What is a Smart Home?

While there are many smart products available today, it isn’t until these devices work together in orchestration, that you experience the magic of a smart home. From homes small to large, new and old, Control4 delivers power and performance on one platform that coordinates the technology in your house into complete, brilliant experiences—interactions that fit your lifestyle and are easy for your family to enjoy. With one touch, dim the lights, stream high-resolution music, turn up the heat, lock the doors and arm the security system. Or, check in on your home no matter where you are. It’s a smarter living experience that you’ll wonder how you ever lived without. We call it, the New Normal.

WHAT CAN CONTROL4 DO FOR YOU? GET READY TO BE AMAZED!

HOME THEATER: 

A high-end home theater experience is more than just a nice TV with surround sound. With a home theater system from Control4, you’ll be the envy of every movie theater goer in town. Turn the lights off, turn on the surround sound and start the movie all with the touch of a button.

CLIMATE:

Forget about ever touching that thermostat again, in fact, forget about the thermostat all together. With our automated climate control, your thermostat is anywhere you are. Curb your monthly bills and ease your eco-conscience. Advanced temperature control is a simple and affordable addition to any home with Control4.

CALL ISS TODAY TO LEARN MORE TO DESIGN YOUR CONTROL4 SMARTER LIVING EXPERIENCE!

In our previous blog we provided some 'winter tips' to prevent frozen pipes. If you haven't read it, please do....it is suppose to be a chilly Valentine's weekend and next week! Now, these tips may not be 'winter tip' related, but they are some GREAT tips to help prevent thefts and break-ins to your home.

Tip 1: Lock it Up

The most important thing you can do to stop a potential break-in occuring is to make sure all your doors and windows are locked. If you have a thumb latch lock and a deadbolt on your doors, always double check that the deadbolt is locked. A great prevention to any potenital thefts would be installing automatic smart door locks; because more than 40% of break-ins happen without use of force. That means a lot of people are leaving their houses without locking their doors or windows.

Also, when you leave home it is best to lock up the door leading from the garage to inside. Even if your garage door is down, someone can easily open it.

Tip 2: Secure Sliding Doors and Windows

Take extra precaution to secure your doors and windows. Double check weaker doors such as patio or sliding ones to make sure their locks are strong enough to withstand kicks. Also, you can simply take a steel bar or two-by-four and slide it in to the back groove. This ensures that if potential burglars try to pick the lock, the rod stops the door from sliding back and opening.

Also, for windows you can install a simple pin or nail into the frame to stop it from raising more than a few inches. This will add an additional layer of security if a would be burglar pops off the window screen and tries to mess with the window lock. You can remove the stopper if you want to open the window completely, and then put it back in for security.

Tip 3: Secure Your Yard

By keeping things regularly manicured, like larger bushes and tree branches, eliminates hiding places and shadows that would help hide intruders. We are not saying you have to cut down every plant in your yard; but by keeping up with things, it shows that you are creating an outdoor environment that makes it difficult for a burglar to target your home. To go a step further, motion sensored lights are a great way to ward off any criminal activity.

Tip 4: Fake Out Potential Burglars

If a burglar can tell that someone is home, there is a greater chance that they will not attempt to break in. Most break-ins occur during the day when many people are at work. For that reason, when you leave the house, create an illusion that someone is still at home. The best way you can do that is by installing automatic lighting control switches to a few lights in the home. These switches can be on timers to randomly turn on and off the lights between rooms. You can even add your stereo or TV to switch on randomly as well; truly giving an illusion that someone is at home.

Tip 5: Don't Show Off

By leaving certain things lying around or in plain sight, like a nice scooter or bicycle, can unwittingly lure criminals onto your property. An easy solution would be to keep all items your garage and out of sight.

Also, after purchasing anything pricey and new, make sure not to leave the box out beside the trash can or recycling bin. That tells would be theives you have something brand new that could be big bucks on the street. It also might leave them wondering what other goodies are inside your home.

Now, these tips may be simple, but are often over looked. Be sure to look for Part 2 of our top 10 tips to help prevent thefts and break-ins.

