The future of the Level smart lock platform is facing increased scrutiny following a major restructuring by parent company ASSA ABLOY that reportedly eliminated most of Level Home’s workforce, including its founders and much of its engineering team.

According to reporting by The Verge, cited by both AppleInsider and Forbes, ASSA ABLOY has laid off the majority of Level Home employees as part of a broader restructuring while transferring the company’s assets as part of an internal reorganization. The restructuring reportedly includes the departure of Level co-founders John Martin and Ken Goto, along with most of the engineering organization.

The reported workforce reductions have prompted questions about the long-term direction of Level, whose residential smart locks have gained attention for concealing their electronics inside a conventional deadbolt design while supporting platforms such as Apple Home and Matter.

ASSA ABLOY disputed suggestions that the brand is being discontinued.

In a statement cited by The Verge, the company said Level “continues to operate as a business within ASSA ABLOY” and that it will continue to develop, sell and support the Level Lock platform and hardware. The company also said the restructuring will not affect customer support and that it remains committed to investing in the smart lock category. After The Verge’s initial report, ASSA ABLOY further clarified that Level is not being folded into Kwikset and that the two brands will remain separate.

According to The Verge’s reporting, a small group of employees is being retained to complete development of a smart lock product intended for multifamily housing.

While ASSA ABLOY has said existing customers should not expect changes to support, the restructuring has fueled concerns about the future of cloud-dependent features. AppleInsider, citing The Verge, reported that basic lock and unlock functions performed through Apple Home and Matter should continue to operate because those functions are processed locally. However, capabilities such as the Level mobile app, auto-unlock and door status updates rely on the company’s cloud infrastructure.

ASSA ABLOY has not announced plans to discontinue those cloud services. However, The Verge reported that if the services were ever shut down, customers could lose access to those cloud-based features while retaining local functionality through supported smart home platforms.

The developments come roughly two years after ASSA ABLOY acquired Level Home, expanding a portfolio that already includes residential lock brands such as Kwikset and Yale. According to The Verge, ASSA ABLOY’s most recent financial results showed declining sales in its North American residential business, although the company did not link the restructuring to those results.