Discontinuation of MyQ Connect Community SmartApp

This will have a built in ST hub, too.
And will cost about 3500. Also, it will run Tizen

This is a really good topic for discussion, because SmartThings can certainly give input, but they will be inherently biased and have constraints on how transparent they can be regarding sensitive business partnerships.

Brian and Ben read my mind as I was typing… I really do think that the issue here is that “utopian vision” of SmartThings is getting ahead of the business side complications. Openness is a good business strategy that can attract customers (and developers), but closed-systems also have a lot of advantages (lock-in, easier to support, security, safety…).

If SmartThings wants to achieve the “utopian vision”, then they are going to have to be extremely convincing to some vendors like Chamberlain and Nest. Perhaps these “restricted” Device Type Handlers and SmartApps are a “show of good faith” that help establish a cooperative relationship and trust that will lead to more openness.


But don’t be naive either:
SmartThings may monetize with data aggregation. Yes … ST’s customers own their data; but Chamberlain, Nest, etc., also feel they own the data.

Too bad. It’s my data and I’ll share it with whoever is the most open and innovative.

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Sure, … but, … for some vendors/products, the retail price is affected because the vendor intends to monetize, or lock-in, etc… Doesn’t seem to be the case with Chamberlain, but it is always a factor.

We’ve discussed many times how $99 for SmartThings Hub is an indication that it is low margin (especially considering other acquisitions expenses, support, and cloud); and ThereAintNoSuchThingAsAFreeLunch.

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Might there be a way to take direct control of the myq gateway (hub) or have the ST Hub bypass it and communicate directly to the opener. I assume the gateway uses a proprietary RF signal to the opener, thus can’t get around this?

ST boasted at CES 2015 (1.5 years ago) about the myq integration, what happened?

How can a wink hub system that was basically free able to get full compliance, don’t seem like a Chamberlain issue at all, they have integrated with others?

This is very unfortunate and leaves ST without any official GDO integration. The Linear device, while it may work for many, isn’t so reliable on detached garages. I currently have the Genie Aladdin system which connects through WiFi and has been bulletproof. I tried the Linear device last summer and it kept dropping off of my Z-Wave network, despite using GE outdoor modules on the wall of the house and garage; they just weren’t making the distance.

I knew the Genie wouldn’t be supported on SmartThings, but I just purchased a MyQ system based on the integration and was going to install it this weekend. I will be returning everything this weekend while I figure out another solution.

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At present… Infinity Home, Nest, and Wink.

None of those systems are truly open, it seems the largest issue is Chamberlain doesn’t like the fact that SmartThings allows you to control every aspect of every device without any restrictions.

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The nest integration is pretty poor though as far as I can get it to work it just adds nest status in the myq app?

Wasn’t this integration shown as an example right at the beginning of ST? Am sure they were integrated at the start but maybe wrong.

Sad to see this go as I bought a myq instead of the other option because of it. That’s the risk of relying on the excellent third party dev integrations for ST I guess. Nest could well be next for similar reasons as its not official. Open platforms are fantastic but companies want to protect their own platforms so I see this as just the beginning of the community apps being discontinued.

From a business point of view I am hoping ST are absolutely targeting the top HA devices for official integrations.

There is probably still a substantial risk of “officially published” (or SmartThings written) integrations being disabled for any particular product.

I don’t know that SmartThings establishes a formal relationship agreement for every Device and, even then, vendors may change their APIs, business models, or minds.

(And that includes SmartThings themselves deciding to no longer support a particular Thing).

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It’s called any relay. I use Mimolite and works better than MyQ. Is much faster, runs local, listens to Alexa and can be integrated with IFTTT.

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Alarm.com also has an approved myq integration.

Note that none of these allow custom code or custom device handlers, which allows the company to limit the feature access available. Smartthings is much more flexible, but partner companies don’t always see that as a plus. (See also nest.)

HomeKit is still on the roadmap, according to Chamberlain:

May 3

we are currently working on integrating myq with HomeKit but aren’t able to share specifics on timing. We promise to update you once integration is live.

This is why I don’t understand why Chamberlain seems so disinterested in making this work? If you where on top like Chamberlain (MyQ, Craftsman Assure Link and Liftmaster family) is, why would you not want to be integrated with the top few HA systems? Who cares if they use your own app or theirs, make it a plugin, shortcut or something, this is nuts why a user would want to be foced to run 2 separate apps for their HA system. If there was another top company with a solution and mine died, I’d being leaving the Chamberlain products in the dust…

Have a check box that I have read and agree to some obsurd agreement and there’s no liability on them, who cares, just make it work…

Then they will suffer in the long run, give customers want they want (integration) or loose your customer base in the long run. He who plays nice with everyone will be in the game the longest.

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Simple relays don’t work with modern openers.

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They do. That’s why they added Xfinity home. :wink:

SmartThings is important in the DIY market, but still probably behind wink in terms of total hubs sold.

Wink likely has somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000 hubs sold. Xfinity home has passed the 500,000 mark.

Alarm.com has 2.3 million current subscribers. (From their IPO filing.)

Nest has sold at least 3 million thermostats.

Once they start rolling out SmartThings – enabled Samsung televisions, of course, the numbers will change dramatically. But we’re not there yet.

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Well, depends on how modern the opener and how simple the relay, I guess. I have MyQ integrated with Wink and Nest, but I find myself using either the Homelink or the DO button for my Mimolite relay. Yeah, how many ways one needs to open the garage door…

Yep, but they were giving them away for free at one point, I had 2 myself cause it was cheaper to buy as a packaged kit, but how many of these are still in active use?