Home Depot, Wink Technology Create Smart Homes
By Megan Zielinski, contributing writer
Forget to lock your door, flip off the lights, or shut the blinds while hurrying out the door? This is not a problem for those who take advantage of innovative technology provided by Wink through Home Depot. As of early this month, Home Depot introduced customers to the Wink HUB (home automation gateway) — a seamless approach toward management of all smart home products, including locks, lights, blinds, and thermostats, at any location, all controlled by one app.
With the HUB, all smart products are synced together with Wi-Fi connections, passing through Wink’s cloud services, straight to the Wink app. After the Wink app has been downloaded, the HUB has been successfully installed, and all smart devices are connected, users can control all of the home functions right from their mobile phone. The HUB not only interacts with all hardware, it allows for all devices to “talk” to each another. Products that are automatically Wink compatible without the need for the HUB, and other products that are built with Z-wave and ZigBee, the two most popular wireless communication technologies that require the HUB to connect can easily be added into the entire Wink network. Well-known brands that feature Wink compatible devices include GE, Honeywell, Philips, Kwikset, Lutron, CP, Schlage, Rheem, Chamberlain, Kidde, Bali, Rachio, and Quirky. Home Depot currently sells nearly 60 smart home products, such as Kidde’s Interconnected Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm, the Schlage Touchscreen Deadbolt, Honeywell 7-Day Touchscreen Programmable Thermostat with Z-Wave—with even more products from customer-favorite brands soon to be added.
Available at Home Depot for the price of $49.99, the HUB system only costs the selling price, with no monthly fees or contracts attached. The appealing, modernly-designed model fits well into the home setting while it serves as the motherboard for important utilities. The HUB includes robot technology, and shortcut buttons, allowing users to easily coordinate all products. Data and usage is encoded, ensuring safety and security of all information stored. Users have access to live customer support regarding Wink and the HUB at any time. Companies and customers are recognizing the significance in HUBs and smartphone apps when it comes to easily and effectively monitoring the home—as of now, HUBs are the best way to control a house full of smart devices.
With more products in the home becoming integrated with connective technologies, and mobile capabilities continuously growing, consumers will soon be able to control everything in the house with the touch of a finger. Growth in the smart home market is expected to skyrocket—at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29.5 percent between 2013 and 2020, with market revenue of $4.8 billion in 2012 to escalate at $35.3 billion by 2020.