Swisscom Intros Quing Home, Smartphone-Controlled Combined Automation System

By Colleen Lynch
TMCnet Contributor

Swiss building automation company Swisscom (News - Alert) has released a interactive home automation, security and energy management system called Quing Home. The system is the first combination of such features in one complete package to hit Switzerland. The innovative offering uses smartphone technology to allow users to access and control features of their home system all from their mobile devices.

So, say you leave your house and forget to turn the lights off or close the garage - the capabilities of the Quing Home system are constantly expanding, and can access and control nearly any facet of the house via radio-waves.

Quing Home can be accessed online, through a smartphone, tablet, or computer and correct the problem without having to go home to do so. The convenience is revolutionary, and could impact similar systems offered by companies based outside of Switzerland. Quing Home is currently accessible online from selected Swisscom partners, as well as in the Swisscom shops based in and around Lausanne, Switzerland.

“This market is based on the ‘Internet of Things’ and on ‘machine-to-machine’ applications. Thanks to this new technology, Swisscom will in [the] future be able to offer its customers new ways in which to interact with their homes, optimizing energy consumption and providing assistance in the care of older family members and babies,” said the company in a statement.

Quing Home is being offered as a starter kit, along with a monthly subscription. It does not require any construction, as it is a plug-and-play solution. Included in the starter kit are the Quing Home Panel, which works as the system’s control center, which connects via DSL to the user’s phone or computer.

Further, the system employs night-vision capability, motion sensors and door and window contact detectors to alert homeowners via smartphone when the system has been compromised.

Additionally, Quing Home can be expanded with added devices according to the home or user’s needs. The customer can even view live images from connected surveillance cameras right on their mobile device to see with their own eyes evidence of an invasion, or whether your kid forgot their key and is simply trying to enter the house.

Early in 2013 the system will even gain access to the home’s heat and water. Consumers may see Quing Home as a luxury, but the system actually helps homes to save energy by controlling energy consumption through adapters and connected devices, optimizing total energy management in the home.

Edited by Amanda Ciccatelli