Smart Video Doorbells to Be a Popular Theme at ISC West

Doorbell cameras from Vivint and other companies have emerged as a main attraction in the home security market.

You’ll also see the first doorbell camera from Nortek Security & Control (#20031) under the GoControl brand. The product (GC-DBC) is powered over the same two wires that power standard doorbells, and communicates over Wi-Fi.

The DBC will integrate with third-party security and home-automation systems, including 2Gig’s own GC3 panel, via Alarm.com, the SHaaS (smart home as a service) provider for 2Gig, DSC, Interlogix and Qolsys.

There is also a standalone app for the doorbell cam, so it will be marketed as a DIY product ($199 MSRP), like Nortek’s Z-Wave garage door controller and a number of other products sold under the GoControl brand. In this way, the DBC could compete with some of the usual DIY suspects like Ring and SkyBell.

Later this year, Nortek will add ONVIF support for the device, allowing it to communicate natively with so many other systems that support the popular IP camera standard … like Nortek’s own network video recorder (NVR) sold under the 2Gig brand.

Nortek’s GC-DBC

While you’re at the Nortek booth—a cool contemporary model house built from shipping containers—take a look at 2Gig’s sister company Elan Home Systems, which offers whole-house control systems for home-technology integrators. Elan which now integrates with higher-end SIP video intercom solutions like Mobotix (#20075), which is exhibiting at ISC. (UPDATE: Elan won’t be there.)

For its part, Alarm.com (#2311) is expected to show its own doorbell camera, which was revealed to dealers last year, but has not been publicly announced.

Honeywell (#14025) recently began to integrate with the SkyBell HD Video Doorbell. Users can access SkyBell activity from the doorbell icon on Honeywell Total Connect 2.0 app.

In fact, SkyBell (#2123) seems to be the go-to brand for integration these days through its Connect API program. Pressing the button on the doorbell can trigger events via a security or home-control system. Likewise, external events can trigger the SkyBell to take action, for example capturing and sending a video clip when smoke is detected.

In addition to Honeywell Total Connect, SkyBell works with Nest, Amazon Echo and the cloud-based if/then engine IFTTT.

A SkyBell driver for Comcast’s Xfinity Home solution is pending, as is integration with SHaaS provider Icontrol (#4122), which competes with Alarm.com.

UPDATE 3/29: Monitronics (#22031), the giant central station and security dealer program, tells CE Pro they will be introducing SkyBell HD as the first video doorbell available through their dealer network.

A spokesperson says SkyBell integration will be made available through Monitronics’ “existing platforms.” Currently, those platforms include longtime partner Alarm.com and, more recently, Icontrol. Icontrol has already announced integration with SkyBell. We believe Alarm.com might make a similar announcement at ISC.

Doorbell cameras from Ring (#4108) are starting to integrate with third-party devices, namely door locks, but the company so far has not embraced the pro-install channel. If you want to integrate Ring with home automation, you’ll have to use a DIY hub from Wink for now.

There is one big exception. Ring is the first device manufacturer to work with ADT (#22059) via the new Pulse API, introduced in January at CES 2016.

Here’s how that works: Instead of ADT having to insert the features and user experiences of Ring into the Pulse environment, Ring worked with the ADT API to insert itself into the ecosystem, and to insert the ADT services into its own app.

Users now will be able to arm and disarm their ADT Pulse system through the Ring app. Pressing the doorbell, for example, might turn the lights on, lock the doors or arm the ADT security system. On the other side, Ring history can be viewed from within the ADT Pulse app, just like any other ADT partner product.

There’s a second big development from ADT that includes both Ring and the new Video Doorbell from doorlock maker August (not exhibiting at ISC, but you can probably catch them at the ADT booth). It’s the new Canopy service that ties ADT’s emergency response services to third-party devices such as connected smoke detectors and door locks.

Consumers need not have a complete security system to benefit from ADT’s emergency resp
onse, just a Canopy-enabled device and/or app. Both Ring and August employ ADT’s “panic” service. Users can monitor their front doors via the companion video doorbell app, and if a threatening situation arises, they simply hit the panic button on their app, and the event is treated like any other ADT panic alarm.

In addition to the panic service, ADT Canopy offers alarm response for intrusion and life-safety (fire). Fees range from $10 to $20 per month.

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About the Author

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Julie Jacobson, recipient of the 2014 CEA TechHome Leadership Award, is co-founder of EH Publishing, producer of CE Pro, Electronic House, Commercial Integrator, Security Sales and other leading technology publications. She currently spends most of her time writing for CE Pro in the areas of home automation, security, networked A/V and the business of home systems integration.

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