There has been a significant increase in the adoption of home security systems. According to GlobeNewswire, “The North America home security system sector is witnessing a significant upswing, according to a comprehensive market analysis. In 2023, the market valuation stood at US$ 11.9 Billion and is projected to skyrocket to an impressive US$ 41.3 Billion by 2032. This growth trajectory reflects a robust CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 14.8 percent through the forecast period of 2023-2032.”
In addition, according to a 2023 online post by RubyHome, “72 percent of households in the United States have at least one home security device.” And, “51 million households have a video surveillance system and 39 million have an alarm system.”
This rapid growth and market penetration is being driven by a number of factors, including increased crime awareness, new security devices that provide additional services, the increase affordability and accessibility of these security systems, and the desire for peace of mind and psychological comfort among consumers.
Security Systems
For those that want the added protection for their family and peace of mind that a security system offers, there two basic types to choose from:
Traditional Hard Wired Security Systems: These systems are typically installed professionally. They feature a central security panel installed in a garage or closet and sensors on doors and windows that are wired back to the security panel. Beyond just door and window sensors, these systems support a wide variety of different types of sensors including motion sensors, glass break sensors, smoke sensors, heat sensors, and even wireless sensors. Traditional security systems are reliable and very resistant to tampering. They are also ideal for large properties. However, they are expensive to install and harder to upgrade than other types of security systems. They also typically require professional monitoring as they aren’t supported by smart phone apps.
Smart Security Systems: Smart security systems can either be professionally installed or installed by a homeowner. They are controlled and configured using a smart phone app. They also typically support voice assistants for additional monitoring and control. To support DIY installation by homeowners, they rely on wireless components including sensors, keypads, and other components of the system. These systems work best in small to medium sized homes and even in rental properties where sensors can easily be removed when the renter moves. However, they can be subject to signal jamming by criminals and systems that don’t have a backup cellular radio for communications can be impacted by an Internet outage.
Smart Home Integration
There are some real benefits to integrating a security system with an overall smart home.
- Increased security and real-time alerts. Security alerts can be immediately sent to your smart phone when the ability to send alerts isn’t supported by the security system.
- Added convenience with voice controls and mobile apps for control and monitoring of your home when this functionality isn’t directly supported by the security system.
- Safety improvements. For example, an integrated security system can turn off a forced air HVAC system when a fire is detected to minimize the spread of smoke in a home or flash exterior lights to make it easier for first responders to find your home.
- Cost savings and improved energy-efficiency by turning off lights and appliances when a home is unoccupied.
- Seamless integration with other smart devices. For example, you can have a porch light automatically turn on when a doorbell is pressed at night.
- Remote access, even when you’re away from home when this functionality isn’t directly supported by the security system.
One of the biggest advantages to integrating a security system with an overall smart home is that the security system sensors can be leveraged to trigger smart home automations. For example, I had a customer with young children who would unexpectedly come to the parents’ bedroom at night when they wanted a drink of water, had a bad dream, etc. This could place the parents in the embarrassing situation of having to explain what they were doing in bed besides sleeping. To eliminate this situation, when one of the children approached the parents’ bedroom at night, a motion sensor outside the bedroom would trigger a lamp to flash in the bedroom. This provided the parents with a simple warning that someone was about to interrupt them.
Abode Smart Security System
The Abode Smart Security System offers a comprehensive, flexible, and user-friendly solution for home protection. It’s designed for DIY installation and integrates with various smart home ecosystems. The basic system consists of a smart security hub, one mini door/window sensor, one motion sensor, and a key fob. Bundles with additional sensors and a keypad are also available.
The smart security hub is the central control point of the system. It includes a built-in 93db siren, battery backup, and a cellular radio to maintain functionality during a power or internet outage (a subscription is required for use of the cellular radio). Also, for reliability, it must be connected to a home network with an Ethernet cable.
Other sensors and accessories that are offered by Abode are:
- Mini Door/Window Sensor: This sensor sticks onto a door or window and its surrounding frame.
- Motion Sensor: The battery powered motion sensor has a 110-degree field of view. It uses a passive infrared (PIR) sensor and has a range of 35 feet.
- Key Fob: The key fob operates within 100 feet of the hub and includes buttons to arm and disarm the hub. It also includes the ability to trigger a panic alarm.
