SkyDrop (Smart Irrigation): Difference between revisions

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{{CompanyCargo

|Founded=2013-07-01

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|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.

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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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/bufzto/skydrop_introduces_a_new_monthly_subscription_to/|title=Skydrop introduces a new monthly subscription to control your device from the Web or App.|access-date=23 October 2025}}</ref> 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<ref>{{Cite web|URL=https://www.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/c2oyt1/skydrop_is_ceasing_operations/|title=Skydrop is ceasing operations|access-date=23 October 2025}}</ref>, 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.

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==

==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==

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==See also==

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

[[Bait-and-switch]]

==References==

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+{{Stub}}
 {{CompanyCargo
 |Founded=2013-07-01
@@ Line 4: / Line 5: @@
 |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.
 }}
-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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://reddit.com/r/homeautomation/comments/bufzto/skydrop_introduces_a_new_monthly_subscription_to/|title=Skydrop introduces a new monthly subscription to control your device from the Web or App.|access-date=23 October 2025}}</ref> 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<ref>{{Cite web|URL=https://www.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/c2oyt1/skydrop_is_ceasing_operations/|title=Skydrop is ceasing operations|access-date=23 October 2025}}</ref>, 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.
+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==
 ==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 20: / Line 19: @@
 ==See also==
-{{Ph-C-SA}}
+[[Bait-and-switch]]
 ==References==