Hubitat to Support Iris by Lowe’s Version 1 Zigbee Devices
Lowe’s announced recently that it would be closing the Iris smart home platform March 31.
Hubitat states in an announcement that one of its engineers figured out how the devices communicated with the Iris Cloud-based system.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Home automation platform provider Hubitat has added support for Iris by Lowe’s Version 1 Zigbee Devices.
Lowe’s announced recently that it would be closing the Iris smart home platform March 31. After this date, Lowe’s said its closed Cloud platform would no longer work, and that Version 1 devices could not be used with other platforms.
Early Iris customers bought devices — contact sensors, motion sensors, plug-in outlets, key fobs and more — that were unable to be used on other systems. Hubitat states in an announcement that one of its engineers figured out how the devices communicated with the Iris Cloud-based system.
Mike Maxwell, principle engineer, realized that the flexibility of Hubitat Elevation allows local control and communication with these devices directly. After two weeks of work, Maxwell had a working prototype and showed his proof of concept in a YouTube video.
Parallel to Maxwell’s efforts, Hubitat received hundreds of inquiries asking if their Iris Version 1 devices would work with Elevation, according to the company. Despite the closed Cloud-based system, Maxwell and the rest of the Hubitat team were able to take his proof of concept and integrate it into the platform and release it as part of the new 2.0.8 software release.
“We are doing the impossible, supporting Iris Version 1 Zigbee sensors on a platform that doesn’t require the Cloud or an Internet connection to work,” states Patrick Stuart, Hubitat’s vice president of product and business development. “We have an experienced yet scrappy team that just doesn’t take no for an answer.”
Iris users who purchased v1 Zigbee sensors that could not be moved to other platforms were offered prepaid Visa cards for those sensors. Those users can now use that money to buy Hubitat Elevation, which normally retails for $149.95 in the United States.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Security Is Our Business, Too
For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.
A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.
