Home control software developer Lagotek is forging into new territory: window coverings.

The company recently inked a distribution agreement with Budget Blinds, and international retail franchiser of window covering products. Budget Blinds will market Lagotek’s Home Intelligence Platform, that includes a motorized window covering application, at more than 1,000 franchise locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The arrangement will allow consumers to purchase motorized window treatments and have them automated to open and close according to predefined conditions, such as the time or day or the outdoor temperature.

Lagotek CEO Eugene Luskin offers the following example of an automated application: “A zoned Lagotek climate control system can determine an unusual rise in temperature in one part of the house on a hot day and automatically lower the window coverings to help regulate the temperature in that area, resulting in lower energy consumption by reducing air conditioning usage.”

The blinds will be sold and installed by a Budget Blinds dealer, then programmed into a control system by a Lagotek dealer. According to Ron Risdon, Lagotek president, certain Budget Blinds dealers will become certified Lagotek dealers so that only one contractor needs to be involved in the installation. He expects the inclusion of a Lagotek system to double the retail value of the motorized shades.

Lisa Montgomery - Contributing Writer

Lisa Montgomery has been writing about home technology for 15 years, with a focus on the impact of electronics on a modern lifestyle.