A look at the Xfinity Comcast 'Home of the Future'
When Dennis Mathew, Vice President Xfinity Home Product and Comcast Cable, greets you at the door with a big smile and a firm handshake, something great is right around the corner, and it was on Tuesday, July 6, 2016, as a tour was offered at the "Comcast Xfinity Home of the Future" in Atlanta.
The nondescript two-story home adjacent to the Ansley Golf Club in Atlanta appeared normal enough, with the only giveaway being the Xfinity/Comcast van parked in front of the abode.
It's all by design added Mathew as Xfinity/Comcast is making it a point to keep things easy and simple. That includes keeping features like a keypad in the mix for customers that want familiar technology to fall back on.
The home, an actual home with a family living in it, was equipped with all the latest Xfinity Home and Comcast bells and whistles, with a focus on home security. They lay out their case by mentioning stats from August Home, and that the market for home security and automation is expected to double in the next 12 months to 30 million households.
It's true, home security is hot right now, and who doesn't want a safe home? The Home of the Future featured the new Xfinity Home xCam, which features improved Wi-Fi functionality, indoor/outdoor usage and a 24/7 motion detection monitoring service to keep tabs on your family’s safety. For $9.95/month, customers can even get 10 days of cloud storage of what their cameras record.
The tour also offered a chance to see how Xfinity Home users can control all smart home functions from a single app.This includes the ability to receive a notification for situations including, but not limited to: when the door is unlocked to track if the dog walker showed up, check via video if your child returned home from school, turning the lights on because it’s starting to get darker earlier and many other tasks that can assist your family as a whole.
Another great feature of the app and the system as a complete unit is that Xfinity/Comcast wants customer feedback. They make it easy to give feedback through the app and Mathew says they are listening.
"Listening" might be the key to getting more and more households up and running with home security and home automation kits. They do serve a purpose and Mathew says Xifinity Home will only partner with a couple dozen companies that make the best products that fit customer's needs. The Home of the Future in Atlanta was wired or should I say, "wireless" and seamless in it's operation. Home security and running your home through an app has turned the corner in terms of use, user interface and performance. There will be other corners to turn and mazes to navigate, but Xfinity/Comcast is playing tour guide and helping its customers stay safe plan for the future.
