Wink (platform)

Wink
Developer(s) Wink, Inc.
Initial release June 23, 2014
Development status Active
Operating system iOS
Android
watchOS (Apple Watch)
Android Wear
Available in English
Type Home automation
Website www.wink.com

Wink is a brand of software and hardware products that connect with and control smart home devices from a consolidated user interface. Wink was founded in 2014 as a spin-off from invention incubator Quirky. After going through bankruptcy proceedings, Quirky sold Wink to Flex in 2015. As of 2016, Wink is connected to 1.3 million devices.

Corporate history

Wink was founded at Quirky, an incubator program for inventions that relies on crowd-sourced product ideas. Wink was originally created as part of a collaboration with General Electric to control co-branded smart home products like air-conditioners.[1][2][3] It was founded by current CTO Nathan Smith[4] and received about $20 million in funding.[5] The company spent twelve months working with fifteen electronics manufacturing companies to offer about 60 Wink-compatible products by July 2014.[1] Wink was spun-off from Quirky in June 2014.[1][6]

According to Quirky, Wink products were in 300,000 homes by 2015.[7] In April 2015 Wink experienced a security problem that made many of its hubs go offline or break, forcing the company to issue a recall. The recall caused a several-month inventory backlog and subsequent shortage of the Wink hub.[8][9] Due to financial difficulties, due in part to the recall, Quirky began looking for buyers to sell Wink to in 2015. That November, Wink was sold for $15 million to Flextronics (now called Flex), to whom Quirky owed $18.7 million. Flex was Wink's primary supplier of firmware and hardware.[10][11][12] Wink continues to operate as an independent subsidiary of Flex.[13] As of 2016, 1.3 million devices are connected to Wink.[14]

Products

Wink connects with smart home devices associated with the Internet of Things, such as thermostats and Wi-Fi-enabled lights, to provide a single user interface on a mobile app[15] or via a wall-mounted screen, called Relay.[15][16][17] The mobile app is free, while consumers pay for a Wink Hub, or Wink Relay, which connects with smart devices in the home.[18] The hubs integrate with competing software standards used by different manufacturers.[4][10] Wink integrates with software from automated home device brands, such as Canary, which markets an app-controlled home system.[4][19] In February 2016, new features were introduced to allow Wink to operate on the local network, in case a user's internet connection is down.[20] In June 2016, compatibility with Uber, Fitbit, and IFTTT, was added to the Relay product.[21] A second generation version of the Wink Hub is set to launch in November 2016.[22]

Reception

In a 2014 competitive review comparing Wink to SmartThings, CNET said Wink was cheaper and supported more wireless standards, but had fewer and less reliable sensors to support automation. The article recommended SmartThings for tech-savvy users and Wink for general consumers.[18] In an August 2014 review, CNET gave Wink a 7.7 score out of 10. It complimented the product for being close to the "ideal" whole-home security and automation service, but lamented that it wasn't, "a perfect replacement for some of the more sophisticated standalone smart home device apps."[23] A January 2015 review of Wink by Tom's Guide rated the product a 7/10, "very good." The reviewer criticized the application for not giving as much control over individual smart home electronics as their own apps, but praised Wink for providing, "an easy way for people to dip their toes into smart home systems."[24]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lohr, Steve (June 22, 2014). "Quirky to Create a Smart-Home Products Company" (Newspaper article). The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  2. ↑ Popper, Ben (April 24, 2015). "How the Invention Factory at Quirky Almost Imagined Its Way Out of Business" (Web magazine article). The Verge. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  3. ↑ Rhodes, Margaret (September 25, 2014). "Wink Could Be the Next Big Platform for the Smart Home" (Magazine article). Wired. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  4. 1 2 3 Ruth, João-Pierre S. (February 10, 2016). "Founder Nathan Smith on What Comes Next for Wink, Smart Homes, and IoT" (Web news article). Xconomy. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  5. ↑ Higginbotham, Stacey (July 15, 2015). "Quirky's CEO: Quirky is Out of Money and Needs to Find Funds for Itself and Wink" (Magazine article). Fortune. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  6. ↑ Kelly, Samantha Murphy (June 23, 2014). "Quirky, Mophie Founder Launches Wink for Smart Home Automation" (Web magazine article). Mashable. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  7. ↑ Higginbotham, Stacey (July 15, 2015). "Quirky's CEO: Quirky is out of money and needs to find funds for itself and Wink". Fortune. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  8. ↑ Primack, Dan (June 12, 2015). "Exclusive: Quirky Ditches Device Manufacturing, Preps for New Investment" (Magazine article). Fortune. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  9. ↑ Lawler, Richard (April 19, 2015). "Wink Smart Home Hubs Knocked Out by Security Certificate (Update)" (Web magazine article). Engadget. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  10. 1 2 Kastrenakes, Jacob (April 1, 2016). "Wink opens up about surviving the fall of Quirky" (Web magazine article). The Verge. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  11. ↑ Palenchar, Joseph (November 16, 2015). "Wink Gets a Nod from Flex" (Magazine article). Twice. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  12. ↑ Lohr, Steve (September 22, 2015). "Quirky, an Invention Start-Up, Files for Bankruptcy" (Newspaper article). The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  13. ↑ Diana, Chelsea (January 11, 2016). "Quirky's Spinoff Wink Lives On in Schenectady After Sale" (Web journal article). Albany Business Review. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  14. ↑ Kastrenakes, Jacob (April 1, 2016). "Wink opens up about surviving the fall of Quirky". The Verge. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  15. 1 2 Nield, David (September 22, 2015). "Quirky Files For Bankruptcy, Selling Wink To Flextronics" (Web magazine article). ReadWrite. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  16. ↑ Popper, Ben (September 23, 2014). "How One Tiny Startup is Winning the Race to Power Your Smart Home" (Web magazine article). The Verge. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  17. ↑ O'Connell, Ainsley (July 8, 2014). "Wink Squares Off Against Nest In The Battle For "Home" Field Advantage" (Magazine article). Fast Company. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  18. 1 2 Crist, Ry (November 12, 2014). "Smart-home showdown: SmartThings vs. Wink". CNET. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  19. ↑ Higginbotham, Stacey (October 27, 2015). "Bankrupt Wink Keeps Adding Partners" (Magazine article). Fortune. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  20. ↑ Oswald, Ed (February 10, 2016). "Wink turns on local control for connected light switches, bulbs". TechHive. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  21. ↑ Crist, Ry (June 28, 2016). "The Wink Relay smart switch adds support for Uber, Fitbit and IFTTT". CNET. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  22. ↑ Heater, Brian (27 September 2016). "Wink's smart home hub gets some key upgrades for its second generation". TechCrunch. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  23. ↑ Wollerton, Megan (August 20, 2014). "Wink Hub Review: Harness Your Smart Home with Wink's Low-Cost Hub" (Website product review). CNET. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  24. ↑ Murphy, David (January 27, 2015). "Quirky Wink Hub Review" (Website product review). Tom's Guide. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
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