Voice assistants and smart home automation go hand-in-hand, but what can you do with it? A lot! Find out how voice-controlled smart homes work today!

<p>Are you ready to "talk the walk" in the smart home world? Voice control assistants aren't just a passing trend; they're quickly becoming a necessity for most of us. By next year, it's estimated that over 8.4 billion people will be chatting away with their homes, asking for the weather, setting reminders, or controlling home automation.</p>
<p>But what does that mean for you? Let's look closer at what voice-controlled smart home automation is and what it can do for you.</p>
<h2>What is Voice Control Home Automation?</h2>
<p><img alt="Concept image of a home, a smart device, and a voice assistant connecting to both of them on a blue background" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_ci/Q3_2023/CI_Voice-Controlled-Smart-Homes_1.jpg" title="CI_Voice-Controlled-Smart-Homes_1.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>What exactly is a voice control home automation system? It's like your own personal genie, but instead of rubbing a lamp, you're speaking your wishes into existence to your smart home system. This tech marvel, aka the smart assistant technology embedded in your smart home system, will recognize the specific voice commands you give to trigger the proper action or response!</p>
<h2>Words in Time: A Brief History of Voice Control</h2>
<p>Before we go more into how voice-controlled smart homes work, let's look at how this fascinating technology has looked over the years. While modern smart home voice assistants are incredibly sophisticated, you'd be surprised by how far back the technology really goes! Check out this ride through time:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>1950s:</strong> Voice recognition was just a toddler, only recognizing spoken digits but not much else.</li>
<li><strong>1990s:</strong> Voice technology slowly improved to recognize a wider range of commands but still had limitations.</li>
<li><strong>2000s:</strong> The first voice-controlled smart home systems using the X10 system were introduced, letting users control their homes.</li>
<li><strong>Mid-2000s:</strong> The invention of smartphones and mobile apps led to the beginning of integrated virtual assistants, where the technology listens and talks back to you.</li>
<li><strong>2010s:</strong> Voice recognition tech matured, using machine learning and neural networks to understand natural language and context for a more sophisticated voice-controlled smart home system.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Talking Tech: How Does Voice Control Work?</h2>
<p><img alt="Concept image of a voice assistant connected to all the smart devices it can control" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_ci/Q3_2023/CI_Voice-Controlled-Smart-Homes_2.jpg" title="CI_Voice-Controlled-Smart-Homes_2.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>So, how does all this magic happen? Well, it's all about the beauty of integration. Your voice control feature is like the maestro of your smart home orchestra, coordinating all your smart devices to play in harmony using various technologies.</p>
<p>Smart home voice assistants use Natural Language Processing (NLP) and speech recognition to decode your commands and respond using machine-learning algorithms to understand the intent and the context behind your phrasing. This is all translated into text and communicated to your devices using Wi-Fi, Zigbee, or Z-wave, where the sensors and actuators receive and respond to the commands.</p>
<p>They&rsquo;re basically translators who speak both human and tech!</p>
<h2>Commands at Your Service</h2>
<p><img alt="Woman turn tells the control panel to show her the power usage and makes adjustments" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_ci/Q3_2023/CI_Voice-Controlled-Smart-Homes_3.gif" title="CI_Voice-Controlled-Smart-Homes_3.gif" width="700" /></p>
<p>So, what can you do with your newfound vocal powers? Plenty! Almost any part of your integrated smart home system can be controlled using your voice, just like you can with your smart devices. Some functions include:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Set Up Scenes:</strong> Say "Good Night," and your house dims the lights, locks the doors, and sets your alarm for the next day. Or try "Good Morning" and be greeted with your favorite music, a warm house, and a fresh pot of coffee.</li>
<li><strong>Easier Hands-Free Control:</strong> Cue music to play and turn the TV to a program without hunting for a remote.</li>
<li><strong>Lights:</strong> Dim lights by a certain percentage or turn off lights in specific rooms with simple commands.</li>
<li><strong>Temperature:</strong> Adjust it, turn it on or off, and even ask what the temperature is to make the necessary adjustments.</li>
<li><strong>Security:</strong> Lock the door, arm or disarm the system without a control panel, and engage the window locks.</li>
<li><strong>Status Checks:</strong> Easily reference whether you locked the door, the thermostat setting, if the alarm is active, etc. Whatever you need checking, it'll do it for you with one simple command.</li>
<li><strong>Appointments &amp; Reminders:</strong> set up and coordinate your calendars and tell the system to provide timely reminders for each task.</li>
<li><strong>Search &amp; Task Functionality:</strong> easily ask for directions to a location, write messages to contacts, draft emails you wish to send &mdash; whatever you need it to do, ask for it!</li>
</ul>
<p>No matter what you need, your custom integrators (aka, our team) will set up your voice-control integration to work for you! So, let us know everything you want your smart home to do!</p>
<h2>Chatting Up the Future: What's Next for Voice Control?</h2>
<p>Wow, that's a lot of stuff you can do with your voice &mdash; and it will only improve! The future predictions for what smart home assistants can do are astonishing! For instance, they predict that you can use:</p>
<ul>
<li>Advanced natural language processing to better understand and respond to more complex commands.</li>
<li>Personalized responses based on each user's preference and history &mdash; it'll recognize each individual voice.</li>
<li>Improved security with voice biometrics by only allowing authorized users to command your system (no more accidental wake triggers!).</li>
<li>Wider control range with improved IoT integration (it'll control more devices!).</li>
<li>Predictive analytics to anticipate your needs and make suggestions based on your habits.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Your Voice, Your Home</h2>
<p><img alt="Man tells his smart mirror to start a pot of coffee with voice command" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_ci/Q3_2023/CI_Voice-Controlled-Smart-Homes_4.gif" title="CI_Voice-Controlled-Smart-Homes_4.gif" width="700" /></p>
<p>Wow, it's impressive to see what voice-controlled smart home systems can do &mdash; and there's only more for the future! So, don't wait to establish your fully integrated smart home system in your home; our team at Smart Automation Solutions is waiting for you!</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.smartautomationsolutions.com/contacts/" target="_blank">Contact us today</a></span>, and we'll set up your consultation appointment to go over what your dream home of the future looks like!</p>

