look what's talkingwho'll have the last say in home-management systems?

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Rolling out over the course of this year, In2 products will be sold by existing Honeywell, Lutron, and B&W dealers, who will handle support for the products they supply and install. Each In2-compatible device includes a 2-inch-by-2-inch piece of hardware that connects to the network as a computer would connect to a network. In2 software provides bidirectional status and control of audio volume, lights, temperature, and so forth from any networked computer or In2-based Web tablet in the house.

In addition to control, an In2 system can provide interoperability. When a security alarm is triggered, for example, the lights could activate at 30 percent power to help light a pathway out of the house.

In2 says the additional cost for control of an In2 HVAC, lighting, or security system is typically 10 percent of the cost of the subsystem. “In an In2 network, the cost of the furnace doesn't change,” Johnston says. A $5,000 to $8,000 HVAC system would typically require a $500 smart thermostat and Internet-control module for In2 compatibility. A starter In2-compatible Lutron RadioRA lighting-control system runs $2,000.

“We've tried to future-proof the control element of PCs by staying with a very common platform,” Johnston says. “We believe that HTML and the Internet are here to stay. If homeowners change their PC devices, their control systems will not become obsolete.”

Rebecca Day specializes in writing about home electronics. She can be reached at customhomerd@aol.com. A version of this article originally appeared in residential architect's sister publication CUSTOM HOME.