Much has been written about how new connected home technologies have blurred the barriers between home automation and home security. The Connected Home is a powerful combination of both. The benefits of intertwining security and automation result in its numerous advantages: daily life convenience, peace of mind and even energy saving while also helping the environment.
It is not hard to see why the home security market is rapidly evolving in this direction, bringing together and encompassing these myriad new technologies facilitated by the same two enablers: ubiquitous smartphone adoption and the Internet of Things, two new forms of connectivity that have bridged the gap between traditional home security and home automation, turning both markets upside down by merging them into a single industry: the connected home. This takes the best from both worlds, and improves them infinitely with new functionalities and endless possibilities.
Smart home security is great. Adding home automation features makes it even better. The same can be said the other way around. A home automation system is a hundred times better and more useful and appealing to consumers if it includes security. They naturally complement each other. The same mobile app that lets the users set the time for the garden to be watered, or monitor their pets while they are home alone, allows them to set the lights to turn on the moment an intrusion is detected or make them randomly switch on and off while the family is away on vacation, to simulate that the house is occupied.
This combination of services and functions is what makes a home a smart home. A connected living space that can be remotely managed and monitored from a Tablet or a Smartphone, bringing security and convenience together within a single, integrated solution that helps improve people’s lives. Another example of this is energy consumption. According to a recent report by the Consumer Technology Association, owning a smart home can help save up to 10% electric power consumption, thus allowing the homeowner to save money while also helping the environment by reducing the carbon footprint with simple but effective actions. These could be just remotely turning off the air conditioning and lighting, or more advanced features like configuring them to switch off automatically when a room is empty or when the alarm is armed.
This perfect ‘mergeability’ offers a unique opportunity for service providers that look for ways to expand their offering while differentiating themselves for competitors. Users with traditional security systems have already expressed an interest in expanding their current solution with connected home appliances that merge seamlessly within one interface. This expands its potential and capabilities, and that will make their daily lives easier and simpler. These benefits can certainly be used by service providers to enhance their offering’s value.
