They were acquired by the American company Generac Holdings in 2021. The thermostats are controlled by using the built-in touchscreen, web portal, or app available for iOS, Android, and the Apple Watch. Other devices are controlled solely through the app or web portal.

ecobee - Wikipedia

A decade after both companies introduced the smart thermostat to the world, Ecobee is leapfrogging Nest in hardware and features.

How Ecobee is becoming the smart home company Nest should have been

The differences between the first ... of sleek metal and shiny glass, the Ecobee is all plastic. Sure, it worked well but it lacked the same appeal as the first Nest. He says, in short, as a startup, customers need to love your company and products....

Ecobee CEO and founder speaks to TechCrunch Live about CES, Nest ...

Both companies have released lower cost versions of their flagship models. ecobee has their most economical version, the ecobee3 Lite, and also an intermediate model, the SmartThermostat Enhanced. Nest’s economy model is the Google Nest Thermostat.

ecobee vs Nest: Don't Overlook These 9 Crucial Differences

ecobee designs intelligent thermostats, cameras, and sensors that work better together to improve everyday life.

Smart Thermostats & Smart Home Devices | ecobee

– November 1, 2021 — Generac Holdings Inc. (NYSE: GNRC) (“Generac” or the “Company”), a leading global designer and manufacturer of energy technology solutions and other power products, today announced the signing of an agreement to acquire the shares of ecobee Inc.

Generac to Acquire ecobee Inc.

On Monday, Generac Holdings Inc. of Waukesha, Wisc., said it would buy the 14-year-old Canadian company for up to US$770-million. NYSE-listed Generac is paying US$200-million in cash and issuing US$450-million of stock to ecobee investors. Generac will pay up to US$120-million more in stock ...

Smart thermostat pioneer ecobee, facing growing threats from Amazon, ...

Toronto-based smart home thermostat startup Ecobee is being acquired by generator manufacturer Generac Holdings for $770 million, the companies announced.

Ecobee acquired by generator company Generac for $770 million - ...

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At EcoBee, we believe being green should not come at a higher cost and those who wish to preserve the environment should be rewarded for, Eco-Friendly Gloves, Face Mask...

Ecobee

ecobee

As a , I build things full-time, whether it’s a , or coaching founders to build tech products. For fun, I build an , , , , and , using my . product builder venture newsletter micro-products AI article tool event app meal box app SaaS tracker sneaker app rapid MVP technique This post is one of my series. You may also like my top-rated guides such as — , , and . Multi-Part Product Guide When to Pivot a Product Validation Framework Test Willingness To Pay Customers are more likely to pay a premium for a product that is useful, helpful, and valuable. In this guide, I will share strategies to help you in your product, which can ultimately lead to or profits. create great value increased MRR Strategy #1: Create functional value The first technique is to make your product useful at a functional level by providing practical or utilitarian benefits to your users. You can identify the fundamental needs of your users and solve their problems by incorporating relevant technical features into your product. Components of functional value: Offer a faster way to accomplish a specific user’s goal Speed: Easy to use and user-friendly Performance: Reduce obstacles and unstuck the user’s journey Friction removal: More accurate and secure Technical benefits: Example: Manage savings, expenses, investments, and insurance in one account. 💳 Digital banking app: Easily sync tasks across all your devices and collaborate with team members. 🗃️ Task management app: Analyze and generate insights report and prediction instantly 📈 Analytic tool: Create mobile apps in minutes using drag-and-drop 🧰 No-Code software: Strategy #2: Create monetary value You can also combine functional value with monetary value by focusing on helping your customers save money, avoid losses, and increase their savings. By offering benefits that help customers achieve these goals, you can create a product that not only provides useful solutions but also generate economic value. Components of monetary value: By curating the best deals and offering high-quality products at affordable prices, you can attract price-sensitive customers who value both quality and cost-effectiveness. Affordability: Eliminate middlemen, complex cost structures or hidden fees Reduce expenses: Discounts for bulk purchases or long-term subscriptions can incentivize customers to make larger orders, resulting in higher revenue per transaction. Great savings: Offering point-based rewards, exclusive discounts, and perks to frequent customers can motivate them to continue doing business with your company. Loyalty program: Example: 🥬 Low Price Promise makes organic grocery shopping affordable. Thrive Market’s smart thermostats and home devices help users optimize their energy consumption and lead to cost savings on utility bills. ⚡️ Ecobee’s 👾 annual subscription offers customers a range of benefits, including free shipping, access to streaming services, and discounts on select items. Amazon's Prime ☕️ allows customers to earn free food and drinks. Starbucks Rewards Strategy #3: Create emotional value You can increase a product’s value by creating strong pleasant experiences. Consider how your product makes customers feel after they use it. How to create emotional value: Simplify people’s lives by removing complexities Reduce stress: Remove doubts by providing transparent detail about how your product or service works Reduce uncertainty: Provide a guarantee or promise that your product will deliver the desired results Increase confidence: Assure customers by addressing their concerns Remove fears: Example: Notion streamlines your personal and work projects by providing an all-in-one workspace that allows you to manage tasks, notes, and databases in a single platform. 🎯 “I feel organized”: The Zebra, an insurance marketplace, provides a platform for users to compare insurance quotes and purchase policies from trusted providers, assuring users that they are making an informed decision. 🧿 “I feel trustworthy”: Noom is a weight-loss app that stands out by using psychological principles to help users lose weight and create a lasting result. App tagline: 78% of Noomers lost weight in a six-month study. 💪 “I have hope”: Strategy #4: Create social value Another reason why people may choose to pay for a particular product over a competitor is because it fulfills a person's social status or social needs. This means that the product is seen as a symbol of their status or helps them connect with others who share similar interests or values. Components of social value: Create a sense of community around your product by building an engaged online community where users can connect with like-minded people. Belongings: Provide additional support, guidance and resources to help users when they are stuck. Motivation: Provide rewards or celebrations when they achieve certain milestones. Recognition: Example: A content platform focusing on developing quality resources on how to scale a consulting business to 7 figures. 👨‍🏫 Product idea: Offer monthly expert workshops with successful consultants who have scaled 7-figure consulting services. This provides users with the opportunity to learn from and interact with highly respected experts in their field. 🤝 How to create social value: Charge users for accessing community features, e.g. attending monthly workshops, exclusive content, and 1:1 priority access to 7-figure consultants. ☎️ Monetizable feature: [1] Find me on my / / / 🔥 Personal Site Twitter LinkedIn HackerNoon [2] Get my product-building teardown — 🚀 Join my newsletter Also published . here

