As connected home devices and the Internet of Things become ever more ubiquitous, companies are working overtime to ensure that supply is keeping up demand — no matter where that demand may be. Already, smart home products from Nest, including the Learning Thermostat, Protect, and Cam, can be found in homes in more than 190 countries, despite the fact that they’re only available for purchase in seven nations. But all that will soon change.
Beginning February 15, folks in Austria, Germany, Italy, and Spain will be able to purchase a smart thermostat or any other Nest product either via an online retailer or at a brick and mortar store. And of course, the products available for purchase will be those that speak these countries’ native languages. Better still, eager customers can actually start pre-ordering their Nest products on Tuesday, with availability listed at each country’s new Nest home page.
This expansion to four additional countries means that double the number of European households will be able to take advantage of the convenience and efficiency provided by Nest. Moreover, the company says that it plans to make its various products “available through even more energy, insurance, and telco partners,” and will also be partnering with “thousands of Nest Pro installers” to ensure that as many families and individuals as possible have access to these smart home devices.
The globalization comes at a key time in the Alphabet-owned company’s trajectory, as it faced a number of hurdles in 2016, including employee turnover and the departure of co-founder and CEO Tony Fadell. But it looks as though the device maker is hoping to put the woes of 2016 firmly in the past and focus on getting more products into more homes.
“As global demand continues to grow, we’ll continue to expand to more countries,” Nest said in a blog post on Monday. “So stay tuned. Chances are we’ll be appearing near you soon.”
