News from Resideo, with additional content by Terry McIver
AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 4, 2019 – During a new product event at the Moody Theater in Austin, Tex., Resideo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: REZI) announced the launch of the Resideo Home app, which will make whole-home monitoring possible for the four critical networks of the home – water, air, energy and security.
The event for industry professionals and Resideo partners was held at the site of the historic Austin City Limits Live program at the Moody Theatre in Austin. There, company executives Mike Nefkins and Niccolo De Masi, with support from the Resideo team, showcased its vision for the future of the smart home and upcoming subscription services made possible by the new app. Through these services, homeowners will easily connect with professionals who can help ensure home networks are operating efficiently and can intervene to help prevent costly damages, like water leaks and major appliance failures.
Through these services, homeowners will easily connect with professionals who can help ensure home networks are operating efficiently and can intervene to help prevent costly damages, like water leaks and major appliance failures.
“At Resideo, we’re committed to helping homeowners make sense of their homes, and in the process, help professionals modernize and expand their businesses while giving a better experience to customers,” said Mike Nefkens, president and CEO of Resideo. “We do not believe that the critical systems of the home should be a do-it-yourself adventure. Through the new Resideo Home app, we’re going to bring the world of proactive, professional monitoring to the entire home, helping better protect the people inside and mitigating problems before they arise.”
From the stage at the Moody Theater, supported by high-quality product graphics and demonstrations, Nefkens expresssed the importance Resideo places in the professional contractor, and an understanding of life in the field.
"We know that, given our focus on the professionals, we need to give you products and solutions that are easy to sell, easy to install, and that work every time. Because of that, we’ve spent time over the last year taking a hard look at what has worked in the past and where we can do better. We’ve listened to your feedback, and looked for ways we can improve our products and services, so you can better serve your customers, the homeowners,' Nefkens said.
"The power of Resideo, and the reason we’re the only ones that can do this, is because we already have a presence in the critical energy, air, water, and security networks of the home." According to Nefkens, Honeywell devices can be found in 150 million homes in the US.
Resideo Home & Resideo Pro Apps
Nefkens told the audience of end-users that the smart home industry is in need of simplification.
"The problem is that managing the smart home is only going to get more complex," he continued. "People are buying multiple products from multiple companies — security systems, efficiency monitoring and others, that don’t ‘talk’ to each other. Each product has its own app, and some are better than others. But then, you wind up with an app for door locks, an app for security, an app for your lights and an app for your thermostat. This isn’t the way you run your home. People are starting to believe that ‘gadgets’ make homes smart. They don’t. At its core, a home is an interconnected system of networks," Nefkens said.
Designed to provide homeowners with a simple, unified platform that connects and manages the home, Resideo will enable the migration of the company’s 6.5 million connected customers, currently spread out among its existing apps, into the Resideo Home app throughout 2020.
Starting on Dec. 4, users of Resideo’s recently launched Buoy Whole Home Water Controller and Buoy Water Leak Detectors can begin using the new app and access its free features, or upgrade to premium services like advanced automatic water shutoff and leak alerts. In the coming months, Resideo will integrate air products, such as the T Series line of smart thermostats, into the app. By the end of 2020, the app will support Resideo whole-home security systems as well.
Resideo will enable the migration of the company’s 6.5 million connected customers, currently spread out among its existing apps, into the Resideo Home app throughout 2020.
Resideo sources say that unlike other smart-home apps that merely control gadgets, the Resideo Home app looks at the entire home by offering a glimpse into how the air, water, security and energy systems are performing. The bright and visually rich user experience offers insights through analytics that will help the homeowner identify energy savings, water usage and other tips over time.
A professional version of the app, Resideo Pro, will provide professionals with installation tools, help them better service customers through account management and service calls, and provide access to new business opportunities.
The Resideo Home and Resideo Pro apps are available now in the iOS and Android app stores.New Whole-Home Services
Resideo also unveiled its new portfolio of connected, whole-home monitoring solutions that will be accessible through the app. Approximately 25% of homes in the United States have professionally monitored security. In a first for the industry, the new subscription services from Resideo extend professional monitoring to the other critical networks of the home. Resideo’s new subscription services will help pros and homeowners use the data already being produced by the critical systems of the home in ways that make the home work better and more efficiently.
