In just the past couple of years, apps — and the mobile devices they inhabit — have revolutionized how we interact with the world. Security and home automation and control are no exception. “There is a big shift to a clear preference for the mobile device,” says Jay Kenny, vice president of marketing for Vienna, Va.-based Alarm.com. He explains that currently more than 80 percent of Alarm.com customer interactions are conducted via mobile devices, whereas, previously, 75 percent of activity was conducted via the website. Attributing the shift to improvements in smartphone technology that have made smartphones faster and much more capable than those from just a couple years ago, Gordon Hope, general manager of AlarmNet Services for Honeywell Security, based in Melville, N.Y. reports that today 95 percent of homeowner interaction with their security and home automation systems is through portable devices.
Apps for security and home automation systems offer homeowners new capabilities and convenience when interacting with their homes and can provide added value beyond the software’s features. “Security gives peace of mind, and they can take that peace of mind with them when they leave home,” says Lisa Ciappetta, senior director of marketing and technology for Chicago–based Protection 1.