United States. Ecobee, Inc. announced that its new smart thermostats will initially be sold in Apple stores in the United States. This is the company's first thermostat sold by Apple - HomeKit.
Announced in June 2014, HomeKit is a framework created by Apple that allows developers to create software to discover, configure, and communicate with devices and control them for home automation. By developing a language, Apple hopes that the fragmentation of the market within home automation can be resolved. These devices could be controlled using Siri on any Apple mobile device. By doing this, Apple hopes to make its iPhones and iPads more important devices in the potential long and lucrative home automation industry.
Ecobee will also benefit from a sales channel that will boost its brand recognition and allow the company to compete with its peers.
IHS, which revealed the report, estimates that smart thermostats made up only 16% of all thermostat unit sales in 2014. Other manufacturers could investigate partnerships with utilities or home security providers, in order to see if there is enough opportunity in the market to justify additional investment and support long-term growth.
