Step One with Smart Home

How do you make a home Smart? Not iToaster Smart, proper Smart.

So it does useful stuff like flashing lights in different colours depending on the alarm. Like blue for intruder, red for smoke... you get the sort of thing.

Or so you can add groceries to an online shopping basket while washing up.

There are all sorts of useful things possible with Smart Home. But how do you find out what they are? How can you make them happen?

It's easier than you think: just take the first step.

Click! Time for a tea-break

I have to admit I found the idea of switching a kettle on and off with my phone clever, but pointless? I thought it a stunt until I looked beyond mere function. Until I stopped thinking only about what it does and started thinking about why.

It's said you should work in bursts with breaks in-between. The idea is you don't over tax your attention span plus you know a break is coming. Using alarms can help - they free your mind of clock watching. Whether you're staving off getting engrossed or struggling with boredom they give peace of mind. Concentrate and get on, the alarm will go off. Eventually.

But why bother with an alarm clock telling you to stop so you can go to the kitchen? Why not be uber-productive and turn the kettle into an alarm? Let's face it, your break doesn't start when you switch on the kettle, it starts when you sit down with a brew. Making the kettle an alarm cuts out the waiting. So you can max your time relaxing. That's smart! Perhaps iKettles aren't the stunt I thought?

Stumbling block

There's an issue with Smart products – lights, plugs, whatever – it's to do with how they're sold. When you buy a Smart bulb, plug, sensor, voice assistant… you buy an individual Smart product. You don't buy instructions on ways to use it. Or anything about how to make it work with other Smart products or web services.

The result is you're left thinking about your Smart stuff based on what you already know. And what's that? You switch lights on and off, turn the heating up or down... My point is this: you don't know what you don't know and you can't appreciate what you've yet to experience. It's hard to imagine how Smart products and services could be used when you've no concept about what they make possible.

How would you know a Smart bulb can link with a Smart fire alarm? Or anything else? How would you even know if there is such a thing as a Smart fire alarm? And even if you did know, how would you find out how to make them work together in the way you want? If there's one stumbling block with Smart, it's getting a grip on what's possible and how to make it happen. It really is a barrier. But it's not one you can't overcome.

Applet

The world of Smart is a bit convoluted. Complex in so far as different Smart products can and can't talk to others. But this doesn't make Smart dumb and difficult to use. In a curious way it makes it better – let me explain.

Smart Home is very real and can be pretty sophisticated. This is no pipe-dream so if you're struggling to get it you need some help. So some advice - learn about a piece of software called If-This-Then-That (IFTTT). IFTTT is a free web-based service that allows you to create Applets. An Applet is a chain of simple conditional statements that trigger actions. The clever part is they connect different products and services through their APIs.

Enabling this connectivity is what's behind being able to send an email if a thermostat registers a certain temperature. Or switch a light to a certain colour if a smoke alarm gets triggered. If you want to get into Smart Home you have to know how to make it work. IFTTT can help you do that. But learning about IFTTT isn't the end of it. What you have to do is apply IFTTT. You have to use it. And that's what "Step One" is.

Take Step One with Smart Home

Creating an account with IFTTT gets you going. But "Step One" is more. Don't worry if you've not got anything Smart in your home, "Step One" isn't about that.

Your real challenge is getting your head around what's possible with Smart and how to make it happen. Now, IFTTT publishes a blog amongst other things. It posts on developments and how people are using it. If you're to get educated and appreciate more about Smart the blog is a great way to learn.

But there's a hitch: you can't sign up to an RSS or get email alerts for new posts. What you can do is create an Applet that'll do that for you. And this is "Step One" with IFTTT. Create an Applet that alerts you to new blog posts. Use IFTTT itself to educate you in how to use it.

Just in case

You might well be able to create the Applet yourself. You might also find the prospect a barrier. If this is you don't let it happen, it's easier than you think. To help you create your first Applet I've listed how to do it below. Come on, you're only a few clicks away from getting educated in what Smart can do with emails every time IFTTT posts a blog…

1. Create an IFTTT account
2. In the drop-down under your user name click "New Applet"
3. Click the blue "this" to choose a service to connect to. In the search bar type in "IFTTT" – you'll see their icon appear
4. Click on it and up pop a selection of different "triggers" you can choose
5. Click on "New IFTTT Update – this trigger fires every time the IFTTT blogs posts something tagged "Updates""
6. You'll then be able to click the "that" part of the Applet. Click it and up pop a range of "action services"
7. Click the email icon and a screen "complete the action fields" presents. Use this to add "ingredients" – additional pieces of information sent in the email. Note: IFTTT will send the email to the address you used when creating your IFTTT account
8. Click "create action" with takes you to the "review and finish" screen
9. Review the Applet to make sure it's what you want. If you're happy click "finish" to save and activate the Applet

Unknown unknowns

This blog's been about helping you make Smart Home part of your business - see "Smart Home: A New Revenue Opportunity" for much more on why. My post hasn't majored on Smart Products. I haven't mentioned that Target Components now stocks the Energenie Mi|Home range. Instead, I've concentrated on the real issue facing you...

A key barrier stopping you from making Smart Home your business is grasping the possibilities it presents as well as how to make them happen. If you want to make Smart Home more than flogging plugs, switches and the like you have to get the big picture.

If-This-Then-That (IFTTT) is a piece of software you must understand – it's key to Smart. Better than that IFTTT posts regular blogs with practical examples on its use.

Take my advice: open an IFTTT account and create the Applet that keeps you informed. Start seeing what others are doing and what you could too. Get inspired on what's possible with Smart and how it could change your business. Take Step One with Smart Home.

Stay tuned

Target Components is a great fan of Smart Products. Because all the research says they're on the tipping point of being big with consumers. That 2018 will be the year Smart Home goes main-stream in the UK. See "The Market for Smart Home and Other Stuff" for much more.

ShopTalk wants you – small IT businesses - to make the most of this opportunity. So we're going to blog a lot more about it. Over the coming weeks I'll be blogging about different Smart products and services. I'll tell you about what they do and how you can integrate them to do useful stuff. My goal is to get you Smart smart. If you're interested stick around. Follow or connect with me so you get alerted every time I publish something new. A great business opportunity is about to break. Why not be part of it?