You’ve decided that you want to add the convenience, security, and fun of smart home automation to your family’s home. Now what?

If you’ve been looking into the smart home space for any time at all, you have certainly discovered just how large it is and how fast new products and companies are appearing on the market. After looking at all the options, the complexity and time involved in designing, installing and configuring a system, you’ve come to the conclusion that hiring a pro is by far the best way forward. But how do you find a professional firm you can work with and trust?

Happy New Year! And welcome to another year of smart home automation innovations.

Simply put, geofencing is the process of using the location of a device to trigger an action or sequence of events. Let’s explore!

It may seem to the average observer that home automation is a very recent development. That is true if one is thinking of consumer-friendly and affordable smart home solutions. However, the technological advances that got us here have been happening for quite a while.

For years here at Zeus Integrated we have been installing custom motorized shade solutions for our clients. Motorized shades are a great way to add privacy to your home as you smarten it up.

One of the things we keep hearing about lately is "What exactly IS a smart home?" 

Being in our little bubble inside the industry it's easy to forget that not everybody knows what a smart home is and what's so cool about it. 

This infographic from Vivint.com breaks down what a smart home is and what kinds of things a smart home can do.

This is by no means comprehensive as new technologies are emerging all the time to help turn your home into a smart home, but we hope it will help clear away some misconceptions.

As a designer or architect, you look at many details to ensure a home meets the homebuyer’s desires.  Room sizes, floor plans, electrical plans, and a myriad of other things are key to delivering the overall environment the client desires.

Smart home technology requires design considerations too, and they can affect construction as well as finish out planning.  Incorporating an integration professional early in the design process can ensure that smart Home technology blends in seamlessly, and is not something that feels tacked on or an afterthought.

Let’s look at some areas to consider when designing your smart home design.