When Sam Sutherland pitches a new homeowner or builder on the GE Smart structured wiring system, he makes sure a systems integrator comes along for the ride.
"If consumers walk into a home and see one of our structured wiring cans, it means nothing," says Sutherland, Midwest regional sales manager for GE Smart. But if they can light a pathway into the house when they disarm the security system, have Internet capability all over the house, and be able to watch TV from every room without a visit from the cable company, "those are benefits they can understand."
When his visitors are suitably wowed by the benefits, he unveils the box that's at the heart of the system. The structured wiring center in the utility closet may not be as sexy as the tech tricks, but when consumers realize the various connection points it replaces, they're impressed by that too.
It's easy to focus on the communications, convenience, and entertainment aspects of a networked home. That's the fun part. Now security companies are seeing the advantages of networking, too, and are joining forces with structured wiring companies to present a complete package to homeowners. GE Smart isn't the only one. ADT has iCenter, which provides Internet control and monitoring via a residential broadband network and a touchscreen. iCenter manufacturer Ademco has its own version.
Home Automation is bundling security into its OmniPro II automation controller along with lighting and climate control. Home Director bundles security, too, into its new construction wiring solutions. And OnQ Technologies markets its HMS package of lighting, security, and environmental control that builds on the company's structured wiring framework.
Home security systems may not have the same wow factor--after all, people don't like to think about the need for surveillance cameras and fire and burglary alarms--but tying security in with home control can offer lifestyle enhancements too. The tie-in between security and lighting control is a natural, and in fact, high-end lighting companies have been doing it for years.
Opt for the garage-door interface with the Lutron RadioRA system, for example, and you can open the garage door, disarm the security system, and light a pathway into the house from a button on the car visor. Lighting companies also link their products with a home's security system as a means of warning. When an alarm is tripped, all lights inside and outside the home can be programmed to go on full bright or to flash.
Marquette, Wis., custom home builder Jorma Lankinen says his buyers ask for automated lighting and security systems more than any other home automation function. He describes a control panel, often located in the master bedroom, that alerts the owner when the front door or garage door opens. If he or she isn't home, a monitoring company gets the information.
ONE-STOP SHOPPING
GE Smart is a one-stop solution of products and services designed to make it simple for home builders and homeowners to have an Internet-ready, connected home. A structured wiring system like GE Smart lays the foundation with the Category 5 data wiring and RG6 cable wiring to each room. The average installed price for a system in the Dallas area, says Sutherland, is about $1,200.
Huntsville, Ala., custom builder Wayne Tackett of Smart Home Builders says a structured wiring system that "puts a lot of stuff into the home" will add between 5 percent and 8 percent to the total house price. OnQ Technologies promises a basic package for about $1 per square foot.
Other companies are climbing on board with products and services compatible with the CEBus communications standard on which GE Smart is based. Premise Systems, for instance, plans home automation software built on the Microsoft XP platform that will operate on a GE Smart home server.
The software can intelligently link home security and energy management systems. Rather than programming a thermostat, users might regulate the furnace by opening a door or walking into a room, because the security system's contact closures and motion sensors transmit occupancy information to the HVAC system.
Simply arming the security system on the way to work could set the HVAC system to an energy-saving "Away" mode. Disarming the alarm system when you come home tells the furnace to turn up the heat.
Home Automation built its OmniPro II family of residential control systems on a reliable security system platform. "A security system has a battery backup--it doesn't rely on a PC to operate and won't crash--so we built our home automation system around that type of architecture," says Jay McLellan, president of Home Automation. "It's humming away in a closet much like a security system but it's also attached to the light switches, thermostats, and phone line so you can call into the system and have it respond to you by voice.
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