Smart home software
Issue 01-2016:
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Futurehome is a Norwegian company developing smart home solutions, focusing on making the best and user-friendly application for controlling a wide range of electronic devices based on the EnOcean standard.
“Futurehome’s approach to the smart home is from the electrician’s standpoint, it has to be based on solid hardware, have an easy setup and use, and still be a professional solution,” says CEO Erik Stokkeland. When the company first started in 2013, it was looking for the best and most solid smart home standard, and the EnOcean standard was the obvious choice. In late 2014, the company successfully crowdfunded $ 200,000 to get a kick start launch in the market. Since then the company has been working hard on adding more devices to control via the Futurehome app.
The App
The app focuses on ease of use and is design driven. The user can easily create customized modes, add timers and add different if-this-then-that triggers. The dashboard gives a clean overview of the state of the house, including real-time power consumption.
The app is also user-oriented in terms of an easy setup and installation of the devices. This is done by having preconfigured solutions in the app, and a simple three step guide for adding devices. This makes it easier for end users and electricians to set up devices supported by the futurehome system. It reduces the installation time electricians spend, which again lowers the price for a professional smart home installation for the end user, being a breakthrough in the market.
The Smart Hub
Futurehome focuses on integrating all the best devices existing on the market from different vendors, but is making the Smart Hub gateway itself. The Smart Hub communicates both on EnOcean, Z-wave, and WIFI and will support devices on multiple protocols.
Going forward, Futurehome will work on adding support for a wider range of products and improve their all-in-one solution to homeowners as well as the professional installers. Therefore, the company is always on a constant lookout for more interesting devices.
The future home
Futurehome constantly works on being at the frontier of development and staying “future-proof” with innovative solutions. The company recently won a government-backed project, due to the fact that it can provide and display real-time power consumption, which can improve homeowner awareness of energy savings.
For the time to come, Futurehome is looking for international partners, as there is a high demand for user-friendly designed software on the EnOcean standard. Interested parties should check out the company’s website.
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