enquiries. “I’ve just met a major new potential customer I never knew existed”, said a Microchip exec.
But no one had anything interesting to announce. Company presentations were all of the ‘we thought we’d better have a meeting even though we’ve nothing to say’ type. There was none of the party atmosphere of Electronica.
“I’ve been to Nepcons which were more exciting than this”, said a veteran show go-er.
On the other hand it was impossible to ignore the seriousness of many of the encounters one witnessed behind the half-closed curtains of private rooms on the stands, or in the corners of the halls. There was some real work being done here.
So maybe embedded is where the real work is done in the industry. It may look boring, but it delivers the goods.