We use technology and mobile devices for banking, retail, and lifestyle tracking, so why not do the same and transform the way we access our homes? The August Smart Lock allows you to send virtual "keys" to guests without the physical exchange of keys. The device doesn’t require a user to abandon any of the analog features they have trusted for years—it’s just a new, magical, retrofit solution to an existing deadbolt. You can specify exactly when individual visitors will have access to your home, and you can disable a visitor’s access at any time. August is currently in beta trials with service providers, with availability for consumers expected in Q3 2014. Devices will be available online, in consumer electronics stores, as well as popular home supply stores.

Partnering with an entrepreneur, we saw the opportunity to leverage the decreasing cost of connectivity and automation with the ubiquity of smartphones to deliver a whole new take on the door lock. One that is smart, discreet, and allows a new level of control. We built a strategic framework for designing the brand and experience, focused on delivering what other advanced lock solutions (RFID, keypad, biometrics) could not—a value proposition of simplicity, control, ease of installation and use. The brand personality and tone were crafted to be approachable and extensible as a consumer brand for the home. The result is a compelling offering that stands out in this increasingly competitive category for its clarity and consumer friendly design and communications.

The August system does not require a WiFi connection and continues to function even if the power goes out. In the unlikely event that an August unit fails, you will still be able to open your deadbolt with a physical key. August includes support for offline PINs that will continue to work even if the August service is down or otherwise unreachable. Under normal usage, the batteries should last approximately six months. The batteries we use are commonly available and can be easily replaced when they are low. The lock is designed to be compatible with over 90% of all deadbolts installed in the US. To verify that your deadbolt is compatible with August, send a picture of the thumb latch (non-key side), and key cylinder (key side) of your deadbolt to support@august.com.

August is working with innovation partners and other global research institutions to identify new technologies that can bring simplicity, convenience, and cost savings into the home. It used to be that your front door was a place where you fumbled around, looking for the right key, or worse, a place where you worried about whom you might find inside. The answers to these problems were dull: home security systems that were fear-inducing or hard to use, or a pocket-full of metal keys that weren’t ergonomic. Our solution was to not only create a new product platform, but to define a new product category: the smart lock. The August smart lock brought an entirely new meaning to the home security category—making home entry a social, simple, safe place. Following the success of August, the smart lock category has grown exponentially and players are striving to keep up with August’s dynamic and category-breaking product feature set.