Technology is everywhere these days, helping to make our lives easier, safer, and more connected. We have smart phones, TVs, and cars — but among the biggest tech trends these days are those for smart homes. From entertainment to security systems, smart homes have these features integrated from the get-go, so there is no need to tack them on later.
What is an Integrated Smart Home?
An integrated smart home is one that has all the pre-wiring for the technology built into its structure, making the addition of new features that much easier. Without this early step, it becomes difficult to add new systems and technologies to a home but once the wiring is done, it's easy to introduce new features. Typically, there will be a catalog with dozens of options at different price points. Making the decision to build your new home with integrated smart home technology gives you the freedom and flexibility to decide what you want and need as you go.
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A Sense of Safety
One of the main purposes for the development of smart home technology is to help people feel safer in their homes. Not that there’s anything wrong with a good old-fashioned deadbolt, but it’s easy to imagine the peace of mind that comes with an integrated alarm system, entry alerts, and a doorbell that lets you know who rang.
When someone rings your doorbell, you won’t have to peep through a hole or open your curtain to see who’s there. With a video doorbell, you can see who’s at the door right from your phone, computer, or TV. More often than not, it’s a friendly face, but you’ll rest easier knowing who's there.
It works the same for delivered packages. Say you got a notification that the present you got for yourself on Amazon arrived. When you come home, there’s no package to be found. If your system records video footage, you can see what happened — whether some stole the package from your step, or if the postman left it somewhere else.
Good Morning America put the two biggest video doorbell brands, Ring.com and SkyBell, to the test in one of their segments: check it out here.
More Peace of Mind
Home security goes farther than just knowing who's at your door when you are home. Advanced alarm systems activate door chimes or alerts when an external door opens, and you can even get email notifications when a child returns home from school or a friend's house. Having a security system like this can be life-changing, especially when you are a care-giver.
As EYA’s Preston Innerst explains, “For mothers and fathers, if there’s a child in the house going outside, they want the door to chime. If there’s a child coming home from school while they’re at work, they can get an email letting them know their son or daughter has arrived home.” A smart home security system allows homeowners to keep an eye on things while they are away, as well. If you are vacationing and want to check and make sure everything is okay at home, you can.
Comfort
These technologies give you the power to control your home climate and lights with the touch of a button, too. Have you ever forgotten to turn off a light before going on a trip? Not only can you check to see if you actually forgot, but if you did, you can turn the light off remotely. Furthermore, you can keep your home safe while you are gone by rotating the lights to give your home the appearance of being occupied.
Fun & Games
It's not all about safety and security though- some of it is about fun and games. With technologies like voice-activated smart system Alexa, all your favorite forms of entertainment are readily at your disposal. You can even control the volume level in each room. With this kind of integrated system, it is possible to provide each family member or visitor with a tailor-made entertainment experience.
The integration of smart home technology makes life more simple, convenient, and enjoyable. When you're not fussing with a dozen different disjointed systems, there is so much more time to spend on what you want. For more information about EYA's integrated smart home technology, click here.
