Smarter living kits powered to accelerate smart home services

Configured with different sensors developed by the teams at Ecolink and RCS, these kits will offer the quickest route to market while providing a flexible platform to build on. The kits will incorporate safety and security sensors; smart thermostats and temperature sensors; as well as IoT products curated through ‘Works with QuickSet’ certification program.

The kits include:

• Care: A platform for offering a cost effective self-monitored safety and security platform with Ecolink ZigBee window/door sensors and best-in-class pet-immune, motion sensors. This kit can expand to include leak/freeze detection sensors as well as security and monitoring use cases. Add-on services are also available that can be bundled to offer cyber security as a service or monitoring services to provide additional value to consumers and monetisation options for security service providers.
• Eco: This kit includes an RCS-designed and developed, Zigbee connected thermostat and occupancy sensors to deliver a voice-enabled, energy efficient and user friendly HVAC automation solution to provide comfort and convenience, as well as energy-cost savings for the owner.
• Hospitality: This kit is specifically designed to address room automation needs of the hospitality channel with energy management, entertainment control, and in-room service integration opportunities. This kit will offer a platform to provide a consistent and branded experience for all in-room services and needs.

“Our Smarter Living kits are a great way for consumers to experience the power and convenience of the Smart Home,” said Ramzi Ammari, Senior Vice President of Universal Electronics. “By offering add-on experiences for safety, security and energy management on top of the most reliable and accurate entertainment control experience, we can give consumers a reason to opt in to the home automation trend, and our customers the confidence to scale their subscribers’ smart home experiences on a solid foundation.”

New research from Parks Associates has suggested that the integration of smart home products will be key to drive new recurring monthly revenue (RMR) growth among security companies.

Tom Kerber, Sr. Director, IoT Strategy, Parks Associates, stated: “Today, over three quarters of new security subscribers have interactive services, paying nine dollars per month on average for the service. As adoption of interactive services matures and new entrants with low-cost, self-installed systems put downward pressure on RMR, the industry is seeking solutions to expand RMR. Cyber security services, video verification, and personal emergency response are a clear path to generating incremental RMR.”