- Cam 2: The Cam 2 is a Wi-Fi connected, color security camera for indoor or outdoor use. It comes with a power supply and 6’ cable. A longer cable is available as is a weatherproof power supply and cable for outdoor use.
- Wireless Video Doorbell: The rechargeable doorbell includes a night vision camera with motion detection and a 160-degree field of view. A small, interior mounted speaker is included that plays a chime when the doorbell is pressed.
- Lock: This retrofit motorized lock works with an existing key lock to provide automation and motorized control without eliminating the ability to unlock the door with its original key. It includes a Bluetooth keypad with a fingerprint reader.
- Glass Break Sensors: Abode offers both a vibration sensing glass break sensor that mounts on a single pane of glass and an acoustic glass break sensor that provides whole room coverage.
- Environmental Sensors: Abode offers a water leak sensor and a smoke alarm.
- Multi-Sensor: The multi-sensor monitors motion, light, temperature, and humidity.
- Concealed Sensors: For those that don’t want visible stick-on door/window sensors, Abode offers a slim strip door/window sensor and a recessed sensor that mounts within the frame of a door or window.
- Other Accessories: Other accessories offered by Abode include a separate indoor siren, panic button, a rechargeable, wall mounted keypad with a built-in motion-detector, and an outdoor siren.
Abode is one of the least expensive DIY security systems available and the above sensors and accessories are all very competitively priced.
Monitoring Options
Abode offers three options for monitoring. The paid plans can be cancelled at any time and don’t require a contract.
- No Subscription: This no cost plan offers live video viewing from cameras, smart home integration including apple HomeKit, control and monitoring of an Abode system via smart phone apps, smart watch apps, Apple/Android TV apps, voice assistants, and a desktop app.
- Self-Monitored Plan: This $74.99 per year, or $7.99 per month, plan adds monitoring where a user is notified of an alarm event at their home and can optionally forward it to the monitoring station for further action. In addition, this plan includes an event time line that shows all system activity for the last 10 days, AI camera alerts, offers insurance policy discounts, the ability for a user to create custom automations and quick actions, and immediate security notifications inclusive of device names.
- Professionally monitored plan: This $239.99 per year plan, or $24.99 per month, adds professional monitoring to the Self-Monitored plan where the monitoring station can take actions to contact the appropriate emergency service organization based on the alarm that occurs. The Professionally Monitored Plan also adds cellular backup of the hub’s communications and free ground shipping on all orders over $25 to the features of the Self-Monitored Plan.
Integration
One of the unique features of the Abode Smart Security System, that differentiates it from other security systems, is the number of options offered for integration. As you might expect it works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and IFTTT.
In addition, Abode goes beyond what people expect and provides for integrations with a wide variety of third-party products from brands including 2GIG, AeoTec, Amazon, Bose, Dome, ecobee, EnerWave, Fibaro, Frist Alert, Jasco, GoControl, Heltun, Philips Hue, Kaadas, Kwikset, Leviton, LIFX, Linear, Google Nest, Schlage, Sensative, Sonos, and Yale. Unfortunately, from my perspective, Abode is not an ‘all encompassing’ platform for integration of Z-Wave and Zigbee devices. Abode only integrates with specific Z-Wave and Zigbee products that fill gaps in their product range. Some of these devices will integrate directly with the Hub – for example a Z- Wave device. Other integrations require Internet connectivity and the Abode Hub to be online with the cloud.
What is noticeably absent from the list is support for the Matter smart home standard. With support from Apple, Amazon, Google, and SmartThings, support for the Matter smart home standard has been rapidly gaining in popularity. The list of smart home devices that support Matter is quite extensive as is shown in this article in The Verge. When I asked about Abode’s plans for supporting Matter I was simply told “Abode will support Matter as soon as there is a value add for customers or some other benefit to our business, e.g., easier development or easier certification. At the moment there is no reason to make this jump, but Abode is constantly monitoring as the whole Matter movement evolves.”
Finally, while not shown on the Abode website and not officially supported by Abode, the Abode Smart Security System can be integrated with both the Home Assistant and Hubitat Elevation smart home platforms through the cloud.
More on CUE
CUE is Abode’s automation platform for creating automations based on triggers, actions, and conditions where:
- Triggers: Events that start automations
- Actions: A sequence of steps that will be taken when a trigger occurs and conditions are met.
- Conditions: Situations that must exist for an action to run.
