I recently had the good people from Vivint come and install a home automation system/security system in my home. Vivint provides a ton of options and provides professional installation with every purchase. Read on to see how the process and products have transformed my home.
The Company
Vivint provides smart home solutions using products designed to work together to give customers a seamless automation and security experience. The Vivint system provides professional installation and support with each purchase, and it is not a DIY system. What I have learned through this process is that great care has been taken in the design and development of all of the products so that they will easily work together to ensure the best experience.
A comprehensive system that provides a “magical experience” takes a lot of planning and design work to pull off, and Vivint has done an amazing job of this. While these products work amazingly well together, a human is still needed. Vivint provides a human touch to educate, figure out the customer’s needs, and then they install the system and make it all work. Installation is free, and customers enter into a service relationship with the company for installation, service, upgrades and any other needs. Customer service is always available to solve any issues you might have. You get the Vivint people, not just the products.
Why not DIY
As a DIYer myself, I asked the company why there is not a DIY option for installation and upgrading the system. Installing and tinkering is a hobby of mine, so I was interested in why that was not an available option. The short answer to this is that it ensures everything works together. There are a few third-party products that do work with the Vivint system, but they are carefully vetted to make sure the system plays well.
Once I witnessed their professional installation, I have to say this was a great decision by the company. I have a multitude of smart home products and honestly, there is a constant struggle to keep everything synced together and updated. My Vivint system seems to just work flawlessly — it becomes a part of your home. This could not happen if I were to piece together different products and hubs. You can be assured not having a DIY option will make the customer experience much better.
In case you are concerned with the availability of installers, Vivint is available in 97% of U.S. zip codes as well as a large portion of Canada.
Vivint Smart Hub
After consulting with the company on my needs and home design, we came up with a solution unique for us. The Smart Hub is the brains and will connect you and all of your products. We chose to have the panel as a set-top for our kitchen counter, but it can also be installed onto the wall. The 7″ touchscreen is where you control all of the devices and settings; it includes a two-way talk feature to communicate to the doorbell and ping cameras. I find the panel interface to be intuitive and responsive. A light at the bottom always shows the status of the security system at a glance, which is great as a reminder when I need to arm or disarm.
Every aspect of the Vivint system can be controlled with the Smart Hub. Check the cameras, turn on and off connected devices, and even change the temp on your thermostat. The panel has kind of become the hub of the kitchen. My wife talks to the boys on the ping camera to let them know dinner is ready and we can even use it to answer the doorbell. The best part is that it all works seamlessly and becomes second nature by the family.
