Over the weekend, Z-Wave announced new protocols to make your smart home safer from a technological perspective, and now, smart lock maker August has debuted a new device that takes advantage of those new protocols to protect you in a more physical sense. Meet the new August Smart Lock Pro, a serious lock powered by Z-Wave that gets its “pro” classification by being available exclusively through approved dealers.
That’s right — not just anyone will be able to carry this new security device. In fact, August announced in a press release, the new lock will be sold exclusively through August Pro, a division of August Home dedicated to serving integrators and security dealers in the custom home installation channel. “We’re fully committed to supporting the professional channel and believe in offering products that deliver interoperability and choice for both dealers and their customers,” said Jason Johnson, CEO of August Home, Inc. “Today we are announcing support for the Z-Wave standard with our new Smart Lock and Z-Wave Alliance membership.”
Thanks to the Smart Lock’s implementation of Z-Wave technology, the device will be able to communicate wirelessly with security and home automation systems, which means it can be fully integrated into a complete smart home solution. And to make August’s products even more compatible with others, Johnson noted, “We are also looking at joining the ZigBee Alliance and other standards organizations that support the professional channel. This supports our mission to deliver market-leading products that integrate with the security systems and home automation platforms dealers and integrators are installing every day to help them grow their business.”
The August Smart Lock Pro is slated to begin shipping this fall, and while pricing has yet to be disclosed, August told CNET to expect something in the ballpark of $229.