Keeping you and your family safe is always your number one priority, but keeping your home safe should be a big deal, too.

With schools now getting out for the summer, those fun filled weekend trips, and family vacations to the beach on the horizon; we want to take a moment to tell you some tips about how to protect your home from potential burglars while you are away.

Our top 5 tips:

1. Security System

Maintenance your security system before your leave. Check to make sure all smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and door and window contacts are free from dust and are properly secured.

Also, make sure your security system panel has been tested and all functions are working properly. Furthermore, if you have security cameras, make sure to keep them clean so that you can clearly see the picture.

2. Lighting

Use automatic light timers throughout the house and have them turn on and off in a way that simulates your normal patterns. By using timers that have more than one on/off cycle can create the illusion of movement from room to room.

Also, the same kind of timers you use on lights can also be used to turn radios or TVs on and off.

3. Curtains

Consider using timed automatic drape and curtain openers. Drapes that are always closed or always open suggest no one is home.

4. Doors & Windows

Make sure to double check all doors and windows. Making sure none of the locks or latches are loose and a potential burglar could easily get into.

5. Know your neighbors

By trusting in a neighbor, they can help keep an eye on your home. For example, instead of stopping your mail and newspaper delivery, ask a neighbor to pick them up and hold them for you. Seeing deliveries being made makes a burglar think someone is at home.

Also, you could ask a neighbor to use your trash can from time to time and to put it out at the curb and bring it back on trash day. Furthermore, if you are going to be gone for a long period, have someone scheduled to cut your lawn.

We hope these tips will help, because we are here to help give you the safety and peace of mind you deserve. Also, if you need any help with maintenance or upgrades to your security system, please give us a call. We would be happy to help!

Mass marketing security only provides the homeowner with a very basic and ineffective alarm system. Security companies like ADT will provide you with “peace of mind” but never security.

For example, ADT will install an alarm panel and a front and a back door motion sensor. What about the side door and all the windows? Unfortunately, ADT’s basic package is only a panel and a couple motion sensors, a simple design to allow you to enter a pin number when you leave and when you come home. If you are asking above what their basic package is you will pay a lot more than what you expected. 

Another thing to think about is when they come to sell you one of their security packages; you are leasing their equipment not purchasing it. The service they try to provide you is very little and their technicians are only there to install a system and be in and out of your home within just a few hours. Also, if you ever have any trouble with the system, it will sometimes take a technician anywhere from a week to a few weeks to come to your home and fix any problems you may have.

Mass marketing security is only good at one thing….. MARKETING! If they truly cared about you and your home would they not do a better job in providing you with exceptional service? They would make sure you had peace of mind AND security. Not one or the other.

Our philosophy is to have the knowledge and  experience to provide our clients with better life  solutions. From start to finish of an installation and  beyond we know exactly what we did for you.  Attention to detail and compassion shows within our work and we will never treat you like a sale. You are always a client, but more importantly a close friend.

At iSS, we take pride in providing our clients with  peace of mind, security, and amazing customer  service. As a home owner you will never have to  worry about a thing. We are with you every step of  the way to make sure you have solutions that work. If you ever have a problem or just need to ask a  question we are always here to take your calls.

When it comes to protecting our families, we all want to have our bases covered. Knowing how to react ahead of time to any situation is the best way to remain safe. With home security and automation, you can truly protect your family from any situation that may arise.

First thing is to teach your children how to use the home security system. Make sure they understand how to turn it on and off properly so they do not accidentally trigger a false alarm. Secondly, make a list. It is important to have the ‘in case of emergency’ list handy and within each for them. A great list would include 911, the police department, the fire department, and a neighbor that you trust with your children. These two things may be easy and simple, but are often over-looked.

Now you may be thinking to yourself, how does automation fit into this? Well imagine for a moment, someone has just knocked on the front door while you are down the hall finishing the laundry. Of course the little one is intrigued and immediately runs to the front door to see who is there. With automation you can have your smart door locks stay locked with a touch of a button from your control panel or smartphone. So no more easy access for the little one or for strangers.

