Lowe's is entering the emerging smart home market with an affordable, cloud-based home management system from AlertMe.
The system, known as Iris, gives customers the ability to control and interact with their home from anywhere using their smart phone or computer. Iris will be available in Lowe's stores and on Lowes.com in mid-2012.
"Because of Lowe's partnerships with manufacturers, utilities and service providers, Lowe's has the ability to offer a simple, intuitive home management solution at a great value," said Greg Bridgeford, Lowe's executive vice president of business development, in a press release. "Lowe's, through Iris, is working to connect the broadest range of products in the industry and deliver the benefits of a smart home solution that were previously only available to the most affluent consumers."
The portfolio of products will enable customers to remotely monitor and control their homes from any mobile device. The new services will allow customers to control thermostats, locks, lighting, and appliances. Customers can also monitor and protect their homes with video cameras and door, motion and fire sensors.
"Imagine your home on cruise control, functioning at a speed and efficiency that you want according to your lifestyle," said Mary Turner, CEO of AlertMe. "The entrance of a giant retail brand like Lowe's means we are poised to bring the Smart Home into the mainstream and not just for the more affluent."
"This is an exciting development in the connected home space," said Stuart Sikes, president of Parks Associates, experts in emerging consumer technology products and services. "While there have been various simple applications such as remote management of HVAC systems that have delivered significant savings, until now, there have been few comprehensive offerings aimed at the mass market. Lowe's new Iris product and service platform has the attributes needed to break down these barriers and reach the consumer with a scalable solution at an affordable price, and it should position the company as a formidable leader in this space."
"The partnerships we have with manufacturers, utilities and service providers, allow us to bring a simple and innovative home management solution to market at price points that will appeal to mainstream consumers," said Kevin Meagher, Lowe's vice president and general manager of Smart Home, in a press release.
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