In addition to the TouchScreen gateway, a Starter Kit would include a few wireless door/window sensors and a motion detector. “Start kit prices would be up to the service provider, but we’ve heard anywhere between $100-200, or even free if the customer signs a service contract,” says Domangue. uControl’s product strength comes in its ability to integrate with a home’s existing home security system, and the expandability to include other products that control lighting and thermostats. 

On the monitoring side, Domangue anticipates service that adopts the model used by current security giants like ADT and Brinks. “The self-monitoring system is unproven,” insists Domangue. “People are willing to pay to have someone else monitor their home.” To wit, the monthly fee for a service provider’s Fifth Service might cover access to – and control of – the new control and security products through control panels, internet-enabled computer (web browser), and even mobile phone, but it would also cover professional monitoring of the home’s system. If this were the case, subscribers might expect a monthly access and monitoring fee comparable to those of the incumbents, i.e. in the $30-per-month range. 

Homes with existing security systems and monitoring service won’t be left out of the new quintuple play opportunities. According to iControl CEO Paul Dawes, homeowners with existing systems who subscribe for home security services through an iControl-partnered can see integration of the new with the old, thanks to iControl’s own wireless gateway, called the “iHub.” “The iHub plugs into the home’s existing wireless and can talk to GE security systems and sensors, Honeywell systems, and Z-Wave devices like thermostats and lighting control devices,” says Dawes. This next generation of home security, says Dawes, brings greater connectivity, simplicity, and security to the home. 

A SureWest Thing
One service provider has already taken the Quintuple Play plunge. According to their website, SureWest Communications, a service provider in Northern California, currently offers a remote monitoring service/product package for its subscribers. For $199.99, customers can purchase the Basic Starter Kit, which includes a gateway device, 1 IP video camera, and 1 window/door sensor. It’s not unlike most starter kits offered by remote monitoring companies. In this case, the devices use powerline carrier (PLC) technology, transmitting data and commands over the home’s existing powerlines. The gateway device connects to the home’s internet connection via cable modem and router, and the system enables monitoring and control of the new security system. Monthly monitoring fees start at $9.99/month (or $105.99/year), and an Enhanced Starter Kit is available for upgrade for $375.99, which includes the gateway controller, 1 IP video camera, 1 window/door sensor, 1 motion sensor, and 2 Homeplug PLCs modules, into which lighting fixtures can be connected and controlled. 

SureWest’s home monitoring system is expandable. The list of accessories includes wireless thermostats, sirens, and lamp dimmers, which range in cost from about $50 – 100. Higher-end indoor and outdoor cameras are also available to bolster the security of the home. (Disclaimer – Although the SureWest website indicates that service and starter kits are available now, their representative were not willing to discuss neither the service nor the products, which makes one wonder if the company perhaps jumped in too soon.)

Some subscribers may already have access to the Quintuple Play, bundling home security and monitoring or home automation into their internet, phone, television, and wireless services. Others may have to wait until mid-late 2009, when the MSOs and telcos currently partnered with the likes of iControl, uControl, and others make the transition from trial phase to roll-out. We’ll be watching for it with much anticipation.

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Bundle Battles: The Best Package for Cable, Voice, Internet and More
ISPs: The Best Speed for Your Money
Dish Network or DirecTV?
IPTV vs Cable and Satellite

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Ben Hardy - Contributing Writer

Between watching re-runs of the The Jetsons and convincing his Insteon and Z-Wave controls to get along, Ben Hardy is immersed in the world of home automation, home control, and home networking.