When a new category of tech products comes into its own, it can guarantee a host of companies and products to be launched, all vying for dominance in this brave new field.
The dawn of the personal computer was an example of this. During the 1980s, competition was fraught with Apple, IBM, Sinclair, and Commodore. Ultimately, the power of market forces resulted in a duopoly, where computers are now made by Apple or shipped with Windows. Now, in 2016, the smart home world looks set to follow a distinctly similar path.
Google and Apple are trying to dominate the world of smart homes, either by launching software tools or by acquiring smaller companies, like a beluga whale eating a small fish. While both companies are similar in size and similarly endowed, they both have radically different strategies. Here's what you need to know.
Google's stratospheric growth over the years has been largely thanks to its undeniable deep pockets. When Google wants to get into a market, it just pushes its way in.
In 2014, it was clear to everyone that smart home technology was here to stay. Instead of launching its own offering from scratch, Google bought Nest, already a major player, for about $3.2 billion. In addition to the human capital that comes with the acquisition, it also allowed Google to include Nest's internationally successful security cameras, smoke detectors and learning thermostats. How to install and use the Nest Thermostat to automate energy savings How to install and use the Nest Thermostat to automate energy savings If you've ever thought about getting started with home automation, buying a Nest Thermostat is the perfect way to start. In just one week of use, we cut our power consumption in half. Read More
But more than that, it allowed Google to buy a brand . Right now, if someone mentions “smart home,” your mind is likely to immediately go to a Nest product. This acquisition was equivalent to someone wanting to enter the soft drink market and buy Coca Cola.
Google's strategy for managing Nest has been unusual. In the past, when Google bought a company, they immediately integrated it into the Google brand. When Google acquired Picasa in 2004 and Android in 2005, these companies simply became components of a larger monolithic entity. But the nest is different. It still functions autonomously under the tutelage of (deeply controversial) CEO Tony Fadella.
In the few instances where Google branding does appear on a Nest product, it's subtle and unobtrusive. If I had to guess why that might be, I'd posit that it was because Nest has a relatively intact brand, especially when it comes to privacy.
Nest's autonomy and financial backing from Google have allowed the company to make several acquisitions of its own. The largest was Revolv, which produced a cloud-enabled hub, priced to sell at $300. It was an "acquihire," which is where you buy a company to acquire the equipment, not the technology or the patents. that owns..
Not long after buying the company, Nest discontinued the Revolv hub. It didn't just stop sales of the product. It actually destroyed each Revolv Hub, turning them into what one disaffected user calls a "$299.00 container of hummus." Users were legitimately furious, and in the face of mounting criticism, Nest was forced to offer its users a full refund.
Interestingly, Google has realized that it cannot gain hegemony simply by buying the competition. It has started to produce its own tools and platforms, in order to allow third parties to create their own smart home devices. The most exciting of which is Google Shine.
This curiously named project tries to create an operating system that runs on these devices. This would be based on Android, but with most of the components that create what we consider to be "Android" completely remove, remove, remove. Many of these changes have taken place at the invisible level of the system. For example, to make Brillo run on low-power hardware, Google has rewritten core parts of the OS in C++, rather than the slightly hungrier Java. Some device manufacturers have already released devices equipped with Google Brightness..
Brilliance will undoubtedly experience stiff competition, especially from Mozilla, which recently spun off Firefox OS How to Run Firefox OS Apps in Your Android Browser How to Run Firefox OS Apps in Your Android Browser You can now install Firefox OS apps on Android. Firefox for Android supports Mozilla's "Open Web Apps," allowing you to install and run Firefox OS apps directly on an Android device. Read More We are in the beginning stages of a fierce battle. I'm not entirely convinced that Google will come out unscathed.
Firefox OS for IoT has a lot going for it. First of all, when it came to an operating system for smartphones, its raison d'être was to run the kinds of underpowered devices that modern Android simply couldn't. This has given Mozilla experience in working with austere hardware. Additionally, Firefox OS apps have been built around open web technologies (essentially HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript). Consequently, Mozilla will have no problem attracting developers to its platform.
Complementing Brightness is Fabric. This is a secure JSON, based on JSON? Description from a layman What is JSON? A Layman's Overview Whether you plan to be a web developer or not, it's a good idea to at least know what JSON is, why it's important, and why it's used all over the web. Read More standard for Smart Home interoperability and communication. Although Weave is less exciting at first glance as a new operating system, it could result in a more cohesive smart home experience for users.
Despite these sure steps forward, Google has yet to create a consistent experience for how smart home devices communicate with Android smartphones. This has been the lynchpin of Apple's strategy for smart home dominance, and it's working .
When iOS 8 was released, it was probably the biggest update to Apple's smartphone operating system iOS 8 Is Here:10 Reasons To Install It Right Away iOS 8 Is Here:10 Reasons To Install It Right Away If You Own An iPhone, iPad Or iPod Touch, you'll want to update it to iOS 8 as soon as possible. This is why. Read More Not only were the usual performance and cosmetic tweaks present, but they also included an unprecedented number of features, such as Apple's HomeKit.
HomeKit essentially allowed developers to integrate their physical computing creations with iOS. But more importantly, it allows users to combine devices into groups that can be controlled as a whole, as well as interact with their devices using Siri. It is without a doubt one of the most exciting parts of iOS..
It has also been a resounding success. Manufacturers and developers are enthusiastically launching devices that work with HomeKit. Probably the biggest is Philips, which recently updated its Hue bulb starter kits to use technology Philips Hue works with HomeKit:How to get the most out of it Philips Hue works with HomeKit:How to get the most out of it Philips has finally come to HomeKit integration on their Hue lighting rig, and it's amazing. This is what you need to know. Read more.
At first glance, Apple's strategy seems conservative, especially when contrasted with Google. It hasn't made any major acquisitions in the smart home field. Nor has it brought an Apple-branded smart home product to market. This should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the company's modern history.
In the early 1990s, the iconic rainbow fruit symbol could be found on a myriad of products, from digital cameras, to PDAs, and even game consoles. These products were, by any estimate, dramatic failures, and were a contributing factor in bringing Apple to the brink of bankruptcy.
When Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997, the first thing he did was get rid of these money-losing products. Not only did Apple hemorrhage money, but Jobs wanted to focus on Apple's core computer and software markets. This legacy continues to this day, and Apple is extremely cautious about entering new fields and distracting itself from what it does best.
As a result, I don't think we'll see a smart home product from Apple.It's just not their style . Instead, Apple will let other companies -- Philips, Belkin, Elgato -- take the big risks and bring the products to market. Cupertino is happy to take a back seat, and is just working on building the tools to integrate these devices with the plethora of iDevices out there.
Of all the tech giants, Apple and Google are perhaps the biggest spenders in the smart home sphere. Microsoft has dipped its toes into the world of IoT (its Windows 10 spin for the Raspberry Pi Another new Raspberry Pi...and it's compatible with Windows 10 Another new Raspberry Pi...and it's compatible with Windows 10. Maybe it's the best example of that), there have not been the same kind of ambitious proposals that Apple and Google have made. Whether it will be Google's aggressive strategies or Apple's collaborative approach that will ultimately pay off remains to be seen.
What do you think? Will Google or Apple come to dominate the world of smart homes? Let me know in the comments below.
