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Faq 
1) Ambient intelligence: what does it mean?
From Wikipedia:
"In computing, ambient intelligence (AmI) refers to electronic environments that are sensitive and responsive to the presence of people. Ambient intelligence is a vision on the future of consumer electronics, telecommunications and computing that was originally developed in the late 1990s for the time frame 2010–2020. In an ambient intelligence world, devices work in concert to support people in carrying out their everyday life activities, tasks and rituals in easy, natural way using information and intelligence that is hidden in the network connecting these devices (see Internet of Things). As these devices grow smaller, more connected and more integrated into our environment, the technology disappears into our surroundings until only the user interface remains perceivable by users."
2) Why do you talk about "ambient intelligence" instead of "home automation"?
Home automation is, nowadays, a term often abused that covers a very broad application field of automation. A simple timed relay controlling a light, a clock alarm, a roller shutter, a remote controlled electric gate are considered "home automation".
The ambient intelligence is a specific and highly advanced branch of home automation. "Home Automation" by itself does not mean "intelligent home automation". The ambient intelligence is the particular field of home automation that adds advanced automations and also decentralized and intelligent interactions.3) What about the "Domotika" system?
The Domotika system is a collection of small electronic devices with low power consumption and high efficiency that are able to interconnect each other, i.e. actuators, sensors, motors and many other devices, managing the functionality in an innovative and decentralized way.
The Domotika system also lets all of these tools communicate with your smartphone, tablet PC, allowing full control of the automated environments, on site or remotely, in full security.4) What are the differences between the Domotika system and other home automation systems on the market?
Domotika is very different from the other systems on the market. Make a complete list here would be almost impossible, but we can highlight some points that more than anything characterize the Domotika system:
- No centralized control unit device: there are no single points of failure, the system is fully distributed
- No additional serial busses: the devices communicate using a simple and open protocol over standard Ethernet network, the same one used for your connection, or alternatively via WiFi, the same that you use with your laptop.
- Open source, free and open protocol: everyone who has programming skills and / or any manufacturer can easily interface with the Domotika system, you're not tied only to devices built by Unixmedia
- Safe protocol: all communications between devices are made with strong encryption and sender authentication.
- Use of commercial devices easily available for the advanced features: Domotika don't reinvent the wheel, there are today many standard communication protocols based on years of evolution in many fields, Domotika speaks these "languages". If you prefer a camera that we have not in our catalog, it is very easy to find another one in the large or small distribution that can be interfaced with Domotika. If you prefer another hardware or software VoIP phone instead of the one proposed by us, feel free to use it. If you already have a media center in your home network, you can integrate it without modifications to the Domotika's network. If you prefer iPhone, Android or Windows Mobile on your mobile phone and / or tablet, you don't need to change and /or install any software, your devices are already able to integrate into the Domotika, out of the box.
- High-quality production: all our devices are strictly produced in Italy, using only first choice and high quality materials and components, and their design is engineered to provide strength and durability.
- Upgradable: the Domotika system is ready for the future, all devices can be upgraded without hardware modifications to stay in step with time.
- Easy configuration: also the end-user is able to autonomously reconfigure the system functionality, no need to install any software for programming the devices, all you need is a web browser
- Autoconfiguration: when devices are added, there is no need for complex network configurations because the devices are autodetected and automagically configured by the system itself.
5) Why should I choose Domotika?
The reasons for preferring the Domotika system are many, some are listed in the response to the previous FAQ, others are the desire to save money or to live a more eco-friendly life, or even the desire to have a home automation system that fits to your needs and not a system to which you have to adapt to. The answer that we prefer to give to this question is "because it meets YOUR needs."6) "The home automation systems are expensive.": is that true?
This statement is not always entirely true. It's true that many home automation systems currently on the market appears to be very expensive for what they really are, and it is also true that even if the system itself is not expensive, but the final price could be expensive if you consider that they often requires expensive devices to complete it, such as engines of various kinds or elecro-valvles and so on.
The Domotika system, in general, is considered a medium cheaper system, or at least offers more advanced functions at the same price of the other systems. However, for example, in order to have a driven shutter, you must have a motorized roller shutter, which is still more expensive than an old manual shutter.
It is therefore necessary to approach to the cost of home automation system according to different points of view.
