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Fibaro IFTTT Channel Integration is NEEDED


matt1981

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FIbaro really needs to get with the picture and play catch up with modern technology of 2017.  To allow for a more fluid integration with other third party services, like; google home, alexa, IFTTT, homee, etc. the Ha bridge was the only true 'natural speech" technology that felt natural without having to "request or tell __ to increase the volume, etc. before it simply worked very well, once set up correctly.  hey google/alexa turn on the living room light.  now im stuck with an extra step of "asking" google home/alexa to tell fibaro to do something.  pretty stupid if you ask me. this is not home automation.  this "half assed integration.   IFTTT first solved this by being able to link alexa/google home to make it feel more natural by saying "hey google/alexa, turn on the hall light."

 

stop twiddling your thumbs and get with the picture and start getting serious.  your facebook page is nice, but it does nothing for your existing customers that already own your system.  with each day of in-action, you risk losing them to other controllers that "actually" do listen to their users and add their requests.   

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Don't get me wrong, I too would love IFTTT integration, but plz allow me to play the Devil's advocate here:

 

Why would Fibar want to provide IFTTT support?

They are aiming for the mass, the average Joe. Not us, geeks. It is of far more value to them to further stabilize their current products and solutions; which already is quite a pain in the pass (as we all know). Why would they onboard even more potential problems, allowing more and more 3rd party solutions/products/alternatives; threatening their market share. More and more possible things which will not work (to the customer's expectations), resulting in negative feedback in the market. I think it is of far more value to them to position themselves and their own products/solutions as THE market/zwave standard..

 

Eventually losing a few dozens/hundreds of geeks does not outweight the market's potentials, with smart living as THE next big thing.

 

Once again, I too would appreciate IFTTT, but I believe there are bigger interests at play here..

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  • i can see your angle, but for example, look at Home Assistant.  they rarely have problems and they already have a large 3rd party integration of products that "work."  some of the die hard users of Fibaro HC2 are still having issues that never get resolved.  if Fibaro allowed for a more community based model, their system would be leaps and bounds ahead of the competition... it just that fibaro takes months and months to roll out any type of upgrade that users actually want or need and issues normally persist after many updates and really never get resolved...  

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    Could be, but bottom line Fibar ofcourse cares about profit and market share. I expect them to have a strategic roadmap, based on which they design and develop their solutions. The very fact that there already are issues which STILL are not resolved can be a reason to not further extend. Ofcourse, maybe a community based model would work, but after that there is a) no way back and b) this is probably not in line with their strategy, or they would have brought this to the table already.. Nonetheless; the only glass bowl I have is broken (p.o.s.), so who knows what the future holds.. :)

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    I don't think so. My experience with IFTTT is that every time I try and create stable & critical stuff it fails. And from a security perspective... not good.

     

    What is it you need from IFTTT that you can't do with HC? I have seamless, secure integration of HC2, Alexa, Windows/Linux, multimedia etc. The only barriers I experience are set by Apples closed products.

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  • from a security perspective, that ridiculous.. your not going to give your credit card info to alexa for purchases, its all stores securely online.  i also highly doubt your going to be reading off anything important like your private data that could risk your bank accounts from being emptied... 

    your alexa is your weakest link..  

    Please login or register to see this link.

     

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    Oh, I see ridiculous. Fine, you just keep fooling around then. But you might want to think twice when you store credentials or any information on your assets, setup, GPS (aka address) etc. on a *FREE* cloudsolution. You might also want to consider what would happen if this data would be compromised (*abuse* happens you know) and someone could get access to "play" with your oven, electric heater, or disable your alarm and unlock the front door.

    Now if IFTTT offered really useful functionality, and not just gimmics, it might be worth taking a risk or two. 

     

    So back on track: What do you need so badly from IFTTT?

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  • im guessing you've never used your credit card to purchase something on amazon, used your voice to purchase something via the echo or used a free cloud storage like dropbox that ALSO uses this free cloud service AWS.

     

    with IFTTT it is a simple online bridge that links google assistant with just about anything, vice versa. Now with Fibaro's strange integration of the echo for example, you're forced to tell fibaro to ask harmony, to increase the volume.  now when the harmony hub is linked to IFTTT, you can create a simple command and tailor it so you can say anything to start an action, for example with the echo, HUE Hub and, IFTTT you only say "hey google turn on the living room lights."  it's does exactly what the Ha-bridge did, before google killed it. 

