The competition and innovation in the smart-thermostat space is good for consumers, who can choose a thermostat based on which features appeal to them the most, and also because the increased sensoring will likely only drive down heating and cooling needs for homes that use the technology. By the end of this year, smart thermostats will start to make up the majority of all thermostat sales in the U.S., according to Parks Associates.

For Alarm.com, having its own thermostat will also help the company expand into more commercial businesses, a priority for the firm, which went public earlier this summer. In its first earnings call earlier this month, Steve Trundle, CEO of Alarm.com, said the company is looking for more international expansion opportunities, especially in Latin America, Turkey, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. 

From the article "Alarm.com Builds Its Own Smart Thermostat" by Katherine Tweed.