Swisscom has just launched the Quing Home building automation system. It is the first offering in Switzerland to combine building automation, security and energy management in one package.
Regardless of their location, customers can use an app or go online to control their electrical devices and energy consumption and keep an eye on their homes using sensors and cameras. Quing Home comprises a starter kit and a subscription. The system can also be expanded with additional devices and sensors. Quing Home is available online, from selected Swisscom partners and initially in the Swisscom shops in and around Lausanne.
Who isn’t familiar with this situation: You leave your house in a hurry and have forgotten to turn the light off. You either have to return home or the light will be left on all day. Such decisions are a thing of the past thanks to Quing Home, as you can simply switch the light off on your smartphone, tablet or the PC in your office. This also applies to all other electrical devices in your home that are connected to the Quing Home base unit via radio-based adapters. The adapters also allow the user to control the energy consumed by the connected devices and therefore optimise energy management.
Instant notifications when anything happens
In addition to ensuring that you feel more comfortable at home, Quing Home also ensures that your house remains secure. Cameras, motion sensors and door/window contact detectors all trigger an alarm and notify the customer by e-mail and SMS in the event of an undesired incident. The customer can view live images from their connected surveillance cameras at any time via the app and the online portal.
Starter kit – everything in one package
Quing Home is being offered as a starter kit with a subscription. The starter kit contains all of the equipment you need to start using the service: the Quing Home Panel – the system’s nerve centre, a camera with night-vision capability, a motion sensor, a door/window contact detector, two adapters, a remote control and a router to ensure a secure Quing Home network. The starter kit costs CHF 689 and can be installed by the user. The only requirement is a DSL connection. As this is a plug & play solution, no construction work is required. Quing Home is suitable for use in both own homes and rental properties. The starter kit can be adjusted to meet the individual needs of the customer at any time by equipping the system with additional devices and sensors. The range of devices and sensors is constantly being expanded. Early 2013 will see the release of controllers for heating systems as well as water and smoke alarms.
Subscription – control your home from anywhere
To implement Quing Home in your home, you need a subscription – the Quing Home Basic subscription. This covers the remote control of Quing Home via the online portal and app (iOS, Android), the time or incident-based programming of the system and unlimited SMS and e-mail notifications. If the DSL connection ever goes down, an alternative connection will be automatically established via the mobile network. Your data is backed up in a Swisscom data centre located in Switzerland. The Basic subscription costs CHF 19 per month and is ordered at the same time as the starter kit. A second subscription package will be available at the start of next year – the Professional subscription. As part of this package, the alarm notifications will be sent directly to a professional alarm centre, which can then initiate the required measures.
First product in the Smart Living range
The launch of Quing Home will see Swisscom enter the Smart Living/Connected Home market. This market is based on the “Internet of Things” and on “machine-to-machine” applications. Thanks to this new technology, Swisscom will in future be able to offer its customers new ways in which to interact with their homes, optimising energy consumption and providing assistance in the care of older family members and babies.