Connecting to the Future

Not that long ago “home automation” meant a three-way switch for the hall light, and the “media center” was the TV coax cable drilled up through the living room floor. Those days are long gone. Today an explosion of interest is occurring in all things that make up the “connected home” — security and surveillance systems, automatic lighting, hvac control, household entertainment systems, computer networks with shared broadband Internet access, automated appliances, and home office equipment, to name just a few. The connected home market is predicted to grow from $1.4 billion in 2001 to $9.2 billion in 2006. NAHB reports that a quarter of new homes are already being built with