Nice has officially released its NiceOS 8.9 software update adding, among a plethora of other features, an all-new Nice voice assistant that aims to act as a native, natural language voice assistant for smart home automation and control. The newer software update also comes with upgraded hardware for the Nice Home Management platform.

The new features of the platform will be showcased at CEDIA Expo 2024, alongside several other new products from Nice.

“We are especially excited to exhibit at this year’s CEDIA Expo as we work diligently to focus on and strengthen our core business, which aims to deliver the most reliable home and building management solutions to end-users,” said Paul Williams, Managing Director of the Nice Home Management Business Unit.

“The release of the NiceOS 8.9, new Nice voice assistant, and several key hardware launches aid us in our mission to offer products and solutions that simplify everyday movements for our customers.”

Nice Voice Assistant Adds to the Growing Push for Native Voice Control

With the latest upgrade, Nice joins the growing push by smart home systems to develop more personalized systems through the use of voice assistants and natural language learning.

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Built from the ground up on the Nice platform, Nice voice assistant offers user control over their media, cameras, climate, lighting, security, and more with something as intuitive as their voice.

According to the company, installers can set up interfaces so that they are associated with a location or a media zone, allowing users to issue a command without an explicit location or unique device name and have the Nice voice assistant process what location they are in.

Nice voice assistant can be enabled on Nice ITP touch panels and HR40 remotes to unlock a new world of effortless control. Additionally, Nice notes that with frequent over-the-air updates, Nice voice assistant is constantly evolving, learning new languages, and expanding its capabilities to advance smart home experiences.

Voice control has long been the holy grail for smart home control, as in the realm of “intuitive and simple to understand controls” nothing is more natural than one’s own voice. The biggest limitation, however, has been the fact that machines don’t think or speak like humans do, and, as a result, an intuitive command for a human being, isn’t so intuitive for the software.

That has broadly changed since the introduction of AI, which at least to some degree, allows the computer to think more contextually when it comes to those commands. Josh.AI has long leveraged this capability in its own product, while Google has just recently begun integrating Bard AI into its own voice assistant for similar uses. And now, so is Nice.

New Hardware Updates Add Facial Recognition, Bluetooth Low Energy

Alongside these updates, Nice is adding in support for the Nice SC350 and Nice SC150 System Controllers. The former is a new flagship controller that replaces the current SC-300 controller with a faster processor and H.265 video codec support to handle 4K decoding and a4K output on HDMI port for high-res NVR playback. The latter replaces the current SC-100 controller with a faster processor and H.265 video codec support which can handle 4K decoding and 4K output on the HDMI port for high-res NVR playback.

Adding to the personalization factor, Nice is also making it so that customized interfaces and settings can ‘follow’ a user across devices. The company is also adding facial recognition capabilities alongside a Bluetooth low energy beacon for enhanced security purposes.

The update also includes extended drivers with AppleTV, Roku, Phillips Hue, Tesla Power Wall (Solar), Fronius Solar Inverter, and ELK E27 IP (security panel) for seamless integration across favoured devices.

Nice is also debuting a new video doorbell alongside enhancements to its touch panel interfaces, which sees them getting fitted with a faster processor to help them process commands quicker.

The Nice video doorbell features a wide angle, high-definition camera, a customizable RGB lit push button, angled mounting adaptors, and customizable input / outputs for expanded integration. Two models are available, a PoE / Wi-Fi version and a 2-wire model available for retrofit applications. Built for Nice Home Management systems, Nice claims the doorbell increases quality and speed of support for installs and enables dealers to generate greater profits by combining solutions.

The NiceOS 8.9 software, Nice voice assistant, and new hardware will be showcased at the Nice booth #2528 at CEDIA Expo 2024 from September 5-7 in Denver, CO.

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