{"id":16642,"date":"2016-11-17T21:54:11","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T02:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/nest-our-real-life-j-a-r-v-i-s-perhaps-but-not-quite-yet\/"},"modified":"2016-11-17T21:54:11","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T02:54:11","slug":"nest-our-real-life-j-a-r-v-i-s-perhaps-but-not-quite-yet","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/nest-our-real-life-j-a-r-v-i-s-perhaps-but-not-quite-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"NEST: our real-life J.A.R.V.I.S?\u2026 Perhaps, but not quite yet."},"content":{"rendered":"
Popular culture has allowed us to fantasize, filling our imagination with high tech wizardry that since forever seemed farfetched\u2026until today. The ideal combination of technological evolution and bold leaders with big dreams, has enabled innovative products to seep through the fantasy world of innovation and machine learning. Google owned Nest Labs is one of several companies spearheading the transformation towards a new world of myriad possibilities through data gathering and analysis.<\/p>\n
Some may wonder however how Nest\u2019s thermostat can transform, capture and create value that makes it worth the $3.2 billion dollars that Google paid through its acquisition of the company in 2014?[1]<\/a>.<\/p>\n By simply selling its product, Nest is capturing important data to self-learn the human habits related to heating and cooling decisions a homeowner makes in order to maintain the owners comfort with little to no programming. Through this process it creates Big Data about the operation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and human occupancy patterns[2]<\/a>.<\/p>\n This invaluable information helps achieve its primary objective of reducing homeowner energy consumption costs (cooling more when needed and heating more when needed) as well as providing utility suppliers with information relating to overall power demand requirements; something that manually controlled thermostats were unable to achieve. In addition, it allows utility suppliers to adjust and improve power supply network in order to meet environmental and local power products goals[3]<\/a>.<\/p>\n This simple change in homes (if scalable) can produce huge amounts of saving for the power utility sector. By developing a digital record of performance, Nest is able to activate the systems remotely, and can be used to identify and execute optimal operations for the whole network of homes, smoothing out peak loads and reducing demand.<\/p>\n The data gathered and benefits associated with that data enables Nest to do more as Google expands its capabilities and builds a bigger networks of users. Only now with the addition of other \u201cWorks with Nest\u201d[4]<\/a> products such as \u00a0smoke monitors and cameras, Google is enabling Nest to become a full in-house smart monitoring system. The big data that is gathered in the cloud can help homeowners, companies and even governments make optimal decision that has the potential to be monetized to generate big value.<\/p>\n With big opportunities come even bigger challenges. <\/em><\/p>\n By looking at Nest we may be able to understand the challenges and limitations to digitalization that some of the hottest sections of the tech world faces today. Skeptics argue that Nest co-founder and CEO Tony Fadell, exemplifies how an Apple-like attention to product, and a focus on building a platform instead of ecosystem can hinder the potential of a promising vision. From a costumer point of view several problems exist which I will briefly outline below beginning with the modern day Maslow\u2019 Hierarchy of needs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Today, no one knows what to do with a smart home or why they want one. While we now have Wi-Fi on the updated hierarchy of needs, there isn\u2019t a smart home. So our first problem is getting consumers to believe in and adopt the concept of connected smart home devices. Other issues for homeowners include price, installation complexity and technological\/ development lags. Today, it is difficult to convince a customer to purchase a \u201csmart\u201d lock that costs 3x+ of \u201cdumb\u201d lock that still has connectivity issues and is not completely compatible with other expensive smart devices and one that requires constant upgrades with technological improvements[6]<\/a>.<\/p>\n The more pressing challenges related to digitalization are those that technology companies such as Nest face. These challenges relate to accommodating the great diversity of devices that varying in both uses and sophistication. Collaborating with other companies to establishing standards flexible enough (from a compatibility perspective) to embrace all devices is proving to be a very complicated task.<\/p>\n The future of companies like Nest depend on their ability to build the right ecosystem and innovate and connect devices at the right pace. Today, our generation is unable to predict how quickly and where these technological breakthroughs may lead, thus creating an extra layer of ambiguity for both consumers, developers and investors. Despite the challenges, I believe in the opportunity that digitalization and innovation bring and look forward to a future where Big Data and technology are used to solve pressing issues and hope to engage in the lifestyle transformation that awaits us.<\/p>\n Word: 798<\/strong><\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Wohlsen, Marcus. “What Google Really Gets Out of Buying Nest for $3.2 Billion.” Wired.com. January 1, 2014. Accessed November 13, 2016.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> “Central Heating Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) Systems.” Consumer Energy Center – Central Heating Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) Systems. Accessed November 16, 2016.<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> “Digitization Lessons from Google\u2019s Nest.” BIG DATA TO BIG PROFITS. October 6, 2016. Accessed November 16, 2016.<\/p>\n [4]<\/a> Lacoma, Tyler. “All Devices and Apps That Work with Google Nest.” Digital Trends. June 04, 2016. Accessed November 16, 2016.<\/p>\n
<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 [5]<\/a><\/p>\n