FWORRELL

I'm really trying to understand portal in it's entirety. Is portal a local module that looks to a cloud server or is everything that portal does local? If it is strictly local, why is there a subscription fee? I've had the network module for years, is that mine to keep forever if I try portal and decide not to use it again? What other devices/software will portal interface with, besides Echo and IFTTT? It seems like this could be split into 2. One for people who want to integrate with other technologies (like Echo/IFTTT) and those who need remote management with multiple uses and ISY's Thank you for any help, Fred