Increase Your Profits By Creating Valuable Products — Here's How

Homeowners and enterprises waste a great deal of money on inefficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVACs) systems. . That’s why smart HVAC systems have gained such a good position in the market. Custom HVAC schedules and pre-cooling events let you significantly cut your energy expenses. But what is behind developing this type of IoT systems? Unnecessary energy consumption is a problem for both large corporations and small businesses Developing another smart thermostat only makes sense if it’s well thought out. In this article, we share what we’ve learned from building a smart heating & cooling system. The system would control the energy consumption in multiple enterprises and even regions remotely. Learn from our experience to avoid making costly mistakes and wrong assumptions. How do HVAC systems provide value? Above all, they save energy. On average, the energy price is $10/ Wt during the daytime and $1/Wt at night in the US. Multiplied by the number of thermostats placed in large organizations, this can turn into thousands of dollars wasted due to inefficiency. Thanks to smart HVAC, you can prevent this from happening. Moreover, these systems assure the optimal working conditions by controlling the airflow, humidity & temperature progress. Oleh Bavshyn, Senior QA engineer at Vakoms: What does it take to create a connected HVAC system? From our perspective, it takes time, business analysis, and a lot of hard work. A lot depends on whether you build the whole IoT system from scratch or have several components ready. In our case, the client had a smart thermostat built. What we offered was an intuitive web platform to manage all the connected devices remotely. It would exchange the data regularly with each thermostat via a third-party hub and react instantly to environment changes. What was the key challenge in building such a system of connected thermostats? We had to deal with Big Data transferred from IoT sensors to the web platform. There should be no delays in system response for a proper IoT device functioning. In our case, the web platform requested data about each thermostat every 45 seconds. Due to such frequent requests, our hub server Securifi was overloaded with commands at some point. This caused and as a result, failed to generate responsive alerts. For instance, if some device was inactive, the temperature was too high or the device downtime was detected, the system failed to send an instant alert. delays in IoT system reactions What advice do you give to those interested in building a connected HVAC system? Another piece of advice is to instead of virtual ones. This way, you can verify the IoT device functioning in real-life conditions (simulate heating, cooling and energy consumption). Some tests take longer than 3 days to perform. However, it’s the surest way to see if a device performs as it should. test your system on real devices Create a downtime scenario for each smart thermostat. In our case, even if the Wi-Fi connection fails, the IoT devices remain working according to local schedules encoded in firmware. If the temperature is set between 21 and 24 degrees, the device will follow this schedule anyway. In other words, the thermostats work autonomously even without connection to a central server. Starting from California, the Client expanded its reach to many other US states and Australia. Via a remote web platform, one can create schedules for the week ahead – for a single group of thermostats, organization or the whole region. Results: Who do you compete with? It’s worth studying your competitors before you begin your smart HVAC development. This will help you strengthen your product marketing strategy, build the right device and differentiate in front of your target audience. Here are some of the well-established market players: Zen Thermostat Wifi – $199. Energy Star certified. Voice controlled by Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Nest thermostat E – $169; compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home; Minimalistic design; has a mobile app for Android and iPhone; . claims to save 10-12% on heating and15% on cooling Honeywell Home T9 – $200; voice control with Alexa and Google Assistant; has remote temperature and humidity sensors; geofencing option (knows what room you’re in).Ecobee 4 Smart Thermostat – $183; on energy bills for consumers. Geofencing included. It can be controlled by Alexa and Google Assistant. saves 23% Keep this in mind when creating your own HVAC system. Conclusion With the global tendency to save energy consumption, smart thermostats are definitely here to stay. Create the right strategy, collect the resources and begin your development with a reliable . This will provide you with the necessary tech advice and business partner to share your vision. Finally, with an experienced software partner, smart HVAC development is easier than it seems. IoT development vendor Also published on: https://blog.vakoms.com/what-you-should-know-about-hvac-iot-system-development-interview/

