Jordan O'BrienAmazon Echo users will now be able to control their Alarm.com smart homes by using talking to Alexa, the speaker’s digital voice assistant. Alarm.com announced the news at CES 2016, alongside a new App for the Apple TV.
Voice control support using Amazon Echo has been a frequently requested feature by Alarm.com customers, as it allows them to control their lights, smart thermostats and security system without having to lift a finger.
Common spoken commands such as “Alexa, turn on the living room lights” will be recognised, while more personalised and customised requests will also be supported. While it’s a little late now, Alarm.com envisions using the Amazon Echo to say things like “Alexa, turn on the Christmas tree lights,” with the Echo following through with the command.
Amazon is pushing the Echo as a smart home controller, as well as a Bluetooth speaker, with Alexa already able to control devices connected to a Wink Hub, as well as Insteon lighting.
“Making the smart home easy to use is a key to helping consumers realise the full potential of the new technology. Amazon Echo with Alexa voice control offers an intuitive and useful way for Alarm.com users to make their smart home safer and more comfortable,” says Jay Kenny, senior vice president of marketing at Alarm.com.
“Alarm.com integrates devices across the home into a single solution, which we are making easier to use every day through intuitive Apps and new user experiences that go beyond the traditional App.”
Amazon’s Echo is just one of the ways to connect with an Alarm.com smart home however, as the company already supports a plethora of Apps available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, wearables and Smart TVs.
Echo is not even the only new way to control Alarm.com either, as the company has also announced an App for the Apple TV set-top box.
The new App will allow users to watch and control their web-connected cameras directly from their television, with the touch remote enabling people to pan and tilt.
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