There are many examples within the technology industry of proprietary being considered better than
standards-based systems. This certainly is the case within the Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) industry. These providers tend to be small and niche-based network manufacturers servicing specific industries. These industries often have very specific problems that need to be solved, which often requires a bundling of several different device manufacturers “wares” in some type of value-added mash up of a product. For example, combining a wireless mesh networking node with a surveillance camera and enclosure, and then selling it as a “solution” to a municipality for a city-wide surveillance project. Sound familiar? These solutions look like they are made up of commercially available off-the-shelf components. Within a bundled or mashed up solution, this may appear to be an attractive option because it enables the combined product to do something that it couldn’t do alone; a kind of 1+1=3 approach. However, the reality of proprietary systems eventually shows up during the life cycle management process, which is typically where proprietary systems get their bad reputation. But, for specific industries with specific problems that need to be solved, that has to be overlooked. So, if you want the bundled solution, you must somehow take the good side of proprietary with the bad side.