Off the shelf

Wouldn't it be great if you could just purchase an IoT design like you would a smart phone. Someday this will be a reality but for now don't believe all that you read. Most systems still require substantial customization to fit your needs. That being said I am a huge fan of development tools that you can find at sites like Adafruit, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi that give you the opportunity to play quickly without the any hardware expense. Every project I have developed has begun with some kind of development kit. Truly that is the place to begin.