Whirlpool wanted to add connectivity to appliances and transform the company's relationship with customers. Traditionally, Whirlpool interaction with customers was limited to purchases made once every ten years. Connected washer and dryers provide exciting new features like remote management of start times and inter-machine communication.

In Europe, most homes are heated via hot water radiators, not HVAC systems as is popular in the United States. Current European heating systems suffer from two shortcomings; wiring the thermostat to the water source, and limited Wi-Fi range in older homes.