Security Sales & Integration June 2023 - 61

That growth has, however, meant that there's
been overlap - and more interaction than just
technicians running into each other on a big
jobsite. The introduction of smart home technologies
has created a bigger intersection in the
Venn diagram that represents the knowledge of
- and potential collaboration between - the
two segments.
Beyond Access Control & Alarms
The introduction of " smart " technology into
the home began to take off in the early 2010s
as thermostats capable of machine learning became
a viable, reliable option for most consumers.
This was followed in short order by the introduction
of the video doorbell and the " smart
lock, " and suddenly, security devices also " lived "
on the home network. (Those latter developments
represented something of a paradigm
shift for the homeowner, too: Security was no
longer just about keeping the wrong people out,
it was also about letting the right people in.)
Even though some of these products had a
distinctly DIY flavor, there was a benefit for
both the security and home automation markets:
They drove awareness of the technology
- and desire, too. The most recent numbers
tell the story: In the U.S., 97% of home control
system owners and 90% of smart security system
owners have added additional smart home
devices after their initial purchases. Those purchases
go well beyond access control - they
include motion detection, surveillance/security
cameras, video recording systems, and lighting.
Yohanna's seen the anecdotal evidence of that
aspirational homeowner. " Typically, our customers
are the clients that ask, 'Hey, I've heard
of this video doorbell device, but is there a higher-end
version, a more professional version, or
a more scalable version that isn't a $99 plastic
box built by the lowest bidder? " he says. " Most
clients don't want to trust their family's security
to that particular product - they understand
the value of something more professional. "
Supplementing Security
In fact, the universe of products that could
complement a traditional security system is extremely
robust. Yohanna gives an example that's
elegant in its simplicity: " In my home, I have
my security system integrated into my Crestron
Home system, and if the security system were
to alarm - from a broken window, from a motion
sensor, what have you - the system does
securitysales.com
a number of things. Sure, the alarm's going off,
and there's a notification that's being handled by
the security firm, but I've also programmed the
system to turn on all the lights. " Any intruder
no longer has the cover of darkness, and the
homeowner's in a much better position to assess
the situation. Yohanna's system also brings up
the security camera feed on his bedroom TV
when the alarm's tripped - giving him a look at
what's happening before he even gets out of bed.
" All that lighting and surveillance control
is on the smart home side, supplementing
the security system, " Yohanna adds. " By tying
the two together, you have a very meaningful
benefit to those subsystems being connected. "
(Some homeowners have even added a potentially
frightening feature to their distributed
home audio: When an alarm's triggered, the
sound of a large barking dog is piped through
multiple speakers of the sound system.)
Home automation also provides preventive
measures. Many smart home clients ask for preprogrammed,
one-touch " scenes " that mimic
activity in the home with lights and motorized
shades when the occupants are away - and
like a smart thermostat, these functions aren't
random. The devices mirror the activity they've
" observed " when the residence is occupied.
Geo-fencing is another clever aspect of smart
home functions. In some systems, a user's
phone can trigger certain operations as soon
as the smart home picks up the user's " ping "
from the device. Gates open, doors unlock -
and that automation can extend to lighting and
even starting the user's favorite playlist so that
music welcomes them home. The inverse is true
as well - a system can automatically arm itself
when the client's out of a certain range.
In the U.S., 97% of home
control system owners and
90% of smart security system
owners have added devices
after their initial purchases
that include motion detection,
surveillance/security cameras,
video recording systems, and
lighting.
The introduction
of smart home
technologies has
created a bigger
intersection in
the Venn diagram
that represents
the knowledge
of - and potential
collaboration
between - the
two segments.
JUNE 2023 Security Sales & Integration
61
GORODENKOFF/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
http://www.securitysales.com
Security Sales & Integration June 2023

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