The landscape for the commercial drone industry today is extremely exciting, as we are at a true flashpoint right now. The final Part 108 rule is expected from the FAA at some point this year, which has the potential to unlock the next generation of the sector and will likely influence how other regions around the world, AAM applications are starting to be tested in areas around the United States, delivery is starting to pick up in different regions, and technologies on both the hardware and software side of the equation are continuing to improve. Amid all of these developments, though, one story continues to dominate conversations around the industry: The FCC’s decision from December to add all foreign-made drones and critical components to its Covered List.

We and others have covered this decision from multiple angles over the last few months, and most everyone is dug into an opinion on the merits of this decision for the greater good of the domestic industry in the U.S. Regardless of one’s feelings about the move, though, the fact of the matter is that operators need to figure out how they will react to continue building their business and driving profits. Mike Winn, the CEO of DroneDeploy, sits in a fascinating position to see how successful companies are reacting, with the software living between the hardware manufacturers and end users across multiple industries, allowing them to see decisions from both sides of the industry. Recently, Commercial UAV News spoke with Winn to get his thoughts on the FCC decision and how operators should be responding in this time of uncertainty.

Unsurprisingly to anyone who is on the ground for today’s environment, the immediate reaction for many end users across the industry is one of uncertainty and confusion. To be sure, some of us in the media and on social media are playing into that, as Winn points out. Headlines have not always provided the most accurate portrayal of what is actually happening with these drones being added to the Covered List. While it’s often been portrayed as a total ban, it’s only future hardware that is being banned. Anything that is currently on the market or has already been approved by the FCC is still free to be sold in the U.S.

“The end customers, at the end of the day, what they care about is what they can buy today,” Winn said. “The messaging has created a lot of uncertainty because we get a lot of this ‘ban’ messaging. The reality is that there have been bans applied to the hardware makers for future drones that don’t exist today, so it’s a little bit confusing and causing [some end users] to slow down their investments.”

The question for most operators and managers of fleets today is how they should be approaching their future work. Winn has spoken with customers from across a variety of industries, and there are a few common-sense paths he sees that will allow organizations to continue their work to the highest possible degree following this ruling. One, he says, is to standardize around software rather than hardware. According to Winn, some of the largest companies that use DroneDeploy – which boast fleets up to around 800 drones – approach their business this way, which he compares to how people and organizations think about hardware like smartphones.

Drone over construction site. video surveillance or industrial inspection
Image: Casezy (Shutterstock)

“Software is the human interface. That’s where the data goes, and that’s what matters the most,” he said. “We standardize on web browsers, and we treat the hardware as interchangeable. If I get a new iPhone, I will shift from Android. It’s the same as any other space, and we’re seeing this happen in companies. The most important thing they want is all of the data in one place.”

Functionally, in this context, it means worrying less about having fleets of all of the same drones and ensuring that, regardless of the type of aircraft being used to collect specific data, that data is being collected within a standardized software environment. 

Of course, given the relative price disparities between soon-to-be-unavailable hardware providers like DJI and current American products, the reality is that this will ultimately lead to a reduction in fleet, at least in the short term, as the domestic manufacturing industry tries to catch up to demand. For some organizations, that could potentially mean that the more efficient decision is to stop relying on an in-house fleet and instead start using third-party service providers. Winn says he has seen some of DroneDeploy’s customers already turning to this model, and it’s not just the smaller organizations taking this path.

“At DroneDeploy, we have small operators [moving to service providers,] but we also have massive operators getting a contractor to come in. One of the biggest construction companies in America, every one of their flights is done through a third party. It’s absolutely not just a small company thing.”

Ultimately, this decision from the FCC has created ripples through the industry, but the most successful operators are going to be the ones that stay flexible throughout this time and treat their workflows as being more hardware-agnostic. There is little doubt that the data being collected by UAVs is critical for every vertical, be it agriculture, construction, infrastructure, or many others. So, it only makes sense to center strategies around software.

The upside is that companies that do stay flexible and patient should be rewarded, as technology will only improve. 

“This technology moves really fast,” Winn said. “In two years’ time, whatever you’re going to buy, this is the worst drone model you’re ever going to buy. In two years, it’s going to be way better.”