The reasons why I decided to install a Perenio Building Management System? User Review
In this article, I’m going to explain my reason for installing a Building Management Systems. Anyway writing about ‘smart home' is a completely different thing to building it. Today, The Internet of things become a trend nowadays, so it is difficult to imagine modern life without it. They both talk and write a lot about it, claiming that the future is beyond it. A recent study published by Cisco showed that back in 2009 there were more gadgets than people in the world. It is important to remind that we install all these sensors, surveillance cameras and other devices not just following the modern trends, but to take some benefits from its' advantages in our everyday life.
Fewer worries
While maneuvering among people and cars on the way to work, I often scroll through the questions of an upcoming business meeting. However, these questions are always interrupted by some vile thought which continues to follow me all day like a bothering YouTube ad. This thought is “whether I turned off the iron”. It seems to be trivial, but I think that each of us has his own “iron”, which will get into the head and cannot get out of there. So instead of concentrating at a business meeting and following the conversation flow, you hear the “Iron. Iron. Did you turn off the iron?” thought to appear in your head again and again. Concentration decreases while the stress hormones’ level increases in your blood. Instead of strolling through the park after a hard day's work, you run home to check if everything is okay. Of course, the iron is switched off, but the mood is already spoilt anyway. So the next day you subconsciously waiting for the next neurotic coming, wasting your mental energy. It would have been good to be more attentive, but the modern world person must be multitasking, so no wonder some things can be forgotten. The worst part is that the older you get, the more you start to forget.
Another example of installing the washing machine also came up in my head. When I installed them, I decided not to bother: I plugged in the water, and my drain hose was loose. Since the house is old, there is no lot of space in the bathroom, so I just left a drain hose merely hanging from the washing machine. Not a big deal, you need to remember to throw it into the bathroom when you turn on the washing machine. Experienced housekeepers, masters of pliers and wrenches may even scold me, but this “bug” is still present in my apartment. As you might guess, several times I had to run with a rag to wipe the puddles on the floor. Anyway, I went on a business trip to Germany recently, and one of my friends there described me the same situation happening to him sometimes, despite taking some Hausmeister (as they call local masters) course. Still, my friend's wife can't get rid of worries when she leaves a washing machine, or a dishwasher switched on while she is out.
Here the second argument comes. My wife and I travel a lot concerning our work. Sometimes it can take nearly a whole month when we are not at home. So only some “home ghosts” know what is going on at our apartment. So if only there were some sensors connected to the mobile application, then any worries would vanish. If something goes wrong, you can ask your friend to come and check whether everything is going well.
To my mind, delegating at least a part of my everyday worries to the sensors and surveillance cameras is a blessing. It may not be possible to get used to it immediately, but I am sure that after some time I will be able to breathe more freely while some mental resources will be saved for more important stuff.
Improve your everyday life easily
Sometimes you start being interested in some specific topic and find yourself being genuinely into it. It is just the same as when you get a dog: the moment you get one, you start noticing dog owners everywhere around you.
The building management systems topic recently arise in a Skype conversation with my American friend. I decided to find out what he thinks about it. Thus his answer was Yankees’: “It is a part of the modern world, and it makes life more comfortable. I do not think about whether I need a car or not. I must have a car. A car is one of the means to make your life easier, just as same as the Building Management Systems”. That is a typical European and American citizens' point of view.
Installing a needed amount of sensors to make your house comfortable and life more accessible, but not turning it into the spacecraft – that is what should be done.
Interest as stimulation for personal growth
Surely you must know how much patience is needed to teach your parents some basics of computer technologies. Everyone had cases when it was necessary to download, install, and show them how things work. My current job is related to modern technology, but still several times a year I feel like my father, who can hardly cope with a new device. I have another technological marvel in front of me, but I don’t know how to approach it. Therefore, I developed my rule of trying to understand some new techniques.
The fact we need to face is that Building Management Systems will soon become an integral part of every family’s home. In order not to wonder why all the apartments are automated and computerized as well as connected to the Internet of things while you have only a simple fire sensor, you should be into this technological topic. That is why I decided to devote some part of my time to technological self-education to understand the Internet of Things’ principles of installation and operation. Thus the easiest way to do this is to install a building management system in your apartment so that to find out what are the data transfer protocols, a control gateway and a mobile application. It is not so difficult to set up and connect all these devises, but for me, the question of principle is to figure out everything as well as to find out how it works. My American friend believes that the building management system is as the same integral part of our modern life as a smartphone. So you know, I completely agree with this thought!
Why Perenio?
When I told my wife that we would install Perenio's Building Management System at our home, she just smiled and told that there's no wonder since I write about it. The question that arises was whether it is worth it. I had to look for some arguments to convince her since she is not the one to easily become an advertisement victim.
The logic of my reasoning was as follows: of course, this is not a Nest’s product. It’s a new product, moreover only the company’s first generation so that it may have its cons. You may have to deal a bit with the mobile application and the control gateway, but the sensors and the surveillance camera seem to fulfill all the stated requirements. I can say that I like the idea of the opened platform provided by the manufacturer, which means that other brands’ devises could be connected to it. For example, if we decide to buy a smart column so that the weather forecast will be announced in the morning, we can do it with no doubt. The price is also a good part: the basic set’s price is only 199 €. Not so much as for solving the problems described above. So I bought it, will test it and let you know my impressions in the next articles.
Moreover, I promise to be completely honest, since I promised my friends and wife to be objective. That is said if I find any weak point or bug, I will describe it. Besides, they assure at the company that their users’ opinion is critical for the development of second-generation devices. Therefore, if you have Perenio devices installed in your place already and you are willing to share some experience, don’t hesitate to write to info@perenio.com.