Another scenario, you have children old enough to ride the bus home while you are finishing up from the office. When they get home from school in the afternoon, they use their own special code on the front door smart lock to let themselves into the house. A text can automatically be sent to your phone saying ‘Alex is home’ with a time stamp. Also, if their code on the smart lock has not been entered during a 30-minute window when they should have been home after school, you can also get a text.

Now, we all know kids getting home from school may not remember to lock doors and arm the alarm system. Luckily, once you get the text that they are home, you can do it for them by using your smartphone to arm your system from anywhere. Also, installing surveillance cameras can give you a great deal of peace of mind. Having kids old enough to home alone is still a scary thing, but you can easily check in on them with a smartphone app that is connected to your home cameras.

There are so many different scenarios that you can control easily with home security and home automation. Let us help provide peace of mind and comfort to your family by offering you better life solutions.

Ah, that time between Spring and Summer has finally arrived in Knoxville. Pollen covers every exterior surface imaginable in yellow blankets of dust. The quickly-warming temperatures remind you that the humidity of a Tennessee summer isn’t far off. Right now it is baseball season, but soon enough, the UT fight song will be echoing from every living room in Rocky Top while we watch our football team make it all the way to the national championship this year (a girl can dream). You begin to think about the home theater you always wanted, and how great these games would look on a big screen. You think of the home theater that would allow you to be immersed in the experience of the stadium, without having to buy tickets to the game or spend eight dollars on a beer--that theater with state-of-the-art audio technology, the one you always put off on installing because other things came up along the way. Hey, we know that life happens, and things get put off. Here at iSS LLC.  we are here to make your life a little easier—and a lot more fun. Now featuring Control4 home automation software, we can create the home theater of your dreams--and tailor home automation installations to your personal wants and needs. Still not convinced? Check out a few of the things we can do for your home or your commercial business space by clicking the link below.

 CLICK ME!

GOING AWAY FOR THE HOLIDAYS? KEEP YOUR HOME SECURE WITH HOME AUTOMATION.

The family home is like a beacon to criminals during the major holidays. It's all too common for unsuspecting vacationers to excitedly pack for their trip, start up the car, and hurriedly drive off without giving a second thought to the security of their home while they are away. According to the FBI, there are more than 400,000 burglaries between November and December alone in the United States. While home security is an important consideration at all times of the year, it is vital that specific precautions be taken during times of extended absence. 

Here are 10 tips for making sure your home is secure during the holidays while on vacation:

1. 1. Install & Activate a home security system
2. If you have ever considered installing a home security system, your investment could not be timelier than before you leave for holiday. There is a certain peace of mind that comes from knowing that you have done all that you can to protect your home during your absence, and knowing that you have a home security system, is the first step to enjoying your much anticipated break.

3. 2. Inform your alarm monitoring service
4. It is always a good idea to inform your security or alarm monitoring service of the dates that you will be on vacation. This is essential so that any activity that may have normally received a standard response can be escalated for immediate investigation. You should provide the security company with details of anyone that has key holder access to your premises, and ensure that your own contact details are current in the event of a security emergency. 

4. 3. Make use of timers
5. Timers can be your best friend while you are on holidays, and allow you to be in two places at once. You can be enjoying yourself at your vacation destination, yet also at home turning on the lights both inside and out, that is, as far as any potential burglar is aware. You may wish to have common area room lights or simply smaller lamps turn on at the times you would normally do so if you were at home. Inside and external timer lights are generally sufficient to deter intruders, although you can also use timers to activate noise by turning on the radio and television.

6.  4. Lock up when you are leaving
7. If you have ever experienced that niggling sensation whereby you can’t recall whether or not you locked the door behind you, then you will know how troubling it is to have that feeling. Save yourself the stress and check that you have locked all doors and windows before going for holiday. Check twice if required, or have someone else check as well. It could be a long and expensive trip home if any entry ways had remained accessible to intrusion

7. 5. Put your mail on hold!
8. Any controlled deliveries that you receive can be put on hold until you return, or you can ask a neighbour, friend or family member to collect the items for you. This is a wise idea in any case if your mailbox is prone to getting pummelled with junk mail. You don’t want an overflow of shopping brochures on your lawn which would signify that you are not collecting your mail. Even burglars can put two and two together in this instance!

