Whilst it’s true that remote control (or "home control" as it’s known in this context) is an important part of any home automation solution, on its own, it is not home automation. The real advantage of a smart home is realised when all your devices can operate as a unified system, without any need for human interaction. This is home automation!

Now, we will admit, the first time we experienced switching our lights on and off from a smart phone was a truly memorable event. The benefits were instantly recognised but we soon found ourselves wanting more than just a high-tech remote. Of course, it’s nice to know we can monitor and control things from a smart phone when necessary (and more recently, through voice recognition thanks to Amazon Alexa and Google Home) but this is only part of the story.

Home automation is not about pushing buttons. It’s about employing technology to take care of the day-to-day operation of your home automatically. When implemented properly, it will go about its business unnoticed, quietly reacting to your needs while improving you and your family’s comfort and safety.

If you'd like more information about home automation and how it can benefit you, contact us today!

Home security is something all home owners worry about, especially when we’re away and unfortunately, a vacant home can often spell opportunity for burglars. However, with a Z-Wave home security and safety system, you can dissuade potential intruders through the automatic control of lights and window coverings at random times, creating the appearance that there’s always someone at home even when there isn’t.
 
Smoke and carbon monoxide sensors form an important part of any home safety system but when connected to a smart home, they can deliver several important benefits. For example, if you have elderly relatives you worry about living alone, they can simultaneously trigger other Z-Wave devices in an emergency and flash room lights, unlock doors or send an alert to family and friends. 
 
Automated lighting offers many benefits in and around the home but perhaps one not so obvious use case is that it allows its occupants to be guided safely between rooms at night without ever needing to fumble for a light switch. This can reduce the risk of falls and other injuries caused by poor lighting conditions.

With a Z-Wave key-less door lock, you can centrally manage unique access codes for every member of the household and trigger an event whenever someone gains entry to your home. You can also remotely lock and unlock your doors from anywhere in world and provide temporary access for house guests or tradesmen.
 
These are just a few of the many security and safety features of a Z-Wave smart home system and if you have any questions about how to best make use of this exciting technology, feel free to contact us anytime.

Click here to see our full range of Z-Wave home security and safety products.

The all new FIBARO HC3 is now available. Get yours today!

If you're a Vera user and have not yet tried Reactor (the excellent FREE Vera plugin for advanced home automation), do yourself a favour! To get yourself started, checkout this excellent YouTube tutorial channel.

Here's one of our favourite videos from the channel, to show you how simple it is to create a motion controlled lighting routine...

Happy automating!

BREAKING NEWS! 

As many of you will know, Z-Wave is currently a proprietary standard owned by Silicon Labs. Yesterday it was announced that the company and the Z-Wave Alliance plan to open the Z-Wave Specification as a ratified, multi-source wireless standard available to all silicon vendors for development. 

Starting in the second half of 2020, this change will allow competitors to develop and manufacture their own radios which will encourage further adoption of the technology and will likely bring down prices on Z-Wave hardware. Great news for consumers and the entire Z-Wave community in general!

Read the full press release.

Vera has released a brand new, fully customisable dashboard for their mobile apps. The changes are still in the beta stages of testing but you can become an early adopter if you want to give the new dashboard a spin right now (see links below).

Some of the key features include;

• Configurable scenes, cameras and device lists for faster one-touch access
• Simple drag and drop re-ordering of elements
• Customisable background image
• Easy access to your most recent alerts and house modes

Everything on the new dashboard is now more neatly presented and takes up less space, making things more easily accessible at a glance. 

To learn more or to become a member of the Vera Mobile Beta Test Program, follow the links below;

• Android Beta Program
• Apple iOS Beta Program
• Vera Mobile User Forum