Smart home technology has become a popular option for everyone, not just the wealthy and technologically adept. The tech industry has responded with ever more sophisticated solutions. Many people are familiar with smart home bizcrisis.net/how-to-choose-home-security-system technology through gadgets like Google’s Nest or Amazon’s Echo however it encompasses many other solutions for your house. This includes everything from remote-controlled lighting and heating to CCTV, home safety systems doorbells, and smart locks. Some let you keep tabs on children, elderly relatives and pets as well as monitor electricity or water use; and more.

Integration is the main ingredient in a good smart home system. This is why the most effective devices are those that can work with other devices and systems to make your home more intelligent. A smart light bulb, for instance can communicate with an centralized hub to set your lights on a schedule or turn them off when leaving the home. A video doorbell can warn you of unexpected visitors and your alarm system could notify the police or fire departments. Once you’ve got the hang of the IFTTT (If this then that) service, you can use services such as Stringify to automate devices in more complicated ways.

Of course, bringing in new smart devices into the home has its own set of issues. That’s why CNET strives to know the privacy policies of the companies, highlight concerns and direct questions to the companies concerned.