It’s not very new and, TBH, I’ve struggled to find an application for it - though I’m told it’s a way you can hack IoT devices that aren’t currently supported by your “Home” gadget (like Hive (which you hate) isn’t supported by Google but IFTTT can connect the two).
So, it’s a good idea looking for uses, IMO.
ETA - as more products are “connected” you could make more use of it.
I had to check what this was and it seems a sensible idea.
That said I run a mix of iOS for phones tablet and MacBook and Alexa through Sonos. The Sonos app does a reasonable job of linking the two but other than that everything is shared the iOS system.
We’re about to have a new boiler fitted (thanks cold snap) and considering a smart thermostat that links to Alexa. Once we add to the smart home I can see it becoming more relevant to me.
That's more or less what I thought. The application that brought it back to my mind was on Trusted Reviews, who got a Google Home to send a text, which I thought could be quite useful.