Dropcam
{{Short description|WiFi camera manufacturer acquired by Google in 2014}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Dropcam, Inc.
| logo = Dropcam logo.svg
| logo_size = 225px
| founded = {{Start date|2009|1}}
| founders = Greg Duffy
Aamir Virani
| hq_location_city = San Francisco, California
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served = United States
Canada
| industry = Consumer electronics
| products = Dropcam Pro
Cloud Recording
Dropcam App
| parent = Nest Labs (2014–2024)
| owner = Google Inc (2014–2015)
Alphabet Inc. (2015–2024)
| website = [https://www.dropcam.com www.dropcam.com]
| fate = Acquired by Google / Nest, rebranded as Nest Cameras
| successor = Nest Cam
}}
Dropcam, Inc. was an American technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company is known for its Wi-Fi video streaming cameras, Dropcam and Dropcam Pro, that allow people to view live feeds through Dropcam's cloud-based service. On June 20, 2014, it was announced that Google's Nest Labs bought Dropcam for $555 million,{{cite web|last1=Gannes|first1=Liz|title=Google's Nest Buys Dropcam for $555 Million|url=http://recode.net/2014/06/20/googles-nest-buys-dropcam-for-555-million/|website=Re/code|accessdate=21 June 2014}}{{cite web|last1=Lowensohn|first1=Josh|title=Nest buying video monitoring startup Dropcam for $555 million|url=https://www.theverge.com/2014/6/20/5829126/nest-and-google-acquire-home-monitoring-company-dropcam|website=The Verge|date=21 June 2014 |publisher=Vox Media|accessdate=21 June 2014}} a decision Dropcam co-founder Greg Duffy later described as a "mistake".{{cite web|last1=Bergen|first1=Mark|title=Dropcam Founder: Selling to Nest and Google Was a 'Mistake'. A bitter feud brews at Alphabet.|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/3/29/11587344/dropcam-duffy-nest-google-mistake|website=Vox|date=22 March 2016 |publisher=Vox Media|accessdate=8 April 2023}} In June 2015, Nest introduced the Nest Cam,{{cite web|last1=Linda|first1=Reyes|title=Nest made hq pet camera for outdoor using.|url=https://pet-store.org/dog-cameras|accessdate=14 November 2019|archive-date=10 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410144557/https://pet-store.org/dog-cameras|url-status=dead}} a successor to the Dropcam Pro.{{Cite web|url = https://nest.com/camera/meet-nest-cam/|title = Nest Cam|date = |accessdate = |website = Nest|publisher = |last = |first = }} Support for Dropcam services ended on April 8, 2024.
History
Software engineers Greg Duffy and Aamir Virani founded Dropcam in 2009.{{cite web|last=Shontell|first=Alyson|title=Red-Hot Startup Dropcam Will Kill The Old Fashioned Surveillance Camera|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/dropcam-2013-6|publisher=Business Insider|accessdate=26 May 2014}} Duffy served as Dropcam's CEO and Virani served as COO.{{cite web|title=About|url=https://www.dropcam.com/about/company|publisher=Dropcam|accessdate=25 May 2014}} They originally developed software for cameras made by Swedish company AXIS. Wanting to develop a less expensive camera, the two companies parted ways and Dropcam started producing its own cameras that primarily provided video monitoring for homes and small businesses.{{cite magazine|last=Hernandez|first=Daniela|title=Software Is Still King. Hardware Is Just Along for the Ride|url=https://www.wired.com/business/2013/07/software-is-still-king-hardware-is-just-coming-along-for-the-ride/|magazine=Wired|accessdate=30 May 2014}} Duffy and Virani credit Duffy's dad with at least part of the inspiration for Dropcam.{{cite web|last1=Gannes|first1=Liz|title=The Story of Dropcam, a Little Hardware Start-Up With Its Head in the Cloud|url=http://allthingsd.com/20121227/the-story-of-dropcam-a-little-hardware-start-up-with-its-head-in-the-cloud/|publisher=AllThingsD|accessdate=2 June 2014}} He wanted to identify the neighbor who was letting their dog poop on his lawn but they were having trouble finding a security camera that made it easy to record, stream and monitor large amounts of data.{{cite web|last1=Martin|first1=Scott|title=Dropcam captures $30 million in funding|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/07/31/dropcam-captures-30-million-in-funding/2600565/|publisher=USAToday|accessdate=29 May 2014}}{{cite web|last1=Popper|first1=Ben|title=This company just raised $30m to put cameras all over your house|date=31 July 2013 |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/7/31/4572462/dropcam-raises-30-million-surveillance-empire|publisher=The Verge|accessdate=1 June 2014}}
Dropcam received early funding from technology investor Mitch Kapor,{{cite web|last=Sloan|first=Paul|title=How the cloud is revolutionizing gadgets|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57342637-93/how-the-cloud-is-revolutionizing-gadgets/|publisher=CNET|accessdate=2 June 2014}} and in June 2012, Dropcam secured $12 million in venture capital funding led by Menlo Ventures and previous investors, Accel Partners and Bay Partners.{{cite web|last=Tam|first=Donna|title=Dropcam sees $12 million in new funding, better software|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57454833-93/dropcam-sees-$12-million-in-new-funding-better-software/|publisher=CNET|accessdate=25 May 2014}} Dropcam has also received funding from Felicis Ventures and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.{{cite web|last1=Deamicis|first1=Carmel|title=Despite Segway and Fisker, Kleiner Perkins keeps making hardware bets|url=http://pando.com/2013/07/31/despite-segway-and-fisker-kleiner-perkins-keeps-making-hardware-bets/}}{{cite web|last1=Cutler|first1=Kim-Mai|title=Another Super Angel Levels Up: Aydin Senkut's Felicis Ventures Closes $70M|date=7 June 2012 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/06/07/another-super-angel-levels-up-aydin-senkuts-felicis-ventures-closes-70m/|publisher=Tech Crunch|accessdate=2 June 2014}} The following year, it received $30 million more in funding led by Institutional Venture Partners, bringing the total raised to $47.8 million.{{cite web|last=Lara-Cinisomo|first=Vincent|title=Silicon Valley VCs pump $30 million into WiFi video-camera firm Dropcam|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2013/07/31/silicon-valley-vcs-pump-30-million.html|accessdate=21 May 2014}}{{cite web|last=Martin|first=Scott|title=Dropcam captures $30 million in funding|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/07/31/dropcam-captures-30-million-in-funding/2600565/|publisher=USA Today|accessdate=2 June 2014}} Duffy said Dropcam's revenue grew 500 percent year over year.
