Nest Labs, maker of the Nest learning thermostat, is opening up its technology to developers.

The Nest Developer Program will officially kick off in early 2014, but developers big and small are now invited to sign up. "Let's create some simple, delightful experiences together," Nest says.

Once the program launches, Nest will provide developers with access to a near real-time Web API that allows for control of the Nest Thermostat and display of its current configuration.

What does Nest hope to get out of this developer program? In a blog post, Nest founder Matt Rogers pointed to a few scenarios: turning off your lights with Auto-Away; programming your dryer to not run when energy prices are high; or setting a robot vacuum to clean when you are out of the house.

"Starting today, we're looking for partners to bring this vision to life," Rogers wrote.

For two years, Nest has focused largely on its thermostat. "It would have been easy to get distracted, to try each of the hundreds of product ideas in our community," he wrote. "But we paced ourselves, focused on adding new, meaningful features and services like Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings. As we grow and our thermostat keeps getting better, we have more bandwidth to take on new projects."

In addition to the developer program, Rogers said Nest is working with home-automation company Control4 to integrate the Nest thermostat into its system. "It's been one of our most requested integrations, and we're incredibly excited to finally get it to customers. More amazing integrations are in the works," Rogers said.

The announcement, which Nest formally made at the CEDIA Expo home automation convention, comes one day after reports that the firm is also developing a smoke detector. Nest declined to comment on the rumors.

Interested developers can fill out the form on the Nest Developer Program website and Nest will send out emails when it officially launches.

For more, check out PCMag's review of the Nest Learning Thermostat and the slideshow above.