Control4 integrates Amazon's popular virtual assistant Alexa for using voice controls in high-end, custom-installed connected home setups.
Control4 Integrates Amazon's Alexa
According to CNet, the home automation service provider Control4 Corporation announced on Wednesday, Sept. 14, its integration with Amazon Alexa. Control4, a leading global provider of smart home solutions, will allow users triggering any of its thousands of supported gadgets with a simple voice command.
According to Business Wire, Alexa is the popular voice service that powers many Amazon devices such as Echo and Echo Dot, Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Tap. Through simple and intuitive voice commands that can control individual devices and activate smart home scenes, now Alexa will also provide homeowners with the convenience of whole-home automation. The new Control4 Smart Home Skill can personalize a smart home by coordinating various connected devices throughout the house into pre-set scenes to create ambiance, set the mood and provide ambiance.
The Alexa-enabled household will provide an enhanced user experience and new capabilities due to the vast range of devices supported by Control4. For instance, using the Control4 skill for Alexa, with a single voice command a "Cooking" scene can lower the shades, raise the lights in the kitchen, and turn on the TV to a preset food channel. Or, a verbal "Alexa, turn off house" command can lower the thermostat, turn off the lights, arm the security system and lock the doors.
These Alexa voice commands in Control4 Smart Home Skill also include triggering preprogrammed scenes that have multiple gadgets acting simultaneously in different ways. For example, with a single voice command, a "Game Time" scene could turn on the TV and gaming console, lower the shades and dim the lights. A house owner could also trigger a "Good Night" scene that sets the thermostat to a comfortable sleeping temperature, turns the lights off and locks a smart lock.
All this convenience comes with one catch: security. Users buying into the newest smart home devices will want to learn the best cybersecurity tips to protect their homes (using secure passwords, learning what a VPN is, turning devices off when not in use, etc.).
