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August Home Bringing DoorSense Skill to Amazon Alexa
August Home's Intelligent DoorSense™ Technology allows users to use their voice to get Amazon Alexa to open and close their door.
Press Release:
Have an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot as well as August Smart Lock? If you do, we have good news for you. This week, one the leading manufacturers of smart locks and smart home access products and services, August Home, launched a new Amazon Alexa Skill. Their new skill, DoorSense Skill, is based on the company's new proprietary DoorSense™ technology for their August Smart Lock.
In September, August introduced their 3rd generation smart lock as well as their new August Smart Lock Pro. Both locks offered DoorSense technology. What is DoorSense? It's August Home's new intelligent, integrated sensor which helps a user know if their door is open or closed. How many times have you left home and can't remember if you left the door open or closed. August Home's new DoorSense technology provides owners of August Smart Locks with the peace of mind knowing their door is closed and locked.
DoorSense has been added to the August Home list of Alexa skills. Just got to their skills section in the Alexa app and enable the skill. Once you enable the skill, a user can ask Alexa if their door is locked, the response will also confirm if the door is open or closed for safe, secure control of the front door. For instance, if you own an August Smart Lock and August Smart Lock Pro with DoorSense, just say, "Alexa, ask August, lock my door" or "Alexa, ask August if my door is locked." Alexa will confirm the door is locked. Alexa will also let lock owners with a DoorSense-calibrated door know if the door is open or closed. However, to unlock your door using Alexa, you are required to set a 4-12-digit security PIN code during the account linking process. If you don't, Alexa will not be able to unlock your door.
"With the two new locks we began shipping in September, we introduced DoorSense, which lets users know definitively that their door is securely closed and locked," said Jason Johnson, CEO for August Home. "Now, as consumers use their voice with Alexa to control their front door, we are also making this important insight part of the Alexa skill."
Compatibility & Availability
Using the August Smart Lock or August Smart Lock Pro with Alexa requires an August Connect Wi-Fi Bridge or an August Doorbell Cam to connect the Bluetooth lock to Wi-Fi. August products are available through major retailers including Amazon, Best Buy and August.com. For more information about August products and services, visit august.com.
August Home Access Products include the August Smart Locks, August Smart Keypad and August Doorbell Cams. Together, these products turn a smartphone into a command center for the front door, allowing people to manage their front door from anywhere. With an August Smart Lock, people can lock and unlock their door, create virtual keys for guests and keep track of who comes and goes with a 24/7 activity log. The August Smart Keypad also lets users create unique entry codes for themselves, family, friends and service providers to unlock an August Smart Lock without a traditional key or smartphone. August Doorbell Cams let consumers see and speak with visitors at the door, from anywhere, using a smartphone.
August Home Access Services
August Home products become even more powerful with the ability to integrate leading brands and platforms that expand the capabilities of the products. August Home Access Services include leading platforms such as Amazon Alexa, Apple Home Kit, the Google Assistant and Nest. Additional August partners include premier security provider Honeywell Total Connect, Wink and Logitech Harmony.
Summary
One of the biggest benefits for having a smart lock like August Smart Locks, is security. Having the ability to know your home is locked up or keeping track of who is coming or going in your home are valuable benefits for today's smart homeowner. Compatibility of connected devices is important for today's smart home owner as well and Amazon has done a nice job of helping consumers achieve this with Alexa. We like this move by August Home to help simplify their smart lock function using Amazon Alexa.
Visit GearBrain's What Works with Amazon Alexa to see the connected devices that work with Amazon Echo and Alexa enabled devices.
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