Home Automation: Smart Ways to Make a Simpler Home

Home automation can be a bit daunting in regards to researching, purchasing and installing the technology. It is a job best left to the professionals! I recently spoke with Dan Killinger from Intelligent Living Solutions, a local Zionsville home automation and technology company. He shared smart ways to make a simpler home and the future of home automation.

Tell me a little bit about your business and how you got started?

We are a locally-based Zionsville business. We started because of the owner’s passion for helping others navigate the ever changing technology options that bombard consumers.

What is your most popular product?

Our most popular product is security with home automation.  This allows our clients to protect their homes and have property-awareness as well. 

My kids are notorious for riding their bikes home and leaving the garage doors open. With our customized systems, you can receive a text if the door has been left open for a predetermined amount of time. Or, have the garage door close automatically at a certain time of day, and/or receive a text and a photo of who disarmed the security system.  This allows our clients to know when the housekeeper arrived, the dog sitter took the dog for a walk, or the kids got home safely from school. In addition, we can detect a water leak in your home and automatically turn the water main off, preventing catastrophic loss.  

What are the benefits of using a locally owned security company versus a national brand?

Choosing a locally-based company to protect your family offers many benefits as opposed to a national brand or DIY option.  Most importantly, we are trained professionals. Would you invest your life savings in the market and gamble everything if you knew nothing about investing? 

Many people buy a box of security sensors over the internet and know nothing about ideal placement or vulnerable areas. Therefore, leaving most of their home without protection.  We also tailor systems to each individual client. We recognize every home is different and every client has unique goals and objectives.  

What is the “coolest” product you have recently added to a home?

One of the most unique products that we have recently added to a home is a wall-mounted, framed photo.  Of course we couldn’t just leave it at that! When you open the kitchen cabinet next to the photo, a hidden fingerprint reader is revealed.  Tap your finger, the picture slides up, and a gun pops out from behind the picture. This allows you to be prepared for any situation that may arise without having to run to an inconveniently located safe.   

Where do you see the future of home automation going? 

In the short-term, we see technology moving towards increased voice controls for home systems.  With this, one of the biggest drawbacks will be privacy concerns (big brother listening).

Looking at the long term, and even in some of our fully automated homes today, we’re seeing homes run without you having to push a button or tell the system to do anything.  For instance, our advanced systems know when you are in a room, thus the climate is adjusted, the lights turn on if necessary, and your favorite music begins to play. Similarly, at night the lights automatically adjust to a low blue light so as not to fully wake you when you head to the kitchen for a late night snack.

Advances in smart home technology like these are just a few examples of an amazing array of options that will be making their way into more and more homes, helping make life simpler, safer, and more enjoyable. 

A good home automation company will determine what technology is best for you and your home! If you’re interested in learning more about automating your home, contact Dan Killinger at dan@intelligentlivingindy.com. For more information or inspiration, visit https://intelligentlivingindy.com.