Ever thought of a home where you can have all the services right at the click of a button. Smart Home or the DigitalHome concept is now turning a reality in India. A Digital Home will have a broadband connection, full flexibility of using Intemet, using WiFi enabled network, the facility of operating electrical appliances by remote, digital answering machine with personal voice message boxes, and so on.

Smart homes will have a home server box that will make a home digital and control all DigitalHome functions. The cost of a DigitalHome, which will be in a campus society running in to a minimum area of about 1000 units, could be anywhere between Rs 66,000 to two lakhs or more (depending on size of the home). Pioneering the concept of DigitalHomes in India is Aftek Infosys. These campuses are already being constructed in major Indian cities like Bangalore and Pune. "Talks are on with builders in Mumbai also. In three months time we would have DigitalHome campuses ready in Bangalore and Pune," said Mr Pramod Broota, director Aftek Infosys.

Offering a perfect integrated solution to all your needs, a DigitalHome will also have smart card based access to home, Video surveillance (a camera is fixed at the main door of a flat. Camera takes images of a person standing at the door and it is viewed on the LCD display of the server box), video conferencing, wireless TV, MP3 music and movies, etc. The owner of the house with WiFi connectivity shall be able to use a PC without any wire connection to modem or a telephone line. The owner would be able to use laptop anywhere in the house even on the bed and browse Internet without carrying any wire. The universal phone shall replace a standard PSTN phone instrument. All calls on the landline will be diverted on this phone. This phone shall work as a cordless phone and can be used anywhere in the home. In case of hotspots availability in the society campus, it can be used in the campus too. The home server box shall also raise alarm and send messages to the concerned people in case of a fire. The fire detection devices are connected to the server. The single button emergency call (or send SMS) can be made using a single button device. Since it may not require conversation, this works like a panic button and will make the call automatically.

Source : Indian Property Market