While Maxim Is A Components' OEM, We Also Provide Complete Power Modules For Customers Who Want To Go To Market Faster

In the unpredictable playground of business, identifying trends early can make all the difference between a loss and profitability. And for this, the Internet of Things is a powerful weapon in the arsenal. Electronic components designed to support IoT can have a major impact on the components’ supply and demand equations over the next few years. Today, companies are rushing to design smart products so that they don’t turn into the dinosaurs of their age. Anil Telikepalli, executive director - business management, industrial and healthcare, Maxim Integrated, in a conversation with Rahul Chopra, editorial director, EFY Group, shares how Maxim is gearing up to welcome the next big technology wave, which is expected to usher in a new generation of electronic components.

EB: Is the IoT just a lot of hype or is it a reality? 

It is a combination of both, since devices were always connected and automated. We’re hearing a lot about smart things these days, and how these connected devices are gradually multiplying in our modern day world.

Devices were always connected to one another in the past too. Factories were always automated. What seems to have changed recently is that automation has started happening at a much larger scale and suddenly, factories are beaming their data and reports to offices across the globe, due to easier access to cloud computing. Another key trend is that more intelligence is being added into sensors and I/O to make decisions at their level, without contacting the main controller. This enables higher throughput and adaptive manufacturing. Whether we call it the Internet of Things (IoT) or not, there’s no denying the fact that these intelligent things are here to stay.

At Maxim, we see IoT as an opportunity to solve problems in new and better ways. We deliver technologies that help create innovative solutions. From a design perspective, smart, connected things typically require sensing, processing, communication, power and security. At Maxim, we can help in all these areas.

EB: Are there any specific product categories that are experiencing good sales or attracting more attention because of the Industrial IoT? 

We are seeing a broad demand for multiple products at Maxim, which is driven by Industry 4.0. With every system needing power supplies, we are seeing an insatiable demand for our innovative voltage regulators, system protection, and supervisors, which enable factory operators to reduce their expenses and downtime while improving output, resulting in higher profits.