Literally the first name in security systems, ADT (American District Telegraph) is finally putting its initials and its long years of security experience on a DIY home security system at CES 2020.
Dubbed Blue by ADT, the new brand builds on the bones of ADT's LifeShield self-installable home security products and services. Blue will use existing LifeShield call centers for monitoring and customer support but with a totally new, spiffed up and expanded set of products. The new lineup is ready to fit into your smart home setup, with easy control via an app, Alexa voice controls, or IFTTT integrations. If that doesn’t suit, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit support are “to follow.”
DIY home security gear — like SimpliSafe — is popular with bargain hunters and apartment/home renters because of its easy installation and lack of long-term contracts. Blue by ADT fills that same need, with free self-monitoring and free 24-hour cloud storage for security-cam captured imagery. Plus, because it’s ADT, you’ll have the option to add professional monitoring on a no-contract, month-to-month basis at $19.99 and to extend video storage in 60-day increments ($2.99 per camera or $12.99 for unlimited cameras in the same location).
Offering a building-block approach, Blue by ADT launches this month with three stand-alone, high-resolution smart cameras: the Indoor Camera, Outdoor Camera and Doorbell Camera. Each model is priced at $199 and tweaked with high-end features, including:
- Facial recognition
- Smart alerts with animated previews (and the ability to quickly view the whole video)
- Interoperability with other devices (like smoke alarms)
- Customized motion-activated detection zones
- Two-way talk with noise cancellation
- Wide viewing angles (180 degrees for the wired doorbell cam)
- Local SD card storage
An extended run time of three months is possible for the rechargeable battery-powered Blue by ADT Outdoor Camera when wirelessly linked to the Blue by ADT Extender + Chime ($49). The latter uses low-power Wi-Fi to extend battery life while improving the range of all Blue by ADT cameras. And of course, the chime offers a selection of preset chimes to alert you when someone rings the doorbell camera.
More products are on their way this spring, expanding the Blue by ADT DIY smart home security system with a sleekly designed base unit, keypad, window/door/motion sensors and more. For all the details, check out Blue by ADT's website.
[Image credit: ADT]
