Understanding the Internet of Things; A Conversation with Writer and Programmer Sourav Sahay

How did your career in programming begin?

Sahay: My career in computer programming and software engineering started in the late 90’s. At that time, I used to work with languages like C and C++, as well as tools like FoxPro. I taught for a few years before shifting to the software development field.

What first motivated you to come to the United States?

Sahay: Like most Indian software engineers, I started my career by doing offshore work. While the experience of working with an offshore team has its own value (and learning opportunities), working onsite provides a different exposure since you are working directly with the client. After working in Europe for nearly a year, I decided to work in America. While I liked working in Europe a lot, the abundance of opportunities that exist in this country motivated me to migrate here.

What challenges did you face while writing the book on C++?

Sahay: Writing a textbook brings a lot of challenges. One of them is to simplify it in such a way that even students who do not have English as their first language are able to understand it. At the same time, I must ensure that the coverage of difficult concepts is not sacrificed. Frequently, I would spend a lot of time simplifying the explanations. Another challenge was a shortage of good reference materials. As a result, I had to rely a lot on my own experiments and research to reach the correct explanations and understand the proper use of the various features of C++.

Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming book about The Internet of Things? Is it an overview of IoT as a concept, or does it focus on a particular argument?

Sahay: The book is for graduate level University students. The book is neither an overview nor an in-depth Bible of any particular concept. It covers a wide range of topics. These include the evolution of IoT, application areas, smart devices, standardization, micro-controllers, programming languages, big data, security etc.

Your previous book was much more focused on laying out the practical tools to understand a single program. How did this compare to the process of writing a book for understanding a conceptual technology?

Sahay: The approach for writing is very different in the two cases. While writing a book on a particular language has its own challenges, writing for a technology that covers a wide range of disparate topics- like networking, microcontrollers, coding, security etc.- has a different set of challenges. Each of these individual topics is hard to understand and therefore hard to explain too.

Where did your fascination with the Internet of Things begin?

Sahay: I like technology a lot. In particular, I am passionate about learning the latest technological advancements and experimenting with them. I was introduced to IoT by a few of my friends a couple of years ago and I could see the potential that this technology holds. At the same time, I am very passionate about writing. Hence the book on IoT.

Which applications of IoT technology have you particularly excited?

Sahay: Personally, I am very passionate about rural living. Problems associated with excessive urbanization is a known problem. In order to address this problem, we should reverse the flow of population, which is currently from rural areas to urban areas. IoT can ease a number of rural activities like farming, thereby encouraging people to stay in rural areas.

Are there any common misconceptions towards IoT that you have encountered?

Sahay: Well, I must say that there is a lot of apprehension about IoT, possibly because it is a new technology. People do feel that either the technology is unsafe or will reduce employment opportunities. However, these are misconceptions. With the passage of time, they will get addressed.

Right now, we’re seeing a lot of concern over cyber-security. With your knowledge of the subject, does the potentially hackable nature of IoT ever worry you?

Sahay: Cyber-security is a major concern whether or not IoT exists. I do believe that IoT increases the risk of cyber-attacks. But, that does not mean that sufficient safeguards do not exist or cannot be implemented. Security is an important feature of IoT. We need to be alert about it. I do not think we need to be worried about it. I intend to write extensively about it in my book.

When is your book going to be released, and do you have any future works planned?

Sahay: The book is slated to be released by the middle of 2018. I have a passion for learning and writing. I intend to write several more books. Some of the topics on which I intend to write include artificial intelligence, advanced concepts in C++ and in Java etc.