Dream big, live smart with smanos – PART 2

WHAT MAKES SMANOS TICK
What sets smanos apart from the competition is the total package. Traditional alarm systems are associated with tedious wire installation, hefty monthly fees and false alarm fines. smanos puts the smarts of smart home and smart security back in users’ hands and enables them to regain control and privacy from guards and monitoring stations.

The complete smanos smart home portfolio speaks self-install, or DIY. “From wireless, app-enabled alarm systems to remote security, energy and health management, our solutions cater to today’s homeowners’ mobile lifestyles, and ensure they have complete control, comfort and visual confirmation right at their fingertips within a few short minutes and easy steps,” said Brian Borghardt, GM of Chuango and smanos Europe. “We go to great lengths to seamlessly blend security, monitoring and automation capabilities into end users’ everyday appliances. They can focus on more precious things or significant others in life, while smanos stands on guard for them 24/7 in the backdrop.”

To deliver what the market needs and what the average homeowner really demands, smanos works with multiple development teams in China, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan and the U.S., in addition to Chuango resources, to make sure the latest hardware and software designs and reliable wireless transmission technologies are embodied in each solution, “to make the lives of our channel customers and their end customers easy, secured and environmentally friendly,” explained said Hayden Hsu, Director of Global Brand Development for Chuango and smanos, and GM of Chuango Taiwan. User experience and quality assurance are also tried and tested across continents so that most household and daily operation requirements are met with flying colors. “It goes way beyond designing cool-looking GUIs. It’s about truly understanding people’s lives and empowering them with the ability to easily safeguard and automate their properties.” For example, the IR cut filter and pan/tilt stepping motor of the latest smanos home IP camera under development have gone through strenuous tests to ensure a minimum non-stop operation time of five years. “‘Set it and forget it’ is one of the benchmarks that we measure ourselves against,” Hsu identified.

In sales and marketing, the smart, sleek-looking and simple- to-use smanos systems sell themselves. “Our dedicated team is with our channel and retail partners every step of the way and throughout the product lifecycle to ensure ease, flexibility and intelligence can be palpated and realized in hardware and software engineering, sales and marketing, and distribution and installation,” Borghardt explained. “We also have a local European team ready to serve and listen to what’s demanded in the region, so we can adapt quickly and accordingly.” A similar setup will be established in the U.S. in the second half of 2014 to better address needs arising from the Americas market, Hsu added.

Compared to any other traditional, wired system that requires professional installation and monthly monitoring fees, the ROI of any smanos system for end customers becomes crystal clear—in just three to six months. “We have joint marketing programs and budgets in place to help our distributors and retailers get noticed in various physical and digital media, and help engage end customers through special in-store or seasonal events and online/social media interactions,” Hsu detailed. Dedicated and experienced channel marketing personnel are in place as well to provide necessary ammunitions to make a splash where- and whenever needed. “All these investments result in added benefits, ensuring fast and open feedback for product optimization and solution development.”

Dream big, live smart with smanos – PART 1

In 2013, smart home technology brand smanos was incepted in Hoofddorp, which sits in the picturesque outskirts of Amsterdam. Harnessing cutting-edge design and DIY usability concepts and ergonomics, smanos brings the ultimate simplicity in wireless smart home and home security user experience to households worldwide. Delivering more than just a sense of security, smanos also ensures user-definable comfort and convenience, along with mobile accessibility. In its pursuit for perfection in human-centric research and design, smanos invests heavily in product and market development, and partners with top-notch hardware and software developers and industrial designers in Europe and the U.S. for greater smart home integration.

While smanos is a relatively new smart home technology brand on the market, the forces behind it are anything but. A brainchild between Chuango Security Technology and Chuango Europe, smanos embodies a decade-long commitment to minimalistic design and system reliability. Marketed and serviced from Amsterdam, smanos is Chuango’s security, monitoring and automation solution portfolio for the global market, targeting especially retail channels that carry premium consumer electronics and connected devices.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
The mother company Chuango was established in 2001 by Ken Li and his late father Lee. It specializes in radio frequency technology and wireless smart home systems, ranging from DIY security and home automation to energy and health management. The company is rapidly expanding its solution portfolio and global partner network, with products and systems researched and developed in Fuzhou and Taipei, designed in Shenzhen and Amsterdam, manufactured and packaged in Dongguan, and brought to life worldwide.

