Google May Reunite With Nest as It Takes on Amazon

Nest was a pioneer in internet-connected home devices such as thermostats and home security cameras. Inc. recently launched a home-security device that competes with Nest. Making Nest and its 1,000 employees part of Google would mark a retrenchment of Alphabet's strategy to separate its core Google internet business from a number of other units, such as its research lab and life-sciences firm. When Alphabet was formed in August 2015, Nest was the model "other bet," with its own headquarters, hiring process and perks--even its own branded bikes for employees. At the time, CEO Larry Page said in a public letter that "the whole point is that Alphabet companies should have independence and develop their own brands."