SAN FRANCISCO — Nest Labs launched the next phase of its strategy to supply technology for the smart home, rolling out a suite of new products that propels the maker of the Nest Learning Thermostat into the home security market with multiple connectivity technolocies, facial recognition capabilites, combo sensors and a smartphone app user interface.
The products, backed by the Nest and Google brands, are likely to pique consumer interest. However, it remains to be seen if Nest can carve out a niche in what is already a crowded space or if technology and ease-of-use will breath new life into a largely stagnant industry.
Speaking at a launch event here Wednesday (Sept. 20), Matt Rogers, Nest's founder and chief product officer, said it was always Nest's vision to go beyond the connected thermostat market it pioneered with its ground-breaking entry in 2011.
"Our mission is to take care of the home, the people in it and the world around it," Rogers said.
Products introduced by Nest Wednesday include a home security system that retails starting at $499, a video doorbell system and a smart outdoor security camera with facial recognition technology similar to the indoor Nest Cam IQ it rolled out in June.
The Nest Secure alarm system is based around Nest Guard, an all-in-one base that serves as an alarm, keypad and motion-sensing unit. The system also includes Nest Detect, a compact battery-powered sensing unit that can detect both motion and up and close movement. The system can be armed and disarmed via the Nest smartphone app, keypad or a touchless NFC-enabled fob known as Nest Tag.
The Nest Secure system consists of the Nest Guard security base (left), Nest Detect sensors (top right) and Nest Tag NFC fob.
Source: Next Labs
Although it doesn't disclose sales figures, Nest is among the leaders in the smart home market, which is projected to be worth $14.7 billion in 2017, according to IHS Markit. About 7 percent of U.S. households in 2017 have connected devices such as thermostats, lighting, security and entertainment, up from less than 1 percent in 2010, according to IHS Markit.
In pushing into the home security market, Nest, a subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet, is trying to grab a slice of the strongest market for connected home and home automation products in the U.S., according to Joe Branca, principal industry analyst in the smart home space at market research firm Strategy Analytics. It's also a market that is extremely crowded and has been largely stagnant for several years, Branca said.
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