Chicago – Poland-based Fibaro is targeting the custom-integrator channel with the shipment of its first home-automation hub for the U.S. market.
The Z-Wave-equipped Home Center 2 hub began shipping Aug. 3 at a suggested retail of $749.
The company entered the U.S. market last November and has been selling around a dozen Z-Wave sensors, some of which integrate with home-automation systems from HomeSeer and Nexia, an Ingersoll Rand brand. Company products are available in 88 countries.
Besides integrating with Fibaro-brand Z-Wave sensors such as water, door/window and motion sensors, Home Center 2 is compatible with products from other brands. Those products include thermostats from Nest, Trane, Honeywell, RCS, and 2GIG; IP cameras from D-Link, Gen IV, Hikvision, Geo, Speco, and Axis; Linear garage door openers; Philips Hue lighting; DSC alarms; and other devices.
“This product is going to further accelerate Fibaro’s mission of providing our customers with a complete connected home experience,” said Rich Bira, managing director of Fibaro USA.
The solid aluminum Home Center 2 can be controlled from within the house or remotely by the company’s smartphone/tablet application, which can be controlled by voice. The app also features GPS integration for geo-fencing. Remote access is also available through a secure website or VPN.
Fibaro plans to add additional features and will expand the hub’s list of compatible devices.
The hub features Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor and 1GB RAM to “ensure quick communication between all system devices,” the company said. The hub also incorporates 2GB SLC hard drive and 4GB MLC Recover Disc.
Other features include an open API and a developer website to create custom integration scenarios.
Compared to hubs intended for DIY installation, the Home Center 2 offers an “extremely fast engine,” custom drivers, diagnostic tools, in-depth energy monitoring that shows the top five devices using the most energy and their energy costs, and a master-follower configuration, which enables multiple gateways to be connected and lets one gateway send commands to another gateway in large homes and commercial buildings.
