Save money. Save 10-15% on utility bills per month. Work with products that have a good value now, but also save money throughout the ownership of the home. Get energy savings through lighting management, irrigation control, solar energy, and temperature control. Lower monthly bills—how can you say no to that?

Enjoy the comfort of your home. Avoid crowds, uncomfortable seats, and the rising cost of going to the movies. Design a dedicated home theater with rumbling chairs, kick-ass sound, and of course—sound proof! Or, utilize a multi- purpose room to enjoy movies with the whole family.

Rest assured. Know your family is safe while at work loging on via the web. Receive email messages when your kids get home from school and disarm the system. See video of who is at your door, or just use sensors to let you know when someone is trying to enter unannounced.

Getting a little soggy? Be warned when a leak is threatening to turn into a flood. Some systems can detecat as little as 1/8 inch of water and alert you by phone.

Baby it's cold outside. Call from the airport and bring temperatures back up via cell phone call or your PDA. Never come home to a cold house again!

Having a party? One click of a button and you can have music, lighting, and temperature set just how you like it! Set similar scenes for dinner, movies, romantic evenings, and whatever else you can think of!

Bumps in the night. Immediately hit the "all lights on" button and illuminate your whole home!

Document it. Installation of wiring is essential to every project. Although the wiring is going to get closed up in the walls, it should also be prepared for future upgrades. Document what you do so you know exactly where the original wires begin, end, and how they connect to current components.

Holiday lights. Help control your utility bill by turning lights on at sunset, and off at a designated time.

Has it rained? Don't waste water the lawn if it's rained in the last 48 hours. Let your automation and irrigation systems work it out amongst themselves.

©2005 Architechtronics, Inc.

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Jennifer Shatos holds a degree in Visual Communications Specializing in Graphic Design from the Art Institute of Seattle. Jennifer frequently attends educational seminars to keep on the cutting-edge of business, along with trade shows and other events in the home automation and security industry.

Visit http://www.architechtronics.com for more information.