All Articles Tagged 2gig

Julie Jacobson | 05/09 11:51 AM, 6 Comments

Almost since its inception, 2Gig’s self-contained security and home automation system has worked exclusively with Alarm.com for remote monitoring and control. Now there is another option based on the cloud-based platform from iControl. The new offering, called Telguard HomeControl (press release), employs a cellular radio from Telguard, a division of Telular Corp., and back-end services from iControl—the same platform that powers ADT Pulse (but not the same version behind Comcast/Xfinity, Time Warner Cable, Cox and other cable service providers also served by iControl). 2Gig will create new versions of its… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 02/15 09:39 AM, 2 Comments

Nortek Inc. (Nasdaq: NTK) is acquiring 2Gig Technologies, possibly the fastest-growing home automation and home security manufacturer in recent history, for about $135 million. 2Gig will be folded into Nortek subsidiary Linear LLC, provider of home security, garage door openers, commercial access controls, PERS and other electronic systems. In addition to Linear, Nortek owns the Core Brands of home technology companies including Elan Home Systems, SpeakerCraft, Niles Audio, Xantech and Panamax/Furman. The 2Gig acquisition comes about five months after 2Gig was acquired, along with its biggest customer Vivint, by the… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 12/31 11:29 AM, 0 Comments

Some important mergers and acquisitions in the custom electronics industry occurred in 2012. It wasn’t the biggest year in M&As for the industry, but it was a significant one, as some of the most iconic brands—including LiteTouch, HAI and Thiel—were snapped up by insiders and outside investors. In addition, some of the industry faithfuls left their day jobs to launch new companies. Below are some of the notable acquisitions and start-ups of 2012, complementing our feature story: “Biggest CE Stories of 2012.” Thiel Acquired by Outside Investors. It’s the end… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 10/04 08:26 AM, 19 Comments

Countless home-control start-ups have touted their new technologies as “disruptive” (most recently Utz Baldwin’s new company Ube), but is that what we really need to achieve widespread adoption of home automation? I don’t think so. As with Ube, we’ve seen many promising new companies with affordable, easy-to-use, simple-to-install products, but none of them has achieved the critical mass that Ube is seeking – some 4 million users within five years. Some of the inhibitors do relate to technology and price points (the subject of my editorial in the November issue… View this story

Jason Knott | 09/06 12:37 AM, 0 Comments

Vivint, the giant home security and home automation service provider, is on the auction block, Reuters reports. The Provo, Utah, company (originally called APX Security), is famous for its door-to-door sales methods, which have helped the business grow to about 600,000 accounts in just 12 years. Each account pays from $50 per month for basic security to $69 for home automation that includes cameras, lights, thermostats, door locks and other gear. The company almost single-handedly put the security/automation vendor 2Gig Technologies on the map, switching to that provider in 2010.… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 04/02 09:16 AM, 4 Comments

2Gig, which sells more than 300,000 self-contained security panels per year, is adding a unique feature to its Go!Control systems: built-in DVR capabilities. The company demonstrated the solution during the International Security Conference (ISC West 2012) in Las Vegas. A self-contained security panel is one that includes the security processor, keypad/interface, sensor hub, back-up battery and (usually) built-in GSM module for cellular communications with the central station. Normally, all that is needed is a power source. In addition, most self-contained panels today also include home automation capabilities, with built-in Z-Wave… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 02/28 08:20 AM, 7 Comments

Alarm.com, one of the original providers of cloud-based home automation, is introducing perhaps the smartest thermostat ever, the new “Smart Schedule” system. It learns the comings and goings of the family and adjusts the temperature automatically based on a household’s activity patterns. “For most households, we’re able to put together a pretty accurate profile,” says Alison Slavin, co-founder and VP product management for Alarm.com, which was founded in 2000 and now boasts about 1 million monitored accounts. Only thing is, this “smart thermostat” isn’t a hockey puck on the wall.… View this story

Jason Knott | 02/27 07:21 AM, 5 Comments

Security manufacturer 2Gig Technologies has issued a voluntary product safety recall GSM radio modules contained in some of its Go!Control panels in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) due to potential fire or burn hazard . The CPSC says 40,000 units are in the field and to date there are "22 reports of the product overheating including three reports of minor smoke, heat or fire damage to the wall where the panel is mounted." No injuries have been reported. The GSM modules in question were sold between December… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 01/05 08:58 AM, 0 Comments

Self-contained systems is one of CE Pro's Top 5 Home Technology Opportunities for 2012. We will be profiling each trend over the next week as part of our State of the Industry Report. Once upon a time there was a strict dichotomy between security and automation systems. The two must remain separate but integrated, it has been argued, in order to maintain the integrity of the security system. But in 2011 we saw an explosion of self-contained systems that blur the line between security and other home technologies, integrating all… View this story

Julie Jacobson | 07/19 07:44 AM, 4 Comments

Verizon demonstrated a home automation and security solution at CES 2011, but the telco hasn’t said much since January. Now it appears we have a price for Verizon Home Monitoring and Control, which is powered by Motorola 4Home: $9.99 per month for basic service. The Tampa Tribune reports that Verizon will offer three levels of service, with the basic package enabling remote monitoring and control of cameras and Z-Wave devices (lighting, motorized door locks, appliances). A second option includes “energy-monitoring gadgets like automatic thermostats, special Wi-Fi adapters that control appliances… View this story