Home Security and Home Automation

Smart homes and home security systems have a lot in common. Both use sensors to respond to your needs, communicate wirelessly to give you control over your home, and can work with smartphones and smart voice assistants. But does that mean a smart home is a secure home or that a security system will also provide home automation? Not necessarily. Home automation technology is relatively new, and security companies are still adapting their systems to work with smart home devices. But it's possible to have both – sometimes all in one system. Below, we’ll look at what home automation is, how it can help you, and how you can have a smart home security system.To get more news about safe lock, you can visit securamsys.com official website.
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What Is Home Automation?
The smart home market is worth about $99.4 billion and is growing rapidly. Home automation involves using technology to make your home work better for you. Powered by sensors, software, and wireless protocols (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and Zigbee), everyday appliances in your home can do their jobs automatically. These “smart devices,” which include door locks, lights, thermostats, plugs, and other gadgets, communicate with each other and with your smart home security system. You can control smart home devices using an automated schedule, another smart device, or remotely from your smartphone. For example, you can program your smart devices to adjust the temperature and turn the lights off every morning when you lock your front door on the way to work. When you’re close to home, you can use your phone to unlock the door, which then triggers your lights to turn on and your thermostat to turn the heat up.

Sound nice? Well, it will cost you about 30% to 50% more than buying “dumb” alternatives. But for many, the convenience, energy savings, and potential security benefits are worth the price. Additionally, if you have a smart home security system in place, you already have the foundations of a smart home because the basic components of these systems are connected sensors that communicate with smart devices. For example, a motion sensor in your hallway can send an alert if it detects an intruder, but it also can tell your smart lights to come on when you walk past it.

“Security has always been the primary gateway to a smart home because security requires the use of sensors,” says Mitch Klein, executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance, which powers more than 90% of smart home security systems. “Up until a few years ago, those sensors would just simply trigger an alarm, but now they can tie into other things." For example, he says that if someone breaks into your home, the lights can start flashing to help identify your house to the police (and maybe scare off the burglar).
Paul Rothman, editor-in-chief of Security Business, a magazine covering the professional security industry, agrees. “As the rise of the smart/connected home takes shape in our country, home security providers see this as a logical extension of the residential security system,” he says. “Enabling greater control over things like thermostats and home entertainment systems may not apply directly to the safety and security of a consumer. However, many aspects of the smart home, such as smart lighting, security cameras and doorbells, mobile alarm control systems, smart locks, and sensors for water leak monitoring, absolutely do.”

Individually, connected devices in smart home security systems can do lots of useful things. For example, a smart door lock can be unlocked remotely to let your child in when you’re at work, your smart thermostat can be turned up from the couch just using your voice, or you can switch all your connected lights off at once with just one tap. But it’s when you put these devices together that you get a smart home. And a wireless smart home security system can help facilitate this, as the central hub that powers the security aspects of your home can connect with other devices. “Make sure that whichever system you choose is expandable,” Klein says. “You may not be interested in doing it now, but you may decide you want to have things like a smart door lock later on.”

Smart locks
There are two types of smart door locks: those that entirely replace your deadbolt and those that just replace the thumb-turn mechanism on your existing lock. Both operate the lock mechanically using a motor that’s powered by batteries. Some still let you use a key, while others replace the key with a keypad or touch screen.

The biggest benefit of a smart lock is that you don’t need keys; open the door with your phone as you approach, or do it remotely to let someone in or by sending them a digital key. When integrated into a smart home, a door lock can arm or disarm the alarm, turn lights on or off, or adjust the heating or air conditioning. A great use for smart locks is to climb into bed at night and press one button on your phone to secure your whole home.

Smart lightbulbs
Smart lightbulbs are internet-connected LED bulbs that can be turned on or off or dimmed using either an app or your voice and a compatible smart speaker. In some cases, you also can change a smart lightbulb's color. Smart lights combine security and convenience as they can be set to illuminate on a particular schedule or when another device, such as a motion sensor or a door lock, tells them to. Connecting your lights to your smoke alarms is a key safety feature; have them turn on to full brightness if an alarm goes off, both to help those inside get out and show emergency responders where the danger is.

Smart switches/plugs
Make existing lightbulbs smart by wiring in a smart switch, and give regular appliances such as lamps, heaters, and coffee pots enhanced features by plugging them into a smart plug. Smart switches give regular lightbulbs all the functions of smart bulbs (other than changing color). You can program them to turn on any lamp connected to their circuit, along with any other lights connected via Wi-Fi. Smart plugs can turn appliances on and off on a schedule or when another action occurs. For example, a motion sensor by your bedroom door can trigger a smart plug in your kitchen to start your coffee maker.