Verizon Launches New Smart Home Service

Verizon Launches New Smart Home Service

Oct 17, 2011 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) –
Verizon announced the introduction of its new Home Monitoring and Control service, creating a smart home for customers by putting technology in their hands, freeing them to access and control their homes from anywhere.

According to Verizon, the service enables customers to remotely access, control and monitor doors, thermostat controls and appliances well as view home-energy use in near-real time all via a smart phone, PC, FiOS TV and, eventually, a connected tablet.

“Making the smart home a reality is another way Verizon is breaking down barriers between ‘home’ and ‘away’ to support a borderless lifestyle,” said Eric Bruno, VP of product management for Verizon. “In addition, we’re giving our customers the tools to live greener lives and provide valuable information essential to making decisions about their home-energy usage.”

Whether consumers are budget- or environmentally conscious, or both, the benefits of having an intelligent home that provides convenient access to accurate information on home-energy consumption is a first step to smart decision making. Thanks to a connected energy reader, the company said that Verizon Online’s new service lets customers view their energy usage in near-real-time and study energy consumption over periods of time.

The first package, a home monitoring kit, enables customers to remotely turn on and off lights, plus peer through networked cameras. The second package, an energy control kit, features energy-monitoring gadgets like the Trane Z wave-enabled thermostat control; special adapters that control appliances; plus a sensor placed on the circuit box to measure electricity use throughout the house. The third package, the home monitoring and control kit, offers both home- and energy-monitoring equipment. There are additional devices like Schlage to allow remote locking and unlocking of doors; cameras that can pan and tilt or be installed outdoors; plus window and door sensors to pair with light modules that allow the lights to turn on when the door is opened. These and numerous other devices can be added to any of the packages, but the monthly service charge remains the same no matter what package a customer chooses or how many devices are added.