Lowe’s makes play for high-tech homeowner

Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe’s will unveil the next wave of products and services for Iris, its cloud-based smart home solution, at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show. 

Iris enables homeowners to monitor and control their homes from anywhere via smartphone, tablet or computer with a free basic level of service. Lowe’s will showcase more than 15 new Iris devices and services developed since the smart home solution’s launch in 2012 at the show.

“As the second largest home improvement retailer in the world, Lowe’s recognizes the evolving needs of today’s homeowner, and is well positioned to offer the widest breadth of compatible connected home products and services at an attractive price,” said Kevin Meagher, VP and general manager of Smart Home at Lowe's. 

Lowe’s will also introduce a new product line for the connected home that will offer homeowners an assortment of routers and switches, as well as Wi-Fi range extenders and Powerline solutions that will help expand network coverage by leveraging existing-home broadband wiring. Lowe’s plans to roll out the new home area network products to as many as 100 stores in the nation in the first half of 2013, with the full rollout later in the year.

“Lowe’s Iris system is an excellent choice for homeowners and renters looking to install a system that improves the safety, efficiency and convenience of their daily lives. Iris is simple and affordable, and it will continue to evolve to manage more elements of the home through a tablet or smartphone,” Meagher said.

Lowe’s has new Iris partnerships with Verizon, Honeywell, Whirlpool, Jarden Safety, Orbit Irrigation Products, Pet Safe, Plastair, Spring Window Fashions, Sylvania, Yale and Pella. It has existing partnerships with Schlage, First Alert, GE Jasco and Radio Thermostat of America. 

The 2013 International CES runs Jan. 8-11 in Las Vegas.