CAN YOU PROVIDE US SOME MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE NEW HOME AUTOMATION CONTRACT?

Ken 
    Loving these alerts!  I’m hoping you can provide us some more details about the new Home Automation Contract – maybe some bullet points on what it includes or a few specific pointers on what integrators should include in their contracts. 
Thanks,
JJ
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RESPONSE
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    The new Home Automation and Integration Agreement is sort of a hybrid form, sitting somewhere between the alarm contract and home improvement contract.  You don't need an alarm license to install and provide automation equipment and services, but you may require a home improvement license, low voltage license or door to door sales license, depending on your business model.  
    Many alarm companies offer home automation and we cover that equipment and service in our Standard Residential All in One [it's also covered in the Commercial All in One], but you won't be using the Residential All in One if you're not installing security equipment, which I will define for purposes of this article, as detecting an emergency condition and reporting that condition via a communication pathway to either a central station, directly to municipal authority or even to the subscriber, with the purpose of someone evaluating whether authorities should be notified of the emergency condition.  
    But some systems are going to be strictly home automation, with no monitored security.  A smart home may have remote access to open locks, monitor temperature and notify the home owner if temperature become critical, water flow, applicances, home entertainment, even GPS tracking if not monitored.  
    The home automation devices are similar to the alarm devices because they may be wireless or hardwired, communicate through cellular, radio or Internet, pass through servers maintained by manufacturers or software companies who maintain the servers, are subject to down time, interference, hacking, viruses and excessive data usage.  
    Installing home automation may entail more than the traditional alarm equipment, requiring access to built-ins housing entertainment equipment, areas of the house that would not need to be accessed for security.  
    Because there is no monitoring the potential for RMR is limited to remote access and service, unless you use the lease model, but I don't think that is poplular.  The big money maker [if there is one] for alarm companies, RMR for monitoring, is absent.  
    We do list various equipment that may be installed, which of course is not intended to be exhaustive.  Here is the list from the contract:

? Cameras      ? Home Theater        ? Lighting         ? Locks      ? Shades 

? Ceiling Fans   ? Scenes and Schedule  ? Window Sensors  

? Door Sensors      ? Image Sensors       ? Garage Doors        ? Thermostat

? Remote Security   ? Interactive System    ? Data  Storage    

? Energy Management   ? Real Time Alerts   

? GPS Vehicle and Asset Tracking     ? Access Control ? Other: