Home Automation
A smart can best best be described as a home which works for you, and not the other way around. A customized collection of smart devices created to work towards enhancing your lifestyle and simplifying routine tasks on your schedule and to your likings.
Home Automation is the ability to automate routine tasks, settings or lifestyle elements around your home to your requirements, schedule and in synchronization with other parts of your home.
What are the benefits of home automation?
Home Automation allows you to control integral elements in your home through set routines which you have programmed through an app on your phone, a simple push of a keypad button, a Universal Remote Control or even voice activated control. It makes the more mundane work simple and the more time-consuming work easier and faster to accomplish.
Is home automation technology difficult to understand?
The easiest way to answer this is if you know how to use a smartphone or tablet, you will easily be able to use a Home Automation system. If you have staff or elderly members of your family who are not familiar with smart devices, keypads or simple voice activated commands can be programmed to do very basic functionalities such as All On or All Off to turn everything on and off in a particular space.
Will current home automation systems be compatible with future technology?
Most Home Automation systems are IP based and are controlled through our home network. This enables them to easily integrate with future technologies and the internet of things because most of these devices are also IP controlled and will be able to easily synchronize with your home automation system.
If your electricity goes down, unless you have a backup power supply nothing will operate anyways. There is no way to control your lights, a/c’s or other smart devices in your home because they all require electricity to operate. If your internet goes down, your entire system will continue to operate as normal on your local home network. That means inside your house everything is still connected on your main router and continues to talk to each other, allowing you to control what you need. Once you leave your home network and try to access the system from outside your home, that is when things will not be operable from the outside world since the internet is down at your space.
Does smart technology work for business? or How can businesses adapt smart technology integration?
A lot of businesses have started to create smart working spaces to help team members be more productive, more efficient and focus more
on the important tasks at work. Conference rooms which can easily light up and set the Audio/Video Equipment to the correct input when a meeting is scheduled to start is one prime example. Smart security and biometric access control systems which only allow the team member with the correct level of access to enter a space is another prime example.
What is the best time to install home automation?
Home Automation can be installed during any stage in the construction process or even once your home or commercial space is complete. If your automation equipment needs to be retrofitted, more than likely you will need to install wireless home automation devices. Although wireless works very well, we always recommend a wired solution and to pre-plan your automation installation along with the necessary wiring at the same time your electrical work is being completed.
We don’t feel there are any disadvantages in integrating an automation system into your home or commercial space because it helps simplify your lifestyle and living experience. There is a cost associated with these products, but it is up to you to what scale you want to integrate your space and more automation services can be added along as and when budget permits. We have found in cases where a home automation user has a bad experience with their system mostly results from hiring inexperienced or novice automation integration companies or installers who do not provide adequate support and are not familiar with the complexities of home automation integration. We strongly suggest before finalizing your home
automation vendor, that you take a background check of the level of projects they have completed and how much experience they have in the automation industry. Also check what their support timings are and what type of service you can expect once the installation has been completed.
Can I control the smart devices using my smartphone?
Yes almost all home automation systems allow control of the system through a smartphone or tablet.
Is it possible for me to use my voice commands to control the devices in my home?
Yes almost all home automation systems allow control of their system through voice commands by Amazon Alexa or Google Home. Some even integrate with Siri and Josh.ai for more advanced voice activated control.
Can I upgrade an existing or old home into a smart home?
Yes it is quite possible to retrofit wireless automation into an existing home which may be lacking smart technology. Similarly, if cabling is already in place, wired automation products can easily be added to make a home or commercial space smarter.
How can I save energy with home automation?
Energy Automation currently works by tracking your electrical loads to see which products on your electrical grid use the most energy, and at what times your grid power is most costly. You can then schedule these devices to operate during non peak hours or use solar power if that has been installed to operate the devices at times when the electrical grid is costliest.
When I use home automation, is my information secure?
Similar to how your email servers, banking platforms and other secure systems ensure your personal data and usernames and passwords are secure, Home Automation companies use the same level of encryption to ensure your personal data and home stay secure.
As more and more products come into the market smart homes are becoming very affordable. It really depends on the level of automation one hopes to accomplish which will determine the overall budget of the system.
Do I have to make my whole house smart?
It is not required to make the entire home or commercial space smart. You can start with small parts and continue to add more parts as and when you feel comfortable. We would highly recommend future proofing yourself though and running all the necessary cabling to different parts of your home or commercial space so it will make it easier to add automation to those areas in the future.
What are the top 3 smart devices for a home which can benefit from being integrated?
This is a very subjective topic and I think everyone you ask will have their own answers to this question, but we believe A/V Control, Smart Lighting
and a Smart Lock are definitely the 3 most beneficial smart devices one can integrate into their homes.