An Intro to HVAC IoT System Development

Internet of Things is literally changing our world. The global number of IoT devices is predicted to grow a single year (2020-2021). Both industrial and consumer niches get transformed by diverse IoT applications. from 30.7 to 35.8 billion in What does it mean for enterprises and rising startups? If not using IoT, they are missing out on huge opportunities. To simplify your decision-making, we prepared relevant insights, statistics and IoT trends that will rule the year 2020. You can use them to set proper priorities and develop a profitable IoT device or system. IoT trends 2020: what should you know? 1.IoT security will become a priority in most cases that companies need to adapt fast to the changing nature of security risks. As more data access points are added to IoT systems, hackers find new weak points to target. In 2020, the key risk area will be the nation-level attacks. Meanwhile, stealing credentials and phishing remain the easiest ways to access data, thus companies should stay alerted. One way of modernizing security tactics is using AI to automate threat response processes. This will also cut the work for security teams which we see the lack of. Major security experts agree With a growing cybersecurity risk, developers of IoT devices and systems need to put an emphasis on it from the very beginning. Best security practices need to be integrated into IoT development, after-release maintenance and overall business strategy to prevent risk and potential data breaches. Since many struggles to find a security talent, they will form partnerships and look for managed security services outside their company. . Growing usage of IoT devices in healthcare Growing usage of IoT devices in healthcare. 2. Growing usage of IoT devices in healthcare IoT devices in healthcare are going to expand even further. On the chart below, you can see a visual representation of it. The two key reasons behind wide IoT adoption in healthcare are: Gartner predicts its growth by 29 percent in 2020. Reduced costs – Goldman Sachs states that to US healthcare niche. 2/3 of this sum could go to the chronic disease management. Since IoT devices enable remote monitoring and treatment, they cut the need for expensive hospital stays and physical visits. Internet of Medical Things can save 300$ billion I
mproved patient care. Imagine being informed about the upcoming heart incident of your patient as his pulse is raising. This might have crucial importance for proactive and preventive healthcare service. In 2020, IoT sensors will be used to monitor patient’s health, manage various-types of data and automate processes such as submission processing and approval. Surgical robotics and wearables remain top applications of IoT in medicine. 3. IoT combined with AI will bring new value to businesses – believes Eric Hui, the director of IoT business development at Asia-Pacific. The earlier you act, the better. Data from IoT devices brings the most value if it’s analysed instantly and acted on fast In 2020, businesses will put efforts in real-time data processing rather than collecting it for later. As artificial intelligence algorithms are getting more sophisticated, they will find new interesting applications in IoT systems to automate decisions and enable instant planning. In 2020, . these two will work together more often to resolve critical business issues Take, for example, construction companies. Wearables connected to a central monitoring center can track exact worker’s location, motion and surrounding environmental factors in real time. By sending automated alerts to employees, they can prevent stuck-by injuries and other accidents. Alternatively, construction agency uses IoT & AI system to reduce project schedule delays and prevent cost overruns. Knowing that a trade worker is late, the IoT system prevents other crews from waiting and speeds up an overall work process. Other benefits of IoT and AI are presented on the infographics below. Indus.ai As we can see, combining IoT and AI makes businesses more competitive than IoT-only enterprises in terms of employee productivity, operating costs and innovation. “Organizations working with IoT data realize that if they want to get real value out of the data, they need AI and analytics,” says Oliver Schabenberger, COO, SAS. 4. Edge computing takes over the cloud Unlike centralized cloud computing, edge computing refers to data processing activities performed near or at the data source. The edge endpoints might include laptops, smartphones or IoT sensors with limited storage & power. With no need to transfer entire datasets to the network center(cloud), companies get significant wins: Speed up system response time (while cloud transfer is limited by the speed of light)Prevent traffic overloadsReduce cybersecurity risksEnable up-to-date data analysis. As data is created in more locations than ever before, we need fast & secure methods to process it. Once sorted and calculated at the edge, this data will enable immediate business reactions and planning. Self-driving cars need this to respond immediately to the changing data, no matter what the weather is like or how good your Internet connection is. Since cloud has greater storage and computing capabilities, we’ll continue to use it while combining with edge devices. Take smart fitness watches as an example: the data is processed at the edge but stored and analyzed at the cloud. Also, IoT devices that are not latency specific will continue to use the cheapest processing options. In 2020, we are likely to see more of distributed and hybrid models. In fact, Microsoft is already creating an ecosystem of certified hardware and software for the edge. It will certify core edge functionalities and include pre-built edge modules to speed up edge device development. 5. IoT development for smart cities Smart city spending is predicted to reach $80 billion by 2050. In the next couple of years, IoT on municipal level will aim at solving some high-priority city issues like traffic jams, security problems and others. are: micro-mobility, urban modelling, resilience; circularity; smart urban spaces. As the city population grows, we’ll focus on improving traffic management, reducing pollution and freeing the road from congestion. According to SmartCities World, some already adopted 5 focus areas Overall, technology investments on the city level continue to grow. As 5G will simplify the real-time data transfer, IoT development for cities will become even more common. 6. Smart home devices will grow even more popular Besides simplifying our daily routines, smart home devices let us reduce bill payments and save energy. That’s why smart thermostats, lighting systems and environmental IoT sensors will become even more popular this year. In 2020, will grow in demand and adoption. For instance, Smart Thermostat by Ecobeee automatically adjusts the temperature in predefined hours while also letting you do manual changes with voice command. IoT devices with voice control Consumers prefer smart devices that understand the context and adapt to various situations. For instance, a connected monitor that pauses a movie when someone leaves a room and continues as he returns. Meanwhile, we will also see the shift to multimodal design when voice, display and touch are of equal importance. In consumer IoT, we are heading towards diversified user experience where every sense matters. This might change how we design smart home gadgets and what will be in-demand among users. Conclusion Internet of Things hasn’t been adopted to its full potential yet. Although it’s getting an increasing hype and word-of-mouth, we are yet to see its greatest applications across industries. Previously published: https://blog.vakoms.com/key-iot-trends-insights-to-guide-your-business-decisions-in-2020/ Best practices: https://blog.vakoms.com/building-a-secure-iot-system-interview-with-vakoms-expert/

