“Wondering where all the Apple HomeKit products are?” Kieren McCarthy asks for The Register. “Well, here’s an explanation: Apple is forcing internet-of-things companies to fit Apple-certified chips and firmware in their gadgets if they are to work with the HomeKit platform.”
MacDailyNews Take: Good.
“That means, in a lot of cases, engineers must effectively redesign their products to incorporate the mandatory HomeKit chips and firmware, and pass Apple’s strict checklist of requirements, industry sources have told The Register,” McCarthy reports. “Such moves are expensive and time consuming, but ultimately benefit [consumers].”
“Without a certified communications chip, and Apple’s firmware, the device cannot work with the HomeKit system,” McCarthy reports. “Device manufacturers have to go through an entire Apple-controlled process certifying their hardware before they can use the HomeKit system, we’re told. When they are approved, manufacturers receive Cupertino-stamped stickers that identify individual products with an eight-digit number that users have to type into their app to connect the product to their home system. Reflecting Apple’s control-freak tendencies, all data from HomeKit products runs through Apple’s iCloud – so you must use an Apple ID – and manufacturers are not given access to any data gathered from their own customers. Cupertino even has to sign off on the packaging used for the third-party products before they are given HomeKit certification.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Thank Jobs that Apple is a “control freak!”
We Apple users actually expect our products to work.
Don’t launch until it’s all certified to work. A finicky, hit-or-miss, Microsoftian mess is the last thing home automation needs. It would die on the vine. This stuff need to “just work” right out of the box. There’s one chance to get it right. Consumers won’t go for home automation it it isn’t foolproof. Third-party device makers should not be frustrated, they should be exceedingly grateful that Apple is in charge.
I agree with Apple ensuring quality, but mandating what the packaging looks like seems a bit much. Why not just buy a few companies and make the products themselves if they’re getting that involved?
They want to make sure it’s thin enough, or to avoid things like this on the label:
“A4 TECH: We’ve gained a lot of prizes for many years until now. Therefore, we supply many products with good quality; and good products are produced from very well factory which is located in mainland China for over 16,000 square meters. The stuff in our company are very well, strictcontrol. We sell over 1,800,000 pieces of mice per month over the worldwide.”
That was on the package for a mouse I bought once when I was in China.
DOA. Homekit will go nowhere.
Apple’s OCD about IOT security means Apple is going to OWN IOT.
So go home and cry about it. 😛
Finicky is the last word I would use to describe anything to do with Microslop!
I’ve been using Insteon’s Hub Pro for a few weeks, and while it’s Apple HomeKit certified, it’s still VERY beta in its usability. Siri works sometimes, sometimes not, around the house on the LAN, but not at all yet over cellular. I’m not sure how much of this is Insteon’s software/hardware or Apple’s HomeKit fault, but it’s definitely got some growing up to meet Apple’s usual workability standards.
I’m fine being a beta tester, but this isn’t ready for prime time yet.
Yes, foolproof…and SECURE. I’m glad Apple is insistent here.
Quality…Security…Privacy Apple Cares
Bless you Apple for taking IOT (Internet of Things) security SERIOUSLY! 😇
Just about no one else does, which so far has made the IOT a colossal, detrimental mess on the Internet. 😲
This is the bleeding edge of the IOT. Have patience until Apple does it RIGHT! Every other IOT company: Catch the hell up before Apple PWNs your business!
Good!! I am happy that Apple is a control freak. Because if they were not the our stuff would be in chaos like windows and Android products are. When I buy something I expect it to work.