Dubai
The smart home automation service is going to become a reality in the UAE with the telco operators gearing up to launch the service.
On Tuesday, Du showcased the facility but it will be available only in the first quarter of next year.
But Etisalat has jumped the gun and will be launching the service from next week.
“Home automation was quite a challenge as there are many small companies offering this service. Finally we are able to crack it,” Rasheed Al Abbar, vice-president for home products marketing at Etisalat, told Gulf News.
Offering home security and peace of mind, he said that a simple app can change the home ambience to fit users’ mood; doors that can be opened to let your guest in while your are still on the way and a home that sends users a message when kids are safe at home.
“It is our network penetration, both fixed and mobile, that gives us the edge to integrate smart home services and provide our customers a highly innovative platform that connects various devices. It is in fact the cornerstone to ensure necessary coordination and high levels of security and safety,” Al Abbar said.
It is the first time NFC (Near Field Communications) is used by Etisalat in the home automation technology. Etisalat has used NFC for making payments before.
“We have a very nice proposition for consumers. There are lot of things which can be controlled using the smartphone or a tablet. The smart bulbs have sensors inbuilt and one gateway controls the smart controls and the bulbs,” he said.
Etisalat delayed the launch of smart home concept because of the “large complexities” as the consumers need specialised packages.
“We have our own subsidiary — UT technology — to customise the homes and packages depending on the needs. We have created three packages — starter kit, medium kit and large kit — at an affordable price range,” he said.
The starting price range is Dh99 on a monthly basis for two-year contract.
Al Abbar said the same package costs around Dh3,000 in the market. The app will be available on Android, Apple and Windows platforms.
According to Grand View Research, the value of the global Smart Home market was valued at $13.07 billion in 2013. With a compounded annual growth rate of 20.3 per cent, it is projected to reach $47.61 billion by 2020.
“We are trying to make it easy for the wallet. We are trying to do the same way as we did it with Sony PlayStation. We are charging Dh78 monthly instalments instead of the consumers spending close to Dh3,000 in one go,” he said.
Next week, etisalat will announce the full package of prices, range of devices and the partner.