IoT Trends And Insights That Can Guide Your Business Decisions: 2020 Edition

Who doesn’t like a cool home like Tony Stark (Ironman)? If the entire world is at your fingertips; why not your own home? Home automation has been a dream for each one of us at some point in time. But smart home devices are not just for the rich anymore. Due to modern technological advancements, this amenity can be relished by anyone. No need to get out of the car every time to open the garage door or start an expedition in search of numerous remotes for your entertainment panel. All of this can be done with a single smart home app on your phone. Home Automation has become more than some parlor tricks that your rich friend used to show off. You can control virtually infinite appliances with a single app. Just choose the room and then select from all the IoT integrated appliances in that room. Then you get the list of actions you can perform from your smart home app. Companies are working to integrate apps with voice-enabled technologies like Cortana, Alexa, and Siri right now. So next time you wanna take a hot bath just tell Alexa to heat the water. Enough of claims, now let’s get down to facts. Stats on Smart Home Industry · The global Smart Home from 2017 to 2019. Automation market has increased 250% · The predicted valuation of . Smart Home Market will reach $53 billion by 2022 · Just the Smart home . Security market will reach $22 billion by 2021 · In 2018, just in the US. 41 million Smart Home devices were shipped · By the next decade, all the . IoT devices are expected to triple in number ( Source: Statista ) Top 5 Smart Home Devices for 2019 The Smart home systems are the set of devices that are designed to automate processes that previously needed humanitarian assistance. These smart devices can be used for various purposes ranging from convenience, security, entertainment, business, and much more. 1. Controllers and Hubs You’ve seen these connected home devices many times. It’s probably the most trending set of smart home devices. They are the only IoT platform devices that are connected to all the other smart devices in the house. The hottest and most famous controllers and hubs are Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomePod. There are many various functions that a controller offers but the main feature is to control all the other smart home devices. Google Home and Amazon Alexa are going neck to neck in this industry with their respective smart speakers, trying to outdo each other with every new update. With new skills and commands being added every day, these smart home speakers can access more and more number of devices and make them do almost every task remotely. Industry Leading Products: · Amazon Alexa Speakers · Google Home Speakers · Apple HomePod · Sonos One · Google Home Hub Tablet · Amazon Echo Show Tablet 2. Home Security With the world going digital there is a greater need to focus on security. The attackers and thieves are getting smarter and their tools more advanced so homes need to upgrade their security too. Many times people forget to lock their front door and accidents happen, but with new IoT based locks, you can lock the doors remotely from not just any room of your home but anywhere in the world. This was just one example of how recent smart home devices can improve security. Various devices like front door cameras, doorbells, door speakers, window sensors, etc can be connected to a mainframe using IoT which can alert the homeowner about a possible break-in and alert authorities in time. One danger that these future IoT devices face is from hackers. So these devices should be developed such that they can withstand any cyber attacks. Introducing AI in the mix can help systems analyze user behavior pattern and report in case of any unusual activity. Industry Leading Products: · Danalock Bluetooth Z-lock · Oplink Alarm Shield · Belkin Wireless NetCam · Chamberlain Garage Door Controller · Schlage Door and Window Sensors 3. Heating and Cooling Now that you are safe at your home thanks to smart home security devices, let’s make the home cozier for you. There is no need to get out of your bed to increase the thermostat, just install a Nest smart thermostat and control it from your smartphone. Install this smart thermostat and use it for a week and it will learn your routines and plan the whole day’s temperature according to your daily routine. Such smart thermostat proud themselves on saving energy and many of them show a report of how much energy you saved each day. Not every room in homes is the same temperature. With smart sensors, the thermostat can understand the priority rooms and control each room temperature differently. Such smart thermostats also keep the homes secure. You’ll get an alert on your phone if the temperature is too low or high for an accident to occur. Industry Leading Products: · Nest Thermostat Series · Ecobee Thermostat Series · Honeywell Lyric Series · iDevices Thermostat 4. Home Ambiance Control Home ambiance control is the Recent Trend in Iot Devices. Philips Hue is the industry-leading standard for such Devices. I’m sure many of you have seen a scene in a movie where the hero changes the whole ambiance of the room for the heroine with just a switch. Well, that is Ambiance control. You can set multiple smart devices to a particular mode for each command. Iot Technology Trend For instance, if you wish to have a romantic dinner with your partner, just set the lightings to dim and the speaker to play slow jazz music in the background, the AC to a cool condition. Now the next time you just have to give a command to set up a romantic dinner and all these actions will be performed simultaneously. There are a lot of things that you can do with Ambience control like setting up movie nights, playdates for kids, and much more. Industry Leading Products: · Philips Hue Lighting · Nightingale Sound Machine · Various Smart Speakers (Mentioned above) 5. Best Smart Home Plugs The smart home features need a smart power source. So you need something more than the simple electric plugs. Enter Smart Plugs. What if you don’t have the budget to buy smart lighting or smart ACs, once again smart plugs can help you with this. These plugs are connected to your smartphone so whenever you wish to turn on a specific light in a room, just turn on its corresponding smart plug. You can further make it smarter by adding motion sensors and contact sensors so that they can be accessed by gestures or simply your presence in the room. The latest Smart plugs have also been integrated with Siri and Alexa so that you can operate them with voice command. Industry Leading Products: · Belkin WeMo Mini Smart Plug · iDevices Switch · Lutron In-Wall Wireless Switches Conclusion The Smart Home Devices have come a long way in the last decade but all of these were also possible due to a silent stakeholder, . All the smart speakers respond to your searches and requests only because most of the big companies have integrated smart device compatibility to their app development process. If you own a business that can benefit from people asking for you using these speakers then you should think about integrating smart devices to your app. Smart Home App Development

