There seem to be endless new “smart” products hitting the market every day. Some have simple functions and others are capable of acting like an assistant to our lives. What I don’t understand is why all of these smart devices don’t work together to create a smart environment. We still have to deal with the devices individually to get the results we want. Granted we might be able to use our smart phones to control things but we need a separate app for every brand.

Alarm.com came up with a response to this question. They created a platform that can combine your smart devices and create a united system. This cloud software is built to connect and control the smart devices in your home and helps them work together to learn your habits and make decisions based on them. Alarm.com details the difference between a standalone product and products connected on a platform in the three cases below.

A home that complements security with privacy

Video monitoring is a popular smart home security solution. Standalone smart cameras record motion-triggered clips of activity in the home and send them to the homeowner, providing valuable awareness of what’s going on.

A smart camera powered by a platform can do more.   The security system can tell the platform who disarmed the system or where important activity is happening, such as someone entering the back door.  With this information the platform intelligently directs the camera to capture important activity and then alerts you with a video clip on your smart phone.

When the homeowner disarms the system, the camera doesn’t record. The platform enhances awareness when you’re away and privacy when you’re home.

A home that senses every opportunity to save energy

A standalone smart thermostat knows when the homeowner walks in front of it.  But that’s not a lot of information to decide whether it should make the entire home comfortable, or set back to save energy. You might call it guesswork.

A smart home platform knows everything that’s happening around the home.   It knows definitively if the homeowner is away (security panel), if they’re in bed (motion sensors), and even if they’ve left a door open (contact sensors). The platform knows the right time to save energy and the right time to make things comfortable.

A home that protects itself from water damage

Smart devices can help protect your property.  For example, a water sensor can alert the homeowner that a pipe is leaking in their empty home.

A smart home platform can go further and respond proactively. When the water sensor is triggered the platform immediately commands a connected water valve in the basement to shut off the home’s water.

And that’s just the beginning.  While the standalone device offers value in each case, the platform is the key to multiplying their value and solving complex, real-life challenges for homeowners. With more devices joining the Internet of Things, cloud platforms that integrate them will become essential to maximizing their capabilities.

 

Photo Credit: http://www.alarm.com/blog/smart-devices-smart-home

Blog Credit: Alarm.com November 9, 2015 – Same link as above