Residential end-user expectation is fueling automation expansion not only in the homes of the wealthy but also in middle class developments where residents expect to be able to manage the operation of their homes with their cell phone or tablet. That has led to some role shifting among technology providers, installers and integrated systems contractors to ensure their relevance in this growing industry. According to industry experts, the companies that aren’t anticipating and developing their own role in home automation are likely to fall behind.


Developers and homeowners are seeking knowledgeable contractors who can take a holistic approach to automation systems. These contractors are providing the backbone for security, lighting and the operation of potentially dozens of devices monitoring conditions and movement of people in the home.


Automation didn’t start holistically, but, as homeowners demand more functionality from their automated systems, having multiple separate systems is becoming less realistic. As a result, vendors are realigning their business model and product offerings accordingly.


In some cases, companies that initially specialized in lighting are now leveraging their position to provide lighting automation, creating a more universal system, said Greg Rhodes, director of marketing, Leviton. He sees it as a natural evolution: as lighting switches became smarter, other systems began to tie in with lighting technology—everything from water pumps to security to the traditional lights.


In 2012, with the goal of taking a lead role in that evolution, Leviton acquired Home Automation Inc. The company now provides open protocol devices that enable installation and integration of a variety of systems. That is becoming increasingly important as, in the past few years, the typical new home has expanded from three to five to about a dozen devices tied into a single automation system.


“People are starting to see the benefit,” Rhodes said, adding that most users are finding new ways to control remotely or automatically the multiple devices in their home.


As more homes are equipped with varying forms of automation, do-it-yourself options also are emerging, but those have had limited success with homeowners. As an alternative, Leviton is releasing a new hub this year that will provide functionality not possible for do-it-yourself systems and, yet, is easier to install that traditional systems, Rhodes said.


Once contractors are already providing electrical installation in a home, there’s an opportunity to continue a sale. “You’re in there for a security system and you add speakers for a sound system,” he said, adding that he expects these kinds of solutions will become more ubiquitous and less expensive.


In addition, the company is offering products that will help homeowners transition their lighting from incandescent to compact fluorescent or LED lighting. Its product, Zipline, is intended to make that change seamless by simply switching out one fixture for another. This lighting fixture retrofit solution reduces installation time and is intended to eliminate wiring errors. According to Rhodes, Zipline solutions require fewer pieces, fewer connections and up to half the installation time.


Leviton’s system also comes with a touchscreen that can be installed to make managing the system easier within the home and without requiring use of the smaller devices such as phones and tablets.


Smart home control products company Control4 also offers a solution in which a TV display could be used to manage the system. Control4 provides its own products as well as those from third-party manufacturers. It offers the apps needed to manage lighting systems, audio and video, HVAC controls, security, and even water pumps, which could be shut down automatically if a leak was detected by the system’s sensors.


The apps can enable homeowners to receive a text or e-mail if anything out of the ordinary happens, as programmed into the app, such as a breach in the security system, a heating failure or the absence of a child who should have come home from school but has not.


Residents expect this type of solution. A recent Better Homes and Gardens survey found that people who were next-generation, first-time home-buyers indicated, by a margin of 84 percent, that they would require automation technology in their homes.


Developers are paying attention and, in many cases, responding with automation built into their new products.


“Automation is one of those things that people can identify with,” Williams said.


Some of the latest items included in automation are multiple-room music, streaming services, and enhanced security systems with IP cameras. While traditional burglar alarms send an alert to police, some of the newer systems, such as those provided by Control4, can emit warning sounds, turn on all lights or flash outdoor lights if the system detects a security break.


The automation of these systems has changed the game.


“What’s really happening from a security point of view is that homeowners have jumped with both feet into home automation and control,” said Steve Shapiro, vice president of industry relations, ADT.


ADT Pulse enables users to create their own “personal command center” on a touchscreen or mobile device to view data about the home, remotely lock or unlock doors, and make other changes. The new system builds on the basics of security, monitoring perimeter doors and windows and also makes the home intelligent. It automatically changes its own temperature, turns on fans as needed, and adjusts the thermostat according to parameters input into the system. It can also lock and unlock doors, change lighting and send alerts.


There has been a gradual increase in both the technological options and the demand for such solutions by homeowners, Shapiro said.


In general, the challenge for many homeowners and consumers is the high volume of apps used for individual systems. ADT offers Pulse as a single app to manage all the systems in the home. It is designed to send alerts only if there is a problem rather than to assure homeowners repeatedly that all is well. For example, it only sends alerts if an expected action doesn’t happen, such as a family member returning or leaving the home at a specific time.


“As a parent and homeowner, I don’t need constant reassurance,” Shapiro said. “I just need to know if something out of the norm occurs.”


ADT has also released an app that prevents an individual from using someone else’s phone to send commands, such as unlocking that phone and the homeowner’s doors. The voice-activated app authenticates a user by a predetermined phrase and the voice used to speak that phrase.


The company also offers its ADT Canopy system to keep track of family members and ADT Life 360 to enhance protection of people outside of the home.


“Consumers are not only accepting this technology,” Shapiro said. “They’re expecting it.”