The Shift to Incorporating Security in Smart Home Automation

The idea of a smart home seemed like a far-off, imaginary concept not long ago. Take the Disney Channel Original Movie Smart House, for example, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary and portrayed the ability to connect multiple elements of technology and control them through one device — an action that, at the time, felt improbable.

But fast forward two decades and the premise behind the movie has come true. Today, we can use our smartphones and tablets in our houses to turn the lights on or off, manage the thermostat, change the TV channel — you name it. Technology has advanced far beyond our predictions to make everyday life simpler than ever imagined, which explains why the security industry has found itself shifting toward the smart home trend.

When it comes to the way that today’s security solutions are implemented and used by businesses, such as surveillance cameras, access control systems and intrusion services, the Internet of Things (IoT) and the cloud have made convenience and remote accessibility easy to achieve. But these are features that are also desired by homeowners that have chosen to take advantage of home security systems to protect against robberies, vandalism and other residential risks.

Therefore, with the rapidly growing home automation market, it only makes sense for security manufacturers to align their products with the concept of a smart home. And this is certainly in demand from homeowners: Due to a growing adoption of various types of smart security devices in global households, the global smart home security and safety market is expected to reach $134.5 billion by 2025.

Integrating a security system within a smart home can create numerous benefits and the ultimate level of efficiency. Vanderbilt’s partnership with Athom, for example, allows users to use the sensors they already have to experience more comfort and security. Through integrating Vanderbilt’s SPC security system with Homey, Athom’s smart home platform, users can leverage lights, audio, TV and other connected devices to enhance the alarms built into the Vanderbilt security system.

Because all of the sensors of the security system show up in Homey individually, users can easily integrate them into their automation scenarios. For example, they can have lights in the hallway turn on temporarily when motion is detected, receive a notification if a door or window is open for too long or turn their TV and heating off when the system is armed to conserve energy.

Vanderbilt’s SPC solution also integrates with other smart home technologies and systems, showing that the system is ready for the future, which is bright in this regard. With 75% of home security installations in 2017 having included smart control features, it’s clear that this trend is not going away anytime soon, as this collaboration can save costs, increase functionality and improve efficiencies.