Has Home Security Really Changed Much In The Last Decade?
I ran into a guy at the DEMO conference back in September that worked with an interesting-looking home security company called InGrid. The product lets you pretty much control your home’s security system from a telephone-looking console. It also has a bunch of cool redundant features, too. After I checked out their snazzy-looking website, I had two thoughts: (1) Why does my $400 GE Home Security system look so sucky in comparison and (2) does this technology actually change all that often?
I took a look at some of the major brands using my handy-dandy Consumer Reports login, and the most basic aspects of home security (high security deadbolts and surface mount deadbolts) haven’t changed much in the last hundred years, but aside from locks and deadbolts, there have been some pretty significant jumps recently.
As far as monitoring alone goes, Sony, Toshiba and Samsung have released camera systems (some of which are motion-activated) aimed at consumer price-points. They’re built to work with DVRs, but you can’t just hook them up to the DirectTV box in your living room; they need a separate DVR connection. Most of these solutions are some kind of IP network camera, but wireless solutions are becoming cheaper and cheaper. They could be useful if you wanted Fort Knox-type home security in your temporary dwelling.
These monitoring systems are meant to work in tandem with a home security system, not in place of one it. The difference between, say, 1997, and now, is that a couple of cameras and a DVR now only runs $1000.
The systems themselves have changed really in one aspect in the last decade that’s fairly noticeable – almost every major brand (GE, Honeywell’s Ademco brand, DSC) now makes a wireless option. Ease-of-use varies across the spectrum. It’s actually a little difficult to shop for these products, because some of the websites are fairly poorly designed. Maybe it’s just me – I might be too hard to please, as far as user interface goes, after working with so many cool Web 2.0 companies!
After all of the browsing around, ease-of-use is really what it all comes down to. I’m still pretty pumped up about the InGrid system, and I think it might be because their website makes it look so darn easy to use. And when it comes to keeping an eye on your family, isn’t that what it’s all about?
Thanks very much to local home security maven Eyal Kaufmann at Protection Now in Oakland for all of the security tips and background information.