The Best Smart Home Devices for 2019

Amazon, Google and Apple are all trying to become the fundamental mechanism to interact with your home, but Amazon advantage is significant. has just announced , while Google is expected to launch a and soon, and . Amazon a lot of new Alexa devices (6 in total) new cheaper Google Home maybe a high-end model Apple will launch HomePod in December All these plays are not just about selling hardware, but about changing the way we do things at home and how we interact with computers. Voice interaction is the critical element, with Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Assistant and Apple’s Siri being at the front. Each of these companies want to create the standard by which home entertainment, home communications and home automation evolve. The Home Operating System. Amazon is currently , so let’s take a look how they are winning the battle to become the standard in each of these categories. taking 70% of that market The Home Entertainment Front — Music The presentation of the Echo line, the Google Home and the upcoming HomePod as “smart speakers” puts a lot of weight into the offering as part of the value proposition. And here a difference is already clear: music Apple is betting on the strength of Apple Music as part of their offering, and it is the central feature in . the current promotion of HomePod Both Amazon and Google are going a different way, enabling their own music services in their devices (Amazon Music and Google Music respectively), but also being open to other services like Spotify and Pandora. And currently the market reach from supporting Spotify significantly excedes Apple Music: Tying the HomePod to Apple Music may make it attractive for current Apple Music subscribers but, on the other hand, not being able to use other music services on it means an additional investment of $120/year for the Apple Music subscription. And that can be too much, specially for users that are already paying that amount to get a Spotify subscription. While this is still a quite open battlefront, and Apple deep knowledge of the music market may create some advantage for HomePod, I think addressing a bigger user base with Spotify is key, and until Apple opens the HomePod to support third party music services it will be at a disadvantage. : Between Amazon and Google, the advantage is currently on Amazon Firstly on price, with the $99 price point for the new Echo. Then the , which becomes more interesting considering . multi-room support the $50 discount on a three Echo pack And lastly on the existing , while . support for Alexa and its music services in speakers from other manufacturers Google Assistant has announced it but still has none Maybe this will change and with new Google Home devices, and other manufacturers like Sonos supporting Assistant and not Alexa, but currently Amazon is ahead. The Home Entertainment Front — TV But if the aim is to become the Home Operating System, music is not enough, as the TV is the device currently centering the entertainment experience in the living room. And that is why these companies are also introducing their voice-controlled assistants there: Google with its Chromecast, which integrates with Google Home. Amazon, with the newly announced Fire TV that supports Alexa interaction. And can be controlled from an Echo. Apple TV, which . supports interaction via Siri using its remote None of them are leading the connected TV market, , but both Amazon and Google are close. And , thanks to the ability for third parties to provide skills/actions for their respective ecosystems. that place belongs to Roku both Alexa and Google Assistant can be used to control a Roku Apple is way behind, and the analysts response to the latest Apple TV 4K is that , which is another opportunity for the or the to reinforce their position. the value is not enough to justify the premium pricing Chromecast Ultra new Fire TV 4K But Amazon has another advantage here, with their Echo Show device, because while not intended as a replacement for a TV, it can be used to consume video content. And that is also probably part of the reason why . Google is currently blocking YouTube access from the Echo Show The Communications Front Communication was a functionality that both Amazon and Google initially left out of their respective connected speakers. But they have realized that . communications are a very relevant part of the experience for a device aiming to become a Home OS That is why both companies have recently launched communication capabilities in their devices, but with very different approaches: Google Home lets you call any US or Canada number. Amazon launched their Alexa Calling and Messaging service, allowing calls and messaging between Echo devices. And now Amazon has also extended their offering to match and surpass Google’s proposition. Now Echo will and Canada, but on top of that has launched a new device, . also support the same free calls to the US the Echo Connect, which allows to plug your Echo to your landline phone, so that you can make and receive any regular call with your existing number This is an interesting approach that might bring more use to the dying fixed lines, and that instantly makes the Echo a device that can reach or be reached by anyone in the world. And there is still the open question about the rumors around an Amazon Anywhere communication service, that . I believe would make much more sense if available in the Echo too Apple offering in communications for its HomePod is still to be seen, but it may have an opportunity here. , which provide . And not only that, but they can also leverage their existing position with iPhone and its integrations with operator’s networks and do something . Using their Wi-Fi Calling for iCloud devices capabilities, they could get the HomePod to make and receive the calls and messages of the main iPhone line. They would need to address the multiple users/identities issues (the iPhone is a personal device, while the HomePod is a family one), and make sure presence is considered to avoid privacy problems, but solving this could get them a great differentiation in value. Apple controlling the phone, , can bring some advantage to them. Apple could leverage iMessage and FaceTime audio a quite popular communication network similar to what they are doing with the LTE Apple Watch which Amazon has not been able to do But, in my opinion, the defining element will be openness, which can enable relevant communication players into these devices. It is probably more interesting to get WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger in your smart speaker than the decaying SMS (and even if there are rumors that Facebook is building their own device, ). I believe the more relevant bet for them would be to ensure their presence in the existing ones But Apple has not yet opened HomePod to third party applications, and Google is not providing notifications support, which prevents any reasonable communication application there. , which opens the opportunity for messaging, and . Amazon has already enabled notifications in Echo for third party services I expect they will allow VoIP calling too at some point And what about video communications? Apple could leverage their FaceTime network here, but it is Amazon that has already two devices (the Echo Show and ) that offer this service. And . now the Echo Spot Google may be planning something there too So in summary, the overall advantage is for Amazon, but let’s keep a look at Apple’s play with iMessage and Wi-Fi Calling. The Home Automation Front Home Automation, also known as Smart Home, is a quite open scenario too. The main barrier is that having smart devices that can be controlled is still mostly a hobbyist market. Technology curiosity is driving demand, rather