automation

With the smart home sector estimated to worth billions it is an attractive market to be in at the moment.  Therefore, many businesses and individuals are marketing their solution to create their own niche. On the other hand many of us who write about these technologies have heard solutions announced all the time but never see it or hear about it after that announcement. The latest big announcement was Apple Homekit, Apple’s version of a connected home platform.

iSmart has added power management to its list of home automation products.  Customer of the iSmart Alarm Home Security solution can now add the iSmart Alarm Smart Switch to help manage their power consumption.  Using the already available smart phone app, you can remotely control the electrical outlets in your home and monitor whether lighting is on or off.

The Home Automation and Control market is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 11.36% over the next five years (2014 - 2020) and worth approximately $12.81 billion by 2020, According to a new market research report published by MarketsandMarket. North America is expected to remain the largest market over this period supported by the growth in the housing martket and consumers demands for convenience, connectivity, safety and security in their homes.

Crestron promse to make home automation setup and management easier with the new app Pyng. According to Crestron Pyng will sit at the heart of your home automation system. With it, home integrators can create lifestyle scenes for each room, schedule events, and much more right from an iPad. You whole home automation system can be ready in minutes without using any other programming application.

The results of the 2015 International CES honorees are out and the smart home category has 24 awardees. Again the organisors and calling it a success with the amount of manufacturers submitting their product up 14 percent increase. Each product is judged based on its overall engineering qualities related to technical specifications and material, aesthetics and design qualities; the product’s intended use and function; its unique features and how the design and innovation of the product compares to others in the marketplace. (See Photos below).

Orange France has collaborated with a number of smart home solutions providers to create a home automation service for its French customers. The solution is base on the Z-Wave protocol with hardware provided by Vera and Fibaro. Like other entry level home automation kit the basics package offers safety and home security, with the option to add other functions.

After coming to an agreement with Apple on their ongoing patent battle, Samsung is keen to play a bigger role in the growing connected home market. The company has been offering some form of connected solution for sometime but has never showed a real interest, until now. They have announced the acquisition of home automation startup SmartThings. They now join Microsoft, Google, Cisco, Apple and many more in showing a bigger interest in the connected home market.

Rather than using an Omega Seamaster James Bond (007) will soon be using a smart watch maybe one like the new Samsung Gear 2 Smartwatch. In addition to lunching rockets and helping to get him out of tight situations it could enhance his bachelor pad. iControl in partnership Samsung has become the first smart home solutions provider to allow access to connected home devices via the New Samsung Gear 2.

You might remember our article last year about GE and Quirky, a collaborative partnership that develops smart home solutions. Well, they have launched another smart connected home product base on the WINK platform, called Link. Link is a smart LED Light bulb that has its own app that allows you to control it from your smart phone.

Allianz and Deutsche Telekom are combining their respective market solutions to offer what they called “connected life” services. Leveraging Telekom’s communication infrastructure both businesses said they are developing a connected home service package for the European market.  Connected life will be the combination of Telekom's "Smart Home" solution and "Allianz Assist" emergency assistance service for the home.