Thursday, September 15, 2016

Control4 Links With Amazon Alexa

If you can't beat 'em, join'em. Salt Lake City-based Control4, which develops home automation equipment, has linked up its systems with Amazon.com's voice-controlled home technology, through a new "Skill" for Amazon's Alexa platform, the company said today, in a move which appears to be shaping a strategy for the firm to adapt to Amazon's entry into the home automation market. Control4, which develops smart home controllers and a whole host of additional accessories for controlling lighting, thermostats, and more in a home, said it has create dits own Amazon Alexa Skill which lets users control both individual devices and an entire house. Amazon has been bringing its Alexa technology to market through the Amazon Echo, a voice-controlled device which responds to an owner's voice--along with other products like the Fire TV. Control4 said its connection into Alexa supports such things as pre-set "scenes" to control an entire house-for example "Cooking" might raise the lights in the kitchen, lower the shades, and turn the TV to a food channel--or one for when you're leaving the house, which automatically turns off the lights, lowers the thermostat, locks the doors, and arms your security system.