Smart Home Leader Nexia™ Emphasizes Reliability Over Novelty

LAS VEGAS, January 5, 2016 /3BL Media/ – While some companies dabble in color-changing light bulbs or stand-alone devices, smart home system leader Nexia™, a brand of Ingersoll Rand® (NYSE:IR), said the key to success is delivering reliable, secure and functional technologies that work together to make life easier and more convenient.

All of Nexia’s new product and exciting feature announcements at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas support that goal of making a smart home an easy, useful, and cost efficient part of everyone’s daily life.

“A lot of gadgets profess to be helpful for the smart home but instead make many people wonder when they would ever use them,” said George Land, general manager of Nexia. “Our goal is to continue developing and advancing smart home solutions that fit into the rhythm of most people’s daily lives, solving everyday problems, and that work as promised month after month, year after year.”

That’s why the nation’s top homebuilders choose Nexia to outfit their new homes with energy- and labor-saving devices that allow homebuyers to manage everything from the garage door and sprinklers to the thermostat and door locks – all from a smartphone. The best builders know that Nexia’s products are proven and backed by one of the most reputable home products companies in the world. And Nexia does it without harvesting personal data.

Unlike many start-ups whose financial instability has left customers with high-tech doorstops, Nexia is one of the oldest and most established smart-home pioneers with nearly a decade of experience with systems in hundreds of thousands of homes. When combined with its network of more than 10,000 independent Trane® and American Standard® heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) dealers, Nexia has one of the most robust support and service organizations of any smart-home company.

As the leader in smart home technology, Nexia is able to develop advanced and innovative products that go well beyond being able to switch lights on from the couch. For example, Nexia is the only smart-home platform to offer thermostats with continuous diagnostic capability – keeping a virtual eye on your HVAC system and allowing small maintenance issues to be addressed before they become costly repairs.

Nexia also uses the secure Z-Wave standard to manage and automate a variety of proven smart-home products from top brands such as Trane, American Standard, General Electric, Schlage®, Kwikset, First Alert®, and Fibaro. Nexia also integrates seamlessly with other smart home solutions, such as Pella® and Andersen® in the windows, doors, and blinds category to Rachio, the maker of smart irrigation systems. And in addition to free mobile apps for Apple and Android users, Nexia just announced an update for Windows 10 users that makes Nexia one of Microsoft’s top smart-home apps.

“For a home to be truly smart, it must adapt to the changing needs of the homeowner and run on its own in the background,” said Land. “With the targeted innovations announced at CES, Nexia continues to simplify and automate many aspects of daily life. This gives Nexia users more time to do the things they enjoy with the peace of mind that Nexia has them – and their home—covered.”

At CES, Nexia is announcing:

• Voice and Amazon Echo integration to allow hands-free control of your entire home. Users can talk right to their smartphone to execute all their programmed automations or control individual devices, giving them greater versatility and access than through Siri or other virtual assistants. With Amazon Echo, users can ask the hugely popular device to act as another easy-to-use way to control their smart home and control major household systems with simple voice commands.
• An online portal that allows owners to monitor their HVAC systems in real time as well as provide in depth diagnostic data about their HVAC systems to the dealer. The consumer portal expands Nexia’s unique diagnostic capabilities. Currently, Nexia customers can authorize installers and dealers to remotely monitor their HVAC system and alert the owner to potential issues before they become costly repairs. Now, customers themselves will have unprecedented access to data about how the most expensive system in their home is operating.
• Upgraded Windows app for the all-new Windows 10 operating system. Nexia’s app is one of Microsoft’s top smart-home apps for Windows 10 – built on Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform allowing the app to run across all Windows 10 devices, no matter the form factor.
• Expanded home security offerings, including:
  
  • A new Nexia outdoor wireless HD camera for Nexia users that offers an increased viewing angle of up to 110 degrees with 720p HD resolution and the ability to withstand even the coldest winter nights – an onboard heater keeps the camera working below zero.
  • A new Nexia indoor wireless camera with pan, tilt and zoom capability to give users expanded 140-degree field of vision viewing capability with a 4-megapixel sensor and 1080p HD resolution.
  • The Nexia Doorbell Sensor that easily installs inside a doorbell chime and can alert Nexia users the moment the doorbell is rung to trigger automations such as switching on the porch lights or activating an outdoor camera – or simply getting a mobile alert to let you know when a delivery driver rang.
  • Enhanced compatibility with Yale and Kwikset Z-Wave locks that offers the ability to manage user codes and additional features such as Nexia automations and modes.
• Enhanced focus on water damage prevention and water savings with products such as:
  
  • Leak Gopher, which comes with a National Sanitation Foundation-approved electronic water valve that can be installed on any water line to allow water to be turned on or off at the touch of a button. Leak Gopher can protect the home or turn on the water for the flowers during vacations.
  • GoControl® Smart Flow Detector that provides whole-house monitoring of water flow to alert users of potentially catastrophic water leaks like slab leaks, cracked pipes or a chronically running faucet.
  • Fibaro Flood Sensor with a stylish all-white design that makes it perfect in a laundry room or bathroom with unique telescoping probes to detect unwanted water on uneven surfaces.
  • FortrezZ water sensor and valve to detect water leaks and automatically shut off water flow to minimize damage. The devices can be integrated into Nexia Automations that send an automatic alert to users when a leak is detected or when water is shut off.
  • Rachio’s Iro Smart Sprinkler Controller to give Nexia and Rachio users expanded control over their properties with the ability to remotely monitor and operate outdoor irrigation. Integration of Iro as a Nexia-certified device enables Nexia users to potentially save more than 30% of their outdoor water usage. Nexia users can turn their irrigation on and off remotely from their smartphone and incorporate Iro into their Nexia Automations. They may also qualify for Water Sense rebates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• The new Nexia One Touch controller that allows users to manage all their connected home devices even without a smart phone or computer. The home controller can be mounted on a wall or used as a portable remote to control Nexia-powered automations, modes and individual device actions.
• And, of course, Nexia also supports color-changing light bulbs with the Zipato color-control LED bulbs to enhance other system functions. For example, the bulb integrates seamlessly into Nexia automations and allows you to establish visual cues- such as turning red if the front door is left ajar- or adjusting the color temperature automatically to reduce blue light near bedtime to aid with sleep. The dimmable bulbs offer five adjustable color channels – red, green, blue, warm white and cold white – that are programmable and controllable through Nexia.

About Nexia
Nexia is a leading smart home system and a brand of Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR). Powered primarily by secure Z-Wave and WiFi technology, Nexia allows users to expand their systems with hundreds of devices from some of the nation’s top manufacturers – including Schlage, General Electric, Andersen and Pella – to create a truly smart home that adjusts to busy lives. For more information, visit www.nexiahome.com.

About Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) advances the quality of life by creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments. Our people and our family of brands— including Club Car®, Ingersoll Rand®, Thermo King® and Trane® —work together to enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings; transport and protect food and perishables; and increase industrial productivity and efficiency. We are a $13 billion global business committed to a world of sustainable progress and enduring results. For more information, visit www.ingersollrand.com.