CUSTOMISING THE SMART HOME: PUTTING THE POWER INTO THE HOMEOWNER’S HANDS
In an era where every second ad we hear or see purports to be “smart”, and the IOT is limitless, we take a look at how a really “smart” home is one of deeper intelligence.
We’ve seen a growing divide in the smart home market, centred around the fundamental differences between mass-market smart devices and professionally installed home automation systems. And as one-off smart devices grow smarter and more feature rich, not to mention more popular, that gulf has only gotten deeper. In short, homeowners have been forced to choose between the autonomy provided by standalone smart devices on the one hand, and the robustness, sophistication, and extensive device support of professional automation systems on the other.
Despite advances in the home technology system setup, most home automation systems work best when designed and installed by a trained professional.
As home automation systems become the mainstream when renovating and building your new home, you will find many do-it-yourself systems hitting the market, consumers are faced with the decision on whether to tackle the setup of a home automation system themselves or to hire a professional to do the job. While you will definitely save money by the DIY method, don’t let the cost of a professional sway your decision when a home automation system is such an integral part of your home.
At Luxavo we receive many calls from newly built home owners who let their electrician install what they described as a “Smart Home System”, that turns out to be not so smart. We also get a lot of queries from customers looking to integrate smart devices with their integrated control system.
New features of integrated control systems like Control4 and Crestron subscription services, bridges the gap and gives homeowners the best of both worlds: the freedom to enhance, edit, and add to the automated events in and around their home, combined with the reliability, extensive device support, and unparalleled customer service that only a professionally installed automation system can deliver.
So, what does this allow the end user to do exactly? Simply put, it’s a slick and intuitive browser-based interface that asks homeowners a very simple question: “When X happens, how would you like your smart home to respond?” For example, by navigating just a few simple screens, a homeowner can set straightforward commands like “When I press the top button on the keypad in the kitchen “ – Then play my favourite Spotify playlist,” or “When the sun rises” – Then turn on the kitchen lights.” Schedules and triggers can also be set to activate multiple automated events, for example; “When it is 6:00 p.m. – Then turn on living room lights, lock the front door, and tune the television to channel 246.” With nearly 11,000 supported third-party consumer electronic devices in the integrated ecosystem, the options for customisation are nearly limitless.
And the personalisation options aren’t merely limited to devices in and around the home; homeowners can also quickly and easily set up triggers that send push notifications to their smart phones as well. Parents might choose to receive a pop-up alert when their kids unlock the front door at the end of the school day, for example, or when the living room TV is turned on.
It’s exactly the sort of personalisation that homeowners with an integrated control system require. Giving homeowners the ability to tweak their homes to fit their lifestyles and needs, secure in the knowledge that they can fall back on the support and expertise that a professionally installed integrated system offers. It represents freedom, but also a safety net. It unlocks personal customisation capabilities for one of the most advanced control solutions on the market, in a way that virtually anyone can comprehend. And best of all, it allows homeowners to tinker and experiment, without fear that they’ll do any lasting harm to their advanced home control and entertainment solution.
There are many good reasons to invest in a professional integrator, and the good news is that most manufacturers have implemented technology into their home automation systems that can streamline the programming and installation process significantly.
For more information on the features and benefits of a professionally installed integrated control system, and how this intelligent system will allow you to control any smart device around your home, contact our team today:
Tel: (042) 942 0507 or Email: info@techfit.ie
Comments