For example, an example of an automation might be:
- Trigger – The doorbell is pressed
- Action – Turn on the porch light
- Condition – It is night time
The user interface of the Abode app includes an easy-to-use editor for creating automations.
Coupled with CUE is the ability to create Quick Actions. These are shortcuts for triggering multiple functions where the shortcut is placed on the dashboard page in the Abode app. For example, you could arm the alarm system in away mode, turn off connected lights, and stop Sonos players from playing music with the touch of a single shortcut in the app. Again, the app makes Quick Actions simple to create.
It should be noted that a homeowner is limited to a combined total of 100 automations and quick actions.
Hands On
Abode provide me with an Abode Smart Security Kit to evaluate for this article. The kit consists of an Abode Gateway, one mini door/window sensor, one motion sensor, a key fob, and an Abode window sticker.
Setup of the system is very simple. Instructions are provided on a card that outlines the setup process and shows the controls and ports available on the alarm system gateway. You just:
- Plug in the gateway using the included power adapter.
- Connect the Gateway to your router with the included Ethernet cable.
- Operate the switch on the gateway to activate the battery backup.
- Download the Abode app on your smart phone or tablet and follow the quick setup process.
Using the app, you will then:
- Create an account including providing your name, address, and phone number.
- Enter the activation key that is printed on the instruction card to activate the gateway.
- Perform a firmware update, if required.
- Optionally sign up for one of the monitoring plans described earlier or you can continue with “no features.”
- Provide permission for app notifications.
- Enable location services. This will allow you to automatically arm the alarm system when you leave home or turn on lights and take other actions when you return.
- At this point the system is setup, and you are ready to start installing the sensors.
The sensors included with the starter kit are already paired with the Gateway. So, all that is required is to first pull a small plastic tab to connect the sensor’s battery and then use one of the double-stick mounting pads to adhere the sensor in the location of your choice.
Next, I linked the system with Amazon Alexa. This was also very easy to accomplish with the Abode app. The Abode-Alexa skill includes:
- The ability to arm/disarm the system from the Alexa app
- Voice commands to arm the system and control devices, such as lights and locks, that are integrated with the Abode gateway.
- View live video streams from Abode cameras on an Echo device with a screen, Fire TV, and Fire tablets. (I wasn’t able to try this because the basic Abode Smart Security System I was using didn’t include a camera)
- Optionally disarm the system with a voice command and by speaking a user code.
For those that just want an inexpensive, easy to use, smart security system, the Abode is a good choice. It can be easily controlled by a smart phone app, provides notifications of alarms through the app, and can even be integrated with a voice assistant.
However, if you want a system that provides more advanced functionality and integrates with your smart home, those features are behind a paywall as they are only available to users who purchase a yearly monitoring subscription. Here are some key features that require a subscription.
Without a subscription the Abode app can display a timeline of occurrences when an alarm was triggered. Separately the app provides a timeline of all the security events that have taken place over the last 10 days. For example, this timeline includes when various doors and windows were opened. However, this timeline of events is disabled unless the homeowner has an active monitoring subscription.
Whether you have a subscription or not, the Abode Smart Security System will send notifications to your smart phone when sensor events and alarms occur. If an alarm is triggered, a critical notification will be sent to users’ smart phones, and it will include which sensor triggered the alarm.
If you don’t have a monitoring subscription, the name of the sensor that was triggered is omitted from event notifications. So, if the back door to your home is opened, the notification displayed on your smart phone will just say “An event has occurred in the Abode System”. Tapping the notification opens up the Abode app and displays the timeline of events. But without a monitoring subscription, the timeline is blank. If you are a parent with young children and you need to be sure that they don’t gain unsupervised access to your backyard pool, just knowing that a security event occurred isn’t adequate vs. receiving a notification that the gate to the backyard pool was opened.
These limitations of the system when the system is used without a subscription will only affect people who want to save as much money as possible and monitor their home themselves. At only $74.99, or $7.99 per month if paid on a monthly basis for a Self-Monitored Plan subscription, most people will opt for one.
Smart Home Integration
For testing I linked a few third-party smart home devices with the Abode system. Third-party integrations are supported without a monitoring subscription. However, they aren’t very useful without one because running automations and quick actions created in CUE requires a subscription. As mentioned earlier, an important use of integrating a thermostat with the Abode Smart Security System would be to turn off a forced air HVAC system in the event of a fire because the HVAC system could spread smoke throughout the home, and this increases the likelihood that family members could succumb to smoke inhalation. Without automations, there isn’t a way to trigger a thermostat to turn off the HVAC system if the Abode system detects a fire.
