Microsoft partners with home automation specialist Insteon

[Shawn Knight]

If nothing else, Google’s $3.2 billion acquisition of Nest earlier this year was expected to light a fire under the competition in the home automation space. It would appear those expectations have been met as Microsoft recently announced a partnership with home automation and control specialist Insteon that will result in an enhanced version of the company’s app for Windows and Windows Phone 8.1 devices.

As outlined in a press release on the matter, the app will include exclusive new features like visitor mode, live tiles, enhanced camera support, multi-house support and a dashboard view.

The app is only half of the equation as Microsoft will also directly sell Insteon connected home products through its online store and in many of its retail locations. Specifically, three kits – a starter kit, a home kit and a business kit – will be offered in addition to five standalone devices: the Insteon leak sensor, open/close sensor, LED bulb, on/off module and a wireless Wi-Fi camera.

Complete kits will start at $199 while individual components range in price from $29.99 to $79.99.

For those unfamiliar with the name, Insteon has been a serious player in the home automation space for many years. Their systems use both the existing wires (power line) in the home and radio-frequency (RF) communication instead of relying on Wi-Fi connections and routers that may not always work. Insteon’s product catalog currently consists of more than 200 different devices.

The Insteon app for Windows and Windows Phone 8.1 will arrive on June 1, the same day Insteon’s wares will hit Microsoft’s store shelves.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/56791-microsoft-partners-with-home-automation-specialist-insteon.html

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

It's a lot cheaper to discover the power of switching on/off lights, locking/unlocking doors myself and I'll stick with that for a long time to come.

 

[Guest]

It's a lot cheaper to discover the power of switching on/off lights, locking/unlocking doors myself and I'll stick with that for a long time to come.

You know, in just about every article mentioning something new you post some cynical self appreciating statement. If its not console games that you proclaim to avoid, its things like this. Geez man, if you're not interested in the latest tech and have no desire to get the latest stuff, and choose instead to stick with good old elbow grease, as you so elegantly put it, or stick with some pc you built 5 years ago as you still believe its good enough, then why are you even on this site? Are you here just to state what you're NOT going to be doing, or are you here to read up and post constructive argument on the technology itself? Or you could simply rattle on about how we don't need any of this, proclaim the error of our ways, and revert to days gone past of actually getting up, walking over, and physically change the channel on our TV's?

 

[HellcatM]

I have to say this is great news! From what I heard the Nest products aren't really that great. So this is really good that Microsoft went in with a reputable company. The price isn't that bad either, but installation is probably expensive.

 

[drjekel_mrhyde]

I have to say this is great news! From what I heard the Nest products aren't really that great. So this is really good that Microsoft went in with a reputable company. The price isn't that bad either, but installation is probably expensive.

If it's anything like the Comcast thing it shouldn't be hard for anyone to do it. I watched the tech put my cousin's security system in and it took around 10 minutes to install and 5 to get everything up to par. A thermostat might be the hardest(a whole connecting 3 wires hard).

 

[HellcatM]

I have to say this is great news! From what I heard the Nest products aren't really that great. So this is really good that Microsoft went in with a reputable company. The price isn't that bad either, but installation is probably expensive.

If it's anything like the Comcast thing it shouldn't be hard for anyone to do it. I watched the tech put my cousin's security system in and it took around 10 minutes to install and 5 to get everything up to par. A thermostat might be the hardest(a whole connecting 3 wires hard).

And that 15 minutes cost about $100 right?

 

[pmcardle]

From what I heard the Nest products aren't really that great.

I have a Nest (1st gen) and it works flawlessly; I think it's a great device but I suspect others haven't had the same experience. I like the hardware in this article too. Unlike the Nest, it has a lot more options.

 

[pmcardle]

It's a lot cheaper to discover the power of switching on/off lights, locking/unlocking doors myself and I'll stick with that for a long time to come.

You know, in just about every article mentioning something new you post some cynical self appreciating statement. If its not console games that you proclaim to avoid, its things like this. Geez man, if you're not interested in the latest tech and have no desire to get the latest stuff, and choose instead to stick with good old elbow grease, as you so elegantly put it, or stick with some pc you built 5 years ago as you still believe its good enough, then why are you even on this site? Are you here just to state what you're NOT going to be doing, or are you here to read up and post constructive argument on the technology itself? Or you could simply rattle on about how we don't need any of this, proclaim the error of our ways, and revert to days gone past of actually getting up, walking over, and physically change the channel on our TV's?

Nicely said, I couldn't agree more...

 

[HellcatM]

I have a Nest (1st gen) and it works flawlessly; I think it's a great device but I suspect others haven't had the same experience. I like the hardware in this article too. Unlike the Nest, it has a lot more options.

I heard it had some issues, forgot what they were. Also I just read this http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/21/go...and-more/?ncid=rss&source=gravity&cps=gravity

If its true, ads on your thermostat and other thing would get really annoying.