Homebuilder Lennar Corp. and Ring LLC, a smart home company owned by Amazon Inc., announced Lennar Communities Connected by Ring, a suite of connected home products in new Lennar homes managed by the Ring app. Lennar Communities Connected by Ring enhances The Connected Home by Lennar with a customer experience that aims to set a new industry standard for how communities are built and enjoyed.
The goal is to provide peace of mind managed in one app, said Stuart Miller, Lennar’s executive chairman, and to put together these connected technologies in a way that simplifies life for homeowners, rather complicating it. Miller said he hopes this sets a new standard for the home building industry.
“Technology and innovation are a core focus of Lennar’s homebuilding and financial services platforms,” he said. “Technology permeates every aspect of our lives, and our goal in building it into our homes is to enhance the way families live for years to come.”
Jamie Siminoff, founder and chief inventor at Ring, said he has never been really fond of the term “smart home.” Siminoff views what they do as creating better neighborhoods. He said consumers want their home to do more for them. This project delivers more to the customer than anything he’s seen before.
“By building entire communities of connected homes, we are able to bring neighbors together like never before. This collaboration offers an opportunity for homebuyers to live in a home that is designed to adapt specifically to their unique needs while enabling a connected experience across the entire community.”
For example, the Honeywell Home smart thermostat allows a homeowner to adjust the home’s temperature from anywhere. Dave Quam, global connected services director at Resideo, said the app uses a simple interface so consumers can control their environment around their schedule. They can also avoid problems before they develop.
“We believe that having a smart home means more than having a few connected devices,” Quam said. “Rather, a smart home can help diagnose an issue in a critical appliances (furnace or air conditioner) before it fails, saving the homeowner from costly operation or repairs.”
The Flo by Moen system that comes with the Lennar Communities Connected by Ring provides this kind of peace of mind, as well. It measures water use to detect leaks. It can automatically turn off the water to the home if a leak or risk is detected.
“We’re really there to prevent the leading preventable cause of home damage every year,” said Gabriel Halimi, cofounder and CEO of Flo Technologies. “If you haven’t experienced this yourself, you probably know somebody who has.”
Quam said the Honeywell Home thermostat also helps prevent water damage by allowing homeowners to turn up the heat no matter where they are. As a result, they can vacation on a tropical beach and not have to worry about frozen pipes back home.
One of the biggest challenges for smart homes is ensuring the Wi-Fi functions to connect all these systems. That’s why Eero is another partner. Nate Hardison, chief product officer and cofounder at Eero, said the company works to ensure every part of a home has access to Wi-Fi.
“It’s ready for to go from day one,” Hardison said.
Another major consumer concern about connected devices in security and privacy. Hardison said Eero constantly adds security patches to ensure only authorized users have access. The company also offers a subscription plan that allows Eero to monitor end devices.
“We’re very committed to making your home were you feel safe and you can have trust in it,” Hardison said.
The goal of all these products, Miller said, is the same: simplifying homeownership so consumers can do what they truly care about in their houses and spend time with their families. He said this is only the start, and Lennar looks forward to adding more innovations in the years to come.
“Our partners are the tip of the spear of innovation,” Miller said.