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Big IT Vendors Mostly Mum On Commercial Drone Plans
alphadogg writes: Word that the Federal Aviation Administration might take a very hard line on commercial drone use has those with designs on such activity nervous. But as for big enterprise IT vendors, it's really hard to tell what they think because they're keeping any plans in this field very hush-hush. More consumer oriented companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Google are active, but companies like IBM and HP are quiet, while Microsoft affirms it has nothing doing. A former FAA lawyer says sitting on the sidelines even during this unsure regulatory period is probably not a great idea. "I have a hard time believing they don't have some sort of programs in place," attorney Mark Dombroff says.
But what does Dad have to say about it?
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I don't think they are keeping "hush" as claimed, I think the reality is quite different.
1. Drones are of limited value to the overwhelming majority of IT companies.
2. Drones have a negative stigma attached to them and generate bad PR and suspicions.
There are a couple companies that looked at floating WiFi for certain areas, and maybe they started thinking about the logistics and costs. Blimps are much cheaper than drones, reduced chances for hardware failure, etc...
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
Of course they're going to give people problems...
The FAA has so many fucking problems it's insane. The only reason they exist the way they do is because govt allows it.
Companies like IBM and HP are quiet, while Microsoft affirms it has nothing doing.
Why would you expect any of them to have anything to do with drones? They're irrelevant to these companies' business.
Ford and GMC are keeping their plans for organic egg-free mayonaise alternatives very hush hush. A lawyer representing the eggless mayonaise lobby recently stated that he suspects the transportation giants are up to something.
/facepalm
They can spill the beans on their plans and have the FAA set new regulations to put the kibosh on them before they get off the ground (pun not intended), or they can can start their drone usage without mentioning it before hand and then have the business case of "we're already doing it/invested a bunch of money in this idea/you're stifling innovation/we'll have to put people out of work" as an argument why they shouldn't be able to restrict it then.
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Has nothing doing and soulskill has nothing editorial
Amazon delivery drone crashes into elementary school playground killing 10 ages 5-7.
Google Internet access drone collides with commercial airliner, all 234 on board dead.
Student pilot and instructor both dead after collision with a drone taking pictures of real estate in the vicinity of a small airport where the student was practicing touch and gos.
Having had our "Let them Eat Cake" moment with Gruber great PR campaign, our gov is getting concerned about revolting peasants.
They don't want to make bets against the ingenuity of humans. I find their faith in the power of prohibitions touching.
I thought the article was about big tit vendors.
If IBM has a drone plan, it's to wait for some other company to build a business around it, then buy that company.
... and then run that company into the ground while senior executives pillage whatever finances it had.
HP's plan is "try not to die next month."
Resistance is futile
Commercial Planes are rated to fly through a certain amount of "debris", right? (including non-frozen poultry, of various sizes).
So, the obvious answer is that any drone is OK, as long as it can get sucked thru a passenger plane engine without shutting it down.
Win. Win.
However, the liability of any incident will be on the operator of the drone for putting a brick of a Leica camera on the platform...
This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
So the "news" is that there is no news?
Oh, this was another NetworkWorld post by alphadogg.