Is your partner too tired to get up & turn off the lights? Has either of you forgotten to check if the doors are locked? You might be tired but your smart home isn't!

A home that listens to you is not the ‘next’, it’s the ‘now’

Put simply, A smart home describes a system of networked, controllable devices that work together to make your home more comfortable, customized, efficient, and secure. You “speak” with your automated home through a smart device or send instructions through the mobile app & your request will be honored. Homes that have a high degree of automation often have all their automated devices accessible on one device, making it truly easy to control your home with the touch of a button. The range of controls that you have over your automated devices depends on the purpose of the device, some controls allow you to turn a device on or off at a specific time, while other devices may be triggered by some external events.

You probably live with several automated devices in your home already: automated devices include thermostats and other heating and cooling devices, alarm systems, lights, blinds and shades, and even audio systems! While a truly automated home might have all the above (and more), the good news for today’s consumer is that you can pick and choose the aspects of home automation that are for you. Not a gardener? Then automated sprinklers might not be up your alley. Someone who likes to set the tone of the evening dinner or a romantic date just right might rank motorized shades, lighting & audio system at the top of his or her list.

Whatever your needs and preferences, now is an exciting time to be involved with the home automation field. In the past, automation was something that only commercial buildings and the highest-end homes could truly take advantage of. However, advances in technology and an increased demand for these technologies scaled for the home mean that, finally, home automation is within reach for those consumers who wish to create a truly smart, intuitive home.

Once upon a time, home automation devices were both pricey and hard to use. Today’s high-end brands have invested much in the user experience because they know that today’s savvy consumer isn’t interested in a product that makes them work to be able to use it. That’s good news all around. Here, we dive a little deeper into home automation, with an eye towards helping you decide whether home automation is right for you.

Home automation gives you access to control devices in your home from a mobile device anywhere in the world. The term may be used for isolated programmable devices, like thermostats and sprinkler systems, but home automation more accurately describes homes in which nearly everything -- lights, appliances, electrical outlets, heating and cooling systems -- are hooked up to a remotely controllable network. From a home security perspective, this also includes your alarm system, and all the doors, windows, locks, smoke detectors, surveillance cameras and any other sensors that are linked to it.