Dive Brief:

• Google rolled out updates to its Internet of Things developer platform including a Developer Preview of Android Things and an updated Weave platform to make it easier to connect devices with the cloud to interact with services like Google Assistant, according to a company blog post.
• The Android Things update will allow developers to more easily build smart devices using Android APIs and Google services as well as remaining secure through updates from Google.
• According to the post, these updates are the beginning of an IoT ecosystem with a wide range of support for Android Things, Weave and Google Cloud Platform allowing developers to create smart, connected products.

Dive Insight:

While Google and Alphabet are active in IoT hardware, the latest announcement about updates to the IoT developer platform indicates the tech giant wants to increase the overall footprint of IoT devices and bring third-party development into its overall IoT ecosystem.

Third-party involvement is necessary for Google to extend the reach of IoT across multiple touchpoints and address how, in the near future, consumers are expected to be connected no matter where they throughout their day in the future. Amazon has a head start in building connected experiences in the home but Google clearly has its sights on an even broader reach for IoT.

Google instantly became a player in the Internet of Things space when it acquired Nest in January 2014. Nest is now under the wing of Google parent company Alphabet and earlier this year the tech company launched a new campaign promoting the IoT products. Google has also become active in the home services space with its Home digital assistant, a product that faces competition from Amazon’s Echo and offerings from Apple as well.