Home Assistant Renames Cloud Service to Link
Home Assistant has renamed its cloud service from Home Assistant Cloud to Home Assistant Link. Founder Paulus Schoutsen stated that big tech companies have 'ruined the cloud,' prompting this change as part of a broader strategy to make the open-source smart home platform more accessible and mainstream. The renaming is largely symbolic, with no major changes in features aside from some back-end improvements for speed and reliability. The service allows users to access their local Home Assistant setup remotely at $6.50 per month. It also enables internet-dependent functions like voice control integration and encrypted backups while maintaining data privacy through encryption. Home Assistant continues its mission of avoiding proprietary cloud ecosystems, emphasizing that the new Link service is optional and does not require user trust since it cannot access their data. Revenue from the service supports platform development, with 60% going to a non-profit foundation.
Topics: AI integration cloud services Home Assistant open-source software