8. 6. Keep the place tidy
9. If you are only going to be on holiday for a short period, then give your yard a decent ‘trim’ to suggest that the house is still very much occupied. Arrange for someone else to maintain it for you if you are having an extended time away. Your lawns should be nicely mowed, and your hedges and trees trimmed to allow a complete view of your house. Ensure that all accesses are visible to discourage anyone from hiding behind thick shrubbery or bushes. Any landscaping equipment including ladders, spades and bins need to be locked away to prevent them from being used as tools to assist a break-in.

11. 7. Install motion sensor lights
12. Sensor lights that are installed at the front entrance have proven to be effective in deterring strangers from using the dark of night to venture further than the sidewalk footpath. These lights have a wide motion sensor, and you can adjust the range to which they can detect motion and initiate the lights that spotlight the cause of the movement on your property.

12. 8. Mind your phone message
13. It is recommended that you leave any recorded home phone message as it is, rather than changing it to reveal that you are currently away from home on holiday. If you must change your message, ensure that the message volume is at minimum volume so that your message cannot be heard from outside of the house.

14. 9. Place security stickers and decals in plain sight
15. Whether you have security installed in your home or not, you should obtain stickers and labels that indicate that you do have home security. Stickers and decals that are strategically placed on front windows and garage doors are rarely questioned and prove to be great deterrents to security-aware intruders.

15. 10. Avoid publicly announcing your holiday plans
16. It is one thing to feel as if you are being watched by strangers at your own home, but it’s something else when you encourage it by announcing your plans across the social airwaves. From party crashers to stalkers to home invasions, if you tell people on social media that you are taking a vacation, you risk catching the attention of social ‘pariahs’ who will do what they can to obtain your details. Do yourself a favour – keep it within the circle of family and close friends.

Don't let burst pipes ruin your Christmas:   

We offer security systems that will alert you to such an issue and help keep you safe from dealilng with a frozen pipe during your vacation or during your holiday at home! Click here to learn more ways to avoid this common issue! http://ow.ly/VoFa1

KEEP YOUR FAMILY & HOME SAFE FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND ALWAYS! CALL TODAY TO GET PROTECTED!

There was a time when the term "home automation" made you think of a friendly robotic maid buzzing around the house, cleaning, doing laundry, and cooking meals. 

Robots have indeed started to pop up and are starting to play a role in our lives at home. But the reality of home automation in the 21st Century is quite a bit different than what was thought of in the post-World War II era. Instead of a robotic hub, home control is centralized in the palm of our hands! 

Companies like Control4 can coordinate all the technology in your home into complete, brilliant experiences that fit your lifestyle and are easy for your family to enjoy. With one touch, dim the lights, play music, turn up the heat, lock the doors and arm the security system. Or, check in on your home from your smartphone, no matter where you are.

Being able to adjust temperature and lighting, check cameras, and unlock your front door from your smartphone is a wonderful convenience, but it's only the tip of the iceberg of what you can expect from a professionally designed and installed home automation system. So many options is SCARY!!

Home Automation can also be a GREAT tool for creating a SPOOKTACULAR set up for your Haunted Halloween Home! From automated lighting & music or singing pumpkins, to projection screen scenes. The possiblities can make your  nightmares.... I mean dreams come true! Click the links below & Check out some examples that are to DIE FOR :)

Thriller Light show: http://ow.ly/TXTq5      House projection: http://ow.ly/TXTvk                 Spooky effects: http://ow.ly/TXTzr            Singing pumpkins: http://ow.ly/TXTEH

 Everyone Here at iSS Hopes You Have A Frightfully Awesome Halloween!

October is here and it's officially Fire Safety Month. Falling temperatures also mean the risk of fire increases so now is the perfect time to safeguard your home against a potentially devastating fire. Don't brush off safety checks that could be lifesaving!

Here are some important tips:

• Do a thorough walk-through of your home to pin point potential hazards. We recommend using a checklist like this one.  Get the whole family involved and go through the checklist together.
  
