Homes today look like something out of the science-fiction movies of 50 years ago. Lights turn on and off by themselves, thermostats adjust automatically, and home security is monitored via cameras that can be viewed from anywhere. These days, home automation and security systems go hand in hand.
Home automation isn’t just a novelty to show friends when they visit, nor is it a luxury concept. More and more homeowners are realizing the benefits of integrating home automation and security systems. In fact, according to a report published by Zion Research, the home automation market is expected to expand from $5 billion in 2014 to a whopping $21 billion by 2020.
What Can Home Automation Do?
Home automation is more than a modern convenience. It helps you amp up your home security and can also help you save money. Here are just a few of the ways that automation can improve your home for the better.
Remotely/Automatically Control Lights
You need never be left in the dark when your home is automated. Set your exterior lights to turn on automatically at dusk. If the end of daylight savings catches you by surprise, use your smartphone to turn on your porch light an hour earlier. Remotely flip your kitchen light on while you’re at it, as no one likes to carry groceries into a dark house. Arrange certain lights to turn on when triggered via a motion detector. The wonderful thing about home automation systems is that they’re infinitely customizable.
Automated Thermostats Help Save Money
Everyone in your home gets overheated while they sleep, so you turn the thermostat down low before bedtime. By morning, as temperatures have dropped outside, your house is freezing, so you get out of bed and quickly turn the thermostat back up. Except for the days when you forget. On those days, everyone rushes off to school and work, leaving the furnace operating on high and wasting money all day long.
Sound familiar? Imagine an alternate scenario: Your thermostat knows that you like the house cooler at night, so it automatically adjusts itself to that ideal temperature around the same time each evening. In the morning, it raises the temperature to a comfortable amount, even going into an energy-saving mode during the day when no one is home. It does all of this without you laying a finger on it. With home automation, all of this is possible.
Better Security
Do you ever get settled into bed, only to have to jump back up and run downstairs to see if you forgot to lock the back door? Ever get to work or arrive at the airport and have that same sinking feeling, wondering if you left something unlocked?
This is why home automation and security systems go so well together. What if you could simply hit one button before you go to bed and simultaneously arm your security system, lock all of your doors, and adjust your home’s temperature? What if you could lock your door from your smartphone while sitting at work or boarding a plane?
Home Automation and Security Systems Integrate Seamlessly
When home automation started gaining in popularity, home security companies took note. Because so many of the items that people wanted to control remotely — lights and door locks, for instance — relate to home security, it seemed natural that these items should be controlled through the security system itself.
Today’s systems make it easy to have an entire home command system that’s controlled via a single touchpad. Arm your security system, set your thermostat, control your lights, and lock your doors from one location inside your home. Set programs that will allow the system to do all of this for you automatically.
Mobile integration in these systems has made them even more convenient. People can control all aspects of their home environment and security with ease from their smartphones. This means that they need never worry that something has been left unsecured. If their security system is triggered for any reason, it’s easy to check things out via a remote camera feed. Did the glass break sensor go off because someone broke a window or because the cat knocked a vase off of the counter? In today’s home, the answer is only a click away.
Have It All with a Professionally-Installed Security System
Convenience, huge savings, and the peace of mind provided by home automation and security systems are all within reach. All you need is an in-home consultation with a home security professional. They’ll work with you to figure out which system best fits your needs. From a security standpoint, they’ll make sure that your system completely covers all areas that thieves commonly target—from sliding glass doors to windows and entryways that aren’t easily visible from the street. It’s not a science fiction dream; you really can rest assured knowing that the comfort and security of your home is always at your fingertips.
At ProTech Security, we have a strong history of experience, innovation, and customer service. The ProTech Security Advantage is more than 30 years of service in Northeast Ohio and a strong commitment to providing quality, cost-effective protection for homes, businesses, educational institutions and government facilities. To see what ProTech Security can do for you, contact us today.