1) the total price of domestic plant
All of us, in addition to the "classical" electrical plant, use a variety of electronic devices: anti-theft alarm, intercom phone, control of heating are examples of these devices present in most of the houses. If we consider the cost of the home automation system not only comparing the price of the electrical plant, but in comparison to the sum of the electrical system (the anti-theft system, etc), we realize that, ultimately, the total cost is equal or even less than the total cost of separated systems. And moreover, we have it all in a single, pratical and clever plant.
2) initial investment compared to time saving
An essential feature of a Domotika system is to allow significant energy savings through rationalization of the use and control of energy consumption. In other words, its initial cost is absorbed over time into a gain for lower generated costs of energy usage.
3) the value of the building
Legislative developments will increasingly require homes to have lower carbon footprint, and the housing market, both for these reasons and for reasons of honor, you are opting increasingly to favor home automation in a dwelling with classical plant. Then your property will gain higher value.
4) Modularity
Domotika is expandable over time, there is no need to make big efforts of initial investment, you can build over time, one piece at a time.
5) Lower starting labor costs
The simple wiring and ease of configuration allow cost savings in terms of initial installation labor.7) Can I install the Domotika system even if my house is not a new building?
Short answer: YES!
Domotika can be perfectly integrated in a classical structure without any renovations. Nor is it necessary to change the switches in your home!
It will be enough to make space in the room for devices and actuators (not necessarily breaking the walls!) and evntually add network wiring.
wireless devices are also available.8) What can I do in case the energy power goes off?
No problem! Backup batteries and/or UPS installed with Domotika maintain the functionality that you want even in the absence of energy power.9) I am only interested in video-surveillance, should I buy the whole Domotika system?
Absolutely not! Domotika is a highly modular devices system and moreover, for each device, we also provide reduced firmwares with the specific features you ask for at highly competitive costs in order to allow the development of personalized systems with only a few specific needs.
It's always possible to update the reduced version of the firmware to the "complete" one without any hardware change, but simply with a firmware update, and add all the features you will need in the future, building in this way a complete step-by-step ambient intelligence system based on your real needs.10) Is it possibile to test the Domotika system before buying it?
Of course. You can see and touch our system in two different ways:
1 - Visit us at our showroom
Unixmedia has set up a showroom where you can see, test and reconfigure a complete plant. If you are close to us, you can visit us. You will find our staff on site to help you by answering all your questions and guiding you in your unique experience with a system of ambient intelligence environment.
Our showroom and offices are located in Lonate Pozzolo (Italy), via Francia 12, only 10 minutes from the Malpensa Airport (google maps).
For appointment please call us +39 0331-1586378 or email us info@unixmedia.it
2 - Demonstration at your site
Our personnel is at your disposal to come to your home / apartment with a special carrying case that can simulate a small domestic installation in order to let you test our Domotika system.11) If any damage occurs to the Domotika system, how can I manage my home?
Domotika has been designed with the highest quality components and according to the most strictly requirements in order to ensure a very high level of reliability and the system itself, being fully distributed, has no single points of failure.
This means, for example, that if the device that controls the accession of the kitchen light should break, only the functionality of that light would be compromised, the rest of the system will operate normally. And you can configure it in fail-over to avoid even this eventuality.
The electronic circuitry of our devices is also fully redundant, often with even 3 parallel circuits. The same level of redundancy, for example, is used on airlines or on spaceships.
However, in the unlikely event that a device will broke, a little care in the design phase, for which our technicians are available during all phases of system design and installation of the same, provides the opportunity to return immediately to the manual control of devices managed by the home automation system, allowing you to keep all the essential features in a meccanical way untill the system will be fixed.12) Is the Domotika safe? Could a hacker crack my network and control my house?
The Domotika system is developed with the highest safety standards available at the state of the art.
All the communication protocols between devices use strong encryption, and each command is encrypted and authenticated to ensure a high standard of security in the communication.
Our devices also do not use units with operating systems with common vulnerability to computer viruses, so even the possible entry of a virus in your home network through your PC or your laptop, does not compromise the security of the system. It's much easier to cut a conventional electric wire off or hijack a physical button than penetrate the Domotika system!13) Is it easy to install the Domotika system?
Domotika is an ambient intelligence system designed to be installed in the easiest way. It requires only a few multi-functional components to semplify the choice in the planning step and in any next changes or upgrades if needed.
Installing Domotika is very easy, the system does not requires the installation of any software on the laptop of the installer, everything is guided through a user-friendly web interface that allows a quick configuration. In addiction, Domotika provides the autoconfiguration of the network and the devices autodiscovery.
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