Home automation is the wave of the future, and the future is now. Now all of your devices, and we are not just talking tablets and smartphones, can connect to the Internet. In the industry, it’s called the Internet of Things (IoT). Today your alarm, garage door, lights, doorbells, appliances, thermostat, really, almost anything, can take commands and communicate.
You can install or upgrade your security system to be able to monitor your home, inside and out, from a simple app on your smart phone. No need to be home to arm or disarm your system. You can turn it on and off virtually with your smart phone from afar. Say you already made it into work, and you realized you didn’t activate the security system, simply arm it from the security app you downloaded to your phone. This also works great if you locked up the house, set the alarm, headed out for the day and then realized the housekeeper is on her way and she doesn’t have to code to get in. You can “keep tabs” on your home while you’re away. To life even easier, multiple people in the house can have the same app in a household.
How widely adopted is Home Automation?
That is just the beginning of the age of home automation. According to current research, the home automation industry will reach 22 billion dollars in revenue by 2020. Right now you can also lock and unlock doors, make sure the garage is closed, turn on and off the lights, manage the thermostat, and watch streaming surveillance camera video from your front porch all from your iPhone, Android or tablet. Fortress Security’s Total Connect smartphone app lets you control your complete smart home security system from the palm of your hand from inside or away from your house.
Another great feature of home automation security systems is the ability to create a variety of home events like, “bedtime” or “leave for work.” Program an event and your security system and other smart home features will automatically control or activate selected devices throughout your home for that particular event. For example, your “leave for work” event can arm the security system, dim lights, lock doors and adjust the thermostat. Your “bedtime” event can arm the alarm, turn down the thermostat and turn off all lights.
Security systems with home automation are easier than you think for the end-user. You might be surprised how easy it is to bring home automation into your home and simplify your lifestyle.
If you run a business, small or large, you know how important a security system is to your bottom line. You are aware of the obvious ways a business security system can save you money, for example against theft protection. But there are also some less visible ways a business or a home security system can offer long-term savings. For example, a good home or business security system can help you save beaucoup bucks on electricity costs among other savings. Here are five other reasons why installing a security system is a good investment for your home or company-
A Security System Deters Theft
Theft can happen from within your company and outside your company.
Inside Jobs – According to 2015 research provided by Statistic Brain, $50,000,000,000 is stolen annually from U.S. businesses by employees. Clearly, there are many, more complicated, ways to steal from a company, other than just taking cash from a register. From inventory theft to stealing customer data or copying digital assets that belong to the company – it’s all stealing and hurts your bottom line. A business security system can prevent and deter common theft and make employees think twice before they take what is not rightfully theirs. Most of the time employees take because it is easy, not because of financial reasons.
Outside jobs – Your company may be the target of theft from the outside too. From professional thieves to someone desperate for money to fuel an addiction, an unprotected workplace is an easy be a target.
According to the Crime Doctor, a home burglary occurs every fifteen minutes. Most residential burglaries happen during the day when homes are not occupied. A home alarm and a visible sign can go a long way to protect your residence and offer home security system savings. The most popular time for a burglary to occur is right now- during the summer months. According to the FBI, the average dollar loss per burglary in the U.S. is $2,185. Loss actually accounts for much more than that as you can’t put a price on the loss of peace of mind.
A Security System Can Provide Insurance Savings
Installing a home or business security system can offer you plenty of property insurance savings. If you own a business you are going need something to offer and… insurance. Depending on the kind of business you have you may need, among other coverages, general liability insurance, property insurance, commercial auto insurance, workers compensation and a business umbrella policy. Your needs will likely be a mix of these coverages. Needless to say this all can be a good chunk of change and any way you can save it helps. A business security system can help gain some valuable insurance discounts from your insurance company.
This goes for the homestead too. An initial investment in a security system can offer long-term insurance savings. Insurance agencies can offer discounts up to 20% for auto insurance when a home security system is installed.
Automation of Lights Offered from a Security System Offers Energy Savings
John is the last to leave the office. He’s in a hurry, and he doesn’t have the time to walk through the office and turn off all the lights. Your energy savings just went out the door with John. In an office environment, light sensors can detect activity in a certain area and go on when you enter the room, and turn off soon after the last occupant has left the room. They are easy to install and this kind of automation can offer a company significant savings in the long run. It is the future of electricity management and an easy to manage cost-saving business measure.
This also goes for smart homes. When you get tired of yelling, “____ turn off the lights when you leave a room.” It’s time for a smart home and some smart savings.
A Security System Saves Money with Automated Climate Control Systems
Did you know that a thermostat controls half your energy bill? On average a smart thermostat saves 10-12% on heating and 15% on cooling. Most homes and offices waste vast amounts of energy heating and cooling areas that are vacant some of the time. For a home or office, automated climate control systems can be set to adjust to patterns observed and learned. An automated climate control system for a home or office can provide huge savings from controlling the temperature. You can program it to be off when people aren’t home during the day or aren’t at an office at night. If no one is in the office 7pm -7am then the air should be off. It can also be programmed to heat and cool only certain rooms or zones. If no one is ever in a board room then you can shut it down – just like with an unused guest room in the house.
