Recently, research firm ResearchAndMarkets published a report on the smart home automation market. It is forecast that the market will reach $187.8 billion globally by 2028, rising at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.2% over that period.
Part of this growth will come from home automation systems expanding to incorporate access control technologies, a trend that is starting to become visible in many countries across the world.
Cybersecurity
In response, and to mark European Cybersecurity Month 2022, 2N, the pioneer in IP access control systems, has issued guidance to help integrators and installers who are considering including access control devices in customers’ home automation systems.
Michael Nicholson, Business Development Manager for the UK & Ireland at 2N, said, “The guidance we are publishing today is designed to be of practical use to installers and integrators. Customers are increasingly seeing the value of integrating access control into their home automation systems. Still, it needs to be done right and with a particular focus on cybersecurity if they are to enjoy the full benefits in terms of both security and convenience.”
2N’s guidance on integrating access control technologies into home automation systems
- Bear in mind the full range of security benefits available
Users can go one step further by taking action in real time for example, by turning on the lights remotely
For many homeowners looking to take their security system to the next level, integrating access control and home automation can give them exactly what they are looking for.
For example, imagine a burglar prowling around and ringing the intercom to see if anybody is at home. With an IP intercom, users can receive the call on their smartphones. Users can see the burglar and talk to him and, if they want to, pretend that they are at home. Connecting the intercom to a home automation system means users can go one step further by taking action in real-time for example, by turning on the lights in their house remotely. In most cases, this will be enough to dissuade him.
- Consider all of the convenience upgrades that access control can offer
Integrating products like the 2N® Indoor Touch 2.0 answering unit into home automation solutions from companies such as Control4, Savant, RTI, and Crestron can turn them into the central control panel, regulating everything from the lights, air-conditioning and music system through to the garage door and lawn irrigation system.
Remote door control
Moreover, connecting IP intercoms to smart home systems can, for example, facilitate package deliveries when the homeowner is out.
Using remote door control, they can open the gate to the courier via the app and even programme the system so that a personalised welcome message plays from the intercom. They can then switch the app to the stream from an external IP camera to be sure that the courier puts the package in the right place.
Automatic locking system
Users can programme the system to open the garage door and do so only partially maybe 20 percent
Or they might want the courier to leave the package in the garage where it will be safe and out of the rain. Not only can they programme the system to open the garage door, but they can also do so only partially maybe 20 percent: enough to slide the package through without the courier needing to enter the garage themselves.
If they are still nervous about it, they can set up a security camera to be recording this area. Once the courier has dropped off the package, the system can automatically re-lock the garage door.
- Choose devices based on open standards or vendor-specific protocols
In each of the examples above, easy integration is the key, because consumers quite rightly have no patience for smart home devices that don’t work well together.
Therefore, avoid proprietary, closed systems which can’t be interconnected with different brands, because the buyer then has to seek out a home automation vendor that specialises in custom solutions which, probably, means buying a whole range of appliances that the vendor is endorsing, thereby increasing the costs. Instead, prioritise devices that are based on open standards or with an open API, as they can easily be integrated with third-party technology.
- Remote management saves both time and money
Home automation customers typically value the flexibility to add amazing new features to their smart homes
Home automation customers typically value the flexibility to add amazing new features to their smart homes as soon as they want them.
Remote management options like the My2N cloud platform can make a real difference here, enabling integrators to serve their customers more effectively and saving them both time and money in the process.
- Prioritise the cybersecurity of access control devices
Cybersecurity is, of course, just as important as physical security, and any weak links in a home automation system risk cyber attacks on a smart home.
2N has published a list of seven best practices regarding cybersecurity, which integrators and installers should bear in mind when working on all smart home projects, and a Hardening Guide that explains how to configure 2N products in a truly secure way.