Making A Home Smart

Linking in-home devices to create communication with smart device

Who values a smart home? According to a recent survey, most Americans do. Eighty-seven percent of us acknowledge the worth of a smart home – and it’s not limited to just millennials or the techsavvy. Thirty-three percent of adults between 35 and 54, and 24 percent of those older than 55 years own smart-home technology. But what really makes a smart home “smart?”

Most homeowners say you need to have at least three of these four things: security locks/alarm systems, temperature control, lighting, and safety devices like fire or carbon monoxide detectors – all linked to a smart device. As a security dealer or integrator, I know you’ve got the security system part figured out, but what about the rest? How can you help your customers achieve the smart home they want? The answer might surprise you.

In fact, the answer is a frequently used smart-home device: a connected garage door opener.

More than smart door locks, network security cameras or even smart thermostats, more homeowners control a connected garage door opener through a smartphone app than any of these devices. That’s why when you’re consulting with your customers, it’s important to make a connected garage door opener part of your offering. It becomes even more important when you realize that with the right accessories, that connected garage door opener can also enable your customers to control home lighting and monitor temperature, the key factors that make a up a smart home.

CONNECTED GARAGE DOOR OPENERS

The benefits of connected home technology in the garage are obvious. Your customers most likely already receive smartphone alerts on breaking news or weather, but a connected garage door opener can tell them when their garage door opens, closes, or is left open accidently. When did their kids enter the garage after school? They’ll always know.

There are after-market products available which can turn most any brand of garage door opener into a connected opener. LiftMaster’s MyQ Garage, for example, installs in minutes and works with home Wi-Fi to achieve connectivity. It also works with the free MyQ app for smartphone control.

If a customer wants to install a new, connected garage door opener, start with one with built-in Wi-Fi. It makes it easy to make the initial connection to the internet, plus it doesn’t require another other equipment to buy like an internet gateway device and can easily connect to the app. The app easily integrates with other accessory devices such as remote light controls and remote light switches to be able to control home lighting. There are other advantages to a new garage door opener like increased quiet, especially with belt drive units, battery backup in case of power outages, and, of course, overall reliability.

MANAGING TEMPERATURE

With the MyQ app and a Nest Learning Thermostat, your customers can open the garage door when they arrive and the connected garage door opener can tell their Nest Thermostat they’re home. When they close the garage door on their way out, the thermostat will go into Away mode, so they don’t waste energy heating or cooling an empty home.

SECURITY AND SAFETY

A dark home could signal to unwanted visitors that homeowners are away. The connected garage door opener can work with remote devices to control home lighting. Your customers can simply plug in any lamp inside their house to the device and control it with their smartphone. With the MyQ app, they can also easily and conveniently schedule lights to go on and off whenever they choose.

More than 70 percent of homeowners use the garage as the main access point to the home, making safety and security a top priority. With Nest Cam, homeowners can have an added security element. While the app alerts users of garage door activity via smart phone push notifications, with Nest Cam, users can also access a video feed of what’s happening in the garage the moment the garage door is activated, allowing for enhanced security and peace-of-mind.

This article originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Juan M. López is the director of marketing, connectivity and controls at LiftMaster.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.