Time Warner Cable’s home automation and security system, IntelligentHome, will make its way into the cable operator’s Ohio and Wisconsin service areas this month and then New York City in the fall.
Once those launches are complete, Time Warner Cable said IntelligentHome would be deployed across all of the major markets in its footprint. Time Warner Cable executives have said on earnings calls this year that the company planned on having IntelligentHome launches wrapped up by the end of this year.
With the mid-June launch, homeowners in Ohio communities such as Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown as well as Milwaukee, Green Bay, Appleton, Kenosha and Racine in Wisconsin can control their thermostats and lighting remotely, among other features.
“Imagine you’re away on vacation and realize that you left the thermostat set at 72 degrees or left a closet light on. IntelligentHome lets you make adjustments remotely using a PC or smartphone. You can also temporarily disarm the system so a neighbor can come in to check the house, and you can even watch live video of your pets at home. It really brings customers a whole new level of peace of mind – and convenience,” said Adam Mayer, vice president of IntelligentHome.
IntelligentHome offers 24/7 professional home security monitoring, fire and carbon monoxide detection, paired with tools that allow customers to remotely track the daily events taking place in their homes as well as the ability to adjust lighting and thermostats remotely. Users can access their system and have access to real-time information no matter where they are via any broadband connection, the TWC IntelligentHome smart phone apps, and through customized text and email alerts.
The service, which made its debut two years ago, previously launched in upstate New York, Maine, New Hampshire, the Carolinas, Southern California, Hawaii, Kansas City and other parts of Texas, including Austin and San Antonio.
Time Warner Cable has said it planned on expanding its IntelligentHome platform to other areas, including healthcare services such as home health care and elderly care.
In previous launches, Time Warner Cable offered free standard installation for customers who subscribed to another provider’s home security service, if they switch to IntelligentHome. The service cost $33.99 a month while installation starts at $99.
Home automation and security services are an emerging product line for service providers. In addition to Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Cox Communications, Rogers Communications, Comcast, Verizon and AT&T are battling incumbent home security companies such as ADT in the home security sector.
Cable operators’ advantages in offering home automation services include their broadband pipes into customers’ homes, existing relationships with subscribers, and, in some cases, the ability to work with existing home security systems.
Home automation services bring in incremental revenues for cable operators, and, according to a study, reduce subscriber churn. According to ABI Research, home automation shipments nearly doubled from 2011 to 2012 in the United States.