than an actual customer need. But the expectation is that technology becoming simpler will make the convenience value to be better perceived, and drive mass demand for the Smart Home. That is why Amazon, Apple and Google are betting on this, and their smart speakers are prepared to control these smart devices. The approach, though, has been slightly different for each player. Apple has focused its efforts around their own standard initiative: . The problem with this approach has been the required hardware adaptations for devices, which has left many manufacturers out of their ecosystem for a while. For instance, Belkin’s WeMo is currently not supported, and , making adoption that more difficult. Philips Hue System, a product frequently featured in the Apple Stores, . This limitation has become so obvious that Apple has already announced that . HomeKit Belkin has announced an additional device will be required to connect via HomeKit had to issue an upgrade (that customers had to pay for) for its hardware bridge to be compatible with HomeKit in iOS 11 the requirements to connect to HomeKit will be simplified and rely on software On the other hand Amazon has worked to support as many devices as possible via software with the out-of-the-box Echo device and through their Alexa cloud, and has also allowed developers to . create Skills that can connect to any device Google Home’s approach has been similar, both working with specific partners and providing APIs to create “ ”. And although Google does sell their own home Smart Devices, through , this is currently not making a real differentiation in becoming the Home OS. The reason is that these devices are not providing Assistant functionality (while t ), and in fact you can actually too, which simply makes them another element of the ecosystem that both players benefit from. Google Actions for SmartHome apps their Nest brand here are Nest competitors that integrate Alexa control them via Alexa But Amazon is now making a huge difference with their new Echo Plus. Not only the device incorporates hardware to behave like a SmartHome Hub (which reduces the number of gadgets users would have to buy to control their home), but it actually includes a Philips smart bulb in the box. This way, by just buying the Echo, customers get a “gateway drug” into home automation. I would have suggested also adding an IR emitter function to the Echo device, so that without having to buy anything else, customers could also control devices already in their home, like their TV, Home Theater system or Air Conditioning. This could further create the appetite into control and automation, accelerating this market. And if we also consider that Alexa is already available in other smart devices, , like the Ecobee Smart Thermostat we can see how in this field the advantage is also for Amazon. Alexa-powered Ecobee Thermostat The Shopping Front But the main reason why Amazon wants to become the Home Operating System is because being the center of what happens around the home makes them also the main provider for the things that need to be bought there. And this space is where Amazon strength is much superior to the rest, because retail is at the heart of their whole operation. Buying things from Amazon using the Echo products is not only simple, but the core of the functionality. And , which they are already , will only make this fully-vertically-integrated model more powerful. their recent acquisition of the Whole Foods chain using to sell more Echo devices Obviously that is why , so they can also provide this value to customers. This is a smart move, but it Google is trying to follow up by making a deal with Walmart reinforces how Amazon is still at the lead. Apple does not have anything like this, and unless something is announced in their official presentation of the HomePod, that will leave the value of their device as a Home Operating System way behind. The Openness Front Throughout this post, the relevance of opening the Home OS model to developers and other partners has appeared constantly: The current advantage of Amazon in Home Entertainment comes from their Spotify support, their ability of theirs Skills to enable Roku control or their licensing of Alexa to be integrated in other smart speakers. Their communications advantage comes from connecting to a standard communications system (the traditional phone line) and the expectation of new communication applications appearing as Skills. The Smart Home advantage is coming from their Skills enabling any device to connect to Alexa, and the ability of other device manufacturers to integrate Alexa in their own devices. !! Including some really unusual ones Not sure if Alexa here is really a good idea… This is leaving the (initial) Apple approach behind, which will have to accelerate their plans to open the HomePod to developers. Google understands this is critical, and that is why they are trying to get developers to embrace . But the complexity of the approach of Assistant as a chatbot vs Assistant as “conversations with a smart speaker” is making this more complicated than the focused Alexa Skills approach. creating actions for their Assistant And let’s not lose sight that this is a competition too, because just being open does not drive developers: they need to see the right ratio on difficulty for the platform, value provided and number of users reached. So the additional value provided by Amazon (eg.notifications) and the current bigger market share create a potential virtuous cycle to attract more developers that in turn will keep increasing the value of the Alexa platform. The Internationalization Front Interestingly, the fight for the Home OS is still focused in a very limited number of markets: Amazon Echo only available in the US, . United Kingdom and Germany Google Home, has a slightly wider support, with devices available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom and the US. . HomePod has been announced to just be available in the United Kingdom, US and Australia these year And this is where Amazon may be at a disadvantage, because big internalization efforts are needed for intelligent assistants to speak and understand other languages and accents. And Alexa at the moment only works in English (and not all variants) and German. In this space Google Assistant and Siri are better positioned, as they already cover more languages and geographies, so — without giving up in the US market, which is always the main ambition for these companies — if Apple or Google get their devices into markets where Amazon is not yet present, that could bring them further opportunities. The Life OS But the ambition of these players does not limit to becoming the Operating System in your Home. They want to become the Operating System for your life. That is why Alexa is also , , and !! And there are also . available in smartphones smartwatches even cars rumors of Amazon launching Alexa-powered glasses That is why Google is getting . And and are coming soon. Assistant in the latest Bose headphones appliances cars That is why Apple is expanding Siri from the phone, to the desktop, the home speaker… and . Although Apple has not opened Siri to third party devices yet. your Watch The expected revolution in the human-computer relationship is that intelligent assistants will become the main way to interact with services, content and the physical world. Today this kind of thing is happening sporadically: you ask Google Assistant for directions, you ask Alexa for a song, you turn your lights off with Siri. But the big players think it may become the natural way to do everything in the future, specially as more people get connected , and that is why, while Amazon is currently leading the Home OS battle, there will be a lot more action in the Life OS war.

