Earlier this week, PayPal President Scott Thompson took a bold stance during a conversation with Mathew Ingram from GigaOm: “Anything that is at the end of a network should have payment ability.”

He discusses how network connectivity is in our future, going as far as connecting things inside your car. This added layer of intelligence, security and encryption of devices in the car will mean more advanced capabilities. According to Thompson, “Companies are building automation into cars, so that when you pull into a parking spot and you park for 62 minutes, you pay for that 62 minutes,” he said. “Why can’t the car authenticate you when you’re dispensing fuel? Why can’t it authenticate you when you go through a toll booth?”

His bold vision is not that far off. We are excided about the future of network connectivity and the types of devices that can gain an extra level of intelligence to handle authentication and payments. Our lifeblood has been about supporting any device, whether it is commercial, industrial or medical, and embedding the necessary technological equipment to bring these devices to ‘life’.

PayPal has a vision of bringing secure payment systems to any device, which mirrors Lantronix’ vision of adding the necessary Internet connectivity to these devices to support visions of companies like PayPal.