Can I invest in CastleOS long-term? 

After years of waiting I am finally ready to retrofit my soon-to-be new home with super-nerd level automation! Having let my knowledge of the industry fall to the wayside for almost a decade, I have spent the better part of this week catching up to the latest developments and searching for a solution that will fit my needs. I have gone from entertaining an Insteon-based setup to Universal Devices and now to my latest discovery, CastleOS.


I am intrigued by this option because of the claim of a seemingly endless and increasing list of compatibility with competing technologies and protocols, not to mention advanced customizability, community support and the promise of future development. My problem is simply with the long-term sustainability of the product.


I am a Microsoft ecosystem loyalist and will be to the bitter end. As such, I do not have a lot of options for home automation without defecting to Android/Amazon or iOS (perish the thought!). With CastleOS's HTML5 user interface offering universal compatibility to just about any OS, it is on the short list of solutions that will work for me.


I am ready at once to start buying the products that will make this dream a reality but before I do, I have concerns that after purchasing hundreds of dollars worth of equipment I will find they simply cannot function, much less cooperate under the one-roof solution CastleOS purports to provide. As it is, there appears to be something of a gap between the latest technology and what is confirmed compatible with this software. For example, does it work with the Ecobee3 2nd gen thermostat (I only see 1st Gen) and what about my Xbox One Kinect (v2)? I am not interested in buying obsolete technology just to get this solution to work, and I would hope future technology will be incorporated through continued development of the platform.


I am encouraged by the founder, Chris Cicchitelli's, active contributions to the community here in the forums and the latest version of the software being published in March of 2017. Given the opportunity to try the software for free, it's a no-brainer that is what I will do. What it comes down to, though, are the fans. Much like my love for Windows 10 devices (particularly phones), I am in a very small camp of loyalists who recognize the value of innovation even if it doesn't appeal to the masses. All I want to know is, will I love CastleOS and for how long can I count on it in the years to come?


Thank you so much for reading! I am excited to hear what you may have to say.


- Johnny
edited by johnnypdx on 4/18/2017

Hi John, my apologies, I thought this was replied to. To answer your questions about Ecobee and Kinect, all versions of both devices are supported. We haven't tested it yet, but the upcoming Ecobee 4 should also work out of the box. CastleOS also works with Windows Phones as a tile app.

Don't worry, CastleOS isn't going anywhere!!!

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks,
Chris