  
• Make sure you have at least one smoke detector on every level of your home and that they are all in working order. We recommend detectors that use both ionization and photoelectric technology. Test smoke detectors every month. A smoke detector with dead batteries is just like having no detector at all!
• Have an escape plan and practice it. Every room should have at least 2 escape routes. Practice your fire escape plan by staying low to the ground with your eyes closed and mouth covered. Make sure young children know to never hide during a fire.

We hope these tips help keep you and your family safe. Don't let fire safety fall off the list of top priorities in your household. Make changes now so you never have to experience a home fire.

Today, we’d like to teach you about Nest products. If you are interested in having top of the line technology, state of the art protection, saving money and energy, all while looking Schnazzy… Then this is for you!

Nest offers 4 great product that truly should be in every home! They offer the Nest Cam, Nest Protect, Nest Learning Thermostat, and the Nest App.

1. Meet the Nest Cam:

In super clear 1080p HD the new Nest Cam is designed to watch out for your home and family – even when you can’t! This baby offers video streaming and advanced Night Vision! It also now has better activity alerts powered by Nest Aware, one app for all your Nest products, and an all-new magnetic stand. Nest Cam helps you keep an eye on what matters. From anywhere. It also lets you talk and listen! Hear when the baby wakes up or tell your pooch to get off the couch!                                                                                  

Learn more with this Video! http://ow.ly/Qx5t8

 2. Know more, worry less with the Nest Protect:

Nest Protect sends a message when there’s a problem or the batteries run low with an alert right to your phone! Every second counts…The Split­-Spectrum Sensor looks for both fast and slow-burning fires. Did you just burn the popcorn? With this you can silence the false alarm with your phone, not your dish towel. It will also tell you what and where. Nest Protect speaks up if there’s smoke or CO and tells you where it is, so you know what to do. Expect more from your smoke alarm.

Learn more with this Video! http://ow.ly/QxdUX

3. The Nest Learning Thermostat: The only thermostat that learns from you!

This money saving product has Auto-Schedule which helps it learn the temperatures you like and programs itself in about a week. It has Auto-Away that will automatically turn itself down when nobody’s home to help you save energy! It also guides you in the right direction by showing you the Nest Leaf when you choose a temperature that saves energy. And best of all you can connect your thermostat to Wi-Fi to control the temperature from your phone, tablet or laptop. Saving energy is a beautiful thing!

Learn more with this Video! http://ow.ly/QxkAW 

4. One home. One app.

The Nest product people use most isn’t the thermostat on the wall, the smoke alarm on the ceiling, or the camera on the mantle. It’s the Nest app. This app is what lets people take their Nest products with them anywhere. It’s what connects them to home!      CALL US TODAY for your Nest Products! 865-690-0154

The Control4 philosophy is as straightforward as it is simple: life's better when everything and everyone works together. From a company strategy perspective, Control4 stands behind an open platform: we are committed to interoperability so both Control4 dealers and customers can count on a system that communicates with and controls virtually anything and everything in the home.

They partner with the world's leading brands in HVAC and lighting, cable and satellite, consumer electronics, and security to ensure their products integrate seamlessly into the Control4 platform to deliver an exceptional automation experience. With support for over 8,000 devices from hundreds of world-class brands, Control4 solutions are designed to work with the consumer electronics and appliances you already trust and love.

With over 6,500 drivers from 150 different companies sometimes it feels like you need a personal IT department to manage and control all of the electronics and systems in your home. There must be a better way than having dozens of remotes and a library full of manuals. That’s where Control4 comes in. 

Leading consumer electronic companies and home-automaton solution providers are teaming up with Control4 to accelerate the adoption of standard control methods for consumer electronic devices used in home automation. Control4 allows all of the technology in your home to work seamlessly together, giving you more control with more convenience. As we like to say – life’s better when everything works together! When you are looking for flat-panel TVs, home theater equipment, smart lighting or even door locks, remember to look for Control4 Partners.

So Many Options and Much More! Call iSS Today to set up your complete home automation one stop shop!

