News

First Alert Home Safety Products to Incorporate Smarthome's INSTEON Technology (16/11/2005)

Partnership Provides the First Home Control Interconnected Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Smarthome(TM), the world's leading authority in electronic home improvement and automation, and First Alert(R) part of the Jarden Corporation (NYSE:JAH), today announced that First Alert will incorporate Smarthome's INSTEON technology in a new line of home safety products, enabling these devices to be integrated into an INSTEON home control network.

INSTEON delivers a dual-band (powerline and radio frequency) true mesh networking technology optimized for home management and control. INSTEON simply, affordably and reliably links together core home systems such as lighting, security, comfort control, consumer electronics, appliances and safety sensors for remote monitoring and control.

The two companies will initially work together to develop products that use the INSTEON protocol to connect First Alert's ONELINK(TM) smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to Smarthome's lighting control devices. The first jointly developed product will be an egress lighting module that illuminates an escape path when a smoke or CO alarm goes into alarm. The continuing partnership will support ongoing joint development of INSTEON/ONELINK product lines.

"We're committed to developing new products that influence consumers' interaction with their homes, making this partnership an obvious choice in light of Smarthome's leadership in electronic home improvement and automation technology," said Mark Colello, senior vice president and general manager at BRK Brands, Inc., manufacturer of First Alert branded home safety products. "INSTEON is more advanced than other home control networking technologies, and it is extremely compatible with First Alert ONELINK products."

Products in the INSTEON/ONELINK line will be sold through both companies' existing distribution channels, which include Smarthome.com, the Smarthome catalog and major retailers. And like all INSTEON-enabled devices, the new home safety products will continue be easy to install, cost effective and reliable.

"Home control networks offer more than just greater comfort and convenience," said Rajeev Kapur, Smarthome's vice president, sales and marketing. "Improving safety is also an integral part of electronic home improvement and automation. Smarthome's INSTEON technology is the most advanced and easy-to-use home networking control standard on the market today. Partnering with First Alert to broaden the INSTEON network with safety-oriented devices allows us to continue to help consumers maximize the benefits of choosing products that are INSTEON-enabled for their home control networks."

www.firstalert.com