At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, OliverIQ announced the official release of its breakthrough Smart Home as a Service (SHAaS) platform. This announcement heralds a new era in the smart home by offering a subscription model with unlimited support and easy-to-use apps for control and hands-on automation of today's most popular smart home devices. Thing.
Oliver integrates hardware products such as lighting, security, doorbells, thermostats, and smart speakers into its SHaaS platform. “Every fundamental system in your home works together to make your life better, including security, comfort, energy savings, and convenience,” said Eric Smith, co-founder and CTO of the company. “You can do that,” he explains.
OliverIQ aims to partner with domestic and international service providers to quickly scale its SHaaS platform and provide comprehensive product support, unlimited online and phone support, in-home assistance, and security system monitoring . This model makes OliverIQ's SHaaS platform the first solution to simplify smart home device interoperability for consumers. OliverIQ software is built into common household devices such as routers, set-top boxes, and OliverIQ hubs, and integrates a variety of connected devices through a single, easy-to-use application backed by 24/7 technical expertise. Masu. OliverIQ brings a reimagined, fully accessible smart home to the market.
“Until now, no company has been able to integrate and support the full range of smart home devices. OliverIQ helps our partners bridge the gap and become full-service home automation heroes for their customers.” said Will West, co-founder and CEO.
A veteran of smart home automation, West has founded and co-founded a number of successful companies over the past 20 years, including PHAST, which he co-founded with OliverIQ founder Eric Smith in 1995. . PHAST is widely known as the company that developed the first home control system. It has an intuitive interface for programming and daily use.
In 1998, West and Smith co-founded iBAHN (then called STSN), an early Utah technology company that provided broadband service to business travelers in thousands of hotels around the world. .
In 2003, the two co-founded Control4. The company became the first to make whole-home automation a practical option for every home, providing one-touch control of both new and existing electronic systems. Glen Mella served as President and COO of Control4, and as Chief Revenue Officer he joined the OliverIQ team.
Smith showed OliverIQ to TechBuzz and described it as an app that controls everything in your home, “a single app that controls everything, so to speak.”
He added: “The great thing about our platform is that by default it shows you all the devices in your system and how you can play with them based on what you have in your home. We can recommend so-called “experiences”. Or use cases for a platform that can automate and control homes, such as at sunrise or sunset, to optimize energy savings, security, water damage protection, and a variety of other cases, Smith said. Your porch lights turn on when the sun sets and turn off when the sun rises. ”
Smith said the app uses timers, sensors, beacons (such as smartwatches), and even Wi-Fi failures to detect whether someone is in a room and turn on/off lights in places like the pantry or basement accordingly. Demonstrated how to reduce energy costs by turning off. Someone left it behind. One of his use cases in particular that resonated with TechBuzz is the app's ability to incorporate water sensors and water valves to automatically shut off water to a home in the event of a burst pipe and flooding. This is the scariest problem, especially when no one is around. Go home and deal with it.
OliverIQ's business model is B2B. We are partnering with domestic and international service providers who work directly with consumers, with announcements expected in the coming weeks. “Our model here is that our partners will deliver this to consumers. Based on our previous experience with Smith and West in Smart His Home Automation, this is where our partners is the platform used by consumers for their experiences,” Mera added. We also offer remote monitoring and support. ”
Based on lessons learned from the home automation experience, the OliverIQ team has identified three options consumers have for building a smart home.
If you hire a professional integrator to create a custom system, costs start in the mid-five digits. Install a home security system that can integrate with a limited number of other connected devices. It's smarter access than smart home. ” Spend endless hours building your own from a growing selection of DIY connected devices.
According to the Oliver team, the DIY smart home sector is both the largest and the most challenged. Consumers are overwhelmed by the sheer number of connected devices in their homes, each requiring its own application for management. Managing DIY connected devices individually can be a pain. It's almost impossible to make them work together. And even if the consumer manages to do the impossible, something will still break.
