| In a bid to capture a portion of
the home-automation and security market,
Malaysia-based iNix Technologies Sdn Bhd attempts
to combine affordability and security in one
package called Secure Smith. Using the Internet,
the product allows worried homeowners to monitor
their homes from their offices.
Initially released in February and possibly a
strong bet for becoming a household name in
security, Secure Smith is slowly making waves in
the Asia-Pacific. "Due to increasing demand, we
have now penetrated markets such as Australia,
China, Singapore and the United Kingdom," said
Ralph Yew, iNix's business development manager.
Secure Smith is built around proprietary G-Lop
and D-RF wireless technologies. G-Lop is based on
power line carrier technology where electronic
signals, data and information are transmitted to
the Secure Smith system via power lines in a
typical home or building. G-Lop prevents the
possibility of data "sniffing."
D-RF technology, meanwhile, is a widely used
data transmission protocol that enables digital
wireless communications via RF transmissions
between the Secure Smith system and security
sensors, especially in environments where power
lines are unavailable. D-RF can support distances
of up to 100m.
Yew emphasized the importance of seamless
integration and cost-effectiveness. Secure Smith
offers security, automation and video surveillance
features in a single module—something that most
home security systems do not have.
"To remain competitive, we need to know
consumer preferences and market trends, so we can
implement new technologies and provide good
customer support while keeping costs low," said
Yew.
Secure Smith features include a built-in
auto-dialer that calls the owner at a predefined
number in case of an intrusion. The system can
also be programmed to take a certain subsequent
action. Up to 4,000 different devices can be
controlled by Secure Smith, which can manage these
into different power levels, aside from actually
turning them on or off. It also has a surveillance
system that enables online monitoring by providing
high-quality images to users and allowing the
homeowners to record and view the intrusion.
iNix's new solution can be integrated in other
third-party proximity card-access readers,
biometric reader interfaces, and be incorporated
in touchscreen controllers, voice-recognition
interface units and complete real-time
video-capturing systems through the Internet. iNix
is working on having its own Web server unit that
can improve system implementation without the need
for a standalone computer. The company has also
built a prototype power line camera that does not
require infrastructure cabling in transferring
video images.
"It's still premature for our technology, in
particular home automation modules to cause a
significant impact on the global electronics
design. However, it will serve as a vanguard of
Southeast Asian proprietary technologies," said
Yew. "The home segment is iNix's target market,
but this does not restrict its prospects in other
segments, such as small- and medium enterprises."
- Reden Mateo
Electronic Engineering
Times-Asia | 
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