Google and ADT Build a Nest
Google has announced that it will invest $450 million in ADT, giving it a 6.6 percent share of the security company. This partnership will enable ADT techs to sell and install Google Nest products. Eventually, Google will help to expand ADT’s smart home security product range and become “the cornerstone of ADT’s smart home offering” by loaning its machine learning capabilities to ADT to enhance its products.
The NPD Take:
- The obvious first goal of this investment, for Google, is to get Google products (and thus Google Assistant) in the hands of more people, boosting its distribution channel and eliminating the fear of installation for some consumers. For ADT, having access to Google’s “smarts” will serve to improve its products with better and more accurate detection. Sounds like a win for both.
Wemo Plug Shrinks in Size and Price
Wemo’s Wi-Fi Smart Plug, announced back at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show and finally available for $24.99 – is small…smaller, in fact, than the Wemo Mini Smart Plug (and less expensive, with the MSRP of the Mini version set at $34.99). The smaller footprint means the plug takes up less space, making room to plug something else into the other outlet. The plug is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as with HomeKit (this setup done with the scan of a QR code on the plug for the Home app to automatically add the plug).
The NPD Take:
- Unlike some smart home products (e.g. security cameras, video doorbells…) smart plugs are a bit of a solution searching for a problem. Sales growth in this category have been softening, and developments like Wemo’s lower price and smaller size for this new plug are needed to entice more consumers to buy.