Home automation has been around for decades but only recently it has taken a huge surge across the world. Its recent boom in the smart tech arena has catapulted it directly to the spotlight, turning it into the basic necessity of life. Smart homes, smart devices and gadgets add up to all that inputs in the internet of things for a better living with a ‘green’ initiative.
Yesterday’s dream is today’s reality. We are living in a world straight out of a science fiction novel where every step of our lives is automated and controlled. Imagine locking the doors, closing or opening the blinds, turning the heat on, checking on your dog or keeping a check on your front door of your home from your home- all with just the press of a button You can do all these directly from your device from anywhere, whether from office or from restaurants or from any outdoor trips.
The big question is which brand to rely on when making the purchase? The internet is flooded with the top companies trying to make your home smarter, accessible and intuitive with technically advanced products. Before you jump to any conclusion, a thorough research of the various brands and their respective products will help you with a smart choice. We walk you through a few important questions to help you with your decision more easily.
Ask yourself:
- What home automation technology means?
The idea of having automated devices at home is fun and intriguing. However, do you know how much you can benefit from the devices, their functionalities and advantages? Carrying out a thorough research on the internet helps, but we give you a concise idea about what home technology means.
A home automation system creates a network of connections between various controlled devices directly to a central hub. There is a user interface (a point that helps interact humans with machines) that controls the system either through desktop or PCs, tablets, wall-mounted terminals, or mobile phone applications. These can be accessed off-site via the internet.
You should know that home automation devices work on various tangents. Some are powered devices, while some devices function when the user ‘’talks’’ through a controller that works on WiFi. Although, all devices not necessarily work on WiFi, buy most people prefer their home automated devices to be wireless.
2. Are you going to use the Automated Systems quite often?
Almost every amenity at home can be automated in today’s scenario. Be it the air conditioning or the heater system, oven or other kitchen appliances, window shutters or doors, etc. No everyone needs everything to be automated at home. For instance, you may be a music buff so listening to music is a common phenomenon at your home. In that case, you will only be concerned to automate the stereo system, but why should you automate the doors if you are not much concerned about monitoring your entries and exits every minute.
A good way to venture into home automation is to ask yourself at what frequency you are going to use the automated features- be it unlocking or locking the doors, shutting the blinds and shades, or monitoring the front door? Although you can do all these things manually, home automation makes it much simpler and more convenient.
3. Will your old devices tune with new ones?
Buying automated devices and installing them at home is fun. There are certain risks, however, associated with the whole experience. What if your smartphone does not support the functions of your newly purchased bulb? Therefore, you should investigate into the matter before you buy and make sure that your smart devices work in tune with new purchased smart systems. Before you buy anything on an impulse and incur unwanted expenses, a thorough research is important. Talk to a tech expert and get his advice regarding the brands and types of devices that can work on your smartphone. If your devices tweak in tune, you are ready to upgrade your home to an automated dream hub.
4. Do you know how to run the devices?
There is no use installing home automation technology at home if you can’t operate them. Automated technology, indeed, makes life much easier, but everyone at home needs to have the knowledge to use the devices. Consider your children and aged people at home, whether they can be operate the systems with ease? After all, automated engineering should compliment your life and smoothen it without hassle, not turn it complicated. If any member at your home is techno phobic, then you need to be more patient while enlightening them with the technology. The advice is to sit with your home members, both young and old, and give them a thorough tutoring on how to use the smart devices, their functions and uses, etc. Teaching them with hands-on experience will accelerate a better learning experience.
5. If anything goes wrong with the devices, do you have the right support in place?
Technology is bliss and a curse. That’s the common notion, although we would say technology is facilitating with good care and support. The home automation devices can be hard to use and be snappy at times owing to their complicated roles. As the going says, ‘’Nothing is impossible,’’ so is with technology. What you need is a good technician with the required expertise who can fix your problem. Also, check the brand and its customer care service so that you receive the much-needed support and help if anything goes awry with your home automation systems. Do enquire if your devices are covered by proper warranty period from the respective companies. A reputable and trust-worthy company will definitely offer a warranty for both product parts and their services.
Thus to conclude, the benefits of home automation are many. If you get a positive answer to the above questions, opt for home automation and make it a dream of your future.
