By now, you probably know at least one friend or family member who has a smart device or smart home system in their house. And perhaps your interest has been piqued by the convenience and ease with which your friends can control their home lighting, temperature, door locks, surveillance cameras, entertainment systems and more, all from their smartphones.

Now you and your family are ready to give home automation a try. But with hundreds of smart devices and systems to choose from, you may not know where to begin in your Waco, TX, home. One of the great things about smart home technology is that it’s very scalable — you can start with one device or system and work your way up as you gain familiarity with the technology.

Keep reading to learn two recommendations for smart home beginners!

While thankfully not everyday occurrences, emergency, and critical situations arise at schools. Whether it’s a weather emergency, a malfunctioning school system or power outage, a dangerous intruder, or something else, it’s essential that communication to students, teachers, and staff be clear, concise, accurate, and provide instructions on what to do.

One way to ensure your Austin, Texas school is ready to cope with challenging events is with an emergency notification system that uses various communication technologies to clearly communicate with all constituencies for fast precautions and actions. Keep reading for several ways these systems can prevent a challenging situation from becoming a dangerous one.

In the U.S., companies spend a very significant $15 billion on video surveillance operations. Yet, according to a recent global survey by Forbes, most of them monitor fewer than 50% of their valuable assets.

Why the disparity? The main reason is that traditional video surveillance systems rely on older analog technology. The management consoles don’t integrate well with other security tools and systems. And human operation for surveillance leads to fatigue and missed security breaches.

At ASAP Security Services, we strive to offer Texas organizations the best security technology solutions that provide high-performance with high ROI. One of our premier partners is Avigilon, which offers state-of-the-art security solutions that are sharper and smarter than others. Read on to see how Avigilon solutions can offer your Houston company the protection it needs for today's security challenges.

Want to upgrade your house to a smart home? Start with the lights. Installing smart lighting is an effective and popular way to add luxury and convenience to your life. Most homeowners have a lighting system that is merely functional, not room enhancing. Even if you have a lighting design that showcases your sense of style, it may not be a “smart” system.

Lighting automation addresses both form and function. It helps you achieve the perfect look for your home in Austin, TX, while giving you complete lighting control by touching an icon on your smart tablet. You can also set scenes to achieve the perfect brightness and hue for different areas in your home. Keep reading to learn how smart lighting helps you see your home in a new light.