SkyDrop (Smart Irrigation): Difference between revisions

(7 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)

Line 1:

SkyDrop was a smart sprinkler controller company, founded in 2013 in American Fork, Utah, by Bret Cloward and Clark Endrizzi. The company launched its smart sprinkler controller with a focus on using weather data to create automated, water-efficient watering schedules. In 2019 they forced a change to a cloud subscription model, which led to consumer backlash. The subscription controversy and various technical problems led many users to switch to competitors like Rachio or Orbit B-Hyve. Around 2019, the company effectively ceased operations or was in bankruptcy proceedings, leaving many users with controllers that could no longer function as intended without the supporting cloud services. This serves as a common cautionary tale in the home automation community about the reliance on cloud-based services for connected devices.{{CompanyCargo

{{CompanyCargo

|Founded=2013-07-01

|Industry=Home automation

|Description=In 2014, SkyDrop launched a smart sprinkler controller. In 2019 they forced a change to a cloud subscription model, which led to consumer backlash.

}}

|Logo=SkyDrop.png|Website=https://skydrop.com}}

~~{{Ph-C-Int~~}}

SkyDrop was a smart sprinkler controller company, founded in 2013 in American Fork, Utah, by Bret Cloward and Clark Endrizzi. The company launched its smart sprinkler controller with a focus on using weather data to create automated, water-efficient watering schedules.

==Consumer-impact summary==

~~{{Ph-C-CIS}}~~

==Incidents==

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Cloud subscription model change (2019)===

In 2019 they forced a change to a cloud subscription model, which led to consumer backlash.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Skydrop introduces a new monthly subscription to control your device from the Web or App. |url=https://reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/bufzto/skydrop_introduces_a_new_monthly_subscription_to/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230608075033/https://old.reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/bufzto/skydrop_introduces_a_new_monthly_subscription_to/ |archive-date=8 Jun 2023|access-date=23 October 2025 |website=Reddit}}</ref> The subscription controversy and various technical problems led many users to switch to competitors like Rachio or Orbit B-Hyve.

~~This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].~~

===Bankruptcy (2019)===

===~~Example incident one~~ (~~''date''~~)===

Around 2019, the company effectively ceased operations or was in bankruptcy proceedings<ref>{{Cite web |title=Skydrop is ceasing operations |URL=https://www.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/c2oyt1/skydrop_is_ceasing_operations/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230611212955/https://old.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/c2oyt1/skydrop_is_ceasing_operations/ |archive-date=11 Jun 2023|access-date=23 October 2025 |website=Reddit}}</ref>, leaving many users with controllers that could no longer function as intended without the supporting cloud services. This is called [[Bait-and-switch]].

{{~~Main~~|~~link to the main CR Wiki article}}~~

~~Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).~~

===~~Example incident two (''~~date~~'')~~===

...

==Products==

Line 23:

Line 20:

==See also==

~~{{Ph~~-C-~~SA}}~~

[[Bait-and-switch]]

==References==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-SkyDrop was a smart sprinkler controller company, founded in 2013 in American Fork, Utah, by Bret Cloward and Clark Endrizzi. The company launched its smart sprinkler controller with a focus on using weather data to create automated, water-efficient watering schedules.  In 2019 they forced a change to a cloud subscription model, which led to consumer backlash.  The subscription controversy and various technical problems led many users to switch to competitors like Rachio or Orbit B-Hyve. Around 2019, the company effectively ceased operations or was in bankruptcy proceedings, leaving many users with controllers that could no longer function as intended without the supporting cloud services. This serves as a common cautionary tale in the home automation community about the reliance on cloud-based services for connected devices.{{CompanyCargo
+{{Stub}}
+{{CompanyCargo
 |Founded=2013-07-01
 |Industry=Home automation
 |Description=In 2014, SkyDrop launched a smart sprinkler controller.  In 2019 they forced a change to a cloud subscription model, which led to consumer backlash.
-}}
+|Logo=SkyDrop.png|Website=https://skydrop.com}}
-{{Ph-C-Int}}
+SkyDrop was a smart sprinkler controller company, founded in 2013 in American Fork, Utah, by Bret Cloward and Clark Endrizzi. The company launched its smart sprinkler controller with a focus on using weather data to create automated, water-efficient watering schedules.
 ==Consumer-impact summary==
-{{Ph-C-CIS}}
 ==Incidents==
-{{Ph-C-Inc}}
+This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
+===Cloud subscription model change (2019)===
+In 2019 they forced a change to a cloud subscription model, which led to consumer backlash.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Skydrop introduces a new monthly subscription to control your device from the Web or App. |url=https://reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/bufzto/skydrop_introduces_a_new_monthly_subscription_to/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230608075033/https://old.reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/bufzto/skydrop_introduces_a_new_monthly_subscription_to/ |archive-date=8 Jun 2023|access-date=23 October 2025 |website=Reddit}}</ref> The subscription controversy and various technical problems led many users to switch to competitors like Rachio or Orbit B-Hyve.
-This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
+===Bankruptcy (2019)===
-===Example incident one (''date'')===
+Around 2019, the company effectively ceased operations or was in bankruptcy proceedings<ref>{{Cite web |title=Skydrop is ceasing operations |URL=https://www.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/c2oyt1/skydrop_is_ceasing_operations/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230611212955/https://old.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/c2oyt1/skydrop_is_ceasing_operations/ |archive-date=11 Jun 2023|access-date=23 October 2025 |website=Reddit}}</ref>, leaving many users with controllers that could no longer function as intended without the supporting cloud services. This is called [[Bait-and-switch]].
-{{Main|link to the main CR Wiki article}}
-Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
-===Example incident two (''date'')===
-...
 ==Products==
@@ Line 23: / Line 20: @@
 ==See also==
-{{Ph-C-SA}}
+[[Bait-and-switch]]
 ==References==