     

    i also use it to turn on and off my HTPC.  i tell my google to "turn off the mac mini" and everything shuts down.  i tell it to "turn on the mac mini" and it turns everything off 

     

    Now, if i had the programming skills to create custom actions on api.ai on google's site, i wouldn't need these "bridges to accomplish these tasks/commands," but of course i don't.... 

     

    but again, some feel that its not secure that "maybe" a hacker might find out their wifi password, log on to their network and be able to turn on their sonos or the kitchen light at 2am.  ultimately, don't use the default wifi password on the bottom of the router and add a guest network that they cant access admin settings...   "simple precautions"

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    As IT-security pro I can only advise you to be more suspicious! 

     

    Regarding HC2 I consider  it overkill to use for lightcontrol and hub for voicecommands. HC2 is a platform for "smart"/automation. I'd rather build algorithms that can do things based on patterns and state, than having to shout commands and pushing buttons all day.

     

    But if you really need IFTTT integration why not get a used/cheap Vera and run it specifically for those things?

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    I stumbled over this today. If security is not your priority you can get your IFTTT integration with this recipe:

     

    Please login or register to see this link.

     

     On Shodan.io I can see quite a few have opened their HC2 to the internet. From there it's a matter of time and Kali tools and you have full control.

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    In the interim, http events to the HC2 (via IFTTT webhooks using a specially create user with only access to the device you want that user to control) can be called 'directly' by voice command to Google Home. Insecure, yes. Native HC2 IFTTT channel, no. Almost real time reaction, yes... so is my current solution until something better comes along.

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    On 8/8/2017 at 0:54 PM, MaTi said:

    Don't get me wrong, I too would love IFTTT integration, but plz allow me to play the Devil's advocate here:

     

    Why would Fibar want to provide IFTTT support?

    They are aiming for the mass, the average Joe. Not us, geeks. It is of far more value to them to further stabilize their current products and solutions; which already is quite a pain in the pass (as we all know). Why would they onboard even more potential problems, allowing more and more 3rd party solutions/products/alternatives; threatening their market share. More and more possible things which will not work (to the customer's expectations), resulting in negative feedback in the market. I think it is of far more value to them to position themselves and their own products/solutions as THE market/zwave standard..

     

    Eventually losing a few dozens/hundreds of geeks does not outweight the market's potentials, with smart living as THE next big thing.

     

    Once again, I too would appreciate IFTTT, but I believe there are bigger interests at play here..

    Hi @MaTi

    If they are aiming at the masses do you not think they might have already lost that market to Samsung?

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    Hi @robmac, no I think not.. As Samsung's Smartthings can only be bought in UK/US, with their app only being available in English and Samsung only providing support in English.

    I can tell you that Samsung's marketshare here in The Netherlands is really small. :)

     

    Having that said, ofcourse there is and will be competition. Here in NL for example there is this very promising former startup called Homey, but they have alot to catch up on.

    Ofcourse Samsung does have far more (potential) resources available than Athom (Homey) and Fibar; but I do not know their strategic roadmap and how aggresively they want to penetrate the home automation markets, at which point in time and in which markets.

     

    So, long story short, no I don't believe it's a lost game. :)

    Although, ofcourse a big player like Samsung could easily buy the market anytime they'd please right now. Getting consumers to buy your products is 90% marketing, 5% product and 5% aftersales/service.

    (or well, I'd like to think/hope that last one is a 5% share, as a services professional) ;)

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    4 minutes ago, MaTi said:

    Hi @robmac, no I think not.. As Samsung's Smartthings can only be bought in UK/US, with their app only being available in English and Samsung only providing support in English.

    I can tell you that Samsung's marketshare here in The Netherlands is really small.

    Hi @MaTi

     

    Now that is interesting.

     

    The language thing I get but the fact is that the Smartthing can be bought in the EU. The EU is a single market so it can be bought anywhere in the EU including EIRE that will still be in the EU after we in the UK take a plunge into the unknown. You would be correct in saying it is not actively marketed in your country but I think it is for sale if you take advantage of the single market.

     

    I actually think they may be bending the rules not making it available in the languages of the EU when selling in the EU but I am sure their lawyers are well versed with what they can get away with.

     

    It is therefore for sale but so many people have not got used to our EU  single market thing. Sadly I will live in a country that might not be part of this going forward. I will probably  stop buying heat exchangers from Holland, copper pans from France, fishing tackle from Poland and woodworking tools from Germany then. It will just be too much hassle and time if there is a big tax bill to pay before they will forward me the goods from the courier's depot. EU countries should think hard before they don't do a trade deal with the UK  but for you guys lucky enough to be in it why not take advantage? If you want one just order one from EIRE and if they refuse to sell you one they are in breach of EU market regulations.  But I would not bother yet as it is not a better product yet. :) 

     

    It is very interesting that they have decided not to tackle the whole of Europe in one hit. @Tinaman mentioned that they have an issue in Germany due to previous use of the name Smartthings so possibly this is why they just did Eire and UK as they did not want to be in the EU courts.

