Amazon.com has quietly opened a dedicated department for home automation.
The virtual storefront culls the e-tailer’s mammoth selection of programmable products and assorts them into four main categories: entertainment systems, home monitoring and safety, energy management, and kits and controllers.
Items include Sonos streaming audio components, Yamaha network A/V receivers, Belkin WeMo plug-in Wi-Fi control switches, and Leviton whole-home control systems.
There is also a host of guides and how-to videos on everything from communication protocols to thermostats and door locks.
The move mirrors efforts by brick-and-mortar dealers and buying groups to diversify into control and automation, as off-the-shelf plug-and-play products help reduce the barrier to entry and CE margins remain slim.