The Pros of Professionally Integrated Home Automation, as Told by Confused DIY-er
One man’s troubles integrating his home automation systems illustrates everything wrong with the smart home movement.
End users attempting to automate their homes on their own can be a tall order. That's why they would benefit reaching out to a professional.
Still with me?
As for ADT, I don’t believe Lutron Caseta currently is supported by ADT Pulse, but if ADT creates an IFTTT channel like it has said it would, then you could communicate across the two protocols. Currently, ADT has no channel on IFTTT, although there are some IFTTT recipes that incorporate ADT Pulse.
Are you following?
I don’t know which Honeywell thermostat you’re referencing – there are several types from the new Lyric family and legacy Honeywell line—but that gets a little more complicated when you’re talking about Lutron integration.
As for who has desktop software for any of this, I have no clue.
By the way, not all of these integration “solutions” are elegant. For example, you can’t necessarily program, group, monitor and control Z-Wave and Caseta devices in a single interface.
Here’s a question to John and other DIYs: Who do you think you will call when something goes awry with one of your devices or services? By the way, how’s your home network? You better make sure it’s rock solid.
John promises to follow up on his experience navigating the journey to a smarter home. I personally would hire a professional to integrate it all, but where would I find such a person? That is smart-home challenge #294.
The Lessons
Truly, the smart-home user experience for DIYs is atrocious, from product packaging to installation to service and more. The letter and my (exaggerated) response should speak for themselves.
In a follow-up story, I’ll explain what some organizations like Plum Choice and the Z-Wave Alliance are doing to try to support confused consumers like John. Meanwhile, there are some 15,000 home-technology installation professionals out there that could clear up some of this confusion, but it’s hard to find a pro with the experience — or the inclination — to support DIY-type devices.
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About the Author
Julie Jacobson
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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