“We’re giving the entire home a pulse to help both homeowners and the trade professionals save time and resources,” said Niccolo de Masi, chief innovation officer and president of Products & Solutions, Resideo. “For most people, their home is their largest financial investment – where they live with their loved ones and keep their most precious possessions. We are proud to bring this much-needed enhanced protection to the home.”
Smart Water Management is now available on the Resideo app and integrates with the Buoy Whole Home Water Controller and the Buoy Water Leak Detector. Through the new $9.99 subscription service, homeowners can start to make informed choices about their water use. Using data from the water controller, the Resideo Home app categorizes water usage, measures flow rate, applies advanced machine-learning algorithms and analyzes insights in real-time to help homeowners better conserve water while protecting their home.
Resideo's Buoy™Whole Home Water Controller helps them track and manage their water usage and can automatically shut off the water if it detects a leak. The technology categorizes water usage, measures flow rate, applies advanced machine-learning algorithms, and analyzes insights in real-time.
As soon as the controller is installed on the home's main water line and connected
The Resideo Home app shows water usage and provides shut-off control from anywhere to help save money and prevent water damage. See how much water is being used for showers, sinks, lawns, and leaks – and turn it off remotely or automatically with the app.
The Buoy Controller can: shut off a home's water remotely from a button in the app, or automatically, according to shut-off rules set by the homeowner. It can stop water in an emergency, when no power or WiFi is available; categorize a home's water usage in real time; can be installed indoors or outdoors; and, a rechargeable battery eliminates the need for an electrical outlet.
During colder weather, pipes may burst when the water inside them freezes and expands. That's why – in addition to water leaks – the Buoy Water Leak Detector also can sense temperature changes and humidity, then send an alert – either via the app or the device – when the temperature dips low enough that the pipes could freeze.
The Buoy sensor runs on two AA batteries, which are rated to last up to three years with regular use. It includes a 4-foot cable – the entire length of which can detect leaks – that can be combined with other cables for coverage of a whole room.
Energy Services. Resideo’s new software service understands how the home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system reacts to and recovers from changing weather conditions. With that data, the smart thermostat knows how to adjust the schedule while using the least amount of energy possible. The app allows Resideo to predict what a homeowner’s energy use will be based on the weather forecast and environmental conditions around their home, including their personal comfort level.
The new, dynamic approach creates thermodynamic models of the home to accurately predict home heating and cooling run time and energy use. It also offers homeowners real opportunities for savings.
This new service will be available on existing Honeywell Home™ T Series Smart Thermostats in the Resideo app in early 2020, and also will be available on future smart thermostats.
Indoor Air Quality Services will provide real-time monitoring of factors affecting indoor air quality (IAQ) and provide tips that help the homeowner take action. Resideo has announced its new Indoor Air Quality Monitor, which will pair with the app to let homeowners and their home pros see real-time carbon dioxide levels, particles, chemicals and humidity to understand the air inside and do something about it.
Critical Appliance Monitoring Services will help homeowners stay ahead of equipment maintenance issues and breakdowns. Before aging or failing appliances quit altogether, they tend to draw more energy as their efficiency decreases. Pros and homeowners using the Resideo app and upcoming monitoring equipment will have access to data that can help diagnose a problem before it gets more serious and prevent premature failure in costly appliances like water heaters and furnaces.
Security Services integration in the app will allow homeowners to control Resideo’s ProSeries Home Security and Smart Home Platform coming to market in 2020.
This revolutionary platform delivers entry-level security protection with the ability to scale to a fully integrated smart home security solution. It features new self-contained wireless and hybrid panels, an expanded line of advanced encrypted sensors and life safety devices, technology expansion modules interchangeable across the entire platform to help reduce inventory and training costs, and end-user replaceable parts creating operational cost efficiencies for dealers with increased account longevity. Coupled with the new app, this platform brings security, life safety and connected technology to homes, with a host of features and benefits in one scalable, flexible, end-to-end platform.