Talk of the Town: Unpacking the Power of Voice-Controlled Smart Homes

Do you ever wish there was a way to make your work go smoother? You can with smart automation! Find out how smart office solutions can benefit you today!

<p>Wouldn't it be nice if you could automate more things in your life &mdash; like your work life? Actually, you can! There are plenty of smart office solutions that make each day more efficient, so you have less work stress!</p>
<p>But what is a smart office? It's a high-tech hybrid workplace with automated services that improve productivity. And the beauty of it is that it doesn't matter if you work from home or in the office &mdash; smart office solutions can benefit anyone!</p>
<p>What type of smart office solutions can help you? Let's take a look!</p>
<h2>Benefits of Smart Office Solutions</h2>
<p><img alt="Luxury home office space" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_ci/Q1_2023/CI_Smart-Office-Solutions_1.jpg" title="CI_Smart-Office-Solutions_1.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>Before we go into the types of smart office solutions, knowing how you'll benefit from them is essential. When you work from home, automating your workspace makes it easier to tailor your work area to your exact needs so that you can be more productive. In the office, smart office solutions can:</p>
<ul>
<li>Improve efficiency and productivity.</li>
<li>Make tasks more efficient.</li>
<li>Create a better collaborative environment.</li>
<li>Increase security with WiFi sensors and video monitoring.</li>
<li>Save time when scheduling meetings, managing meeting rooms, and overseeing calendars.</li>
<li>Sharing and accessing data is more straightforward, which makes collaborating a breeze.</li>
<li>Reduce operation costs by controlling the lighting, temperature, and more.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Video Monitoring</h2>
<p>Now that you know the benefits of automating your office, let's review some key solutions you can't pass up. Smart video monitoring is a must at home or in the office. You can help prevent theft, monitor different locations from a single source, and more with video monitoring.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>In Office:</strong> Video monitoring provides general security and analysis of your work environment, making it easier to see areas of improvement.</li>
<li><strong>At Home:</strong> You'll have a better overview of what's happening at home while you're working, like if the kiddos are doing their homework if the pets are behaving, or see when you get deliveries.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Pro Tip:</strong> Combine video monitoring with a smart security system to increase your security and have the option of professional monitoring services!</p>
<h2>Smart Climate Control</h2>
<p>Comfort is essential for working environments &mdash; and smart climate control systems provide just that! By automating temperature regulation, you can maintain a comfortable temperature in your office or home, which will only benefit your productivity.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>In Office:</strong> Smart climate control detects people's preferences and usage patterns to regulate temperature and keep battles over the thermostat to a minimum (especially if each work zone has its own climate-controlled system!).</li>
<li><strong>At Home:</strong> Keep your home office temperature comfy to your specific needs. And if you're the only one at home, you can adjust it, so the climate control is focused on your office space and not the entire house, so you can save energy!</li>
</ul>
<h2>Lighting Control</h2>
<p><img alt="Smart office with darkened lights to mimic the time outside" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_ci/Q1_2023/CI_Smart-Office-Solutions_2.jpg" title="CI_Smart-Office-Solutions_2.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>Along with climate control, smart lighting goes a long way to ensuring everyone's comfort. These control systems allow you to adjust the amount of light in the room according to your preferences. You can even use circadian lighting (or human-centric lighting), which mimics natural light throughout the day as you work and help keep your sleep-wake cycle balanced!</p>
<p>So, if you feel like the lack of natural light contributes to work fatigue, don't worry &mdash; with this circadian lighting on your smart network, you can make a big difference in the overall health of you and your employees! Whether you work at home or in the office, you can only benefit from giving your lights a smart boost.</p>
<p><strong>Pro Tip:</strong> Add smart shades to your office space for better lighting control and save on energy costs!</p>
<h2>Voice Control</h2>