Since 2010, the company has experienced triple-digit sales growth year-on-year. Europe and the U.S. have been the most significant contributors, but the momentum is also picking up in many other markets. Then came another stepping stone—IFSEC International 2013; Chuango outperformed other multinational conglomerates in the alarm industry and went home with Product of the Year in the Intruder Alarm System or Exterior Deterrent category. After winning that award, Li had the ambition, vision and plans to build Chuango’s own brand, so he recruited long-term business partner Brian Borghardt to further pursue that development path.

A born entrepreneur, Borghardt eagerly joined the fast expanding Chuango family in 2013 as General Manager for Chuango and smanos Europe, after having distributed Chuango products in the Benelux market for a few years. “I am really excited to be part of a dynamic, creative, design-centric team,” Borghardt said. “In joining hands with Chuango’s global product and business development teams, Chuango Europe is committed to serving our OEM partners in the region, and is looking to grow our smanos brand business with compatible distributors and retailers.” His team is complete with experienced sales and marketing, technical support and logistics personnel from the consumer electronics and IT industries.

The European headquarters—a US$1.4- million, multifunctional facility—is a design, sales and marketing, technical support and logistics center aimed to serve Chuango’s existing and new partners and clients in the EMEA region. The investment not only facilitates the integration and optimization of resources, operations and competitiveness, but also helps drive global branding and marketing efforts, said Hayden Hsu, Director of Global Brand Development for Chuango and smanos, and General Manager of Chuango Taiwan. The logistics center is located in Hoofddorp, just outside of Amsterdam and a five-minute drive from Schiphol Airport. “The Netherlands is the hub of Europe, and an open and accommodating country. The superior conditions in talent, taxation and logistics make it an ideal place for investment,” Li said. The assistance and high- quality services from the Dutch Foreign Investment Agency and Amsterdam in Business have not gone unnoticed. “They have guided us with courtesy and efficiency. We really appreciate their input.”

Is A Wireless Home Security System Right For You?

There are pros and cons between a hardwired alarm system and a wireless alarm system; and a home owner needs to understand the pros and cons of each.

A wired home security system is just that – sensors, which are placed on doors and windows and are wired to the alarm’s main panel with the wires generally installed within the walls. These sensors protect entry from the outside. Motion detectors sense movement within the house should the exterior sensors be breached. This type of system is referred to as hardwired and comes with a keypad to arm the system.

A wireless home security system obviously is not hardwired. With wireless technology, sensors placed on the doors and windows send signals to the main panel via a wireless transmitter. Since wires do not have to be run through walls, installation is easier. As with a wired system, a wireless home security system features a keypad to set or disarm the system.

Nearby wireless devices, such as baby monitors, do not interfere with a hardwired system; and the system will sound an alarm should the wires be cut. Whereas, a wireless home security system is relatively easy to install, and relocate should the owner move.

There are negatives to each system. A hardwired home security system takes more time and labor to install; and should the owner move to a new location, the wiring will have to be done all over again. A wireless home security system can pick up interference from other nearby wireless devices and, thus, trigger false alarms. The strategic placement of sensors, however, can significantly reduce the likelihood of this happening.

The prime negative to a wireless home security system is that it can be disabled easier than a hardwired approach can. Most burglars do not want to spend a lot of time breaking into a house, which could leave them at risk of being caught. So, although a wireless system is easier to disable, most thieves won’t take the time to do so.

Owners of older homes might not want to drill holes in the walls because of the historical value or period look of the house. If a house is being rented, the property owner might not want holes drilled for the installation of wires thereby making a wireless system the best choice.

Wireless home security systems are becoming popular, but there are considerations that must be taken into account. Depending on the size of the house, the system must be able to communicate with the main panel. Most single family homes should do fine with a 1-GHz receiver. For larger homes or should an external building be connected to the system, a 2-GHz system or stronger receiver should be employed. A stronger signal is essential to maintain constant contact with all of the sensor components.

Wireless home security systems have progressed to the point where they can integrate all of the features of a hardwired system, such as closed circuit cameras, carbon monoxide detectors, flood and gas detectors, lighting controllers, passive infrared motion detectors, seal/trip sensors and smoke detectors. Likewise, choose a system that includes panic and personal emergency buttons.