     

    This was a Samsung strategy to concentrate on an area at a time in the mobile market in the early days. They maximized the impact of their marketing budget this way to achieve a critical sales level in that area that then grows due to the size of community recommending their product. (Also allegedly paper bags of money to mobile store managers that would put the Samsung phones at the front of the shop and others at the back in some sales areas.) Going global is sometimes a way to whisper everywhere but shout nowhere. When they are the a solid seller in the US they move onto the next area etc. etc.  Possibly this is why but who knows other than the Samsung execs.

     

    7 minutes ago, MaTi said:

    So, long story short, no I don't believe it's a lost game. :)

    Although, ofcourse a big player like Samsung could easily buy the market anytime they'd please right now. Getting consumers to buy your products is 90% marketing, 5% product and 5% aftersales/service.

    (or well, I'd like to think/hope that last one is a 5% share, as a services professional) ;)

     

    I do find myself in the other camp.

     

    If we are realistic there are four competitors for the mass market; Google, Apple, Amazon and Samsung. My bet is that it will be Samsung that bring it off by volume and Apple by profit. Sadly for some people they have more money than sense and will buy Apple. Google and Amazon are too busy making money elsewhere to need this one. I think they both just see it as a window to their other services and your information. The number of times Alexa says "add xyz to order " when she does not hear me is spooky.

     

    So unlike you I think homey and Fibaro will only ever be specialist players in the controller market. If that mass market is closed to them possibly they had better concentrate on the high end and niche features so the product is worth the premium price. Concentrate on more secure, advanced, innovative features and advance configuration options not the mundane that very much cheaper controllers will do better soon. Even the apps are not of a lot of consequence when you look at the app builder @tinman posted the other day.

     

    On the other hand I think the future is bright for Fibaro's modules , more hubs means more Fibaro devices and with both support for the dreadful Apple automation offering and z-wave for all other hubs the future is bright. If the big four build the market for them by selling billions of controllers it is all to the good for Fibaro. Lets face it we have all spent a lot more on modules than on our controllers. HC2 a few hundred pounds/euros : 150 modules ...wish I had not done that sum. Possibly even open sourcing the fibaro controller software and selling millions of z-wave USB sticks instead would be a better strategy.

     

    It will be an interesting one to watch but if trying to make the product suitable for the masses is why progress is slow then I think they have it wrong. 

     

    Robert

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    I see all your points but I can tell you indeed that in the Netherlands there aren't that many 'competitors' right now. Only Homey, Fibaro and some homekit devices that actually make sense. The Samsung stuff isn't available here, fyi. But I do agree on the fact that Fibaro is seriously lacking behind.... Google Home integration? Where is it? All Major platforms already have implemented support for Google Home/Assistant (WeMo, idevices, ihome, Deako, Geeni, Emberlight, Hive, Homeseer, Honeywell, Lifx, Hue, Nest, Lutron, Mobilinc, Samsung, Smart We Link, Smartika, TP Link, WiZ, Yeelight, myDlink home), but again Fibaro is missing. Same with Apple Homekit support, a lot of brands choose to now integrate Homekit support as Apple made it open for everyone to use (doesnt require a chip anymore now). But.. Fibaro creates a new 'homekit only' line, which does not work with the current Z-wave products. 

     

    They are missing the boat in my opinion and Fibaro really needs to step up on development,.... another example, how long have we been waiting for Nest support? It's still nowhere to be found in Fibaro. Same with the 'doorbell' from Fibaro, heard a lot about it, but nowhere to be found. What are they doing over there?

    Edited by tcviper
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    • 9 months later...

    True that. Fibaro is lagging behind in technology adoption. For example, Fibaro entered India market few years back, still alexa skill is not enabled for India. Both Alexa and Fibaro is in indian market but to get them to working I am using a US based amazon account. But at least i am happy with the way alexa integration is done. It works at least!

     

    Google integration is even worse. The "Talk to FIBARO" itself not picking up correctly. Absolutely no stability on commands as well. Am hoping Fibaro will address it quickly!

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    • 2 months later...

    @T.Konopka

     

    Hi! Now that we finally have IFTTT, could you please create an official support thread similar to Alexa/Google Home?

     

    Thank you!

    Ros

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