Schlage Connected Home Solutions, a division of Ingersoll Rand Residential Solutions, is preparing to introduce its LiNK Home Management System in Canada. The do-it-yourself system allows door locks, security cameras, thermostats and lighting modules to be controlled remotely over the Internet from a computer or cell phone.

A starter kit, which retails for approximately CDN$330, consists of a bridge that attaches to the residence's network router, a wireless door lock (deadbolt and lever versions are available), and a wireless lighting module. Schlage offers additional devices, including wired and wireless security cameras (US$149 and $179 respectively), a Trane remote thermostat (US$149), additional lighting modules (US$49), and additional wireless door locks (US$199). The LiNK system is built around Z-Wave wireless technology, and will work with Z-Wave devices from other vendors, for example Cooper and GE lighting-control products and Electronic Solutions' shade controllers. A Schlage LiNK system can support up to 232 Z-Wave devices.

The bridge enables wireless control of all Z-Wave devices in the home from any Internet-connected PC. Users log into a portal that shows all the Z-Wave devices in their home. From the portal, they can view output from security cameras, unlock doors, adjust thermostats, and turn on lights remotely. The system can also be controlled from an Apple iPhone or RIM BlackBerry, or just about any phone that has a data plan. Greg Baldauf, Business Development Manager for Schlage Connected Home Solutions, says LiNK has been verified to work with between 300 and 350 phones, including handsets sold by Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless and Telus Mobility. A master account can include multiple homes, for example a vacation property or parent's condo in addition to the primary residence. The monthly fee for remote access of the LiNK system is US12.99.

The LiNK system has been available in the U.S. for over a year through retailers such as Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse and Radio Shack corporate and franchise stores. It is also being offered by some homebuilders in the U.S. Currently, LiNK currently has only limited distribution in Canada, through tigerdirect.ca. But Schlage is now turning its sights northward.

"We are actively targeting Canada," Baldauf told Marketnews. "We are talking to major hardware and electronics chains, and next week will be meeting with a large builder in Western Canada." Schlage is developing bilingual packaging for its LiNK products. Currently, the monitoring site is English-only. However, users can give French names for the Z-Wave devices on a LiNK account if they wish. Baldauf says Schlage expects to have a multi-lingual version of the site in the second half of 2010, and hopes to offer monthly billing in Canadian dollars in the same timeframe.

Article Tags:  schlage, ingersoll, rand, DIY, automation, security, z-wave, remote, iphone, blackberry, lock, deadbolt, GE, LiNK, Trane, thermostat, Baldauf, bell, rogers, telus