Friday, 01 November 2013
So, it’s November and National Home Security Month has drawn to a close. The event, sponsored by Yale, was a fantastic opportunity for homeowners to assess where their home security is at right now. Many might have found that their home was lacking in a particular area and invested in the appropriate locks, alarms and other modern security tech.
Naturally, the buzz surrounding home security month captured our imaginations and got us thinking about the future of home security.
What do the next few years hold for our homes, and our belongings?
Technology moves so fast these days that things can change dramatically in the blink of an eye. It’s fun to think about what this could mean for the security industry.
One thing’s for sure: it’s going to be an exciting time.
But it might surprise you to know that so many seemingly futuristic security measures are already here, or very much on the horizon. The future of home security is now.
We’ve already been given a glimpse of the future with digital door locks. These aren’t yet commonplace but could soon see the end of the traditional door key altogether. Instead home owners will simply have a keypad on their door and a security code which they’ll remember and punch into the keypad to get in.
This is going to prevent a lot of headaches which people currently suffer when they lose their keys; or allowing them to fall into the wrong hands. But this barely scratches the surface of the developments we have to look forward to.
These days, it seems like everything is getting smarter, even our phones. Our homes are full of so much so-called ‘smart tech’ it’s only natural that are homes would become smarter too. That’s exactly what we can do by integrating our home security systems with our numerous devices.
We can arm or disarm our security systems remotely with a few clicks of a smartphone or tablet (click here to view Yale's Smartphone Alarm). This is a major development since we’ve all had the sinking feeling that comes with being miles from home and realising that the alarm wasn’t set before you left.
It’s also possible to have the same control over lights, window blinds and thermostats. In terms of home security, activating select room lights remotely is a great way to ward off thieves. Automated blinds can also obscure the view of valuable home entertainment systems and smart TV’s. Because no matter how far into the future we look, one sure fire home security measure is provide potential crooks with as little impetus as possible to choose your home. You don’t leave freshly baked apple pie to cool on an open window sill, unless you expect some scoundrel or other to run off with a slice.
The transfer of information works both ways. We can arm our security systems remotely, but we can also receive alerts to our smartphones when alarm systems are set off. This is a major step forward for home security, allowing us to act at the earliest opportunity in the event of a break in.
It’s even possible to install web-enabled camera devices and access surveillance feeds from anywhere in the world. This isn’t only better for home security; it’s an interesting development for suspicious spouses too.
Author: Stephen Wylde - Director
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