ADT collaborates with LG to create DIY security hub

Security giant ADT partnered with LG to craft a new DIY security solution for customers. The Smart Security Hub was developed by LG and will be marketed by ADT later this year.

The device, designed to be the control center for smart homes, incorporates a night vision camera and motion sensors. It can be managed via an app on a tablet or smartphone. The smart hub can communicate through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Z-Wave and ZigBee, making it as platform-agnostic as possible in an age of competing standards. The model also integrates light, temperature, humidity and pressure sensors. Optional home monitoring and video hosting services will be provided by ADT.

Among the interesting aspects of the device are what it does not have. According to CE Pro, the unit does not appear to have a backup battery, onboard storage or a cellular radio. This makes it dependent on an outside solution (ADT, for example, or a local NAS server) for video storage. ADT's CEO, Naren Gursahaney, expressed that the vision for the device is to allow ADT to reach renter markets where traditionally security providers had little to no traction.

As the DIY home security market expands, this model is likely to be more common; security monitoring firms focusing on services while selling hardware as close to margin as possible. This has the potential to open up the market for IP cameras and IP access control systems significantly, especially if the hardware is platform-agnostic.