Google, Inc (NYSE: GOOG) on Wednesday made available the source code for it's PowerMeter application, in the hopes that smart-device manufacturers will integrate the software into their products.
The company hopes to get a foothold in home energy management, which is expected to boom in the next few years.
PowerMeter, which was unveiled in February 2009, is designed to gather information from a home's smart meter (or appliances with energy monitoring capabilities) and display it on the homeowner's computer. Google is offering the software for free to users and developers--as the company does with a wide variety of applications--to build user loyalty for the Google search engine, which generates the company's profits.
Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) unveiled a competing application called Hohm in June 2009. And Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) is reported looking to get in on the action with a combination of hardware and software.
