Wink will add Uber, Fitbit, and IFTTT to its smart home controller (FIT)

Wink

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Wink’s smart home controller, known as the Relay, received an update that integrates services from Uber and Fitbit, as well as the capability to communicate with other devices over the If This Then That (IFTTT) protocol, reports PC Mag.

The Relay is a touchscreen device installed on the wall that controls smart home devices connected by Wink. The update will allow users to see how many steps they have taken that day by tapping into their Fitbit data, and allow users to order Uber rides through their controller.

Integrating the IFTTT communication protocol will allow the Wink Relay to send one-time commands to other smart home devices that support the protocol. Users can create specific "recipes" with the protocol to automate specific tasks.

For example, a user could create a recipe that tells their smart lights to turn on when they unlock the smart lock on their front door. With the Wink integration, Relay owners can create recipes that are triggered by pressing one of the two buttons on the Relay. 

This update starts to move the Wink ecosystem beyond only smart home devices by allowing other types of products and services — like wearables and ride-hailing services — into the ecosystem. However, Wink is not opening its smart home software development kit (SDK); third-party developers must still work directly with Wink if they wish to integrate.

But there is speculation that Wink could eventually open up to third-party developers similar to how Amazon opened up its Alexa SDK for the Amazon Echo last year, according to the Verge. Since it opened up its SDK, Amazon has integrated more than 1,400 other products and services with the Echo, according to Fortune.

This update will help Wink appeal to consumers who don't yet own many smart home devices by offering capabilities beyond the smart home. As Wink faces heightened competition from a revamped Apple Home offering and the Amazon Echo, the company hopes that these integrations will move it from being a smart home brand to a more mainstream product and service provider.

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