zlacker

Even though I advocate for a local interface, I also completely agree with your statement.

But, the alternative is we either accept this completely upside down API traffic ratio with locally focused integrations (bad, costs lots of money) or allow a local interface.

Another potential workaround I advocated for was a "cloud down" message that could enable the local interface for those that ONLY go looking for how to do it.

>>superg+(OP)
I'd be 100% on board with local control being a minor PITA to enable, as long as it's allowed and supported. I'd even be ok all the way up to needing to reflash the board to allow it.

Making it so that only people who care and are more likely to use it in a responsible way have access is pretty reasonable! Not having the option isn't (in my opinion).

>>superg+(OP)
With my developer hat on, I agree.

With my business hat on, I'm not so sure. "Why are we spending development resources on a feature that isn't valuable for our target users?"

I could definitely see doing this if it were a product with a prosumer-type angle to the value prop. But for the devices we see on the shelf at a big-box store, I don't think those companies' management considers that valuable.

>>kube-s+em
At this point? I'd push harder to avoid all this negative press that is pervasive in IoT journo when it REALLY impacts a percent of a percent.

When the Chamberlain story happened, I received questions from executives on why it was such a big story.

From a business perspective, it just isn't.

I agree with you.

Same reason we don't dedicate people to write HA integrations.

>>kube-s+em
All companies need to do to support home assistant in this front is:

1. Making sure their app can control the smart devices even while the internet connection is out as long as the phone and the devices is connected to the same lan (local control). Local control adds resiliency to your product, which increase user satisfaction. Don't see it as spending an effort to support home assistant, but instead, see it as making your own product more resilient to unstable internet connection.

2. If your device don't support ZigBee (or other local protocol) and only supports wifi, have the local control api secured with a key. This key will be generated during initial setup and should be retrievable from your app.

That's it. If your devices are popular enough, someone will poke around, see the device has local control api secured with a key that can be retrieved from the official app, and publish an open source integration on HACS. You spent zero effort to directly support home assistant but your users now has an option to use their devices with home assistant and will likely to be a repeat customers.

>>neuros+0U4
And all they need to do to be commercially successfully in the consumer market is: none of that.

Which is why they aren't.