Staples Adopts ‘Staples Connect’ Control Platform for November Launch

As CEDIA members head to Denver for their annual Expo to view the latest products for the specialty custom electronics market, the mainstream home control world got a new player Tuesday when Staples said it will launch Staples Connect in November. Staples Connect, based on a Linksys Hub, is designed to let consumers control automated devices in the home or small office via an app. The $99 Linksys Hub enables wireless communication among devices, which at launch will include control and lighting products from Lutron, Philips and GE, a thermostat from Honeywell, and lock and safety devices from companies Yale, DoorBot and First Alert. Users will be able to control devices in their homes via laptop, smartphone or tablet, Staples said.

On the timing of the decision to enter the home control market, Peter Gerstberger, Staples senior category merchant, told us in an email the retailer wants to offer consumer and small-to-medium business customers a “multi-branded, vendor-agnostic” connected home solution. As a “major reseller of technology and networking products, it makes sense” for Staples to “take the lead in this category” and offer a single platform that creates a “simple experience for customers,” he said.

Staples is billing Connect as easy to set up, but consumers can also have a solution installed by Staples EasyTech Services, the chain said. Installation will include “all-inclusive installation of all devices,” Gerstberger said. He stopped short of using the phrase, “product training,” and said installation will include “establishing a baseline understanding of the App with the customer.” Pricing hasn’t been set for installation he said, but prices for controllable devices will range from $29 to $199, he said. Some 20 products will be available at launch, with “hundreds more” available online, he said.

The multi-technology platform was developed by Zonoff and includes a Wi-Fi voice-activated assistant from ivee. At launch, devices will use different wireless protocols including Z-Wave and Lutron Clear Connect, “with the ability to add on others,” including ZigBee, later as new products and standards emerge, Gerstberger said. On criteria for the product selection, Gerstberger said Staples was looking for “a broad selection of devices from trusted brands for both home and office."

Connect will be available in a limited number of Staples’ “top technology” stores at rollout in November, Gerstberger said. The location of the Connect kiosk in stores will vary depending on layout, but the goal is to place kiosks in the technology products section, he said. Staples plans to extend the rollout over time, but Gerstberger didn’t commit to the retailer offering the solution in all Staples locations.

Staples’ vision for Connect is a “universal connected home platform incorporating all of the trusted brands and wireless standards into one hub and app,” Gerstberger said. Connected homes have previously been just for early adopters, he said, but Staples believes it has an opportunity to “educate the general public and drive even more engagement with the space,” he said.

Consumers can buy a packaged starter kit or make a la carte purchases, and the modular approach allows them to expand at their own pace, the company said. According to the StaplesConnect website, http://bit.ly/1aladel, customers can put devices on schedules to operate at a certain time and can create “smart” activities combining several functions. An example given on the website: When a user pulls into a driveway, the front door automatically unlocks and the lights and stereo turn on. Icons on the Staples Connect website show applications including a garage door opener and a webcam, although those products haven’t been announced.

Zonoff, meanwhile, calls its cross-technology approach a “best-of-breed” combination of home, cloud and app software for home automation, remote control, energy management and safety monitoring. Solutions range from entry-level to “comprehensive solutions,” according to company literature. In addition, it said, Zonoff’s “commerce engine” provides a recurring revenue opportunity as consumers upgrade their homes.