As they’ve stated previously, Tile aims to blanket the world with its dongle-enabled smart devices and the company just received a major inroad from Comcast, who will let customers use their Xfinity X1 Voice Remote to locate the devices anywhere. By combining one of the world’s largest global media companies with the world’s best-selling Bluetooth tracker, the partnership creates a platform able to find just about anything — including people.
Most customers will use the service for generally benign applications like finding keys, wallets, and other personal items misplaced within the home. But Tile can also be used for more serious applications, ranging from locating a child’s favorite toy to securing a life-saving piece of medical advice to tracking the movements of rebellious teenagers.
“This is a home automation partnership that helps solve real-life problems,” said Sri Solur, senior vice president of Comcast Cable in a statement. “Now, when a child arrives home from school, a parent can simply say, ‘Xfinity Home where’s Sam’s backpack?’ into their voice remote and see that it was left at school. This is just one of the many peace-of-mind features we are making available to our customers on our evolving home automation platform.”
At launch, only Comcast customers with the X1 voice remote can add their Tile devices through the Xfinity Home app, but Comcast and Tile plan to expand the platform to all Xfinity Internet customers in the near future.
“Tile is creating a world where everyone can find everything that matters,” said Mike Farley, CEO and co-founder of Tile. “With the smart home being central to so many consumers’ lives, we are thrilled to be partnering with Comcast. Together, we are bringing greater peace of mind to Xfinity customers in their home, providing a streamlined experience for them to quickly locate their things no matter where they are.”
Tile first started gaining attention in 2013 when it raised over $2.5 million on the crowdfunding site Selfstarter, pre-selling over 50,000 Tile devices to backers. The company currently sells four different iterations of the tracking device, in addition to accessories like luggage tags.
Xfinity is just one of dozens of emerging partnerships with Tile, which has recently announced integration with products from Bose, Samsonite, and San Jose International Airport.
