Consumers and businesses interested in smart home technology now have another option for controlling everything from light switches to thermostats in the home or office.
Insteon and Google Assistant Team Up
Insteon, the maker of various connected home solutions, just announced that its line of smart home devices will be compatible with Google Assistant. So those with speaker devices like Google Home, eligible smartphones or other assistant-enabled devices can activate all of those Insteon gadgets with a simple “Hey Google” command.
Insteon’s line of connected products includes light bulbs, thermostats, wall switches and plug-in devices. Previously, you could control all of those devices and features using the Insteon Hub app. But with the increasing popularity of voice assistants and products like Google Home, connecting an entire line of smart home products to a voice enabled solution seems to be the next logical step.
Mark Spates, Product Lead for Smart Home at Google said in a statement, “With the Google Assistant and Insteon, users can control their lights, plugs, outlets and more, no matter where they are in their day or what device they’re using.”
Of course, there are other connected home products, some of which even offer voice control functionality. So the actual capability isn’t especially groundbreaking. But the thing that sets this option apart is the ability to connect to a voice assistant that people are already using for other functions.
For small businesses, this demonstrates one powerful tactic you can use to make an offering more appealing to potential customers. The worst thing you can do is to make it difficult for people to use your product or service. So if you’re able to meet them where they are, you can eliminate lots of potential roadblocks. And connecting with popular products or services that your customers are already using is one powerful strategy.
In addition, this could help some entrepreneurs more efficiently manage their lighting and electricity use. If you don’t already have any of Insteon’s connected devices, then that would represent an upfront expense. But if you already have a device that can connect to the Google Assistant, including an iPhone or Android smartphone, then you already have one of the necessary components.
Image: Insteon
Now adoption can really switch into high gear, even though they’ve been selling a ton of Google Home and Alexa devices.
Annie Pilon
For sure – it seems like it’s really starting to take off.
Aira Bongco
The way appliances or products in the office are being used is bound to change and it will for the better. I am excited in what’s in store for us in the future.
Technologies are evolving fast. So we must never be stagnant in our ways or we will get left behind.
It’s even more important to think about where this will take us. What technologies can be created in conjunction with this?