How Can I Control My Integrated Home?

The integrated home, or smart home as it’s often known, is fast becoming more than just a luxury – it’s a staple of modern life.

From improved productivity to better sleep, an integrated home promises multiple benefits. Much of these come from the simple fact that mundane tasks are automated. Everything from lighting and heating to audio-visual systems can be programmed or controlled remotely.

To the layman, the idea of lighting up entire homes seems daunting. At SONA, our aim is to take the fear out of new technology and encourage our customers to see just how easy home technology is to operate.

So, how can we take control of our home environment, security and entertainment with ease?

Through our smartphones

We’re glued to them 24/7 – so it’s no surprise that they play a huge role in regulating our home environment. Of course, the beauty of an integrated home is that it actually encourages us to disconnect from technology – shutting the blinds, turning off the screens and winding down the lights.

To prepare for this, we can program our smartphones to turn on the heating, set lights to come on at certain times and even play music. This is ideal for commuters looking to enter a warm home, or for those worried about security. Forgot to shut the blinds before you went on holiday? Fret no more – it can all be done on a smartphone, as long as your home and your phone have an internet connection.

Through tablets

If you’re looking for a larger display or have extra time to sit down and customise your settings, many smart home integrations are accessible through tablet apps. Lots of products feature a full dashboard of settings, allowing users to control their entire home environment in one – heating, lighting, security and entertainment are all there on one screen.

For best results, try syncing your tablets with other devices such as smart speakers or television systems. That way you can broaden your access to media, and sync up all your devices with the rest of the house.

Through bespoke controls

You may have heard the famous story about the teenager who managed to send a tweet from her mother’s smart fridge. Many smart home technologies come with their own bespoke remote controls or a dashboard of settings on a mini screen. These provide a simple, lightweight alternative if you’re worried about putting all your tech on your mobile devices.

They’re not as mobile as your smartphone or tablet, but you can guarantee that they will integrate with your chosen piece of technology. They may also be preferable for certain customers, for example the vision impaired or the elderly.

Who benefits from these innovations?

Flexible workers who can never guarantee when they will be in and out of the house will particularly benefit from being able to monitor security remotely.
Families looking to limit their kids’ screen time can turn to alternative devices like smart speakers – these can also be used to promote exercise and help the kids with homework
Elderly and dementia/Alzheimer’s patients have been proven to benefit from smart home technology. An article published by CEDIA examined the risks in the home for these patients, who often walk around during normal sleeping hours. The devices were said to trigger notifications to carers if they detected any movement on pressure pads.
Anybody looking to be productive can benefit – whether it’s adjusting the lighting for better productivity or pumping up the volume for a home workout, we don’t want to be constrained by difficult keypads and excess wires.

From improving security to increasing the value of a house, an investment in smart home technology will have benefits for a lifetime. If you’re looking to add some automated solutions to make your life easier, speak to the SONA team today.

Blog