Google Nest is “all in” on the custom integration channel. The company held its first-ever Nest Pro Virtual Summit this week, which was highlighted by the debut of the new Nest Pro Rewards Program.

Brennan Mullin, vice president of devices and services partnerships at Google, kicked off the summit by stresses multiple times how important professional installers are to Google and Nest.

“We cannot do this alone. You, in effect, represent the brand when you are inside the household,” he told the audience of integrators and HVAC contractors. “We are investing heavily in products and services infrastructure and marketing aimed at this vertical. Products and services like our pro-exclusive Nest Thermostat E and infrastructure investments like our new Nest Pro website.

“We are really committed to this pro vertical; it’s really important to us strategically as a company. Your teams are the ones actually in these households and have consumers’ trust. You are the best positioned to install multiple products and solutions, make homes smarter, etc. So Nest and Google recognize this business opportunity and we take it really seriously, and respect it. We also respect the fact that in order to make it successful, we need to partner with you,” added Mullin.

Mullin noted that the smart home market is growing incredibly fast. “And that means there is lots of headroom for growth and for you to expand your portfolio and get involved,” he said, presumably targeted that message more toward HVAC contractors than integrators.

“Google Nest products can also bring incremental business. This isn’t just thermostats, its speakers, displays, and cameras, but also our third-party products… lighting, smart plugs, and more. And Google Assistant devices work with many of the products you are installing today, and they are available for sale at the same locations you buy your other inventory at discounted prices. The pro channel itself is a huge strategic investment for Google. We’ve had this since the inception of Nest. We are best poised with the product roadmap we have now and to come to serve you and your customers ultimately,” he added.

Gene LaNois, head of the Nest Pro channel and a familiar face to many integrators, unveiled some of the recent developments from the company targeted at professional installers.

“This is our chance to work with you to build an entirely new trade together,” he said. “Our vision and what we think is the next frontier for the business is focused on the entire home. Traditionally the business has been a product-by-product scenario, we think that Nest Pros are better equipped to think about the whole house holistically and think about integrations both Google to Google and Google to a third party utilizing the Google Assistant voice control.

Nest Pro Investments

LaNois notes that Google has thousands of integrations with various manufacturers. Recent investments in the pro channel include:

• Taking the Nest E Thermostat and turning it into a pro-only product that is not available anywhere in retail.
• Its first co-branded thermostat as an OEM for Goodman.
• A pro-targeted SKU for the traditional Nest Thermostat with a sleek mirror finish.
• HVAC Monitoring – a program that enables homeowners to be connected to HVAC contractors via the pro ID in the Nest thermostat. The system sends alerts to homeowners that there could be a problem with their HVAC system and then they can directly schedule a service call with the contractor.

The debut of the Nest Pro Rewards was the headliner of the event. With the program, integrators who sign up get double points just for signing up, and through August 31 integrators will receive double points on every piece of equipment they install. The points are redeemable for brand-name merchandise, sporting events, concerts and travel. Integrators can also redeem the points for Nest products. The new dealer portal is g.co/nestpro.

“This is a way for us to show loyalty to you for us doing business together, but also a way for us to show that loyalty through business rewards and/or profitability in your business,” says LaNois.  

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