While the advent of smart home technology has been responsible for sparking renewed interest in home security solutions and also opening up a pathway for new service providers and manufacturers to enter the industry, not every new market entrant has enjoyed the same level of success.
Enter Lowe’s, the nation’s second largest home improvement retailer, which made its foray into the smart home market with its “Iris” do-it-yourself smart home platform in 2012. Though the company initially saw strong demand for Iris and its compatible devices and even partnered with United Central Control to offer professional security monitoring as recently as 2016, Lowe’s recently announced that it is shutting down the platform effective March 31, 2019.
Lowes’s said customers who own eligible Iris devices will be given Visa prepaid cards to help them migrate to another platform.
Here is the statement posted by the company on the Iris by Lowe’s website in its entirety:
As a valued customer, we wanted to provide an important update regarding Iris. We have decided to shut down the Iris smart home platform and related services effective March 31, 2019. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and are committed to providing the resources and support needed as you transition to comparable smart home products. This letter provides important information on the process and resources available for Iris customers.
- We have created an online redemption process that will allow customers who have eligible, connected Iris devices to receive a Visa prepaid card to help migrate to another smart home platform.
- Upon logging into Iris, you will be directed to complete the redemption process using a customized, online tool. You will also be able to access additional information, such as redemption status and support articles.
- All Iris customers need to complete the redemption process through the Iris app or at home.irisbylowes.com/redemption by March 31, 2019.
- The online process is the only way you can receive a redemption for your already connected Iris items. Please do not bring connected items back to the store.
- Customers can return any Iris items they have purchased within the last 90 days that are not connected to the Iris platform via Lowe’s normal return policy (see your Lowe’s receipt for Lowe’s Return Policy details).
- Some customers may find the redemption value exceeds the amount owed via Lowe’s Return Policy.
- Many devices used with Iris are compatible with other smart home platforms. For example, SmartThings is a comparable platform to Iris, and to ease the transition, SmartThings’ support team is ready to assist you with the migration process.
- Some devices incompatible with other smart home platforms are eligible for redemption.
For more information regarding the shutdown of the Iris platform, click here to visit our support article. We appreciate your business and hope you continue to choose Lowe’s for your future smart home and home improvement needs.
