The new product lineup includes a second-generation Smart Lock, a Smart Keypad and a Smart Doorbell Camera.
Advertisement
The new August Access platform is perhaps the boldest move of all.
The Smart Keypad is a small numbered keyboard that gives you code access into your home.
First off there’s a HomeKit upgrade for the August Smart Lock, along with a few aesthetic and usability tweaks. “Today we’re unveiling the next major step in our mission to deliver a complete system to manage, monitor, and control home access from anywhere”. Motion detection capabilities capture movement even when the bell is not rung, sending a notification, and a livestream of activity can be viewed using the August app. All three products connect to the August Access platform, which is available today in beta form. Sears, Postmates, Pro.com, Handy, Fetch, Shyp, BloomNation, Envoy, Rinse, HelloAlfred, Wag!, Pillow, and Doorman are the first eleven companies to promise support: their delivery personnel will be able to drop off or collect items through an August Smart Lock secured door without the home-owner needing to be around.
“As the nation’s largest home services provider, our Sears technicians visit more than 14 million homes each year to install, maintain and fix homes and appliances”. This year, August is beefing up its Smart Lock by enabling it with Apple’s HomeKit, meaning you’ll be able to use Siri to lock or unlock your door. August, the firm that came up with the Smart Lock, announced that it has made a system called Access that allows service providers to come in our home even when you’re not there. Ideal for friends, family, or trusted service providers, unique codes can be auto-generated for one-time or regular use. The device is slim and discreet so it can be easily placed near the entryway or hidden away. August claims that the battery-operated pad can be self-installed in ten minutes or less. It is equipped with a one-way, 140 degree HD video camera and two-way audio to ensure privacy. When a visitor rings the smart doorbell, it initiates a one-way video that appears on the August app, and allows the homeowner to remotely buzz the visitor in.
Like SkyBell, August’s Doorbell Cam has to be hardwired, but its square design probably won’t fit on a lot of doorframes, where many existing wiring setups are located.
Effectively, it’s integration between delivery services from third-party providers and the August entry system.
“There are still many challenges that customers and service providers face when it comes to simple, secure home access”, said August co-founder and CEO Jason Johnson. The information would be provided to users in real time and users will even be able to see who is at the door and speak with them through the August Doorbell Cam, which means users can go to work with the peace of heart without having to skip work for trivial household chores. Apple Stores will carry the new hardware once available. The existing August Smart Lock is now available for $199.
Advertisement
As for August Access, it’s the company’s attempt to do for home entry management what Hue did for smart lighting, or Nest has done for smart thermostats. “All of these products will have to find ways to work together and integrate into people’s lives”.
