I have had my Gen 2 installed for about 1 1/2 years. Have there been any software updates? How difficult would it be to update with a pause and resume feature.
2 Likes
I second this feature suggestion! 
1 Like
I completely agree. Update notifications with online access to comprehensive release notes are pretty much a requirement. It would also be nice if Rachio staff would post about current status of the V3 development, perhaps with some anticipated release date?
1 Like
Isn’t the Standby function a pause? Sounds like that’s what it’s designed for.
I think they’re talking about pausing once a schedule has started.
For example, if your dog really needs to go, but the sprinklers are running in the back yard. Be nice to be able to pause it for a few minutes, then resume where it left off.
Yes, this is what I mean by pause and resume. Its like pause and resume with a movie.
As much as it pains me to type this, I’m getting the feeling Rachio is unable to deliver for some sort of underlying serious issue and it has me questioning my choice to select it.
Every Rachio employee I’ve had the opportunity to interact with has been nothing less than absolutely wonderful, but the silence from the company itself is deafening. No V3 months and months after talking about it, and not even a tiny update for V2 as far as I can tell since installing my Gen-2 in May 2017. I beleive the iOS app had one minor update since I originally installed it, and it still looks pretty bad on an iPad if I remember correctly.
Maybe Rachio is sitting on V3 hoping to make it a diamond before release, but that’s a great way to let competitors leave you in the dust and generate boredom with current customers. Does my Gen-2 work? Yes. Does it do everything i want? No. Am I open to re-evaluating competitors if I start to see features I care more about (how about a simple well pump delay between zones) while Rachio is still being silent? Absolutely.
So yes, any kind of communication at all would be welcome to know the company or products aren’t in a death spiral. 
Pretty please!
4 Likes
I think you can relax.
I think there are many start-ups that would ‘flip cart wheels’ if they could have the same challenges (opportunities) Rachio has in the same amount of time Rachio’s been in business.
In 4 years (in order as I think of them), Rachio has:
-
The product that is highest rated amongst sprinkler controllers, regardless of what professional publication is saying so.
-
Approximately 50 employees to worry about the ‘care and feeding’ of (no small task for a small business starting from scratch just 4 years ago.)
-
A workforce that’s one quarter engineering degreed.
-
Already passed by the need to be on Shark Tank for investment to expand - Amazon’s on board as an investor.
-
Avoided capital expenditures (money) for machines and equipment and processes. (Instead Rachio outsources it’s manufacturing process to a contract manufacturer.)
-
Probably ‘burned through’ cash like there’s ‘no tomorrow’ to keep up with demand, noting its employee workforce size and cost of its local manufacturing process (i.e non-China).
My guess is, overall, Rachio leadership is making it ‘crystal clear’ its highest mission at the moment is to hang on, step forward, ‘take no prisoners,’ and just ‘kill it’ for this current market sales opportunity for Iro2 - focused on not missing one possible sale. At the moment all published authority is saying the Iro2 is ‘top of the heap’ for smart controllers - thus take advantage of this now.
My further guess is, leadership’s focus is to generate cash. Cash is needed for the V3/G3 strategic efforts, to ‘buy time’ with investors who I’m confident have challenging financial objectives expected to be achieved, and to have healthy strategic efforts beyond just next product V3/G3.
There’s a lot of smart people needed to pull off a V3/G3 strategy that will again earn Rachio opportunity to execute through a sales opportunity like what’s its currently got in its lap. Thus, my continued guess is, there’s maniacal focus on maximizing efficiencies (manufacturing costs, operating costs, etc.)
Yep, I’m the one who started ‘the contest’ (see V3 thread), initially joining most in thinking that V3 availability would occur reasonably after announcement. While it hasn’t occurred, and coming up on a year later, still, I haven’t seen anything that changes my ‘glass is half full’ view. I think, with careful reflection:
-
Rachio is carefully generating a sales cycle of proportion that not many start-ups get the opportunity to tackle;
-
Success is clearly understood to be executing on the current Iro2 sales and generating cash; and
-
Rachio’s leaders are carefully managing and adjusting what it puts out for next offering V3/G3 product.
I think these guys are up to the challenge.
Best regards,
Bill
3 Likes
I wholeheartedly want to be wrong, but I can’t say that this level of silence from a software provider makes me comfortable. At the end of the day that’s pretty much what the company is, as the hardware itself is trivial compared to the SW and backend data that runs it.
2 Likes
BTW, not that you don’t have reasonable grounds for wondering just what’s going on:
I looked back at the V3 thread (now the 2nd most replied to thread all-time, and a first page listing of most viewed all-time, highlighting early the interest in V3, and later the interest in the contest). The fact that a V3 is being worked on, and that it’s ready for beta testing, was announced on Mar. 6th. And further comment included note of a 4 - 6 week testing period.
Best regards,
Bill
It’s coming, foe show.
I know it’s been slow, I’ve been chomping at the bit to get a better manual run interface
1 Like
I have evaluated virtually every wifi smart controller on the market. None are perfect. Features available with one is not avaiable on the other. I served on an Irrigation Association committee when they developed the best management practices of irrigation. Rachio is utilizing them perfectly. Rachio has been very reliable for me. They are not Samsung with thousands of employees. What they have accomplished in a short time is amazing. Hunter, Rain Bird and Toro do not offer anything close to Rachio. We need to be patient.
2 Likes
Here’s the team that’s making all of the current excitement - these guys look focused on making sure no G2 sale is left behind, focused on generating plenty of cash to satisfy investor demands and to fund robust R&D, and focused on ‘hitting it out of the park’ with respect to the long announced V3. I have no idea who’s who - they all look like they’re having fun.
Best regards,
Bill
Hey all!
I just wanted to jump in to provide some peace of mind on this thread. I can assure you that we are all hard at work to provide the best product possible to all of you, and any lack of communication is not due to lack of progress, but rather us trying to not communicate anything until it is absolutely ready!
We so appreciate how involved our community is. Please don’t fret, we are still here and working hard to make sure we keep kicking a$$ and taking names, it may just not seem as apparent at the moment 
Big things are coming! Get excited! In the meantime, here is a picture of @franz and Evan (operations dude) making magic at the holiday party.
McKynzee
3 Likes