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By Tony Connelly, Sports Marketing Reporter

October 2, 2015 | 3 min read

Google’s Internet of Things company, Nest, is to launch an online store which will sell the products it has created in collaboration with leading brands such as LG, Phillips and Whirlpool.

Nest, which was bought by Google in 2014 for $3.2bn, will make its internet-connected home products available on its digital platform as part of its strategy to become the leading retailer in Internet of Things hardware.

The launch of the store coincides with the rollout of its Nest Weave software which will allow its connected home devices to communicate with each other. The communication protocol will make it easier for developers to become part of its ecosystem and will help attract more brands looking to get a footing in the Internet of Things industry.

One of the first products on the online store which will use the new protocol is the Linus lock by Yale which partners with an app to allow users to remotely lock or unlock their front door while also providing data on when people have come or gone.

Nest is hoping to attract more brands to create products for its online store through its Works with Nest scheme which offers third party electronic companies the chance to integrate their technology into Nest’s range of Internet of Things products. More than twelve companies have already signed up including Whirlpool whose washer and dryer machines will be able to switch to quiet mode automatically when people are detected in the house.

Another of the brands involved in the scheme is Phillips Hue, who make the the colour-changing light bulbs, which can now be made to flash or change colour in order to warn inhabitants when a smoke alarm is triggered.

The revenue potential is gaining momentum with one in eight Nest homes already using a Works with Nest product. The company has more than 11,000 developers with integrations built into Nest products.

Matt Rogers, co-founder and vice president of engineering at Nest previously worked at Apple and helped engineer its iPod hardware. He said Works with Nest is working to build “a more thoughtful home where things happen for you, and your products integrate much more seamlessly”.

The online store is currently taking applications from developers who want to have their products appear on the online platform ahead of its launch to customer later this year.

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