Smart Home Utilities App

Centrica partnered with One Beyond to develop a Front Line Support Tool for improving Hive smart home management. The project delivered cross-platform desktop and mobile apps, enabling real-time remote diagnostics.

At a glance

Custom-built

A custom-built support tool enabling engineers to remotely manage and diagnose connected home devices.

App development

Mobile app and desktop management tool using React Native and AWS.

Fast resolution

Delivered faster issue resolution, improved service efficiency, and enhanced customer experience.

Cross-platform

Cross-platform Client Relationship Manager app and desktop support tool for real-time interaction and remote connections.

"Their communication and documentation throughout the project was clear and understandable. They were completely transparent with the solution they created, which meant handover to our internal teams was simple."

Boyan S, Head of Delivery, British Gas Connected Homes

About Centrica

Centrica is a global energy services company offering Hive, a smart-home platform controlling heating, lighting, water, and appliances for over a million users.

The Challenge

Hive’s rapid growth highlighted limitations in existing tools, affecting engineers’ ability to diagnose and resolve issues remotely. The infrastructure wasn’t scalable or device-agnostic, hindering fast, effective support.

The Solution

One Beyond assembled a focused agile team to build a Front Line Support Tool: a cross-platform app and desktop system that enables real-time remote access, diagnostics, and backend management. Developed using React Native and AWS with continuous CI/CD, both MVPs launched ahead of schedule, significantly enhancing support efficiency.

A closer look at features and benefits

Cross-platform mobile app – Engineers can diagnose issues on site or remotely.

Desktop management tool – Real-time monitoring of devices via Hive Hubs.

Remote connectivity – Instant device access reduces downtime.

AWS/cloud deployment – Highly scalable and future-proof platform.

CI/CD integration – Transparent progress and faster delivery cycles.

Streamlined engineer workflows – Improved customer experience and faster resolutions.

"The team delivered on the project in record time using React Native tech stack and also developed a state of the art replacement solution to address challenging limitations with one of our AWS Serverless implementations."