4 Ways Your Business Can Benefit from Smart Technology

Businesses are always looking for more ways to generate more revenue, reduce expenses, and improve efficiency. Smart technology can help businesses do all three of these things. Adding smart technology such as smart lighting, smart security cameras, or an intelligent meeting system can help your business run more efficiently. This will save you money in energy costs and improve workplace productivity.

If you’ve never put much thought into smart technology, we’re going to explain a few ways your business can benefit from it.

Smart Lighting

One of the best ways to utilize smart technology for your business is to install a smart lighting system. No matter what kind of business you have, it is an easy way for you to implement smart technology. It will not only save you money, but it will provide better lighting for your retail store, restaurant, or office space.

Aside from the fact that lighting is essential for any business, lighting also affects how we feel. Have you ever noticed how your mood changes when it’s overcast and gloomy outside or how the sunshine brightens your day? Artificial light has been used to treat seasonal affective disorder and depression. It may improve the mood and energy of your employees. This in turn can make them happier and more productive. Your customers will also benefit from it, as it has been shown to affect buying habits.

Adding automated lighting to your office or workspace can save you money as it’s much more energy-efficient than traditional lighting. You can program your lights to turn off at times you don’t need them. Or, you program the lights to dim when there is more natural light. Just dimming the lights by 50 percent will reduce the cost of your lighting by 50 percent. And, smart lighting can reduce your overall energy costs by as much as 30 percent. If you have a large energy bill, these savings could be substantial.

A Smart Thermostat

If you are still using an old thermostat or programmable thermostat for your building, you will find that investing in a smart thermostat can do much more than just adjust the temperature. For example, it can tell when people are in the building or not and adjust the temperature accordingly.

A smart thermostat adapts and learns from the behaviors in your building. It will automatically adjust the temperature in your space, so that it doesn’t engage the heating or cooling system every time you change the temperature. This is a huge money saver. When you change the temperature manually, the heating and cooling system has to fire up each time, which wastes a lot of energy.

A smart thermostat is another easy way to add smart technology to your office or retail space. If you combine a smart thermostat with an energy-efficient heating and cooling system, you will see immediate money-saving benefits.

Smart Security Cameras

Every business owner wants their office or retail location to be safe and secure. Smart security cameras are an excellent way to keep your business secure. Unlike other security systems, a smart security system does more than just monitor your property. The cameras can be viewed from anywhere. You can check in on your location from anywhere right from your smartphone.

A smart security system allows you to monitor your business remotely. This way you can take immediate action if there is an emergency. If there is a break-in, the system will alert you and can take high-resolution photos of any intruders. You will have peace of mind knowing you can remotely view cameras inside and outside of your building to keep an eye on the situation until police or emergency crews arrive.

Intelligent Meetings and Conferences

As more businesses embrace remote and hybrid workforces, video conferencing has become a must-have for many companies. It allows people to participate in meetings regardless of their location, and makes meetings more convenient for everyone. Companies can make their meetings more effective and productive with an intelligent video conferencing system. You don’t want to waste time trying to get a meeting started with technology that’s difficult to use.

Beyond 1, a leader in intelligent video conferencing is now part of Creston. They have designed cutting edge tools that allow for more realistic video conferencing. Their solutions are much more advanced than other video conferencing systems like Zoom or Google Meet. Their intelligent conferencing uses multi-camera technology to automatically focus on the person speaking, which makes it easier to follow the conversation.

Even when a speaker is moving around, the cameras will focus on them. This system is remarkable at keeping track of the conversation. It makes participants feel like they are in the room, even if they are participating remotely. This is an innovative solution that will make your business stand out from your competition.

Are You Ready to Add Smart Technology to Your Business?

If you would like to add smart technology to your business, our team is ready to help you get started. Whether you’re looking for a smarter lighting system, security system, or video conferencing, we can design a custom system built around your needs. Contact us today at (770) 317-7016 to find out how smart technology can improve your business.

Millennials Love Smart Homes: Here’s Why

Even bigger than the baby boomer generation, millennials are grown up now and buying homes. Many of them are buying smart homes. These young adults love smart homes, but you might be surprised about some of the reasons why. When it comes to home ownership, they aren’t like the previous generations. They want homes and lifestyles that reflect their values. This is one reason they are willing to spend a little more for a smart home. We’re going to discuss the reasons why millennials love smart homes and what they are looking for in a home.

Millennials grew up around technology

Millennials are a generation that was raised on the internet. They’re always connected, constantly texting, sharing videos and are digital natives Unlike their parents’ generation, they never experienced a world without rapid technological change. For millennials change and technological advancements are normal.

They are used to seeing a new brand of technology each year. Naturally, they want to invest in the latest and greatest technology — not just the latest iPhone. They want their home to be as advanced as their smartphone. This is just one reason they love smart homes.

Millennials care about the environment and sustainability

Millennials have a completely different mindset than previous generations. They are aware and passionate about climate change, reducing our carbon footprint, and our reliance on fossil fuels. They embrace new technology and energy efficiency. Millennials and Gen Z are charging the way in the market for sustainable products and services. Since a home is their largest investment, they are looking for homes that are smarter, energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Unlike baby boomers and Gen X, millennials have been slower to buy their first home. The Covid pandemic, student debt, and the housing market has made buying a home more challenging for millennials. Because of this, they want to make sure that when they do buy their first home, they get the best value for their money. For them, a smart home is an investment in their future.

