Ecobee Smart Thermostat

Web Enabled Thermostats: A not-so-new technology is becoming mainstream due to the desire to save money and be “green”.

If you have been looking to purchase a new HVAC system for your home or business, you may have been given the option to include a thermostat that enables you to view statistics & make changes to the settings using a web browser or an app on your phone. The price ranges from a round $100.oo to as much as $500.oo at the time you purchase a new system, and you promised that it will pay for itself by allowing you to set schedules to reduce the costs of operating your system during times you are away from the home/business.

Some utility companies, such as UTX in Texas have plans you can sign up for that will enable you to get a FREE web enabled thermostat, and I believe you only pay around $75.oo for the installation. Ultra good deal in my opinion.

X-300 Web Enabled Thermostat

But what about those of us with older systems? Fortunately, the majority of web enabled thermostat manufacturers have designed their units with us in mind. Instead of targeting the new HVAC market, they have built devices that can be used with any system, whether it is a heat pump, or an oil fired unit, there is a model for you.

The benefits are as mentioned before… Ability to control your system from a web browser, ability to control your system from a phone with either a web browser or an app loaded on it for that thermostat. Some thermostats feature the ability to control other devices, such as lighting, and some have the ability to sense a contact closure. You can see a graph of system usage and override scheduled events, as well as easily SEE the schedules, rather than paging through one day at a time as you do on older programmable thermostats. Some units feature alerts, should your system not cool or heat properly, which would be perfect for those who have unattended / vacation properties.

X-300 Thermostat Control via iPhone App

What about security? Can someone “hack” my home? Sure! Anything that is accessible via the internet could potentially be exploited by attackers, however, these devices are currently low-profile making them an unlikely target. Most of the manufacturers claim security through encryption of the data stream.

Where do you get one of these? Online vendors have a large selection of web thermostats, and your HVAC vendor probably has their favorite. Some quality brands are Ecobee, Control By Web, Schlage / Trane, Proliphix, BAYweb, among others. Which model is right for you should be based upon exactly what features you require. For instance, some have a Wi-Fi option to eliminate the CAT-V cable run.

Can I really recoup my investment? That remains to be seen. I am sure a $150.oo unit could pay for itself in a year or more if you are replacing a non-programmable thermostat, but for some of the higher end products, I’m thinking that realistically you are looking at a couple years… Your mileage may vary.

If you have any question about these, please email info@homelandsecureit.com, call 864-990-4748×201 or respond here! If you have one, tell us what you like best about them.

Tanya Thompson / @thompsontanya commented about a device on Twitter this morning that caught my eye… It is the Withings / @Withings Wi-Fi connected scale, which uses network connectivity to log and track your weight loss (or gain) among other things.

You can view your trends with a web interface, and access the data with your iPhone. I believe something like this really could encourage you to lose some weight. Recently there have been news stories which cite studies about weight loss and the results indicate that those who use internet weight tracking actually do lose more weight and manage to maintain that loss better than those who do not.

The thing that bothers me is that it will Tweet out your weight once a week to Twitter. All I could think was exactly what it would be tweeting when I stepped on it… Something like, “HELP ME! This fat guy is smushing me!” is probably what it would have to say about me! Still, it is an interesting gadget and I would love to have it. Who knows, maybe I will order one. Follow me on Twitter to see what this thing has to say!

iPhone Switchvox app lets you take your office phone with you!

How many times have you left your office while waiting for an important call to come in? What did you do? Set a special voice mail greeting? Forward all calls to your cell phone?

That’s what most people have done, until now. If you are lucky enough to have a VoIP phone system such as a Digium Switchvox solution and an iPhone or Blackberry, you can literally take your office phone with you now.

Your VoIP system is configured to allow mobile API, the firewall is configured to allow the proper ports through to your VoIP system and your phone gets the app loaded and configured. That’s it, you now have full access to your phone system. You can make and receive calls on your phone either from the cellular provider phone line, or via your VoIP system at your office.

You can call extensions, change your voice mail greetings, and any other function that you could from your desk phone. You would never miss an incoming call, and possibly more important to some, calls made from your cell phone while in the field, via the VoIP system, would never reveal your private cell phone number.

Another added benefit is that using the VoIP system will let you use your phone calling plan from your office, and bypass the phone plan on your cell phone entirely. This could save you hundreds per year!

Official apps are available for the iPhone and Blackberry, and some unofficial apps are available for Android phones.

If you would like more information about or would like to purchase a VoIP phone system, we are partners with Digium, Cisco and work with all Asterisk based systems in the Greenville & Upstate area. Please call us at 864.990-4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com with questions!

Homeland Secure IT provides Greenville IT & Network Sales, Service & Consultation

I’ve noticed a trend where friends, family and clients alike will feel as though their IT service provider is only there to fix their broken computer. When they need a computer repaired, they call the technician. When they need server service for their business, they call the technician. When they need a new network drop in their office, they call the technician. But in some people’s minds, that is where it stops.

If you build a relationship with your IT support provider, they already know more about your network than you do in many cases. So the next time you are thinking about adding a VoIP (Voice over IP) phone system, network security cameras, access control system, biometric time & attendance (time clocks) monitoring, or even mobile devices, you might want to give your IT company a call and ask if these devices are a good match for your existing network, and if they can provide you with a quote.

At Homeland Secure IT, we want to ensure your technology experience provides you with the highest level of satisfaction possible. We will work to determine if that new gadget, say an Apple iPad, will easily integrate into your network. We will also tell you if it will not work well, and how that can be corrected. Give us a call and find out just how much more you can get out of your network! http://www.homelandsecureit.com/technology.html has a short list of some of the devices we work with every day. It doesn’t stop there. If a product integrates into a network, chances are, we can help you with it!