Dropcam hosts cloud data through Amazon Web Services{{cite web|title=AWS Case Study: Dropcam|url=https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/dropcam/|publisher=Amazon Web Services|accessdate=21 May 2014}} and Duffy said in 2014 that Dropcam presently records more video than YouTube.{{cite web|title=Dropcam Records More Video Than Youtube: CEO|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/video/dropcam-records-more-video-than-youtube-ceo-RaH7gb_5SH29uFzEyjoYWg.html|publisher=Bloomberg|accessdate=21 May 2014}}
Dropcam has become popular in families watching their children,{{cite news|last=Eaton|first=Kit|title=Keep an Eye on Children, or Other Valuables|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/12/technology/personaltech/dropcam-as-part-baby-monitor-part-high-tech-security-guard.html?_r=2&|work=The New York Times|date=11 December 2013 |accessdate=27 May 2014}} through monitoring pets at home, at pet stores{{cite news|last=Hardy|first=Quentin|title=Webcams See All (Tortoise, Watch Your Back)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/08/technology/webcams-see-all-tortoise-watch-your-back.html?_r=1|work=The New York Times|date=8 January 2014 |accessdate=27 May 2014}} and in adoption centers. Users have also reportedly caught home-burglaries in progress.{{cite web|last=Kelly|first=Heather|title=DIY home (and pet) surveillance from an app|date=10 October 2013 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/10/tech/innovation/dropcam-security-cameras/|publisher=CNN|accessdate=30 May 2014}} Duffy has said, “Moms are using it to catch their babies' first steps when they're not around, checking that older kids have arrived home safely; contacting children who are ignoring their cell phones; and sharing footage from birthday parties.”{{cite web|last=Wang|first=Jennifer|title=How Three Business Broke Into the Mommy Market|date=21 March 2012 |url=http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223114|publisher=Entrepreneur|accessdate=28 May 2014}}
Due to the success of Dropcam, several companies launched similar products and services in 2014 and 2015, such as SpotCam and simplicam.{{cite web|last=Newman|first=Jared|title=This Dropcam alternative promises not to eat your bandwidth|url=http://www.techhive.com/article/2875980/security-cameras/article.html|publisher=TechHive|accessdate=3 Apr 2016|archive-date=13 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413005045/http://www.techhive.com/article/2875980/security-cameras/article.html|url-status=dead}}
In June 2015, the parent company Nest has introduced Nest Cam as a successor to Dropcam Pro.{{Cite web |url=http://devconhomesecurity.com/blog/nest-cam-replaces-dropcam-pro |title=Nest Cam: Does It Replace Its Brother, DropCam Pro? |access-date=2016-12-25 |archive-date=2016-09-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160929000826/http://devconhomesecurity.com/blog/nest-cam-replaces-dropcam-pro |url-status=dead }}
On April 7, 2023, Google announced that it would end support for both Dropcam and Nest Secure on April 8, 2024.{{cite web | url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/7/23673165/google-nest-dropcam-nest-secure-eol | title=Google will drop Dropcam and Nest Secure in 2024 | date=7 April 2023 }}
Cloud Recording
Dropcam provides optional encrypted digital video recording through the cloud. The Cloud Recording service automatically saves video on a rolling basis, so users can review the past week or month of footage, depending on their plan. All users, with or without the service, can still view the live feed.{{cite web|last=Griffith|first=Eric|title=Dropcam Pro|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2425539,00.asp|publisher=PC Mag|accessdate=30 May 2014}} Dropcam allows users to download the video and create video clips while also allowing for the creation of a public stream. About 40% of Dropcam users sign up for the cloud service.
As part of Dropcam's Cloud Recording service, markers are placed on a user's video timeline when motion or audio is detected, so a user may go back and view those specific events rather than watch the whole feed to search for notable activities. Dropcam introduced a beta version of its Activity Recognition feature for Cloud Recording, which learns typical motion patterns in a user's video stream, allowing for customized motion alerts.{{cite web|last=Truong|first=Alice|title=Dropcam Eyes The Connected Home With The Launch Of A Bluetooth-Enabled Camera|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3019684/tech-forecast/dropcam-eyes-the-connected-home-with-the-launch-of-a-bluetooth-enabled-camera|publisher=Fast Company|accessdate=2 June 2014}}