Microsoft has recently gone in-depth on the GLAS smart thermostat that it partnered with Johnson Controls to produce, offering up some insight on just how smart this smart thermostat actually is. While competing products like the ecobee4 and the latest generation of the Nest Smart Thermostat have robust functions ad work well with digital assistants and voice commands, so too does GLAS, but GLAS also takes things a step further by enhancing the IoT-related functions beyond what others will provide to the consumer.
One of the more unique features, but arguably a good one, will no doubt be GLAS’ capability to analyze data about air quality and the weather outside. This feature requires the thermostat to be connected to a Wi-Fi network and what it allows the thermostat to do is manage the amount of outside air that is being filtered into the home, which in turn can allow the user to experience the most comfortable setting possible, by combining the most comfortable temperature with a standard of air quality for a desired in-home climate.
GLAS also has built-in motion sensors to help it detect whether home owners are actually occupying the home. The reason for this is so that users can set pre-defined temperatures on a schedule and as soon as motion is detected GLAS will configure the temperature to whatever the schedule has listed. If no motion is detected at the time that was designated by the user, the temperature will still change based on the set configuration, but GLAS will also send an alert to the user and suggest adjusting the temperature to help them save energy. Voice commands and control is a capable feature as well, utilizing Microsoft’s Cortana digital assistant, though everything is self-contained and integrated right into the thermostat itself. It’s also possible to remotely control the GLAS smart thermostat through a companion app should users prefer to control things this way, or if they need to adjust something but aren’t at home to do so by voice. Those worried about security can rest assured that Microsoft and Johnson Controls are both dedicated to keeping customer data as secure as possible. Any data associated with GLAS is hosted in Microsoft Azure and it’s encrypted with Bitlocker. Johnson Controls states that GLAS is the start of its future endeavors in the smart home market powered by IoT, and attributes that GLAS’ big 5.9-inch OLED display plays a big role in what can be done with the thermostat itself as it offers plenty of space to incorporate information that the user can interact with or view.