Why Hire a Professional Home Automation Company?
More Often than Not, It Pays to Hire an Expert
Smart devices and home automation products are everywhere these days. The success of smart assistant platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple's Homekit has certainly popularized Jetsons-style futuristic control over many home features, especially thermostats, lighting, and audio entertainment. There’s no shortage of smart lights, cameras, locks, thermostats, and more.
Can you build an automated home using consumer DIY products found at your local electronics store? The short answer is yes; you can automate your home using some of these products. The real question is, what do you consider an automated home to be?
With some DIY products, you might end up with a collection of smart devices that don't always work in harmony. You could end up with many devices that you can control remotely via voice and smartphone, but the sum of them add up to something less than an automated home.
So, should you hire a professional home automation company (like Barretts Technology Solutions) to make your home smart? Of course, we’ll make the case below. Keep reading!
SEE ALSO: Which Home Automation System is Right for Me?
What to Consider
We’ll admit to you right here: by and large, most DIY consumer smart devices work well. Lights will turn on and off via your voice, and a Nest thermostat will obey your smartphone changes and even adjust based on your location.
The issues tend to arise when you want a group of different devices to work together consistently, and not execute automation sequences as if it was an occasional parlor trick. So here are some considerations when looking at smart consumer devices that you can readily by from Amazon or your local big box store.
- Does the device software get updated often to fix issues and add capabilities?
- How secure is the underlying software from hacking over the internet?
- What ecosystem does it work with? For example, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home?
- Does the device let you do sophisticated things through automation, or are you forced to use the accompanying smartphone app for those features?
- The ability to control a device by voice or app is great, but do you have to use three or four apps to achieve the level of control and automation you desire?
- Are you comfortable with diagnosing networking issues? Consumer devices use several wireless protocols, from the familiar like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to the unfamiliar like Z-Wave. What happens when a device keeps dropping a connection?
What You Get When You Hire a Home Automation Professional
Some people might repair a minor plumbing leak under a sink themselves, but not want to get into the wall to install a new shower valve. You tend to hire a professional that ultimately can save you money and time by doing things the right way. Here are some of the benefits you can expect from a professional home automation company:
- A system designed around your needs, as simple or complicated as it needs to be.
- Recommend a platform and a set of technologies that not only solve your current needs but are upgradeable in the future as your needs grow.
- Install the infrastructure that you may need to make the system work. That may be wired solutions in some areas, as well as installing a robust home network that can accommodate the traffic and response time you want out of your automated devices.
- Offer professional, trained support – even outside of regular business hours – to fix things that may go wrong or when you need to add to your system.
Chances are you are a busy professional or business owner that doesn't necessarily like to be your own tech support person. You want a smart home that works correctly every time. That's what a professional like Barrett's Technology Solutions does for you; provide the solution that is tailored for you and works right every time.
If you want a genuinely seamless smart home automation solution, Barrett’s Technology Solutions would love to work with you. Call us at (630) 898-2850 or submit a request here.
