Smart Homes – How technology has finally caught up with home automation
When the space-race began in the 1950s, the future seemed like an undiscovered country, filled with new technologies and inventions that would make life easier for everyone.
The average home in particular, would be transformed, with meals coming in pill form, robot butlers attending to our every beck and call, and our own personal helicopter parked on the roof.
And while things didn’t exactly turn out like The Jetsons, some of the more realistic predictions did come true. Remote controls, flat-screen TVs, home computers… are all now commonplace.
But true home automation has always alluded us, mostly due to the restrictions on technology.
That is, until now.
Smart phone and Wi-Fi technology
The invention of Wi-Fi and the addition of smart phone technology was a game changer for home automation.
Devices no longer needed to be physically connected, freeing up room and eliminating the need for complex wiring, and keeping costs down.
Everything in the home could be controlled by one central system, and mobile devices like phones and tablets can all connect to it remotely.
Finally, technology had caught up with the dream of an automated home, opening the door to a world of convenience, ease, and simplicity.
What today’s smart home can do
In today’s digital world, everyone is online 24/7. Smart homes use this facet of modern life to make day-to-day living easier.
Entertainment
Home automation can deliver the ultimate audio/visual home experience.
Imagine streaming the latest 4K movies on a projector which comes out of the ceiling, with fully immersive surround-sound – all with the touch of a button.
Or listening to your favourite playlist in the kitchen while the kids sing along to The Wiggles in their bedroom.
A fully integrated home automation system gives you easy, convenient and clutter-free entertainment, right at your fingertips.
Smart Lighting
Control the lights in your house from your sofa or from the other side of the world!
A smart home can create lighting that suits any situation.
Walk up gently in the morning as the lights gradually become brighter, or save electricity by having lights switch off whenever you leave the room.
Strategic lighting transforms any home, from soft mood lighting in the bedroom to coloured lights in the swimming pool.
You can even programme the system to make it look like someone’s home when the house is empty!
Comfort and Convenience
A comprehensive smart home is not just to control your lights and entertainment system, but also your heating, communications, and pool/spa.
Use your phone to warm the house up as you leave the office, ensuring it’s nice and toasty for your arrival, or cool down on those sweltering summer days with air conditioning.
In-house communication is also possible with intercom and video feeds, allowing you to check on babies or pets, see who’s knocking at the front door, or call the kids for dinner.
Home automation doesn’t stop at your four walls either. The system can be used to turn on the spa pool for your arrival home after a hard day’s work, or water the garden while you’re out of town.
Access and Security
You can’t put a price on peace of mind, but a fully automated smart home helps!
You can protect your family and your property with the touch of a button. Smart locks can bolt every door in the house, or only allow access to specific people.
You can receive text notifications if something’s up, like someone knocks on the front door, or you can simply watch a live stream from cameras placed around your home, no matter where you are in the world.
Simple arming and disarming of the security system is effortless, and can be done using a user interface on the way out the door, or even remotely from your mobile phone.
Networking
With the two-thirds of Kiwis now owning three or more connected devices, we are a nation that is constantly online.
From Netflix to Google Maps, we’re downloading an incredible amount of information, and if there are four or five people in a home, things can get confused.
With an automated system, a robust network is at the heart of it all, ensuring that everything is working seamlessly.
No one’s Skype call is interrupted because someone is downloading a movie – all devices and streams are prioritised to make sure it all runs smoothly, effectively, and consistently.
Join the smart home revolution
Get the most out of your technology and experience smarter living through home automation.
Keep your family warm and safe with the touch of a button, or enjoy a fully immersive entertainment system as part of your home.
Having all your devices work together in a seamless arrangement will make you wonder how you ever lived without it.
To get the ball rolling on your smart home simply contact us today.
Our friendly and experienced technicians will be happy to answer any questions you may have about home automation or book you in for a free home consultation.