What Consumers Want Smart Homes to Do

When it comes to smart homes, consumers are more interested in their security features than the gadgets that control the homes’ appliances. New research by Icontrol Networks, a home technology company, shows that 90 percent of 932 respondents recently surveyed say that security is one of the most important reasons for using a smart-home system. In fact, 67 percent rank it the No.1 reason, and the majority of consumers say security is a must-have in any home automation, according to Icontrol’s 2014 State of the Smart Home Report.

Fire and carbon monoxide alarms, as well as gas leak alarms, were listed as top security features, according to the survey.

“For now, safety and security are driving initial mass market adoption,” says Jim Johnson, executive vice president of Icontrol Networks. “But the convenience associated with a connected home will likely play a greater role as consumers realize how much easier automation makes their lives.”

Seventy-eight percent of respondents also ranked energy management as one of the top features that matter most to them in a smart home. HVAC heating and cooling management was cited as the most important feature in helping to reduce utility bills. Nearly 43 percent of respondents say they’d be interested in replacing their thermostat with a “smart thermostat,” one that automatically adjusts when the home is occupied.

Would home owners be willing to pay for the extra costs in making their homes smarter and more connected? The survey found that 51 percent of respondents would be willing to pay up to $500 for a fully equipped smart home; 32 percent say they’d pay $500 to $3,000.

Be armed, not alarmed: Installing security system has many benefits

Installing a home security system offers many advantages. First and foremost, it provides an extra level of safety to you and your family. A home security system also provides peace of mind knowing that your home is protected whether you’re there or not.

A home alarm system also protects your home from burglaries that could cost you thousands of dollars in lost valuables and damage to your home. Then there’s the emotional trauma that a home security system can prevent you and your family from going through.

From the experience of having my home burglarized twice, I know there is a sick feeling you get after having your house ransacked and robbed. For months, you never quite feel safe.

When considering the installation of a home security system, evaluate the weaknesses in and around your home. Determine where break-ins to your property and home are most likely to occur. By considering these points up front, you can make a better decision as to what type of home security measures are best for your home.

When most people think of home security alarm systems, they think of expensive equipment and monthly service fees. Yes, these types of products and services are available, however, there are many cheaper home security solutions you can pursue that can be just as effective.

Home security consists of more than just providing alarm systems that activate after the perpetrators have entered your home. For example, installing a tall perimeter fence around your yard and attaching motion-detector exterior spotlights onto your home can deter would-be burglars from taking a second look at your house.

Smanos X300 GSM/SMS Alarm System

Power Player

The X300 is a fashionably designed, functionally powerful, intuitively operable alarm system that works with any regular SIM card with credit. Remote system control can be done via SMS text messages or smartphone app commands.

Genie in a Bottle
All the connection jacks are ingeniously tucked away and tamper-proofed.

Relentlessly Reliable
The X300 communicates on industrial grade 868MHz, making all signal transmissions resilient and interference-free.

Sentinel in Disguise
The patented IR tamper protection can be switched on or off by you; when activated, an alert will be sent out if the system controller is lifted by more than 3 cm/1.5 inches.

Remote Wonders
After a regular SIM card with credit is inserted into the X300, the system becomes remote controllable by either simple SMS text messages or smartphone app commands. The app is available on both App Store and Google Play.

Specifications

Model No: X300
Power Input: DC 12V 500mA
GSM Frequency: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Static Current: ≤65mA
Alarm Current: ≤230mA
Backup Battery: 3.7V 1200 mAh 18650 lithium battery
Internal Siren Volume: 105 dB
Supported Accessories: 10 remote controls, 50 sensors
Radio Frequency: 868MHz (±75KHz)
Housing Material: PC plastic
Operation Condition: Temperature -10°C ~ +55°C
Relative Humidity ≤80% (Non-condensing)
Control Panel Dimensions (L×W×H): 175 x 39 x 97 mm
Bracket Dimensions (L×W×H): 135.5 x 61 x 20 mm

In The Box
X300 GSM/SMS Alarm System ×1
MD2300 Wireless PIR Motion Detector ×1
DS2300 Wireless Door/Window Contact ×1
RE2300 Wireless Remote Control ×2