Can Small Businesses Benefit from Home Automation Technology?

Home automation technology has become all the rage for residential homeowners, but its usefulness doesn’t stop there – in fact, if you’re a small business owner, you can benefit from implementing smart home devices in the office environment as well. Below are three key examples of how small businesses can use home automation technology to increase efficiency, cut expenses, save time, and bolster security.

1. Access Control via Keyless Locks

You probably have at least one or two rooms within your office area that are considered to be restricted access areas, such as a server room, supply closet, or a place where sensitive records are kept. Using the BeHome247 home automation system and a keyless lock such as the Trilogy T2 DL2800, you can have full control over access privileges, and you can lock and unlock these restricted areas remotely using your smartphone, laptop or tablet device. No more worrying about keeping up with copies of keys, or trying to ensure that those keys don’t fall into the wrong hands! You can assign access codes only to the people who should have them, and keep unauthorized (or simply curious) personnel out of areas where they’re not supposed to go. In addition, the Trilogy T2 DL2800 takes access control a step further by providing you with a time-stamped log of who has accessed the room and when. This can really come in handy if any security issue ever arises.

2. Smart Thermostat Control

If the temperature in your office is not where you or your staff likes it (i.e., Rhonda in Accounting is too cold again), you don’t even have to leave your desk to make adjustments to the temperature; just use BeHome247 and a smart thermostat such as the Trane 524 Connected Z-Wave thermostat to control the office climate remotely with your handheld device. You can schedule the Trane 524 to automatically start heating or cooling the office during certain hours of the day, or on specific days of the week. If you’re the first one to arrive (as most business owners are), you can even fire up the thermostat on your way to the workplace, so that the office is nice and comfortable by the time you get there. Not only does this boost the convenience factor off the charts, but it can save you quite a bit of money on heating and cooling costs as well!

3. Smart Video Surveillance

Security should always rank at the top of your business priority list. If you have inadequate security measures in place, you can put your business at risk of theft, vandalism or other things that can really cause headaches for small business owners. Using a quality video surveillance system such as the BeHome247 Wireless Security Camera Package is a great way to keep tabs on your business around the clock. You can install cameras to monitor the main exterior access points, as well as any rooms within the office area that require constant surveillance (like the place where the money is kept). With the BeHome247 package, not only can you view your property live from your smartphone or other handheld device, but you can also view recorded footage from past hours or days in high-definition. Each camera will afford you 1GB of video storage, which can accommodate up to 60 hours of HD footage, or 120 hours of SD footage. You can also throw a couple of fake security cameras in the mix just to keep everyone guessing; for example, the SVAT ISC301 imitation dome security camera works great for this purpose, as it creates a strong visual deterrent that could discourage would-be pilferers from making a move.

As you can see, smart home technology is not just for the home anymore! Keep the above points in mind as you consider how to integrate home automation into your workplace.

Trilogy T2 DL2800 Electronic Lock – Timed Access, Audit Trail

Trane 524 Connected Z-Wave Thermostat

SVAT ISC301 Imitation Dome Security Camera with Flashing LED

BeHome247 Wireless Security Camera Package