What do people think that Davis might actually do next? (Not asking what people might ideally like to see to suit their own individual pet preferences, ie not more myVP3 ideas and speculations, but bearing in mind that Davis has to look for profit across the whole of their customer base, what might they actually do next?)
OK, John, I'll take a shot...
These comments are made with observation and input from reading this forum, as well as experience.
Based on recent improvements in the outdoor sensors (anemometer/rain cone/temp-hum). I'd say the ISS and extra wireless sensors are stable, with only incremental/evolutionary (not revolutionary) changes to come. Davis has a large customer base, of which the hobbyist/homeowner is a fairly small fraction. Not only do they sell complete stations, but also supply sensors with decent app notes to other manufacturers. They are also willing to customize products for a big enough order. (Want 100 or more cabled ISSes without SIM boards or consoles for your product? They will do it for you.) They don't want to alienate that sales base.
Based on my work with the Serial Comms Protocol, I'd say that the communications from the ISS to the console is mature, as well as the console to PC or other hardware is stable and mature. As I recall without looking it up, they did apparently eliminate the ability to have more leaf/soil stations or something in order to stuff repeater battery status into an existing LOOP field.
I don't see any real work coming soon for any improved console. I suppose it works well enough for the majority of the customer base who are less interested in flashy looks that something familiar that works.
When they do innovate hardware rather than upgrade, (Vantage Connect) it's an add on to their existing product line. The Connect still uses a complete VP2 or VUE wireless weather station for the data.
OTOH, they seem to be becoming more interested in the commercial/ag market. I suppose Connect is supposed to be aimed there, as well as their 4 different IPM modules. Notice that they poured money into IPM programming rather than upgrading WeatherLink.
Even on their website now, Ag is listed above Academic and Home and Garden as markets.
Davis has certain engineering standards they seem to adhere to. White ribbed boxes for electronics, ultra low power, monochrome displays etc.
So, after thinking about all that, I will go out on a limb and say that Davis is not going to do anything remarkable in the "Prosumer" weather station space in the near future. But, all that engineering talent they have (I know one personally, but we haven't spoken since he was hired, and I doubt he would tell me anything) must be doing something. I would say they are working on something more for ag. The existing wireless protocol is too limiting (Only 8 station IDs with too long of a range, and a limited weird mix of stations available to one console) to be really useful on a large ag operation.
So spoke out from the Connect, and maybe create an entirely new, incompatible wireless protocol with vastly more station numbers and station types. Future proof it as much as possible. New SIMs could replace existing ones in the same enclosures, if they are still good at power management.
One thing I think Davis is good at is keeping their cards close to their chest, something they learned from the Connect delay (and something that Acurite seems to be learning now. Look up what happened to Osborne Computer in the 80s when they prematurely announced a new, faster/better/smaller/cheaper computer and their existing sales tanked.)
And the delay in the introduction of the 2017 Davis catalog may be a clue that something new is on the way..)