If home automation were a train, it would be a commuter train that slowly adds passengers with every trip around a circuitous route. Every stop would see a few more passengers get on. Perhaps others would leave, but the total number of passengers would continue to grow. Sticking with this example, what is stopping you from getting on the home automation train?
Modern home automation was introduced in earnest back in the mid-2000s. At the time, it was said that the home automation concept would catch on as soon as manufacturers came up with devices people were willing to use in their daily lives. Many of those devices are now available. They range from smart lighting to window blinds that can be programmed to open and close automatically.
So, what is the problem? Why are consumers not adopting home animation as readily as they adopted the internet? Why aren’t you on-board yet?
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It is Too Expensive
For some consumers, home automation is just too expensive. Paying the bills is hard enough without having to spend money on electronic gadgetry that is not truly a necessity. That’s understandable. Until more people get on board and greater standardization is achieved, home automation will be prohibitively expensive for some.
The good news is that it is possible to get started with home automation and still stay in a budget. Take the video doorbell. According to the people at Vivint Home Security, the video doorbell is one of the most popular entry level devices in home automation. Vivint offers them alongside all their other devices. For less than a decent meal at a 4-star restaurant, you can get a good video doorbell.
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It is Too Complicated
Perhaps your reluctance to join the home automation revolution is a belief that the technology is too complicated. Granted, setting up home automation equipment can be overly complicated. But it is pretty simple to use once it is installed and programmed. So maybe you hire someone to handle the installation for you. Then you just reap the benefits thereof.
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General Mistrust
There are undoubtedly some people who love the home automation concept but will not get on board due to a general mistrust of big tech. Again, that is understandable. Companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook do not have long histories of protecting consumer privacy and respecting consumer autonomy. Even today, all three companies thrive on harvesting and selling data.
Google Home and Amazon Echo are industry-leading smart speakers. A lot of people benefit from using them. But there is that core group off consumers who will never experience the devices because they do not trust what the manufacturers will do with collected data.
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Preferring the Old Ways
One last possibility is that you are the type of person who just prefers the old ways. That’s fine. Technology isn’t for everyone. It represents change and, for some people, unwelcome change. If that sounds like you, perhaps turning your lights on and off manually is more your style. You probably prefer to adjust your thermostat manually as well. It’s all good.
Would you at least be willing to consider installing home security equipment? You can continue doing things the old way but still let technology keep you safer. It’s like the best of both worlds.
If home automation were a commuter train, it would be a train that continues to pick up speed as it adds passengers. As time goes by, more and more people are getting on board with home automation. They are taking it to a new level by supporting the industry as it grows and expands.