Smart homes are becoming more and more popular. With good reason, too. Home automation is the ultimate union of technology, convenience, and security. The possibilities for what smart homes can do are expanding every day, which means that planning a smart home can be a dizzying experience. That’s why we at Wipliance, have honed in on these five most important components of a smart home.

 Remote Access

When most people talk about Smart Homes, or home automation installation, what they really mean is remote access of your home's systems. Busy lives make it hard to be home as often as most of us would like. Remote access offers a workaround significantly more convenient than cloning yourself. It all depends on the customizations you choose, but remote access can allow you to check in on your home through video surveillance; turn on the entertainment system for that in-law who can’t figure out the remote; even unlock the door to let the dog-walker in, but that’s really just the tip of the iceberg.

Remote access to home automation systems grants you remarkable peace of mind and is just plain convenient as it provides complete control.

Advanced Security

Remote access provides complete control and that includes control over your home’s security system. While traditional home security systems alert authorities in the event of a fire, break-in, or another disaster, the advanced security of the automated home goes much further. Many smart home surveillance systems are able to send intelligent notifications that differentiate between welcome guests and strangers, for starters. Beyond that, an advanced home security system, as a component of your home automation installation, is fairly customizable to the scope of your needs.

Advanced Home Network

You’ve probably heard of the “Internet of Things” by now. It refers to the wirelessly controlled network of devices that are an increasing part of our lives, and central to the smart home. In order to maintain the functional operation of an Internet of Things, one needs something somewhat more robust than a wireless router tucked somewhere out of sight. Rather, to ensure a solid blanket of wifi, an automated home requires enterprise-class networking equipment as well as several wireless access points placed strategically throughout the home.

An advanced home network acts like your Smart Home’s central nervous system, integration of all the different components of your home automation system, allowing them to work together.

Lighting Control/Automated Window Treatments

Working together, lighting control and automated window treatments allow you to control every aspect of your home lighting as well as diminish unsightly wall clutter in the form of excessive switches. Lighting control systems are typically network-based, allowing a whole building to be controlled from one spot. Through crafty programming, lighting systems can be set to automated schedules to turn off, dim, or brighten whenever you choose. Some systems can even detect whether or not you are home, to turn off and maximize energy savings. Automated window treatments function similarly, controlling ambient lighting remotely. When the two are used together, the sky’s the limit. Wipliance works with Lutron as our automated lighting partner to achieve the specific lighting systems our customers desire.

Distributed Audio

Wipliance works with top audio brands like Sonos when we design our distributed audio systems for our customers’ smart homes. Afterall, who doesn’t love to be in a home filled with music? Distributed audio makes that dream a reality, connecting multiple (or all, for the ambitious) rooms to your home network, putting the power to DJ your home at your fingertips, and yes it can integrate seamlessly with the other components of your smart home.

These are just what we consider the five most important smart home components. If you're looking to achieve next level home automation that allows for increased control and peace of mind and your home doesn’t feature one or more of these components, get in touch with Wipliance, or if you’d like to learn more about the possibilities of home automation, take a look at this Seattle Magazine article that featured a few of our projects in Seattle, just to give you an idea of what we can do.