What millennials want most in a smart home

Smart home features that are popular with millennials include voice control, remote access to their home, and energy-saving systems. They love everything from smart thermostats to smart lighting, and smart watering systems.

Smart Thermostat

Millennials must-haves include a smart thermostat. They want the ability to use voice commands and operate their thermostat remotely. They also like advanced features such as a thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature based on their habits or how much energy they are using. They are interested in energy efficiency and the long-term savings you get by using a smart thermostat.

Smart Lighting

Smart home lighting is incredibly popular and is sought after by everyone, not just millennials. With smart lighting, you can use voice commands, schedule lights, and even control your lights remotely. And smart lighting can save energy too, which appeals to millennials. With smart home lighting you can schedule your lights to turn on and off automatically, adjust interior or exterior lights, and do much more.

Smart speakers

Another smart home category that millennials love is entertainment. These days, almost everyone has a smart TV and smart speakers. In fact, 25 percent of Americans already have smart speakers in their home. However, millennials want more than standalone speakers. They want built-in wireless speakers and a sound system that they can control with voice commands or through a smart control panel.

A fully integrated smart home

The millennial generation is looking for the whole package when it comes to smart homes. They realize that in the future, smart homes will be the standard. They are willing to pay the upfront cost to have a truly smart home.

With smart home systems like Control 4, anyone can have a fully-integrated smart home. Control 4 is a leader in smart home technology.Thousands of brands and smart devices can be integrated into a Control 4 system. Control 4 is perfect for younger millennials with a limited budget, who might want to add smart features to their home and have the ability to scale over time.

If you’re interested in learning more about a Control4 smart home system, give us a call at (678) 392-2363. We can help you design a customized smart home system tailored around your needs and budget.

Improve Your Productivity with a Smart Home Office

In the past most people had to be in their company’s office to do their job. Only a small percentage of Americans were able to work from home. The Covid pandemic changed all that. Now almost 60 percent of U.S. workers say they can do their work from home. And, more companies have shifted their workforce to remote work or hybrid work. This has led to more consumers investing in better and smarter home offices.

If you are one the millions of Americans who now work from home, you already know about all the perks. However, you may have discovered some disadvantages such as slower internet, more distractions, and a need for better computer and video conferencing options. There are a ton of ways to improve your productivity with a smart home office. Here are a few ideas for creating the best smart home office.

1. First things first, reliable high-speed internet is a must-have!

Everyone loves the idea of working from home, but there are a few things you may take for granted when you do. When you work in a corporate office, you may have gotten used to your company’s high-speed internet. Business plans generally provide internet speed that’s as much as five times faster than you can get with a personal internet plan. This may not seem like a big deal when you’re streaming movies or surfing the web, but if you need to upload large media files or presentations, you will quickly discover just how inadequate your home’s wifi network is.

If you’re not a networking professional, your first thought might be to upgrade to a business internet plan. While this may give you more speed, there’s more to a fast, consistent network than just having a high-speed internet plan.

If your wifi network isn’t professionally set up, you may still have issues with a splotchy or slow internet connection. This is especially true if you live in a large house, or your office isn’t located close to your router. If you want the fastest speed for uploads and downloads, it’s best to have a professional come out and configure your network for you. A professional installer can also make sure your network is secure.

2. Your lighting matters more than you might think.

If you’re trying to make improvements to your home office, the lighting may not be your first priority. But, great lighting is essential for a smart home office. Even if you have the best ergonomically designed desk, office chair, keyboard, and mouse, that won’t make up for bad lighting. According to research by J Environ Public Health, inadequate lighting can lead to anxiety, fatigue, lethargy, headaches, eyestrain, migraine, nausea, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, poor concentration or lack of mental alertness, and daytime sleepiness.

If your office has windows, you can optimize the lighting by opening the blinds and moving your desk closer to the window. But, an even better option is installing a smart lighting system. Not only will it improve the lighting, but it will also make your home office more efficient and you more productive.

You might also consider smart blinds. Motion sensors and a smart home automation system like Control4 can automate your home office for the best lighting. You can use smart home scenes to create the perfect morning routine, such as automatically opening the blinds and turning on the lights when you enter your office. And at night, your blinds and lighting can be programmed to close and turn off automatically.

3. Add smart speakers to make your office even better!

If you do a lot of video conferencing, the right set up is a must. If you handle any type of video conferencing like Zoom meetings, client-intake meetings, or company conferences, having the right set up is important. A noise-canceling headset with a built in microphone will make your sound quality better so that everyone can hear and understand you.

If you want an even better sound system for your conferencing or listening to music, adding smart speakers will make your home office more enjoyable. One of the perks of working from home is that you can blast your favorite music while you work — if you want to. Plus, music boosts productivity and energy, which are two things you need a lot of if you work from home.

These are a few ways to improve your productivity with a smart home office. If you’re ready to find out more about home automation or designing a smart home office, call us today at (678) 392-2363 to learn more.