Why You Need it & What You Can Do With It:

What lies behind the desire for home automation is often a complex question.  Some may want their home to showcase exceptional technology or to entertain guests, while others may want a powerful experience that helps to ease the actions of their everyday lives.  But almost universally, users of home automation systems want one thing: to feel safe and secure in their homes and businesses. 

In December 2012, the Consumer Electronics Association published a powerful Market Research Report entitled "Consumer Perspective on Home Automation." In that report, 62% said that their primary interest in purchasing a home automation system was “Security.”  The next two categories, Energy Saving and Convenience, were a distant second and third (20% and 14% respectively).  It also reported that 8 of the top 10 interests people had in home automation were security use cases. - John Epeneter, Control4 Senior Product Manager, Security and Communications Products.

A smart home automation system makes your life more comfortable, but also provides the security you need, deters potential burglars and helps you monitor and check in on your home remotely—from anywhere you are. From smart locks that keep track of the comings and goings in your home, motion detectors that can trigger notifications to your phone or smart watch, surveillance cameras that you can check in on while away, and alerts that can be sent to you if your garage door was left open by mistake, Control4 home automation solutions offer everything that you need to make your home a safe haven for you and your family.

What’s more, Control4’s Mockupancy solution can also help create an impression that someone is at home even while you are on vacation by switching on lights, shades and televisions at random.

 With so many unfortunate burglaries happening now a days and crime ever increasing you just never know when your ticket could be up! Make sure your home, belongings, and loved ones are safe and have peace of mind at all times!

Call iSS Today to discuss your smart home Security Options!

Just as you regularly maintain your yard or service your car, it is also important to maintain your alarm and smoke detection systems. A simple annual inspection could allow a technician to troubleshoot problems early on and potentially save your family’s life or valuables. When a service technician comes to your home, the following routine maintenance tasks will be performed: 

• Smoke detectors will be tested to ensure they are working properly. Any old batteries will be replaced and recycled.
  
  
• Smoke detectors will be cleaned of any dust or debris that may be obstructing sensors.
  
  
• The alarm system battery will be tested. An alarm will not function long on low batteries if the power was to go out.
  
  
• Motion and glass break detection will be checked throughout home.
  
  
• Sensors on windows and doors will be tested for proper functioning. This is especially important on windows that may not be opened frequently.
  
  
• Wireless transmitters sending signals to doors and windows will be examined.
  
  
• The technician will make sure all your contact information is up-to-date.

Don’t let a simple check-up cost you and your family. Make upkeep on your system a priority and call to schedule an annual inspection today.

It’s that time of the year again and the kids are heading back to school. It may mean restored peace and quiet for you at home, but also nervous jitters about sending your little ones off alone. With tons of new advancements in home surveillance technology and even GPS systems that track your children on the go, there are many options for protecting your young ones when they go back to school.

Track

GPS tracking devices are a great option for monitoring the whereabouts of your kids. The Amber Alert GPS is loaded with safety features that help ease your mind. This small device comes with a panic button that will automatically alert you if your child needs help. It can also alert you if your child goes outside a preset safety zone, or comes within 500 feet of a registered sex offender's home.

Video Monitor

Home video surveillance is also a great option for checking in and making sure your kids arrive home safely while your away. Alarm.com offers interative video surveillance that allows you check in whenever you want right from your smartphone or recieve video updates via text or email.


Are your kids heading off to college this month? Here are some tips for them:

Panic Phones

Most campuses have some kind of "panic phone" system. At the University of Tennessee they are called Emergency Blue Phones and you can see where they are located here.

Stick Together

It's always the best option to go places in pairs or groups. Never go anywhere alone at night or take shortcuts through alleys and side streets. Also avoid late night trips to the ATM.

Defend Yourself

It's never a bad idea to take a self-defense class and some campuses and communities even offer them for free. Make it a date with friends or family members and go educate yourself.

Check-In

Keep in touch with friends and family on a regular basis. It never hurts for loved ones to know your wherabouts or daily schedule. However, avoid checking-in on social media sites. You never know who may see it and be trying to track you down.