The Scout DIY connected-home system earns 'Works with Nest' certification
But just when it looked Scout's promise of a DIY, flexible security system could turn out to be just that, it finally began shipping to pre-order customers in October 2014. Now, just four months later, it has both an IFTTT (If This Then That) channel and "Works with Nest" certification.
"We are excited to announce our much-anticipated integration with Nest!" the company said in a blog post Tuesday, adding that it spent the last two months working with the Google-owned company "to enable seamless access and control of your Nest device(s) within your Scout account." This announcement comes just a few days after the system received its own IFTTT channel.
The company says you can now add the Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detector to your Scout account just as you would any of your Scout devices, which include the $129 Scout Hub, $69 Door Panel (RFID-enabled open/close sensor), $29 Access Sensor (only 802.15.4, no RFID), $49 Motion Sensor, and $169 HD camera.
"When you arm a mode that includes your Nest Protect device, and have the mode setup to send you a notification if a device has been triggered, you will receive a notification when Nest Protect detects carbon monoxide or smoke," the company explained.
Likewise, you can specify which Scout modes will switch your Nest smart thermostat to "Home" or "Away".
Why this matters: Scout has come a fair way from its launch four months ago, when it was a mostly incestuous suite of home security hardware and software. While its integration with Nest and IFTTT are both welcome developments, we would like to see it break the ice with a few more ZigBee-compatible devices like itself. And we definitely look forward to that SmartThings integration that the company says it's currently working on.