A “smart
home” is only as useful as your ability to control its technology. Now you can
manage devices such
as Nest thermostats, Amazon Echo, Kwikset locks and security systems, all with
just a single app!
Eaton’s Home Automation Hub is a powerful gateway for your
connected home, putting automation and energy management a touch away. It’s
also the 2018 Best of IBS winner for Best
Indoor Living Product!
The Hub allows
homeowners to access their smart home even
when the Internet connection to the cloud is down. With automatic firmware
updates, Eaton ensures the Hub is always current. This allows the device to
have the latest features and fix any issues without service interruptions and
expensive callbacks—a consumer concern Eaton made sure to address from the
beginning.
“As a part
of our product development process, we typically conduct extensive “voice of customer”
research to understand what our customers are looking for, what are their pain
points?” says Advait Katarki, Controls & Connectivity Manager, Eaton Residential &
Wiring Devices Division. “We believe in delighting our customers, and every time we see that
reaction from our customers we know it’s a special product.”
Along with
these features, the Hub also offers:
- Simple and
quick installation - Can be mounted
on the wall or placed on a flat surface - Powered by
micro USB or Power over Ethernet (PoE injector sold separately) - Support for
configurable scenes, schedules and notifications (text and
email) - Works with
Amazon Alexa for voice-based control
One particular
feature stands out as a benefit to home builders: Z-Wave technology (short for
Zensys, its Danish company founder). In today’s smart home, devices like sensors, lightbulbs, heating controls, locks
and the like use Z-Wave to talk to each other. A much lower power alternative
than Wi-Fi, but with a much bigger range than Bluetooth, Z-Wave operates using
low-energy radio waves to communicate from device to device.
“There are
some inherent challenges with adoption of smart home technology in a new home
construction environment,” says Katarki. “The fact that with our Hub,
installers can seamlessly install all of our Z-Wave devices and other select
devices without an active Internet and Wi-Fi connection will really make this
technology easier to adopt for home builders. Not only that, through a
dedicated installer App (Pro Install), we have tried to simplify the
installation and hand-off process for the installers so they can move from one
job to another quicker while still letting the home owners have a very
customizable connected home experience.”
Congratulations, Eaton! And meet the other Best Indoor Living Product finalists:
- Uven-R Acoustic Panel by Corruven Inc.
- Vintage Ranch by Eldorado Stone
- Phoenix by
Heat & Glo by Hearth & Home Technologies - Horizon LED Downlight by Kichler Lighting