New Tools and Services for Professionals
Resideo also announced a new digital experience that can help its network of 110,000 trade professionals – and their 1 million technicians – build business for the future, simplify operations and strengthen relationships with homeowners. The Resideo Pro Portal offers a single destination for product information, product support, access to services and tools to promote and drive leads. A new training and loyalty program called Resideo Pro PERKS launches in January 2020.
Resideo Pro PERKS provides business-building tools, training and benefits to make it easier than ever to help meet evolving customer needs. PERKS stands for and offers:
Points: Outstanding financial rewards
Enablement – Best practices and business enablement tools
Rewards – Marketing, leads, luxury items, and more
Knowledge – World-class online training
Services – Elevated support services
Through the Pro PERKS program, pros and distributors will be able to access a tiered system of benefits, including strategic partnerships with other pros in Resideo’s network to take advantage of new business opportunities across the homes’ critical networks, new marketing tools to sell smart home solutions, and new video courses to become experts on the latest technologies.
“Resideo’s value proposition is firmly grounded in the belief that DIY companies are simply not equipped to address the installation and integration challenges due to the vast number of smart-home devices on the market, as well as lacking the know-how that local contractors have,” said Mark Vena, senior smart home analyst, Moor Insights & Strategy. “In addition, to manage critical systems in the home like air conditioning, heating, water management and energy utilization, advanced technical training and professional-grade equipment is required – two things the average consumer or the DIY companies don’t possess.”
'Next Generation' Comfort Platform
Resideo also unveiled concepts for its next-generation smart thermostat it will develop in partnership with professional contractors. Much more than a thermostat, the device will fully integrate with the Resideo Home app, providing insight into the four critical networks and access to subscription services through on-the-wall control with a modern user interface.
The company plans to launch alpha and beta test programs with professionals in 2020. More information is available for pros at https://www.resideo.com/us/en/pro/stay-informed.
“We have an enormous advantage to deliver whole-home monitoring because of our presence in 150 million homes and decades of experience,” Nefkens said. “Our professional network of suppliers, dealers, contractors and installers ensures the job is done right, that dedicated support is always within reach, and will lay the groundwork to bring the next era of the connected home to life.”
Quality, Reliability
Niccolo De Masi, president of Resideo's Products & Solutions segment, and chief innovation officer, said quality, reliability and privacy were important targets as the apps were developed over the past year. "Those are fundamental to what we’ve been building this year. We have to create products that are simple to install, simple to register, simple to use, and that stay connected. That’s not negotiable. But there have been moments when we lost track of these commitments due to the complexity of the architecture we’ve inherited. In the year since the spinoff, we’re hired a world-class software team here in Austin, listened to your feedback and corrected the things that needed fixing, most of all software reliability. I’m very proud to state that during the recent Buoy launch, we had a registration success rate of 99% on the first try."
"We've improved the experience in our T-Series thermostats, to match the same level as with the Buoy registration. We’re going to continue to dialogue with you, listen ot how products are working and ways to improve them. We have a ‘Resideo Cares’ program, an open forum for customers to provide feedback.
De Masi said contractors expressed an interest in obtaining new, quality products faster, and that those products be simple to use, with intuitive installation and dedicated support.
"You also had questions on how we carry the Honeywell Homes/Resideo momentum into the future. When I think about our brand, it is 100 years in the making, something near and dear to our hearts, and very important to all of us, particularly those in the HVAC space. We want to continue to earn your trust; and you have a commitment from us to provide best-in-class products, with an unwavering focus on reliability," De Masi said.
About Resideo
Resideo is a leading global provider of critical comfort and security solutions primarily in residential environments and distributor of low-voltage electronic and security products. Building on a 130-year heritage, Resideo has a presence in more than 150 million homes, with 15 million systems installed in homes each year. We continue to serve more than 110,000 contractors through leading distributors, including its ADI Global Distribution business, which exports to more than 100 countries from more than 200 stocking locations around the world. Resideo is a $4.8 billion company with approximately 13,000 global employees. For more information about Resideo, please visit www.resideo.com.
