GTF recently attended the San Francisco conference put on by Harbor Research, an international consulting and business-development firm. The meeting took a close look at smart sensors (for a techie definition, here’s Intel’s take). More and more people are starting to believe these devices can radically transform a commoditised product company into a hybrid product-and-services company

Connected devices are, of course, a key element in the Web 2.0 movement. And by using remote sensors to monitor equipment – on everything from tractors to blood-analysis equipment to printing presses – companies can add new repair, maintenance and consulting services to the products they have always sold.

“When devices and programs are connected to the internet, applications are no longer software artifacts, they are ongoing services,” says Tim O’Reilly, chief executive officer and founder of O’Reilly Media, firm that coined the term Web 2.0, in his definition of Web 2.0.

Companies presenting at the Habour Research Smart Services Forum shared some of the ways to use so-called smart sensors to offer services that accompany their core products, thereby boosting profits and customer fidelity. We’ll be writing about some of the examples in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you’ve had some experience with smart sensors – please let us know