This week Google announced the acquisition of Nest for $3.2 billion. Nest is a young but quickly growing tech company founded by Apple veterans Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. Nest creates “smart thermostats and smoke detectors” that learn your behaviors and adjust usage accordingly. Operated in the cloud, Nest smoke detectors can send your phone a message when the battery is running low and the thermostats can be similarly regulated from a mobile device. It programs itself to run your energy usage more efficiently and becomes more intuitive over time based on your home energy consumption patterns.
The Internet of Things
Google sits on over 56 billion in cash so this investment, however mind-boggling to me, won’t break the bank. What the acquisition does however is provide Google with an opportunity to become more product-focused with product that should be relatively easy to integrate into their other existing platforms. Google is busy in your living spaces currently through Android and Chromecast, the streaming TV gadget, as well as computers and tablets, however as Larry Dignan points out in a piece he wrote this week, “Google’s purchase highlights the importance of the internet of things.” The internet of things is an increasingly popular description of ‘uniquely identifiable objects and their virtual representations in an Internet-like structure.’ Sounds suspiciously Orwellian and cryptic to this 39 year old but I also get it. The technology silo is starting to breakdown and through the internet, we’re starting to see the interconnectedness of product, data, communication and lifestyle. Google bought expertise and the gateway drug to intuitive product and product that can create a greater level of entanglement between consumer and provider (Google). If Fadell stays with Google, which I am inclined to think he will based on interviews, they will have the global platform and muscle to realize their goal for smart, internet-based product development and sales.
Privacy Concerns
Talking to one of our developers this morning who had concerns about the prospect of being hammered with Google ads every time she adjusts her thermostat, I got to thinking about other drawbacks. What does Google do with this information it learns about my family and our home through it’s intuitive product? Having just watched “Her” this weekend about the love affair between a man and an advanced, learning operating system, my enthusiasm with this technology is tempered by my fear that we’re fast approaching a time when critical thinking won’t be necessary. Our products will tell us what we like and don’t like, what we should see, listen to and with whom we should correspond and know. When Fadell was specifically asked whether or not customer data should be shared with Google, his response did not ease my worried mind. “Our privacy policy clearly limits the use of customer information to providing and improving Nest’s products and services. We’ve always taken privacy seriously and this will not change.” I’m curious what and who defines the improvement of Nests products and how do we know this adherence to data protection will remain under Google?
October 9, 2024
Volano Software further commits to the Omaha community by partnering with NAM to offer custom software solutions to nonprofits in Nebraska and Western Iowa. Omaha, NE, October 2024 — Volano Software, a custom software development company, is proud to announce its partnership with the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands (NAM). This partnership brings Volano Software […]
September 28, 2024
Finding a software solution to solving a business challenge can be overwhelming. We have been helping clients find the best approach for their industry challenges since 2007. The result has always been a solution based on your unique situation for a better workflow. One of the most popular questions we hear is whether to buy […]
August 21, 2024
Fall is nearly here. That means students return to school, parents settle into their routines, and summer vacations are distant memories. It also means that the Volano Summer Internship Program is now a wrap. Our two summer interns, Daniel and Micah have packed up and returned to their Fall Semester of school. Before they left, […]
August 20, 2024
OMAHA, NEBRASKA, Volano Software Company Applications for the Nebraska Innovation Fund (NIF) Prototype Grants are open now for Nebraska-based businesses searching to take their business tech from a napkin sketch to a full-blown prototype. At Volano Software, we are highly familiar with this program. In 2023, we were awarded the matching grant for our software […]
November 27, 2023
Volano Software – ESOP Company Volano Software Company based in Omaha, Nebraska announced recently the employees are now co-owners of the software development company. This transition ushers in continued confidence in the team during a challenging time for employee retention for many other software companies. Volano Software, celebrating its 16th year as of 2023, demonstrates […]
June 13, 2023
Data is like a vast set of building blocks, each has different shapes, sizes, and colors. Just like each brick has its unique utility, every piece of data carries a unique piece of information. As a business owner, how can you possibly start understanding what all the pieces of data from those fancy reports mean? […]