Assa Abloy has laid off nearly the entire team from Level Home, the smart lock manufacturer it acquired in 2022. The company will integrate the division into Kwikset, its traditional lock brand. The founders are also leaving the project. Although Assa Abloy assures it will continue selling and supporting Level locks, the mass layoffs raise doubts about the future of technical service and cloud functions.
Level's cloud: a service hanging by a thread ☁️
Level locks rely on cloud services for functions like automatic unlocking and the mobile app. With the departure of the original team, backend maintenance falls to Kwikset, a brand focused on mechanical locks. If Assa Abloy decides to shut down these servers, users will lose access to key features. The technical integration of both ecosystems is complex, and without the original team, the development of new updates is uncertain. Level owners should consider that their device could become obsolete.
Level Home: from promising startup to tech museum piece 🔧
The founders of Level Home are leaving with the same elegance as a lock running out of batteries: silently and leaving everyone locked out. Now users have a device that, like a dog without an owner, will keep barking but with no one paying attention. If Assa Abloy decides to turn off the servers, Level locks will become the most expensive paperweight in the house. At least they'll serve to close the door manually, like in the old days.