Mobile Apps Put Control of your Home Securely in Your Hands
A category for mobile app development that is growing by leaps and bounds is home security / home automation. This industry is experiencing one of the most dramatic growth shifts of any because it is so closely tied to the communications industry, also going through dramatic upheaval. What is driving all the change? I propose it’s the rise of smart phones and tablets, the global shift away from voice only landline phones, and the adoption of cellular broadband technology that supports mobile applications. These are profoundly changing the way people communicate in their daily lives and the way people are interacting with alarm systems, electronics, smart devices, and appliances. The possibilities are endless when it comes to home automation, which will eventually allow us to control every aspect of our home from our mobile devices, theoretically. CES this year was riddled with IOT (Internet of things) demos and home automation. Two of my professional peers / friends attended CES to support a client and reported back they were most excited about the advancements in home automation this year.
Today’s homes are becoming more connected as systems and appliances become smarter and mobiles and wearables are in our hands or on our wrists. This has revolutionized the area of home automation with an increase in affordability and simplicity. Smart phones and tablets can be made to communicate to any other devices on an ad hoc network and so the rise in mobile applications development has seen a similar explosion in growth.
Manufacturers Leading the Way
Samsung and LG have lead this shift because of their crossover between mobiles and appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, washer dryers. Alarm.com is the leading app interface for alarm companies, and their mobile app allows for remote access and automation features for a growing number of the leading alarm system manufacturers like Nortek, DSC, Interlogix and Quolsys. Newer companies like Nest have appeared with smart thermostats and smoke alarms. Sonos has quickly become popular in the home entertainment category with wireless speakers and streaming music options for the masses. Microsoft is encouraging the development of home automation tools in connection with American Family Insurance. And, possibly the biggest news, Apple announced the introduction of a HomeKit API that brings together appliances, HVAC, lighting and entertainment, security, door locks, cameras—all to be controlled using one app.
There are ways around having to learn Apple code to do this yourself for personal use. One’s called AppMkr, a simple approach to setting up your own apps for home automation and communication between you and your devices. If however you are looking for a robust application with custom workflows and scalability, then I would leave it to the pros and hire a custom mobile app development firm.
Finally, there is exciting news out of Palo Alto this month. Something to counter the security encryption issues that have been haunting the Home Automation industry and mobile app developers. In response to researchers who have demonstrated a variety of security vulnerabilities that could open the doors to criminals and others. Globo Plc., a global provider of mobility management and application development platforms, released the first mobile app platform with end-to-end encryption, meeting FIPS 140-2 security standards.
Globo’s announcement includes the news that organizations in regulated and public sector markets will be able to use the GO!AppZone for highly secure mobile app based systems. This opens up new business opportunities for mobile app developers like you—so go get ‘em!
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Tags: app dev, home automation, mobile apps, security
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