San Ramon, Calif. – Internet Home Alliance announced today a strategic relationship with the television show , Bob Vila’s Home Again.
According to a statement from the Alliance, the show will ‘demonstrate the value the Internet has on daily living’ The show will highlight the installation of several integrated home technology solutions from Alliance companies such as Cisco Systems, Inc., General Motors, Panasonic, and Sears, Roebuck and Co.
The series will highlight two homes, a new home under construction in Quechee Lake, Vt. and a 100-year-old Victorian undergoing substantial renovation in Medford, Mass. Airing this month, the shows will provide consumers with information on how to choose, access and maintain their own ‘connected’ home. Extensive ‘how-to’ segments will also appear throughout the season on BobVila.com.
Bob Vila’s Home Again, reaches approximately eight million households each season through national syndication. A major focus of the show’s 2001-2002 season will be the installation of Internet-enabled solutions from members of Internet Home Alliance in the two New England homes.
Examples include:
·A comprehensive home networking infrastructure with advanced broadband connectivity, structured wiring and wireless networking services from Cisco, Home Director, Panasonic and Sears. The companies will install and integrate the technology that will allow a television producer and an artist who both work at home to send and receive high-definition video files, post digital images of the artist’s work on the Web and conduct videoconferences with business contacts and multiple family members.
·A two-way, DirecDuo satellite system from Hughes that will allow homeowners to surf the Web, send e-mail and order movies from a home in a remote location with limited access to broadband cable and DSL. General Motors will provide its OnStar Virtual Advisor service, which utilizes the Global Positioning System, to help the family obtain directions, make hotel reservations and find the nearest gas station without leaving their car;
· A central interface provided by Qubit Technology that allows for one-touch control all of the systems of the house. Through a series of graphical interfaces displayed on Qubit’s wireless Orbit Web tablet, a homeowner can press a variety of buttons to create specific environments in the home. Pressing ‘Home,’ prompts the lights to come on, the thermostat to turn up and the radio to switch on, while pressing ‘Away’ reverses those steps.
· A home security system from ADT that blends high-tech security, home control and Internet information. In addition to protection from home intrusion, the ADT iCenter system allows touch screen control of lighting and operates as a source of Internet information, including weather and headline news updates. Remote access to the system is provided through ADT’s Web site via a standard Web browser either from the office or the road.
· An integrated entertainment system from Panasonic that allows homeowners to watch TV and DVDs or listen to CDs and satellite music channels from any room in the house, all while enjoying surround-sound audio and cinema-quality pictures.
· A remote controlled HVAC management system from Honeywell that allows homeowners to control the temperature of their home from any touch-tone telephone or via the Internet. This system, in combination with Kenmore Elite energy efficient appliances from Sears, will allow homeowners to conserve their energy consumption.
