Insteon to bring its home automation app to Windows devices

To date, connected home tech provider Insteon hasn’t offered a native Windows 8 app, either on the desktop or on Windows Phone. On Thursday, that changed in a big way. Microsoft and SmartLabs’s Insteon division announced a strategic partnership that will place Insteon products in brick-and-mortar Microsoft Stores, complete with a demo area, SmartLabs executives said. In return, Insteon promised Windows and Windows Phone support, complete with features exclusive to both platforms, at least for now. Beginning in June, Microsoft’s online stores will begin selling a “starter,” “home,” and “business” kit, consisting of the Insteon hub control unit and a number of different, connected sensors. The kits themselves will appear in the physical stores in July, for prices beginning at $199.