The decline of smart homes is inevitable. Wear and tear, dead batteries, firmware updates, etc. can cause devices to suddenly and unexpectedly stop working together. The average lifespan of a connected device is six to eight years, but with so many connected devices in the average home and so many software updates from manufacturers, devices and the connections between them regularly go offline. Become. You're never done setting up your smart home. Maintenance must be done constantly. This complexity is far beyond the average consumer's ability or desire to manage.
OliverIQ's SHaaS solutions provide the technical services and support that homeowners always need to build, program, and maintain a truly smart home. Support is continuous rather than a one-time installation, so your smart home's functionality doesn't degrade over time. This is complete smart home support that is affordable for everyone.
“OliverIQ allows us to break down barriers in the smart home,” said Smith. “Our platform is designed to bring the convenience and lifestyle of a fully automated home to more users at an affordable price, with always-on technical support.”
The SHaaS model addresses the complexity and maintenance challenges typically associated with setting up a smart home. Consumers no longer have to go through the tedious process of integrating multiple devices or managing ongoing maintenance. OliverIQ seamlessly manages everything from initial setup, automation, software updates to troubleshooting through an intuitive app. Homeowners enjoy unlimited technical support calls and access to OliverIQ's comprehensive Knowledge Center. Consumers get one trusted number to call for support with their connected devices.
OliverIQ's technical support team can provide guidance remotely via phone or computer screen and can perform remote device handovers to troubleshoot homeowner issues. If your issue cannot be resolved with remote technical support, your service provider can provide lower-cost in-person service, with the cost of your first visit being used to cover any necessary repairs. OliverIQ operates on a subscription-based business model where you pay fees through a service provider. OliverIQ communicates with connected devices in the home through a multiprotocol platform that can be integrated into a service provider's router, cable box, or other device. OliverIQ also offers standalone multiprotocol hubs for less than $100 that can be added to home systems that do not have a separate hardware device to incorporate OliverIQ.
“No provider has ever had the expertise to successfully integrate and the scale to support successfully,” West said.
Having an array of smart devices throughout your home doesn't necessarily make it a smart home, but having an interconnected array of smart devices does. Integrating connected devices and making them work together is a huge technical challenge. The modern connected home requires an IT department. There are dozens of RF standards and protocols, including WiFi, Bluetooth, Thread, Matter, Z-Wave, Zigbee, and many more with their own ecosystems. Some manufacturers intentionally build walled gardens with the goal of locking consumers into their device ecosystem. Smart home automation requires integrating new and existing devices, regardless of RF technology or manufacturer. With his OliverIQ built into his ISP's router or his OliverIQ multiprotocol hub, the OliverIQ app can communicate with over 90% of the most popular off-the-shelf smart devices on the market today.
Through our service provider partners, OliverIQ is building the scale to support families across the country. Services are always the key missing ingredient for a successful smart home experience. OliverIQ partners with local and national providers who can provide virtual and in-home support. This scale keeps the cost per customer low, ultimately making home automation an affordable option for everyone.
With OliverIQ, service providers offer peace of mind, convenience, and security to their customers. This allows homeowners to remotely accept home deliveries and services. You will be given one number to call whenever you need assistance with your connected device.
“We have a sticky relationship between homeowners and service providers,” West says.
“Customers won't let go of their smart home just because their monthly internet bill is a little lower. Thanks to OliverIQ, today's leading home service providers can sell in-demand solutions across today's connected homes. You now have a powerful platform to deliver your services.
OliverIQ's announcement at CES 2024 demonstrates OliverIQ's commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, and ease of use. The platform aims to transform the way homeowners interact with smart technology, making it a hassle-free and enjoyable part of everyday life. OliverIQ is currently in beta with select partners in the US and is expected to be on the market by Q2 2024. OliverIQ is sold as a subscription model through ISPs, home improvement retailers, security providers, and construction contractors.
The name OliverIQ comes from Oliver Wendell Holmes, who once said: But I would give whatever I have for the simplicity behind the complexity. ”
For more information about OliverIQ and its new SHaaS platform, visit OliverIQ at CES booth #51932 at Venetian Expo or visit oliveriq.com.
Photo by Robert Bishop