As you prepare for the holidays, your home should be prepared, too. We’re not talking about Christmas lights – although there’s nothing wrong with a little holiday cheer.
Home deliveries were already on the rise pre-pandemic. With more deliveries on the road and the holidays fast approaching, theft protection is a growing reason to consider upgrading your home’s security system. A recent study indicates the percentage of respondents who had a package stolen rose from 36% in 2019 to 43% in 2020. Most were victimized more than once.
Fortunately, smarter technology is keeping up with the times. Myriad features – two-way communication, night vision, motion tracking, professional monitoring, and better indoor and outdoor video quality – are giving homeowners more ways to feel safe in their homes.
More Advanced Smart Locks
One of the most popular ways to deter crime is through a variety of smart locks and alarms. The newer ones connect to your Wi-Fi network and have theft-deterrent features like a built-in siren and spotlight, controllable via touch screen. You don’t need to learn a completely new lock system. Use whatever combination you’re most comfortable with: manual, keycode or remote-controlled.
The level of control these products give homeowners is unprecedented. Tired of keeping track of spare keys? Virtual keys and time-sensitive passcodes allow you to control who can get into your house. Use a code to entrust your dog walker or a preferred delivery person so your packages can be delivered safely inside.
Smart Home Operating Systems
Like other developments in home automation, there are also more options for controlling your new smart locks from your phone or via a smart speaker. Today’s smart home operating systems can connect virtually to the same system hosting the other technology in your home. Products like Control4 OS 3 provide a user-friendly way to accomplish this through the device of your choosing. You get to be in control and use only the features you need with a touchscreen, keypad, voice, and app accessibility.
From a single app or device, you can:
- Check the locks, cameras, and garage doors while you’re away.
- Receive alerts when someone enters your home.
- Have your lights automatically come on at night for extra safety and comfort.
- Streamline your home security by integrating it with your whole-home automation system.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and Security System
One of the biggest trends in smart home security has been the integration of surveillance systems that homeowners can more easily use to monitor the area around their homes themselves. The latest CCTV products include digital wireless video surveillance capabilities so you can incorporate video cameras in strategic areas of your home to transmit a signal using a set of monitors.
These improvements also simplify things for you by integrating your CCTV, security system and other smart home systems like lighting and audio with a single device. Making it known that your home is secured can potentially reduce your risk of crime, allowing you to rest easy knowing your home is safe. Common features include:
- Breach of property. To truly feel secure, you want to know if someone breaches your property before they reach your house. A CCTV security system enables you to use security cameras to view the perimeter of your property.
- 24/7 emergency service. You’ll need a plan in case of a break-in.
- Remote access: It’s like having an intercom wherever you are. You’ll know when your video doorbell rings and can allow access to your home via an app while you’re away.
- Notifications. Set up notifications so you’re alerted to smoke alarms, water leaks, people coming and going, and movement detected near any entrance.
- Monitoring within the home. Maybe you just want to monitor a specific room – a home office or the baby’s room. A system can be set up to do this, too.
- Long-term versatility. Needs change from day to day. With the latest in multi-purpose surveillance systems, families can get the same peace of mind even when their priorities evolve.
A Provider to Install and Streamline All of Your Home Automation Needs
There’s one other important element to coordinating these increasingly advanced systems: a trusted provider that guarantees installations will be performed by qualified experts. You’ll want a professional who can assess what your Wi-Fi is capable of handling and ensure that all surveillance equipment is installed properly.
Contact MediaTech for a free consultation to learn more about our security and surveillance systems. Our systems are backed by a one‐year warranty, extended maintenance agreements and 24/7 emergency service. Contact us online here or give us a call at 630-444-0011 to discuss what we can do for you.
