Lowe's AlertMe System

[terry]

I don't know whether any of you have read about the Lowe's system iris which is launching in America.

it's made by AlertMe for Lowe's according to information, and their system has heating control and a keypad.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-32971_3-57475 ... hare=bc232

Really gets on your nerves doesn't it. We need to pay £200 for that heating control to get it from BG and get it installed, yet over in the US they get in their package.

[roobarb!]

The pricing difference is certainly irritating, but I think it's fantastic that a big company like Lowes is piling in to this and doing it properly. They've obviously hooked up with AlertMe, specified a real end-to-end product lineup which AlertMe have produced for them and they're (hopefully) going to be selling large numbers of them. The price to the end user is entirely down to the supplier - Lowes are going for a very reasonable pricing structure, while British Gas obviously think they can get away with a higher cost. BG sell some of the AlertMe components at a higher cost than AlertMe themselves!

You need to check out the product lineup for Iris here: http://www.lowes.com/iris. There are some brilliant components that I'd really hoped would come out at some point, but British Gas are taking the slow-and-steady approach. Such as proper lightswitches that you fit as replacements to your wall switches. And mains sockets, too. And some nice little tweaks to familiar components. I even spied proper timer settings in the new Iris interface.

It's all down to the partners now, unless AlertMe fancy taking a more central role in selling their own kit to end users again. The trick is, are AlertMe tied into exclusive contracts with Lowes and British Gas? I hope not, and that one day we'll see similar offerings over here.

[roobarb!]

And there are videos too: http://www.lowes.com/cd_Iris+Video+Center_1339427453484_

[terry]

It's not so much the cost (even though I certainly wouldn't pay £200) it's the fact that they've made a completely separate system for the heating.

British Gas have said that the heating system will work with their Safe & Secure system soon, unfortunately AlertMe aren't saying the same.

I had a watch of their videos earlier, really do hope they'll come here at some point.

I have been speaking with AlertMe and although I'm not able to say too much, AlertMe will continue selling to end users and are not tied into British Gas over here.

[phil4]

I love the fact Iris is all heavily about security.... yep that think that AlertMe seemed to abandon in favour of going green. Good to see someone else thinks security is a good use of it too, I hope AlertMe pay attention.

[BobbyBrownPants]

I posted on the AlertMe Facebook feed about a self install of the Heating Control but it got deleted. A post then appeared telling users that British Gas will support Ad-Hoc installs of the heating control but it will be very expensive compared to having it installed alongside a new boiler.

I wonder if British Gas have paid AlertMe to allow them to have a monopoly on the heating control?