Cox Goes Wide With Home Automation Service

Cox Communications said this week it embarked on the national rollout of a home automation as-a-service offering for its Homelife product that complements a larger offering that also includes home security services.  

The wider rollout, which will reach all Cox markets in the coming months, follows trials of home automation-only services in Tulsa, San Diego and Rhode Island.  

“We see two markets forming, a well-established and growing home security market and an emerging market who aspires to smart home living but who may not want 24/7 monitored security,” Kristine Faulkner, SVP, Cox Homelife, said in a statement. “Offering more choices in the Cox Homelife portfolio enables us to expand our reach beyond the homes that are buying home security today and establishes an umbrella for future expansion into every home.”  

Cox Homelife Automation, which will start at $19.99 per month according to FierceCable, is designed to control a range of smart home devices, including indoor/outdoor Homelife HD cameras, custom alerts and notifications, connected lights, and door locks and thermostats. Cox is backing that up with pro installs and 24/7 phone support.  

Comcast, which last year acquired a part of Icontrol that Cox has been using for its smart home services, has also been pushing hard on smart home automation that will cover its range of residential services. Cox’s new Contour-branded pay TV platform is also underpinned by an X1 syndication deal with Comcast.  

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