Comcast Focusing On Smart Homes With Current Strategy |VERIFIED|

Plus, if you think your soffits and sidewalks look nice now, wait until you upgrade these fixtures with smart lighting options. In the last year alone, almost every major smart lighting vendor has added outdoor-rated bulbs and accents to their lineups. These new bulbs and systems give you the ability to schedule when your lights come on, and their color and animation settings will make your home the hit of the block during the holiday season.

Our smart home security guide continues in one of the most cherished areas of the home: the living room. As the high-traffic spot where families gather to relax, watch TV, play games, and entertain, it plays many roles. It must be fit for gathering with guests, building a pillow fort with little ones, and binge-watching your favorite shows, all in one.

When you look for smart products, make sure that all of the smart features come with traditional controls as well. For instance, if you can only control smart lights from a smartphone app, your family is likely to get frustrated.

Roy and his team also added live chat capabilities in the Xfinity Home mobile app allowing customers to connect with a specialist to ask questions about their service or get tech support. Additionally, he and his team added short videos that teach customers how to use many features such as remotely arming/disarming their home security system; adding a smart home device to the Xfinity platform; or setting up rules or a string of automated tasks. They also developed self-help articles for customers to review at their leisure to better understand all the innovative features and how to make their home do some of the mundane tasks such as turning on lights, locking doors, adjusting the temperature when no one is home, and more.

Cablecos could directly monetize smart-home products and services by reselling existing hardware products and bundling them with connectivity. In some cases, companies may consider acquiring an existing player in a high-value vertical (such as home security) to capture market share immediately.

ZDNet interviewed the executives behind Comcast's digital transformation, AI, and machine learning efforts. What we found is a massive company moving quickly to roll out software updates at least every two weeks, monitoring call center requests to inform services tweaks and interface changes, and a hardware strategy that dovetails with its AI efforts.

Comcast's product portfolio is getting smarter with the May launch of xFi platform, which features family-friendly tools to manage networks and AI that will eventually adapt to your daily routine. Home security and automation services are also growing. Technically, Xfinity xFi is a Wi-Fi router, but software is the linchpin to usage and the anchor for home security and automation growth. xFi, which reached more than 10 million homes at launch, also builds on the success of Comcast's X1 platform, which landed in 2012.

In addition, Comcast is focused on delivering a platform and ecosystem that can integrate various partners. By focusing on the platform, Comcast can extend its reach via application programming interfaces and partner with everyone from Netflix to smart home device makers. "We want everything you put into your home to work well together," said Solur.

Cable companies such as Comcast are trying this strategy of upselling their remaining subscribers into smart home packages. Those same companies are leveraging their significant number of employees to install those packages for customers who choose to purchase them.

ADTRAN, one of the leading global providers of next-generation open networking and subscriber experience solutions, announced a partnership with Plume in late April. I believe this collaboration could potentially ratchet up the smart home experience several notches for a number of reasons.

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Both the Self or Pro-monitoring plans enable you to stay connected with the Xfinity app or Xfinity Home app, where you can check in and control your devices. (You can also connect them to your TV with the Xfinity Voice Remote.) It is also easy to combine Xfinity products with other popular smart home devices.

Yes, Xfinity Home is a good home security system based on great customer reviews and home protection services. They currently seem to lack equipment options and customizations but cover basic home security needs (monitoring your home). They excel in their ability to integrate and automate with smart home devices.

In the newly created role, Slovin will oversee the integration of the operator's advanced connectivity options with smart technology partners to enable the delivery of innovative smart technology platforms to clients.

Building upon its current offerings from Comcast Business, Xfinity Communities, and MachineQ, Comcast Smart Solutions helps its clients build scalable smart technology ecosystems by providing connectivity and advisory services, and pairing clients with strategic collaborators that provide smart technology offerings, including but not limited to building solutions, video analytics, lighting, and parking.

All new technology comes with new ways to snoop on our private lives. Smart devices are no different. But there are some steps you can take to secure your smart home and ensure greater privacy. Encrypting your Wi-Fi, getting high-quality devices from reputable brands, and using the proper settings can get you pretty far.

iPhone users are already familiar with Apple virtual assistant, Siri. But you can use Siri on more devices than just your smartphone. You can use Siri on an iPad, Apple computer, or HomePod device to control all of your smart home devices.

Hubs can be as cheap and simple as a smart speaker that lets you control devices with voice command. But some hubs can get really fancy (and pricey). Many of the best smart hubs can even connect products that are in different ecosystems and make it easier to connect devices that are far apart physically.

We mentioned speakers like the Amazon Echo earlier when we talked about hubs. But small, simple speakers like that are just one end of the spectrum. There are plenty of higher end smart speakers that give you powerful sound, tons of settings to mess around with, and a host of ports to link up to all of your devices.

Options include the ability to connect with smart home devices, opt for glass break and temperature sensors, as well as install cameras to monitor indoor and outdoor activity. Depending on your wants and needs, a home security system can be DIY or professionally installed and self-monitored or professionally monitored. Understanding the differences can make it easier to pick the right system to secure your home.

After selecting equipment, a professional installation is scheduled, the cost of which is included in your final price. Vivint offers a wall-mounted hub, which is not typical for home security base stations. The company also offers the capacity to host all smart devices on one platform. Vivint ties for No. 2 in our Best Home Security System With Outdoor Cameras. Its outdoor camera has a night vision range of 55 feet, which is longer than others in our rating, and it also sports the unique features of light and siren activation to scare off potential intruders. Vivint also ties for No. 2 in our Best Wireless Home Security Systems, with advanced capabilities such as shutting off the HVAC system and signaling the hub if it detects smoke or carbon monoxide.

Frontpoint will appeal to the DIYer who wants a professionally monitored wireless system (no self-monitoring available) and affordable equipment, as well as those seeking smart home integration options and a flexible base kit with a wide selection of sensors. Also, Frontpoint is not compatible with Apple HomeKit.

These factors could make ADT significantly more reliable than small or local security companies, especially regarding customer service, professional installation, and monitoring. The company offers three main home security packages and also builds custom systems for its customers. Its systems can connect to more than 150 smart home devices with the ADT Control smartphone app.

ADT is a solid choice for those looking for high-quality devices and professional installation from a company with a high-profile brand and years of experience. It is also ideal for those looking for a variety of home integrations, as you can connect more than 150 smart home devices, including Z-Wave, Kwikset, Sonos, Apple TV, and Google. However, ADT is the most expensive security company on our list, and with DIY installation not being an option, it might not be the best choice for those on a budget.

Wyze is No. 1 in our Best Cheap Home Security Systems of 2023, with a variety of affordable equipment and reasonably priced professional monitoring, as well as a self-monitoring option. Wyze began as a home automation and smart device company and expanded its offerings to home security. Its app makes connecting with its other smart home devices a simple process through wireless keypads, sensors, and detectors. Wyze offers both indoor and outdoor surveillance cameras with color night vision and infrared sensors to reduce false alerts. It also offers a paired floodlight and camera as well as a door camera with two-way speaker and radio to communicate with delivery drivers.

Brinks Home Security is a good fit for DIYers who want easy installation with peel-and-stick sensors, those who like to control the system remotely through the mobile app, and those who long to integrate the system with smart home devices. Professional installation is available as well, and some customers may qualify for a reduced rate. Brinks requires a three-year contract and the monthly monitoring plans are expensive (no self-monitoring option), and so it may not be the best choice for budget-minded consumers. 2b1af7f3a8