It is easy to think of home automation in limited terms. In fact, I suspect most of us do. We might buy a couple of smart light bulbs and then laugh with giddy excitement when we figure out how to control them with a mobile app. Then it’s on to a couple of smart plugs for the wall. But what is the point? Why invest in smart home devices to begin with? It is a question begging for an answer.
In the grand scheme of things, the goal of home automation is not to focus on one device at a time. It is not to do just one thing. The goal is whole-house integration. Personally, I consider whole-house integration the holy grail of smart home tech. That’s what it’s all about.
Every Device Is Integrated
I was recently reading a ZDNet piece written by a contributor preparing to build his next smart home. He covered five different things that informed his decisions about what he wanted. One of the things he talked about was utilizing a centralized hub rather than individual mobile apps for every device in his system. Then he offered practical examples illustrating why he believes it to be important.
One of his illustrations involved turning on all the lights in his home with a simple verbal command. He issues the command whenever he walks in the front door. Lighting goes on automatically; he doesn’t have to walk around the house flipping light switches.
By the same token, he can also go into the family room and issue a verbal command to set up the space for watching a movie. Certain lights are dimmed, the home entertainment system switches on, and so on. On those rare occasions when issuing a verbal command is not appropriate, he has set up scripts on his smartphone. The tap of a button takes care of things.
What this author is describing is a system in which every device is integrated through a centralized hug. The hub is capable of customized scripting that can initiate either single events or a cascading series of events based on input. What he describes is what home automation is meant to be.
You Have to Start Somewhere
I admit to experiencing a bit of home automation envy as I read the ZDNet post. I can only hope to have a similarly smart home someday. Here is the thing. Homeowners like me need to start somewhere. Given that most of us are not independently wealthy and cannot afford to build a smart home from the ground up, we need to introduce smart technology to our existing homes.
One way to get started is to invest in equipment from a brand known for its ability to integrate. Vivint Smart Home immediately comes to mind. Not only does Vivint carry and install a full line of smart home devices, all of their devices integrate with the most popular smart speakers from Google and Amazon. That is big if you want a system with voice control.
It is also possible to gradually build a smart home system piece-by-piece. Start with some smart light bulbs and then add a smart lock. When you can afford it, add a smart thermostat and so on. However, there is one caveat with the piecemeal approach: get a smart hub early on. Then buy devices compatible with that hub.
When all was said in dung, whole-house integration is the main goal of home automation. Integrating as many smart devices as possible achieves maximum convenience, energy efficiency, savings, and security. If you are not going to integrate, why bother?
