Verizon May Roll Out a Home Control System Accesible from Your Cell Phone.
March 24, 2009

Last week Julie Jacosen of CEPro published an article stating: "CE Pro discovered a document on an FCC Web site that describes the Verizon Home Monitoring Gateway and Home Monitor Service, referring to the service as 4Home." She further stated: "Z-Wave devices such as motion sensors, lights, thermostats, garage-door openers, door locks and other compatible products can be monitored and controlled through the system. Certain IP-based surveillance cameras also can be integrated".

Customers of Life/Ware or Control4 can already control their automation systems with their iPhone after downloading the free application from iTunes. However, the iPhone interface only works in and around the home as it depends on the home wireless network to communicate with the system controller.

The attractiveness of Verizon's proposed new service is it fills a large gap between browser-based remote home automation interfaces and telephone controllers limited to 2-4 devices (e.g. see http://www.jclautomation.com/vacation_home.asp). However, as Jacobsen points out: "If they succeed, they will be the first. Service providers have long toyed with remote home monitoring and control, but none has really pulled it off".

Clearly the success of this new service, if Verizon moves forward, will depend on the capability of 4Home to support the roll-out of it's products. 4Home, the winner of the 2009 CES Best of Innovations award and several other preceding awards over the last 2 years, will be supplying it's home controller with embedded ControlPoint software for installation in the home. ControlPoint is advanced XML-based software that provides the framework for a consistent interface on TVs, universal remotes, and touch panels by communicationg through the home data network using Web Services for displaying graphic controls on large or small screens.

However, 4Home expects OEM hardware vendors and service providers to deliver the real content for compelling applications and services into the connected home. So, I guess if you want to know who will do that in this proposed service you'll have to hunt down Verizon's submittal on the FCC web site.

To view the 4Home demo click here.