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August Introduces "August Connect," Expanding Remote Access to the HomeAugust, the technology company building products for the home that make life simpler and more secure, today announced August Connect, a new hardware device providing the August Smart Lock with a constant Internet connection that enables remote access to the home and integration with other smart devices. August Connect plugs into a power outlet inside the home of an August Smart Lock user and connects to their home wireless network and the Internet. This connection enables several new features such as the ability for a user to check the status of their lock remotely and operate it from the August mobile app for iOS or Android (News - Alert) on their smartphone or tablet. This allows users to 'buzz-in' guests, and such service providers as contractors, dog-walkers, and others remotely while also receiving notifications around all lock activity. "With August Connect, August is expanding the range of functionality for our users, delivering new experiences around secure, intelligent access to the home," said Jason Johnson, CEO and co-founder of ugust. "While the existing Bluetooth connectivity in the August Smart Lock allows it to be a truly offline, independent device, August Connect enhances that core offering with new benefits such as real time and WiFi (News - Alert) Internet connectivity." In conjunction with August Connect, August announced the release of its private API, enabling the August Smart Lock to work with trusted partners in the home security, home automation and rental industries. With August Connect and these new API integrations, users can now customize an enhanced, secure home entry and exit experience with third party devices. August also announced that its smart lock will now work with Nest, enabling users to set their Nest Learning Thermostat™ to Home upon unlocking to immediately start warming or cooling the house, and Away upon locking to help save energy. Additional integration partners include home automation platforms such as SmartThings and Logitech (News - Alert) Harmony, and many others in development. August Connect will be available for pre-order at August.com for $49.99 as of January 7, 2015 for delivery in mid-February 2015. For more information or to purchase the August Smart Lock for $249.95, visit August.com, Amazon.com (News - Alert), or an Apple store. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in integrating with August's private API. ABOUT AUGUST August builds products that make life simpler, allowing physical environments to seamlessly respond to user behavior. August's flagship product, the August Smart Lock, is a new lock and access system that allows you to send a virtual key to anyone you choose to have access to your home. Founded by renowned designer Yves Béhar and technology entrepreneur Jason Johnson, August has raised more than $10 million in venture funding and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company has opened its cloud platform to trusted developer partners, vetted by August, so they can connect existing things to the platform and help grow the Internet of Things connected world. For more information about August, please visit: www.august.com.
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