Once in the realm of only the very top end of the market, smart home technology is rapidly becoming not a luxury, but a standard.
With the changing profile of buyers, as more apartments are developed for and bought by owner-occupiers over investors, it is not only desired but expected.
This is also true of the nascent build-to-rent sector, where the level of offerings incorporated in a development can have a direct bearing on occupancy rates, length of tenure and asking rent levels.
Home automation is an area of increasing importance to developers and buyers, with a slew of products available, all claiming control of one or a handful of functions. A few have the platform to encompass most services.
However, a trustworthy home-automation platform should have the ability to embrace all services and the means to communicate with most popular brands when the need arises, simply and effectively without risky complications, according to Control4’s senior director, Asia Pacific and South Africa, Adam Merlino.
Control4 is a leading automation system for homes and businesses, offering a personalised and unified smart home system to automate and control connected devices including lighting, audio, video, climate control, intercom and security.
Founded in 2003, the Control4 operating system now interoperates with more than 18,000 third-party products in more than 100 countries. It currently runs in around 600,000 homes, and orchestrates more than 15 million connected devices worldwide.
Installation of the Control4 system is done through a network of over 6,000 authorised dealers who install the hardware, and configure and customise the software to unify and personalise the homeowner’s technology.
Control4 has been in Australia since 2006 and has more than 400 authorised trade integrators working here. It has been installed in tens of thousands of homes, both existing and new builds, Merlino said.
He said a truly smart home was when all technologies worked together.
“More often than not, we see home automation systems and GUIs (graphic user interfaces) without any form of consistency,” Merlino said.
“Control4 eliminates confusion, bringing everything together with the one app to simplify the user’s experience.
“It allows users to control devices individually or all together in a way that makes sense, so whether the point of interaction is a mobile device, TV, voice command, on-wall keypads or touch screens, it should be familiar and easy to use.
“Because our system uses one intuitive app for all control, users only have to learn it once.”
The Control4 Smart Home Operating System, the hardware and software, empowers users with personalised whole-home automation tailored just for the user.
Implementing the system connects technologies, audio, lighting, cameras, and other devices into one convenient control system, enabling all home technology to work together in one unified system.
It is also scalable, so devices and technologies can be added in the future, a crucial feature for users given the pace of change in technology, Control4’s Australia-New Zealand business development manager Rick Cubito said.
“Developers and builders need to be aware that sourcing scalable home automation platforms that provide quality hardware and software from well-established manufacturers makes all the difference,” he said.
“Too often, we see developers and homeowners get burnt when buying into the spin of start-ups who are here today and gone tomorrow.
“Control4 has a long history of providing the best solutions in this sector for every kind of projects, be it residential, commercial or industrial.
“Within the residential sector, we have worked with developers and builders to provide what they need for projects aimed at the build-to-sell, build-to-rent and owner-occupier markets.
“Control4 has the flexibility and ability to scale to suit any size project, from one dwelling to hundreds of homes.”
Merlino said Control4 could provide smart-home solutions for existing or new builds.
“For existing buildings, our use of wireless and wired technology means our installations take hours, not days, but still deliver the same high level of service as a new build,” he said.
“Because we work directly with developers and builders, we create solutions specific to each project. We are not a one-size-fits-all service.
“It means that the end user, be it a tenant or an owner-occupier in the case of residential, is going to have a smart home that offers them everything they need from such a system, plus the ability to scale up and with the backing of an established, experienced global company.”
Merlino said it was clear projects without smart home tech were at a disadvantage.
“We live in a connected world, be it for work or leisure,” he said.
“We are also spending more time at home, and expect a level of connectivity that goes a long way beyond a remote control for the TV and air con.
“An integrated, quality smart home system brings an advantage to projects on a number of levels, and it is something we feel developers need to be mindful about.”
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