Google enters IoT, home automation platform battle with Brillo

Home automation protocols are continuing to proliferate with Apple's HomeKit and Samsung's Artik managing the smart home, and ZigBee and Z-Wave being adopted in a variety of products. Now Google has also entered the fray with its Brillo/Weave protocol, a system baked in to its latest Android version, Android M.

Brillo is the underlying Android-based OS for IoT devices. It is far less resource intensive so that it does not consume much power. Weave, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE allows Android smartphone/tablet "control centers" to talk to other devices. The Brillo and Weave protocols will not, at the time of this writing, be compatible with other IoT systems.

This could be a headache for IoT developers and retailers. Like another walled garden, Brillo devices would not talk to HomeKit-exclusive and ZigBee devices, and vice versa. In short, every major entrant into the IoT market appears to want to be the control center.

Despite that, Google's advantage is its scale and existing products. First, Android is the most-used OS in the world. Second, Google strengthened its presence in IoT by acquiring Nest Labs and US' leading home IP video surveillance product, Dropcam. Nest products will be compatible with Brillo/Weave, creating an existing ecosystem that can be plugged into quickly. In addition, Google has more flexibility than Apple when it comes to Android apps, and that attitude may carry over for its hardware partners as well, creating a more diverse set of product offerings.

Does this mean that everyone should drop HomeKit, Z-Wave or Zigbee development? No. Overall, the market is still evolving, and Google may stumble in execution. Nevertheless, this represents a significant development for DIY IP video surveillance, access control and other IoT vendors.