Overview of cloud technologies in Smart Homes While Smart Homes are not mainstream yet, they’re gradually gaining momentum. In order to understand what position cloud occupies in smart technologies and Internet of Things development, let’s brush up how cloud technologies actually operate in Home Automation. In Smart Homes, there are multiple sensors (temperature, humidity & illumination, for instance) and as many switches that are sensitive to them. These sensors send data to the central controller, a head unit, which processes data upon receipt. That’s where operating scenario takes place. At this point, user interaction is required and carried out through complicated for configuration user interface (UI). That effectively means that there are a couple of possible options for updating. The first option offers to deploy the configuration interface into the controller. A more powerful controller would be required for that purpose. While multiple controller families regularly appear in the market and there is a need to release firmware a couple of times a week, a user has no choice but to set it. This option is notably uncomfortable both for users and for developers. The second option offers to use a cloud server. By logging into the account, a user gets a chance to make all the necessary configurations. There is solely one chosen cloud server for a user, and it is regularly updated at a lower cost. After a user saves configurations, they are internally sent to the controller, which commences working under the set configurations. This means that a user is hardly involved in the process of configuring the controller. Pavel Shylenok, CTO at R-Style Lab, has shared his thoughts on the usage of cloud computing in Smart Home technologies and shared his opinion on possible directions of its development.
Q: What are the main pros of cloud-based Home Automation? Pavel:
Pavel: I find these pros quite questionable with a smack of a clever PR stunt.
Pavel: Today cloud Home Automation enjoys wide application as it appears to be of greater advantage for a developer rather than for a user. Cloud services are provided by multiple organizations. In my opinion, developers are going to abandon front-end software production for their smart things in 10-year perspective. They are going to start integration with such systems as Apple’s HomeKit, Homeassistant.io and IFTTT.com, just to name a few, and the whole system will develop towards unification and independence. Thus, at the present stage, application of cloud technologies in this niche is inevitable for a greater evolution of the system. However, the system is going to gain greater self-sufficiency and integrateability with third-party components. Are you ready for the moment when your Smart Home stops being smart? Are you ready to start paying extra for the use of the cloud server? Those are the right questions to ask and to be answered.
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