How Amazon is winning the battle for the Home Operating System

It will come as no surprise to those of you reading this (thanks!), that the interest and applications of ‘ ’ is growing rapidly. Amazon Alexa and there is talk around for the next 10,000. I won’t be diving into specifics and discussing issues like . That is not what this post is about. Voice-Assistants recently hit 10,000 skills what will drive adoption retention There are lots of resources & tools, tons of cool products, frameworks, articles and people out there to help you learn about the landscape. 💫 Here are some that I find particularly useful 💫 This post is also on GitHub and open for suggestions, just submit a pull request by VoiceLabs The 2017 Voice Report 🤔 How To Use This : There is very little on the front focusing on Voice-Assistants. does the best one IMO. 📰 News newsletter Matt Hartman ( I’m thinking of starting one too —if you’re interested, sign up below!) : Always interesting to see the companies operating in these spaces. They are broken down into different categories so you can easily jump into ‘Building’, ‘Products’, ‘Analytics’ etc. If you think there are some that need adding, 🍜 Startups tell me here . This is just to outline some companies/funds that are very focused in the space right now. Again, if I’ve missed some worthwhile, 🤑 Funding: tell me here . These are some of the awesome people I follow and have come across. I’ve linked them all, you should check them out. If I’ve missed some worthwhile, you know to 👥 People & Posts: tell me here . Enjoy 😊! 🚀 I’ve launched something: Skills.wtf — A site to find the best Alexa Skills 🚀Also, I’ve added a little note about at the end of this post. A community helping facilitate connections to; an experiment I’m working on - Get a skill made/make skills for people/companies- Find investors active in the field- Intros to other active enthusiasts- Bounce ideas around with others- Advice & mentorship from experienced individuals- Resources and tools to help you build- Discover interesting products and companies 📰 News 🗞 Newsletters _Hearing Voices - This week's news about voice computing apps, delivered directly to your inbox. ..._www.getrevue.co Hearing Voices - Revue The Official Amazon Alexa Developer Newsletter _You have total control over when you want Google Home to respond to your voice commands. Its light states tell you the…_madeby.google.com Made by Google (General Google news + Google Home. Subscribe at bottom of page) 🖥 Websites/Sources _Read writing about Alexa. Every day, thousands of voices read, write, and share important stories on Medium about Alexa…_medium.com Alexa - Medium _Read writing about Voice Assistant. Every day, thousands of voices read, write, and share important stories on Medium…_medium.com Voice Assistant - Medium _Read writing about Amazon Echo. Every day, thousands of voices read, write, and share important stories on Medium about…_medium.com Amazon Echo - Medium _Read writing about Google Home. Every day, thousands of voices read, write, and share important stories on Medium about…_medium.com Google Home - Medium _Read writing about Siri. Every day, thousands of voices read, write, and share important stories on Medium about Siri._medium.com Siri - Medium _Read writing about Voice. Every day, thousands of voices read, write, and share important stories on Medium about Voice…_medium.com Voice - Medium venturebeat.com VoiceAssistants_on_VentureBeat _The brain behind Amazon's voice powered devices like Echo, FireTV etc._www.reddit.com Amazon Alexa * /r/alexa _r/AmazonEcho is a community centered around the Amazon Echo, or as we like to call her - Alexa. Alexa is designed…_www.reddit.com Amazon Echo | A voice command system that brings the Internet Of Things to your home * /r… _Everything Google Home: tips, bugs, new features, requests, etc._www.reddit.com Everything Google Home * /r/googlehome _WIRED is where tomorrow is realized_www.wired.com VoiceAssistant _Crunch Network Even before smartwatches, I did not wear a watch. I did not buy an Apple Watch or Pebble, despite the…_techcrunch.com Alexa | TechCrunch _Google Home is Google's answer to Amazon line's of voice-powered Echo devices. After announcing Home at its I/O…_techcrunch.com google home | TechCrunch _Learn about Voice applications, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant innovation. A hands-free world is coming, join in!_voicelabs.co Blog _multiplex-past, present, future technology research + insights ☂️_readmultiplex.com @ReadMultiplex _Read the latest Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant news, talking about the newest developments in the Voice-First…_voicelabs.co Press Coverage - Voice-First Industry 📜 General news in space (not Voice specific) _Bringing you the latest in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Neurotechnology_inside.com Technically Sentient _Everything about chatbots. From the makers of BotList_botpublication.com BotPublication _Connecting Technology to the Masses_gomainstrm.com GoMainstrm _Chatbots, AI, NLP, Facebook Messenger, Slack, Telegram, and more._chatbotsmagazine.com Chatbots Magazine _Edit description_tinyletter.com Locutius - Letters on Conversational Interfaces by Abi Jones _The O'Reilly Bots Podcast covers advances in conversational user interfaces, artificial intelligence, and messaging…_www.oreilly.com O'Reilly Bots Podcast ideas and resources. — curated by the team Messaging Weekly Smooch — Curated by and the team Chatbots Weekly Omar Pera Reply.ai 🍜 Startups 🗣 Platforms _Actions on Google lets developers build experiences for the Google Assistant._developers.google.com Actions on Google | Actions on Google | Google Developers _Find companies with expertise in designing, developing and optimizing Alexa skills, from agencies and development to…_developer.amazon.com Find Experienced Skill Builders and Tools _I'm open-source, which means you can grab my smarts and put it in a device of your own design. Voice enable your fridge…_mycroft.ai Home - Mycroft _Cortana is your personal assistant, always ready to help you in every situation. See what the world's most personal…_www.microsoft.com Cortana - Meet your personal assistant - Microsoft - Global _Siri on Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod touch lets you use your voice to send messages, make calls, set reminders and more._www.apple.com iOS - Siri - Apple (UK) _Viv is an artificial intelligence platform that enables developers to create an intelligent, conversational interface…_viv.ai Viv 👔 Companies Capito Systems Cognitive Code — Silvia Mindmeld Nuance Verbio ( ) Raven Tech Acq by Baidu Mobvoi ☁️ Cloud Services Amazon Lex Amazon Polly Google Cloud Platform Microsoft Cognitive Services 🛠 Build - SDKs & Frameworks Assist Alexa Skills Kit Pullstring Conversable Bespoken Tools Api.ai for Google Assistant Api.ai for Amazon Alexa Kitt.ai Sayspring Houndify Smartly.ai Gomix IFTTT Mosaic - Extras This post by is a great place to get started: Brian Donohue _Last night betaworks and Amazon hosted the first NYC Amazon Alexa Meetup to bring Alexa owners and enthusiasts together…_medium.com Build your First Alexa Skill AlexaTutorial How to Build your First Amazon Alexa Skill (eBook) by Rocket Insights _Build your first custom skill in just 10 minutes (no programming experience required)._iot-for-all.com Alexa, What’s