AT HOME “The evolution of the home is here,” says Chris Allen, founder and CEO of iDevices in Avon, a company that is bringing the Silicon Valley to the Farmington Valley. The iConnecte Written by Theresa Anzaldua Photography by Seshu Photography Automated, high-tech homes—where lights, television, music, and thermostat controls operate automatically—seem great, so long as they come with an in-home tech support person. Unless you’re a tech geek, programming the digital thermostat is hard enough: Who wants to program an entire house? West Hartford native Chris Allen is the founder and chief executive officer of iDevices, a nationally renowned tech company located in Avon, which has created a simple system to easily make your house a smart home without hiring a techie. When Allen leaves work every day, he tells Siri that he’s coming home, and his house heats up; garage, porch, and hall lights come on; and he pulls into a safe, cozy home. “The evolution of the home is here,” Allen says. “True integration is when technology is invisible and controlled by voice. Speech is a natural form of control,” he explains. When Allen is out of town, his residence has a “false presence” and continues to light up as if he and his family are home. He can have his high school kids awakened automatically with lights and music turning on in his daughter’s and son’s rooms, and a lit-up, warm home awaits when they return from school. At the end of the day, Allen says, “Hey, Siri, bedtime,” and the house turns off for the night. The genius of Allen’s system is that it’s easy to set up and to use. For instance, a homeowner can purchase an iDevices Transformation Pack consisting of one indoor and one outdoor Wi-Fi-enabled smart plug and a smart thermostat. To activate the system, the homeowner plugs one indoor and up to two outdoor lights or appliances into the iDevices switches, then plugs the switches into the home’s electrical outlets. The homeowner swaps the iDevices thermostat with the existing one. Then, all the homeowner has to do is download the iDevices app and pair the two switches and thermostat with his or her smart phone. When homeowners want more automation, they simply buy more switches and other iDevices. Since the system runs off the home’s Wi-Fi, there’s no wiring, subscription fee, or contract. The company has a great customer support team, located conveniently in Avon, to help with any questions. Allen and his team designed the system to be easy to use because he strongly believes that technology should enhance people’s lives. Allen says, “I don’t like what I call ‘Christmas morning technology.’ That’s when you get a device that’s cool to use for a couple of hours, but you don’t really need it, so you toss it aside and forget about it.” 12 Seasons of West Hartford • SPRING 2017
d Home HIGH ACHIEVER: Following in the footsteps of tech giants Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Allen of West Hartford left college to start his own company. Seasons of West Hartford • SPRING 2017 13
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