Smart home gadget maker Nest is hoping 2017 will offer a clearer path to growth than its tumultuous journey last year that included the departure of co-founder and CEO Tony Fadell.
To start the year off right, the company announced Monday that it will be expanding direct sales into four new European countries: Germany, Austria, Italy, and Spain. Nest, a subsidiary of Google’s parent Alphabet, will also partner with local companies in each country to help spur adoption of its current line of smart thermostats, smoke detectors, and both indoor and outdoor security monitoring cameras.
Acquired by Google for $3.2 billion in 2014, Nest struggled last year amid staff turnover and Fadell’s departure in June. In May, Google (GOOGL) unveiled a voice-controlled speaker called Google Home that was similar to the Amazon (AMZN) Echo but pointedly avoided doing the project via Nest (though the new device can be used to control Nest devices).
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Nest said it already has thousands of customers in its four new European markets, as users have hooked up devices they bought elsewhere. Sales have been previously ongoing in Europe in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands, plus the United States and Canada in North America.
“To date, Nest’s hardware, software and services have been available for purchase in just seven markets, yet they’re used by millions of people in more than 190 countries,” Lionel Paillet, general manager of Europe for Nest, said in a statement. “With our expansion into Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain, we’re doubling our footprint in Europe and allowing our customers—including thousands of existing customers—to enjoy Nest products in their local languages.”
For more on Nest’s latest feature updates, watch:
All four products won’t be available in all four countries immediately, however. German and Austrian buyers will be able to purchase the smoke detector and cameras but the thermostat won’t be available until later this year. Italy and Spain will get only the thermostat and cameras immediately.