for Lunch? _At StdLib (“Standard Library”) we allow developers to deploy functions written in Node.js as infinitely scalable API…_hackernoon.com Build an Alexa Skill in 7 Minutes Flat with Node.js and StdLib _Simple builder for Alexa replies._www.npmjs.com alexa-message-builder 💼 Agencies Xandra Assist Rain Mobiquity Matchbox Solstice SciFutures VaynerMedia Witlingo, Inc. AKQA Razorfish Giant Spoon Iconmobile Newscycle Solutions Blink Mindshare TribalScale Volara Vectorform XAPPmedia, Inc. Unified Computer Intelligence Corporation UI Centric Opearlo VocaliD Conversant Labs Future of Voice 📈 Analytics VoiceLabs.co Opearlo Analytics Witlingo, Inc dashbot Botanalytics 🎙 Products Alexa Skills Store App on and iOS Android Unofficial Alexa Skills Store — list of commands that you can ask Google’s voice assistant OK Google Finie 🤖 Hardware Nucleus Jam Voice Ivee Jibo Whyd Kuri Lynx Hello Egg Triby IO Petnet TrackR Musaic Scout Alarm Garageio Toymail ecobee Luma ring Thalmic Labs embodied Owlet Vesper 🤑 Fundraising Alexa Fund Alexa Accelerator, powered by Techstars Lightspeed Ventures Launch Capital NextView Ventures — Betaworks Get Support from the Alexa Team at Betaworks’ Voicecamp _voicecamp is a program for anyone building within the ecosystem of conversational interfaces._betaworks.com voicecamp 💵 Alexa Fund (All the companies announced) Sutro invoxia Petnet Rachio mojio TrackR Musaic Scout Alarm Garageio Toymail Dragon Innovation Kitt.ai ecobee Luma ring Nucleus Defined Crowd Vesper 👥 People & Posts — General Partner . M.G. Siegler GV On Twitter _Vocal computing has a shot at being the next platform — or more — if the big guys don’t screw it up_500ish.com The Voice _“Voice will never be the interaction model,” they say, out loud, to communicate their thoughts._500ish.com Computing in Concert - partner at + runs . Matt Hartman betaworks Hearing Voices Newsletter On Twitter _The rise of services that live in Chatbots, Voice Computing, & Mixed Reality_render.betaworks.com Interfaces On Demand — people-first investor . Sarah Guo Greylock Partners On Twitter _Part 3 in a series on the Conversational Economy_news.greylock.com The Conversational Economy — Voice and the New Era of Multi-Modal Computing — Reporter at TechCrunch. Sarah Perez On Twitter _The next mainstream computing platform may not be bots, AR, or VR, but rather voice-based computing. According to a new…_techcrunch.com 24.5M voice-first devices expected to ship this year, but apps struggle to retain users — vp at . Patrick Montague betaworks On Twitter _Following the success of 2016’s botcamp, betaworks is pleased to announce camps as an ongoing product line. Each year…_render.betaworks.com Announcing Voicecamp — Freelance writer + developer. Owen Williams On Twitter _For decades the technology industry has been chasing the holy grail of computing: natural language conversation. Humans…_medium.com Google Home changed the way I think about voice assistants — CEO Assist. Shane Mac On Twitter _We are excited to announce that the Assist platform is powering one of the first brands on Google Home, Lonely Planet._medium.com Talk to Lonely Planet on Google Home — Senior Product Manager, Intercom. Hugh Durkin On Twitter _When consumer internet arrived in the 1990s, it ushered in a new age of communication. Free internet chat applications…_blog.intercom.com Why voice will be the dominant chatbot interface - Inside Intercom — Partner, . Aaron Batalion Lightspeed On Twitter _When I was a kid, my computer had a SoundBlaster card. If you were a geek like me, you remember editing your autoexec…_medium.com Skate to where the voice is going… — UX / product design . Johna Paolino General Assembly On Twitter _Two Simple User Experience Design Gestures that Delighted a Female User_medium.com Google Home vs Alexa — Trying to build a better company, every day and . Adam Marchick @VoiceLabsCo Kahuna — Co-Founder / EIR @ The Chernin Group. Alexandre Linares @VoiceLabsCo On Twitter _The Voice Report starts with the underlying hardware devices and works its way up the voice-first stack_read.acloud.guru The 2017 Voice Report — CEO and CoFounder, PullString. Prev, Pixar. Oren Jacob On Twitter — Founder + Editor at . Brian Roemmele Multiplex On Twitter _During the early computer era of the 1960s, it was thought there would only be the need for a few dozen computers. By…_techpinions.com There is A Revolution Ahead and It Has A Voice _“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans”–Apple…_medium.com Apple’s Secret AI Technology: Meet Vocal IQ the self learning technology that is a part of Siri2. — Invented the hashtag; X Uber; Xoogler. Chris Messina On Twitter — Director of User Experience . Author of the O’Reilly book Designing Voice User Interfaces. Cathy Pearl @Sense_ly On Twitter _Edit description_www.amazon.com Designing Voice User Interfaces: Principles of Conversational Experiences — Strategically-oriented product design leader . Trip ODell @Amazon On Twitter _Several times a week, my children host an evening dance party in the living room. The playlist features all the modern…_medium.com Velveteen Rabbits: What a Children’s Story Can Teach Us About Computers that Talk. — Co-founder & Partner at NextView Ventures. David Beisel On Twitter _In the three months since I penned my initial blog post on "Ubiquity of Voice and the Venture Opportunity," I've been…_genuinevc.co Charting the Personal Voice Computing Startup Roadmap - GenuineVC Nithya Thadani — CEO of Rain _Last October, New York-based digital agency Rain worked with Campbell's to find a new way to push out the CPG giant's…_www.adweek.com How This Agency Built Its Own App Using Amazon Echo —I’m an Innovation-Obsessed Founder at Mylestone. Dave Balter On Twitter _Why Voice Assistants may be the answer you’ve been looking for._medium.com “Alexa, How Can I Get Unfair Ecosystem Advantage” — Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners. Jeremy Liew On Twitter _Games have been a killer app for just about every new platform, from PCs to TVs (via game consoles) to Facebook to…_medium.com Games for Alexa — Co-Founder/CEO Siri & Viv Labs. Dag Kittlaus On Twitter _Why Viv is Joining Forces with Samsung_elevate.samsungnext.com The Path to Intelligence Everywhere — Co-founder of . Jan König HashtagNow On Twitter _Thoughts on Designing Seamless Voice Experiences_medium.com Alexa, Please Send This To My Screen 🚀 - A community helping facilitate connections to; I am working on an experiment - Get a skill made/make skills for people/companies- Find investors active in the field- Intros to other active enthusiasts- Bounce ideas around with others- Advice & mentorship from experienced individuals- Resources and tools to help you build- Discover interesting products and companies 👍 Please tap “♥︎” if you found this useful to help others see it too 👾 This post is also on GitHub and open for suggestions, just submit a pull request 👉 Feel free to follow and reach out on Twitter 🙏 Thanks to everyone who looked at this draft very early on! And perhaps I’ll see you all in the newsletter or 😉 Build Voices Side Note: I have ‘borrowed’ this template from which is an awesome post & newsletter I use to learn about Machine Learning. Thanks The Non-Technical Guide to Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Sam DeBrule 🙌

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