[Article] AT&T Launches Digital Life Home Automation and Home Security Platform

[electron]

It was only a matter of time, as it looks like AT&T is now following in Verizon & Time Warner's footsteps, and is now offering home automation services, combined with home security, including CCTV, under the 'Digital Life' brand.  Monthly cost starts at $29.99/month, plus $149.99 for equipment, or $39.99/month plus $249.99 plus equipment for the smart security hardware.  See below for all the details.

Click here to view the article

 

[tmbrown97]

Anyone else actually getting a little turned off by all these vendors adding "Home Automation" as a check-box feature?  For me it kinda kills the coolness of it all because they make HA seem so accessible when it's still just not quite that easy.
 
Don't get me wrong - I love my system and it enhances/simplifies my life -  but how excited can you be to demo a system to someone who thinks they can get something comparable by giving their alarm company/isp/cable provider/cell phone company another $50/month?
 
And from an industry perspective - trying to sell someone on an installed solution that people *think* they can drive to Lowes to pick up and have something comparable...  I feel like it's going to set the industry back by dumbing it down.
 
What about the poor knowledgable HA enthusiast guy who's wife sees the commercials and asks "Why do you need to spend $1000 installing cameras and a DVR when we can just have ADT do it for $19.99/month?"

 

[ddennerline]

This biggest benefit will be increasing competition between HA companies as people find they want to tweak good enough system to meet their own personal way of living. From the AT&T announcement above, the water detection is a sub-standard feature as it’s missing the motorized valve component. I had remembered a post where someone had water detection, but hadn’t hook up the water main switch. One without the other is useless IMHO. Invariably HA for the masses systems will increase HA innovation as customers start customizing and finding solutions for 20% of missing functionality.

 

[pete_c]

Having the major telco / BB providers do this will bring HA to the masses. 
 
OK here I am being a bit pessimistic.  That said though to folks that never has had HA it will have much mass appeal.
 
It will also ding the existing industry some. (the historical prospective to those that have pioneered HA in general)
 
The advantage/disadvantage here though that the transport is owned by the vendor and it most likely is already in place.
 
The granular "stuff" (and probably QOS) will be overlooked anyways for the quick provisioning of basic HA functionality for $ XX / month.
 
This though can drive HA to the next level; AI and such which actually would be levels above some basic HA control which will be very commonplace.