Comments attributed to: Paul Smith, Head of Specification Sales...

“The evergreen need for safety at home, combined with a desire to make our properties increasingly tech-driven, has led to a boom in connected security devices.

“According to research, home safety systems are the smart devices most people (68%) are familiar with, while over half of house-hunters would include an integrated smart home security system in their list of ‘must haves’. From outdoor security and video assistants, to video doorbells and smart lights, homeowners are more willing to invest in either having this type of equipment retrospectively fitted at their home, or in new house purchases which already have them integrated.

“As well as buyer appeal, smart security systems can lead to home insurance discounts, actively prevent burglary and inform authorities of unusual activity and create an increased sense of safety. It’s no surprise then, that there are predictions the global home security market will be worth more than $44,806m in the next three years. For developers of high-end residential schemes, or exterior design brands working directly with homeowners, these systems offer a lucrative opportunity.

“Gira’s eNet SMART Home products are ideal for use in either new buildings or when modernising properties, as a future-proofed wireless system which offers total control over a building’s safety and security technology. While tapping into the contactless living movement, its products are also architecturally designed to complement a variety of current trends, meaning it seamlessly integrates into modern housing schemes just like any other fixture or fitting.

“Removing the need for a physical key to gain entry to, or secure, a property, the Gira Keyless – part of the eNet SMART Home system – works with a personal numeric code and in some systems is powered simply by a fingerprint. For added comfort, on entrance, a totally customised ‘welcome scene’ – featuring a user’s desired lighting levels and temperature – is triggered.

“To increase privacy and deter a potential intruder a homeowner can control their entire home’s blinds and shutters at the touch of a button. eNet wireless inserts can be added to blinds to enable functionality via Gira, allowing a user to open and close fittings by timer – either according to sunrise and sunset, or around the times people are in and out of the property – and to specific angles to ensure views into the property are distorted.

“In the garden, lights can automatically switch on when there’s no longer enough daylight, giving a sense of presence in the property – even if it’s empty. Furthermore, automatic orientation lighting, such as Gira’s Sensotec, features motion sensors which will switch lights on and off depending on when a room is in use. It improves convenience and efficiency for the user via a sophisticated piece of technology but can also connect with Gira’s security systems to empower a camera or cameras to pick up on intruders should they gain access.

“Building regulations state that new homes and extensions should have at least one mains-powered smoke alarm system with detectors and alarms interlinks across each floor. Gira’s eNet SMART Home system facilitates this, connecting to mains-powered alarms which reliably detects the signs of fire and issues an audio warning across an entire home. They also have the capability to link to an external alarm, which can issue a warning to neighbours to contact the fire service. On top of this, homeowners can also open windows on demand to allow increased ventilation until help arrives.

“Research reveals that data privacy concerns prevent almost a quarter of homeowners from installing smart technology in their home, but Gira has designed its eNet SMART Home system to mitigate this. Any of its systems added to a home come complete with fully encrypted wireless transmission and data stored securely. It provides reassurance that the maximum possible data security is in place, for the entire system.

“Powered at home by the Gira eNet SMART Home Client, or remotely via a smartphone app if on the go, the system includes over 300 functions for convenience, flexibility and to suit a variety of different lifestyles. Additionally, it comes in 10 different designs, all of which can be combined with different colours and variants of frames to suit any home’s scheme and furnishings.

“As a result, home security no longer needs to be a clunky add-on to a home that strives to be at the pinnacle of technology and design; both can be achieved, while simultaneously enabling a user to increase safety in their home.”