Conscious Home Mash-Up – More Likely Post Google – Nest?

In case you didn’t see it, Google acquired Nest the other day.  There’s lots of interesting articles out there about how this will fit in.

• http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57617161-76/how-google-and-nest-could-get-the-smart-home-all-wrong/
• https://nest.com/blog/2014/01/13/nest-google-and-you/
• http://www.forbes.com/sites/aarontilley/2014/01/13/google-acquires-nest-for-3-2-billion/
• http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/13/google-and-nest-two-companies-in-the-business-of-understanding-you/?_r=0
• http://www.fastcompany.com/3024848/google-to-purchase-nest-for-32b-to-go-after-connected-home

It was fascinating timing as I had just written about why Google should be in this space on Saturday.  

It got me thinking about other mash-ups to get into this space.

What about Pulte Homes working with BCBS of MI, the UAW, Ford, and the Henry Ford Health System to create a long-term retirement community built around an ACO with Medicare included?  This could be a great offset for the UAW and Ford to their healthcare liabilities.  It could create new provider models for Henry Ford.  It would create new building opportunities for Pulte, and it would provide new underwriting opportunities for BCBS.  

The other question that this brings up is who else will they acquire…or will others in this space get acquired by Cisco or AT&T or others that want to create this.  

I’ve reached out to the Nest founder and some people at Google and Google X.  (I don’t know any of them.)  This seems really exciting and similar to some of my thoughts.  I’d love to learn more.  

And, perhaps with the news that some of the Google X people met with the FDA, maybe Google is figuring out a way to get back into healthcare.  Hopefully, they don’t overlook the opportunity for patient remote monitoring in the smart home.