Having more control options is never a bad thing. Vivint agrees, announcing plans to add the Vivint Secondary Panel into its mix.

The new product is designed to work with the company’s Go!Control panel, which serves as the hub of Vivint’s home automation system. The company says that the new panel will make the system’s smart home features easier to access, allowing for up to four additional panels to be placed throughout the home.

“Vivint’s Go!Control system gives our customers the ability to easily manage every aspect related to their home’s automation system,” says Jim Nye, vice president of product management at Vivint. “We also have a mobile app that allows our customers to stay connected to their system no matter where they are. However, we heard from several users who thought that when they were at home, having all those features centralized in one control panel wasn’t always convenient.”

Each 4.3-inch touchscreen delivers one-touch arm and disarm alarm capabilities, visual and audible status updates, lighting and appliance control, thermostat control, alerts, and a spot to check the date, time and weather.

The Vivint Secondary Panel sells for $180 each. It can be added to one of Vivint’s home control packages, which start at $49.99 per month (not including touchpanels and other hardware). For more information about packages, products and fees, check out the Vivint website.

Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer

Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.