<p>Voice control makes it easier to control your surroundings. Instead of being chained to your smart devices, you can use voice commands, so you use your time more efficiently!</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>In Office:</strong> use voice control to help book conference rooms, start a phone call, send an email, and get reminders throughout the day &mdash; no more piles of sticky notes and notebooks containing all your things!</li>
<li><strong>At Home:</strong> you can expand on the in-office benefits by connecting to your entire smart home system, like controlling the temperature, lights, shades, sound (mood music is a great motivator), and your security system!</li>
</ul>
<h2>Smart Entry</h2>
<p><img alt="Woman using smartphone to access the office" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_ci/Q1_2023/CI_Smart-Office-Solutions_3.jpg" title="CI_Smart-Office-Solutions_3.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>Another must-have smart office solution is using smart entry technology. This smart solution ensures greater security by providing easier yet more secure access to the office building. It helps record who enters and leaves the facility so you can monitor activity more closely.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>In Office:</strong> Use mobile credentials to access the office, grant access to non-employees when needed easier, and you'll have fewer calls of people getting locked out or triggering the alarm! Now you can do away with all those key fobs!</li>
<li><strong>At Home:</strong> With similar techs like smart door locks and smart doorbells, you can see who's coming to the door, keep an eye on your deliveries, and get rid of keys! You can use specialized codes, your smartphone, smartwatch, or geofencing to lock or unlock your front door, AND you can create custom codes for each person in your home to see who's coming and going!</li>
</ul>
<h2>Smart Conference Rooms</h2>
<p><img alt="Conference room with smart panel just beside the door" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_ci/Q1_2023/CI_Smart-Office-Solutions_4.jpg" title="CI_Smart-Office-Solutions_4.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>Smart conference rooms are becoming increasingly popular due to their better oversight of all meetings. With smart conference systems, it's easier to book meeting spaces, share information and documents with participants, and keep track of who attended the meetings.</p>
<p>These smart conference rooms even integrate other software, so you can order catering and send alerts from the conference room. These can even help automate visitor check-ins and provide directions to where they need to go.</p>
<h2>Smart Desks</h2>
<p>You might not know this, but smart desks are a thing &mdash; they work like smart conference rooms, but it's just a desk. Smart desks are ideal for hot desking &mdash; the practice where multiple people use a single desk at different times. This smart solution makes it easy for teams to collaborate on ideas while providing each person with an ergonomic workspace they can use anytime they need.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>In Office:</strong> Keeps track of who reserved the space, finds employees in different parts of the building, monitors shared office space, helps you find any open task for the day, and makes it easier to find available desks when you need to work on a task.</li>
<li><strong>At Home:</strong> With a smart desk, sharing your office space with another person (like your significant other) is easier. These come with alerts, presets, easy-to-use controls, and standing capabilities so you work more efficiently and are not always in a sedentary position.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Work Smart!</h2>
<p><img alt="Concept of high-tech office space working efficiently" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_ci/Q1_2023/CI_Smart-Office-Solutions_5.jpg" title="CI_Smart-Office-Solutions_5.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>With these smart office solutions in mind, your workdays will become much easier and more productive! So, if you're ready to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.smartautomationsolutions.com/catalog/electronics-automation-control/" target="_blank">automate</a></span> your office space, Smart Automation Solutions has you covered! Our expertise means that you don't have to worry about setups, installs, or anything &mdash; we make it work for you!</p>
<p>Don't hesitate to get started; <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.smartautomationsolutions.com/contacts/" target="_blank">call us</a></span> for an appointment today!</p>

Smart Automation: How Smart Office Solutions Can Benefit Your Work Life

From lighting to locks, and cameras to plugs, you can use voice control with many of your favorite home devices. 

