10 Years of Smart Technology Innovation
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
These are Ferris Bueller’s famous last words from the iconic 1986 film, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. He wasn’t wrong. But there could be a few things even faster than life: the pace of technology innovation over the last 10 years.
Smart Technology Innovation
We’re celebrating 10 years in business this year! It’s a milestone for any business, it’s also a milestone for how our clients live and work. Things have changed—fast. So we took time to reflect and look around. Here’s our who remembers list.
- There’s an app for that. While Apple’s iPhone may have debuted in 2007, the app store wasn’t so robust until wide adoption of smart phones. These apps played a huge role in individualization and drove smart products designed to make life easier. Interconnected apps across platforms and technology made smart home automation possible for the first time.
- Nest thermostats were introduced in 2011. Instead of manually changing the temperature, you could use an app – even when you weren’t at home. This was a huge advancement from that old round one we all had in our homes growing up. In just 10 years, we’ve watched Nest turn into something far more advanced with programming, notifications, presence sensing, geo-locating technology, and energy saving features.
- Not to be outdone, automated HVAC climate control systems entered the pictured to complement high tech thermostats. Automated HVAC climate control systems are responsible for the comfort and health of your home. It provides temperature control, fresh air circulation, and filtration to improve and maintain indoor air quality.
- Ring doorbells along with access controls give homeowner’s peace of mind. We thought whole house intercom systems were futuristic, but then came along Ring doorbells that let us see who is at the front door whether it be from across the room or across the country. Add to that the smart technology that lets us unlock and lock our doors from afar, all through a single app. Keeping our loved ones and personal belongings safe and secure has only gotten easier over time.
- Gone are the days of the clapper, although it was pretty advanced for its time. The clapper was the first “smart bulb,” and automated lighting takes smart bulbs to a whole new level. It provides ambient lighting systems tailor made for whatever activity you need. It can turn on when you enter a room and adjust based on the time of day or even the weather outside.
- No more tangled wires or adjusting rabbit ears. Cutting cable has never been so easy! Now that we have smart televisions, we also have further innovations in television viewing with frame televisions that look like decorations and furniture with motion and vibrations.
- No one could have predicted the COVID-19 pandemic, but it provided an unprecedented opportunity for clients to update and upgrade their homes. With smart home technology now widely available, it allowed homeowners to install the latest technology to make their homes more comfortable, safer, and more convenient.
- Our owner, Dan, saw the potential, so early on he partnered with companies such as Loxone to be able to bring the latest technology directly to customers. Today we are one of Loxone’s biggest partners, installing their products in both residential and commercial buildings.
- Speaking of commercial building, smart home technology is not just for homes. The same technology can be installed in commercial applications to save on energy costs and increase the safety and security of employees. Automated lighting, ambient sound controls, HVAC climate control systems, and security and monitoring are just a few things that help business owners make their space marketable and comfortable as more employees return to the office post-pandemic.
- When reminiscing the last 10 years, we can’t forget our roots. We made zWORKS, Zionsville’s first coworking space, our home to launch and grow our company. When it was time to graduate from a coworking space, coincidentally zWORKS vacated the location on Cedar Street. We were lucky enough to take it over to create our Experience Center with office space. It gives us a place to not just meet with clients but also a showroom for people to see, touch, and hear the latest in smart home technology. It’s said a start-up flies when the business matures, but ironically, we returned to the space where it all started. Is that flying? We think so!
Ferris was right – life moves pretty fast, and so does technology innovation. As we reflect on the past, we predict the future will include even more customization and integration with more products throughout your home.
Smart Technology Innovation
The Experience Center is a showcase that features the latest technology, and if you are curious what you can do in your space, schedule some time for a personal tour so you can start planning.
