Introduction

Smart home will be the future of homes. Equipped with the latest technology, smart home has the potential to become a reality in the new home market. The key to smart homes is in the wiring. For example, the wall panels will host all wiring options in one panel instead of hosting just one cable outlet of the same size.

Smart home technology has not made much progress in the past. However, it seems that it is starting to become a reality now as more companies are taking part in the smart home industry. On 10th April, 2002, I-Berhad formed a strategic alliance to help make the smart home a reality (source: Business Times). Cisco and 3COM, too, felt that this is an emerging market, but neither wanted to take the first step in building gateways that will hook up all the appliances to the internet because of problems faced. (Source: Business Wire 08/22/01).

Smart home technology offers the prospect of significant improvements in living standards for everyone including older or disabled people who are heavily reliant on home care.

Smart home is a home that emphasizes on safety, security and comfort with modern technology integrated in it. The five important elements of a smart home are personal computing, home automation, entertainment, telecommunications and security. This kind of centralized management will allow our domestic appliances and services to communicate with each other and make electronic decisions on our behalf such as selecting TV programs, suggesting which groceries to buy, monitoring and managing energy consumption for optimum efficiency, controlling environmental conditions, and delivering news and information to us wherever we are and whenever we need it. Existing equipment in the home can also be adapted to provide more functions i.e. multi-tasking.

According to survey, almost half of those surveyed (45%) are interested in having the sort of functions offered by a smart home. The reason consumers embrace the idea of smart home technology is because of the safety and security features it offers, which, according to statistics, was agreed by about 70% of respondents.

From a study survey, smart home technologies could be unleashed if the market develops and prices fall considerably. Desk research was carried out to obtain an idea on the current market, and the results of the research showed that there are currently very few smart homes in Malaysia, with most of the smart home owners being ‘expert home improvers’ and ‘DIYers’. Currently, only three main standardized technologies have achieved significant deployment, which are X-10, CEBus and LonWorks, with X-10 being the most widely deployed for home automation.

In this globalization era, many products using smart home technology have been developed in Malaysia. Examples of smart home products in Malaysia are Intell energy saving equipments, Osim automated cleaning equipments, I-Berhad’s security & home automation, Hugewin’s wireless switch and many more. However, the main concern regarding these products is the ability to integrate with other smart home products.

The main idea is about the new generation of homes. Smart homes are actually ordinary homes turned extraordinary using the latest technology. A smart home is nearly fully automated and it ensures safety, security and comfort for everyone under its roof. By utilizing advance and complex technologies, life is made easier and simpler.

Basically, our main concern is to get manufacturers, consumers and other smart home solution providers under the same web portal. By getting them all under the same roof, the idea of smart homes will then be reached out to more people. This, in turn, will popularize the concept of smart homes.

The web-portal will become the "common site" for manufacturers, companies, solution providers and consumers alike. The latest updates and information will be published on the portal and advice is available for those who would like to know more about smart homes. Besides, the portal will also feature the newest equipments for homes and various products will be promoted and sold on the portal. It will also be user-friendly, as it will provide customer support services.

Smart homes offer only the best in security, safety and comfort. It was originally intended for the technologically inclined (techno geeks) but now, smart homes are aimed at the general public. This is because smart homes make everyday responsibilities easier and simpler, besides saving time and energy. Smart homes may prove especially convenient for those who have hectic lifestyles, aiding them in their daily house chores. Thus, they will have more time for themselves and for their loved ones, and at the same time, allowing them to have sufficient rest. Smart homes are also for those who welcome new technology, especially youngsters.

We provide solutions for housing developers, manufacturers as well as dealers. They can either sell their products online or provide online brochures and technical support for end-users. Through this method, consumers can customize their needs and purchase directly through the internet.

In the past, smart homes are thought to be very costly. However, contrary to belief, ordinary homes can be turned "smart" with a cost much less than it is generally perceived to be. Some people may be worried about the outcome if a power failure happens, for example, the appliances may not be able to run. However, there are back-up measures to ensure that the appliances will still function even in the event of disasters.

All in all, smart homes are targeted at high-tech lovers, medium and upper class families, people with hectic lifestyles, those who are pro-technology, developers, suppliers and also teenagers. In the near future, smart homes will be the norm when technology becomes the key to everything.