<p><img alt="A boy and his grandfather voice control a digital assistant in their living room" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_electronics/psm-voice-control.jpg" title="iStock Credit: mikkelwilliam" width="700" /></p>
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        <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">Voice control technology is something we’re very excited about at Smart Automation Solutions. Here’s a list of eight awesome home devices to use with your favorite voice control technology.</p>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
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<h2>1. Lighting</h2>

<p>Light switches, light bulbs, dimmer switches, LED bulbs, and even LED light strips can all be bought in smart versions. No longer will you have to live life in the dark ages by getting up and walking <em>all</em> the way to the other side of the room to turn your lights on and off. And just think of the possibilities with voice-controlled patio string lights and decorations. You&rsquo;ve spent a lot of the last year cooped up inside; explore how you can voice-control the stylish aesthetic of your outdoor space!</p>
<p><img alt="Man controls his smart lighting with voice control " src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_electronics/psm-voice-control-mood.jpg" title="iStock Credit: gorodenkoff" width="700" /></p>
<h2>2. Plugs</h2>
<p>Have an appliance that you want to control with your voice, but can&rsquo;t find a voice-equipped model?</p>
<p>Grab a smart plug. This way, you can control power to said device with your voice, even if the device itself isn&rsquo;t able to work with your automation system. Of course, if you are worried about getting everything to work with your automation system or want to make sure you are setting everything up correctly, give us a call. We&rsquo;re always here to help with all your technology needs!</p>
<h2>3. Security Cameras</h2>
<p>Home safety is important, especially when you might be taking out-of-town vacations. Some people use this time of year as an excuse to find a weak spot in your home security system. It&rsquo;s always best to be safe rather than sorry, and voice-controlled smart cameras can integrate with the rest of your home security system and really help create a full-home security solution. With one, you can focus on unwinding your loved ones instead of worrying about what&rsquo;s going on at home.</p>
<h2>4. Door Locks</h2>
<p>On the topic of safety, smart cameras aren&rsquo;t the only way to up your security game this summer. Smart locks not only make your home safer, but they also integrate and work with your voice assistant. That&rsquo;s right &mdash; you&rsquo;ll be able to combine safety and voice control.</p>
<h2>5. Thermostats</h2>
<p>It&rsquo;s the time of the year when you&rsquo;re cooling your house yet snuggling under a light blanket at night. And there&rsquo;s nothing worse than having to get out from the comfort of your couch cocoon to adjust the temperature on the thermostat.</p>
<p>Changing the temperature in the house with just a simple voice command without leaving the couch is a great convivence, and it can really help the whole family deal with changing weather and temperatures this time of year.</p>
<p><img alt="Woman talks at wall-mounted smart thermostat controller" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_electronics/psm-smart-thermostat.jpg" title="iStock Credit: RossHelen" width="700" /></p>

<h2>6. TVs</h2>
<p>There&rsquo;s no better way to celebrate the summer than a brand-new, high-quality TV. 4K is hitting its stride &mdash; and you can even go further into the future with TV sets that offer voice control combability. Whether you are looking for a brand-new screen for your den or are looking to finally upgrade to a projector for your home theater, you can get it all in voice-controlled models.</p>
<h2>7. Sound System</h2>
<p>Summer and summer playlists go together like, well, lemonade and ice, pools and bathing suits, sand and sandals, and everything else warm-weather related! So, there&rsquo;s no reason that you can&rsquo;t also control your music with the same voice that you use to belt out the chorus to &ldquo;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPEqRMVnZNU" target="_blank">Under the Boardwalk</a>&rdquo; by The Drifters each year.</p>
<h2>8. Vacuums</h2>

<p>Not all voice control applications need to be fun &mdash; some of them can be functional, too! Your home is bound to get dirty over the summer no matter how hard you try to keep things (or bare feet) tidy, so some voice-automated vacuums are sure to go a long way. They&rsquo;ll keep everything clean, no matter how many neighbor kids are tracking dirt in from the backyard.</p>
<p><img alt="Two cats warily observe a smart vacuum" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_electronics/psm-robot-vacuum.jpg" title="iStock Credit: Anita_Bonita" width="700" /></p>
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        <p class="avb-typography__paragraph dsg-block-26__paragraph">Whatever your needs are this summer — be it voice controlled TVs for the kids or finally getting that smart home automation system installed — you can’t go wrong shopping local with us. Head over to our <avb-link data-href="https://www.smartautomationsolutions.com/contacts" target="_blank" class="dsg-block-1-link">contact page </avb-link> or give us a call at <avb-link data-href="tel:240-242-7272> 240-242-7272 </avb-link>. We’re here to help you integrate technology products into your life, and our commitment to you doesn’t ever go on vacation!</p>
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8 Home Devices You Won't Believe Work with Voice Control

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Talk of the Town: Unpacking the Power of Voice-Controlled Smart Homes

Smart Automation: How Smart Office Solutions Can Benefit Your Work Life

8 Home Devices You Won't Believe Work with Voice Control

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