Mmm…fresh brewed coffee delivering that much-needed dose of caffeine in under a minute when I need it in the office. Green Mountain pioneered the way businesses get their coffee. Pop a capsule into one of the company’s Keurig machines, and the machine will instantly churn out your daily caffeine dose. Awesome!

But wait, transformation isn’t enough for Green Mountain. That’s why their CEO, Brian Kelley, just announced that its new coffee makers will include technology that prevents people from using pods from other companies. The approach has been compared to DRM restrictions that limit the sharing of digital music and video online. But more than just curbing your coffee choices, Green Mountain’s protections are a foreshadowing of the kind of closed systems that could put an end to the early promise of the Internet of Things—or at the very least stifle innovation. The Internet of Things is a promise that hinges on a broad network of digital, connected devices enhancing our everyday world.

I have an idea for you Brian Kelley, instead of trying to restrict how businesses use Green Mountain’s devices why don’t you continue to innovate? Continue to develop products and services that we all love. Compel your customers to want to do more business with you simply because doing so makes them feel better, makes their lives easier, and gives them pleasure. If you’re short on ideas call me and I’ll be happy to discuss them with you. I have already come up with a few ideas you could use in your new internet-connected machines that have nothing to do with controlling how we consume your coffee but instead open us up to further enjoy your products and services making them more valuable.

Be a maverick. Do you have the guts? Get in touch.