The Challenge
The Nest Thermostat is an industry leading smart home device that uses a combination of sensors, algorithms, machine learning, and cloud computing to save users money by automatically adjusting their home temperature when they’re away. The “Works with Nest” program was launched in 2014, to expand the capabilities of the Nest Thermostat by allowing it to talk with other devices. Nest was looking for integrations that would help improve the accuracy of their home/away detection, and expand the ecosystem its users could access through the Nest platform. The door lock was a clear target for providing users’ location information.
The Solution
Nest partnered with UniKey in late 2014 to build a complete integration with the UniKey platform in time for CES 2015. Over four weeks, the Nest team worked with UniKey to turn insights from their smart locks into actionable data for the Nest Thermostat. The integration provided several benefits to customers who had both a Nest Thermostat and a Kevo smart lock powered by UniKey.
Users were able to have custom profiles on their Nest Thermostat for the first time. Information from who was coming home was shared between the lock and the thermostat to set the temperature to the specific user’s ideal level. This data was also used to improve the home/away detection for the Nest Thermostat, and in turn save users money. Users were delighted to see that they could also control their Nest Thermostat from directly within the Kevo mobile app.
The result of the integration was an increase in sales for both products. The Nest Thermostat had improved functionality when connected to a lock powered by UniKey, and users who had one product were encouraged to by the complementary device.
Platform Solutions Used
Cloud-based Access Control features / App Templates, Reference Designs & Development
Ecosystem Integrations / Access Control & eKey Security