Founded in 1874, ADT home security is one of America’s oldest companies — older than even Ford and Coca-Cola. Meanwhile, technology company SmartThings was founded in 2012 and bought by Samsung in 2014, making it a kindergartner in the business world.
Samsung SmartThings and ADT — more than 100 years apart in age — are unlikely partners. But that’s why executives for both companies think their new DIY home security partnership works so well: it combines the old-school hard-wired home protection of ADT with the invisible but powerful smart home capabilities of Samsung SmartThings.
“It was kind of a perfect match,” Bill Lee, vice president of smart home product marketing for Samsung, told Digital Trends. “The collaboration with ADT enables us to connect our Samsung SmartThings ecosystem to the most trusted name in life safety so consumers have peace of mind knowing that someone is ready to react to an incident at home in just a moment’s notice.”
The DIY home security system combines a Home Security Starter Kit with ADT services embedded. That means that you can customize your SmartThings home security system so that 911 is called on your behalf during a break-in or emergency. The starter kit — pricey at $550 — includes a 7-inch ADT Security Hub panel with a backup battery that lasts seven days, as well as two door or window sensors and a motion sensor. The touchscreen panel also works as a SmartThings Hub, so users can control third party smart devices such as door locks and doorbells, thermostats, and lightbulbs.
Other SmartThings items can be purchased á-la-carte, including carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors, and additional sensors. The display hub has a built-in siren and no-cost cellular data backup. It’s hack-proof and disaster proof, according to Lee.
The display screen was made larger than other smart home hubs because creators wanted to consider ease of use. “We wanted it to be big enough and intuitive as we were thinking about people in a panic [trying to control it],” Lee said.
You can use also use the SmartThings app to manage your devices and sensors, set up routines, and receive alerts based on your preferences. You can sign up for additional, optional ADT services starting at $15 per month and cancel directly from the app — no need to make a phone call to cancel service. And for those of you who hate contracts, no need to worry, as you aren’t locked into a multi-month commitment.
“We believe everyone deserves to feel safe, and with this launch, we’re truly redefining the home security industry,” Jay Darfler, Senior Vice President, ADT Emerging Markets, said. “By partnering with Samsung SmartThings, we’re able to expand our professional monitoring services to even more customers looking for the smartest and safest DIY home security solution on the market.”
The product is available for pre-order starting today online at Best Buy and Samsung. On October 29, the product will be available in Best Buy stores as well as the Best Buy, Samsung and SmartThings websites.