The public opinion towards the Internet of Things is a big fat “meh” at the moment. Many hardware products seemingly fall into the “nice to have” rather than “must have” category.

I’m hoping Nest hasn’t become one of those products. The company announced this week its intention to stop providing updates and security services for Revolv, a hub that allows users to control lights in their homes.

This has become unnerving yet common prospect of the Internet of Things - you can buy an expensive piece of hardware, yet in reality the creators can decide whether or not you get to use it. In some cases, homeowners have even been blocked out of their own security systems.

Abruptly closing down a product sets a unfair example for other IoT hardware companies and I hope it sparks a conversation in the industry about what your business should do to avoid alienating users in the case of a shutdown or a buyout.

It’s already hard enough to convince non-techies to pay premium for internet-connected lights and washing machines. There aren’t exactly a lot of people excitedly lining up to buy an internet-connected thermostat every 2-3 years.

Saying that, Revolv only sold fewer than 10,000 units, so… fair play to Nest. It’s difficult to justify spending resources on security patches for an under-selling product. Fingers crossed that one day an Internet connection will be a standard feature of every device and people will start buying them en masse.

Image courtesy of new.abb.com