Another problem with smart home integrations is that integration between the Abode Smart Security System and other smart home platforms is through the cloud. This in itself isn’t an issue if all you are doing is using smart speakers for voice control of the Abode system. However, when you start integrating smart home devices with the Abode gateway it becomes a problem. For example, an important automation is for lights throughout a home to be turned on at night when a fire is detected to make it easier for family members to find their way safely out of the home. This automation could turn on integrated smart light bulbs, lights connected to smart switches, and plugs in the home that are directly integrated with the Abode gateway.
However, if there is an Internet outage, unless the homeowner has paid for an Abode Professionally Monitored Plan that includes cellular communications, the Abode app will not be able to connect to the gateway, a homeowner won’t be able to connect to other cloud based smart home platforms that are integrated with the Abode system, and the homeowners will have lost the ability to control the lights in their home. An alternative is to connect these lights to a third-party smart home platform that integrates directly with the Abode gateway. Crestron, Control4, Home Assistant, and Hubitat Elevation are examples of smart home platforms whose operation isn’t affected by an Internet outage. Then an Internet outage won’t affect a homeowners’ ability to control their lights. But an Abode gateway can’t integrate directly with any of these smart home platforms. So, a homeowner is left with the choice of paying for an Abode Professionally Monitored plan or risking loss of control of their lights when an Internet outage occurs or not having lights turned on during a fire if there is an Internet outage.
I worked around this issue by integrating a Shelly Wave 1, Z-Wave relay, with the Abode gateway. The integration of a Shelly Wave 1 with the Abode Gateway is not supported by Abode but I found that it worked. I then wired a Shelly Plus i4DC switch input device to the relay. Next, using CUE, I created an automation, so when a fire alarm occurs, the Shelly relay is turned on for 1 minute, and the relay triggers an input on a Shelly Plus i4DC. Because Shelly Plus i4DC can be directly integrated with a wide range of third-party smart home platforms, this eliminated the problem. The third-party smart home platform senses the change in state of the input on the i4DC and can turn on lights in the home and take other actions to improve the safety of the homeowners and their family, even if the Internet is down.
This work-around shouldn’t be necessary. I believe Abode should create the ability for third-party smart home platforms to integrate directly with an Abode gateway instead of through the cloud due to the health and safety issues of cloud control of smart home devices with a security system.
It should be noted that if Abode supported the Matter smart home standard, it would also help solve this problem. Matter devices are both controlled locally and can be simultaneously controlled by multiple smart home platforms. So, in the event of an Internet outage, the Abode system would still be able to turn on matter compatible lights in an emergency and the homeowner could still control their lights through the smart home platform of their choice.
My only other wish for the Abode Smart Security System is that it includes the ability to not only arm the alarm system in away mode but to arm the alarm system in vacation mode. Differentiating between a family being away from home for a few hours vs. a week or more is very useful when an alarm system is integrated in a smart home. For example, a smart thermostat can be set back farther while a family is away on vacation to save additional money on their utility bill. Or a motorized water valve can cut the supply of water to the entire home while the family is on vacation to assure that the family doesn’t return from their winter ski vacation to a flooded home because a pipe froze and burst. On a daily basis you wouldn’t want to cut the supply of water to the home when it is unoccupied because a dishwasher or clothes washer could have been left running. But it makes sense to do so when a family is away on vacation.
Conclusions
The significant rise in home security system adoption reflects a growing concern for personal safety, convenience, and peace of mind. Smart security systems, like Abode’s, offer more than just traditional safety features. They integrate with broader smart home ecosystems, enabling users to automate tasks, control devices remotely, and receive real-time alerts. This highlights a key trend in the market: consumers are seeking not only protection but also greater control and convenience through smart technology, making home security systems an integral part of modern, connected homes.
Abode, in particular, stands out for its easy DIY installation, flexible monitoring options, low cost, and third-party integrations. However, for advanced functionalities like full smart home automation and real-time security alerts, a subscription is necessary. And, Abode needs to look at better ways to locally integrate with smart home platforms so integration isn’t impacted by an Internet outage.
