Grid Connect, in conjunction with the ongoing CES at Las Vegas announced that it will be showcasing its smart outlet, the ConnectSense. In November last year, GridConnect unveiled its ConnectSense Smart Outlet which enables smart device users to control a wide range of home appliances by turning on and off the power remotely via their mobile apps. The company claims that its smart outlet is the first in the market to offer both Wi-Fi and ZigBee connectivity.
Solutions such as ConnectSense mark the first steps in transforming a home into a smart home. While fully fledged smart home solutions require the end appliances to be equipped with M2M connectivity with remote control capabilities that go beyond the turning on and off of power, the smart outlet type solutions are helping households to get used to the idea of being able to do things remotely - such as turn on the lights automatically when it gets dark or create a few rules such as 'turn the heater on when garage door opens'. The accustomization to these smart home functionalities is expected to spur the demand for more complex solutions in future and household appliance manufacturers are already investing in M2M technologies and developing their intelligent cloud-based applications to help users manage and control their products effectively.
GridConnect's ConnectSense smart outlet which integrates to Apple's HomeKit technology enables users to control their smart outlets using Siri, the voice-based assistant provided on Apple's smart devices. By integrating to the Apple HomeKit platform, ConnectSense can also communicate to other smart devices in the home, said GridConnect.
Know more on similar smart home solutions - 'Bits' and 'Things' the Latest Devices to Bring IoT/M2M Connectivity for 'Dumb' Appliances