In recent years, Leviton has made a name for itself as a provider of smart home technology, specifically in smart home lighting. Now the company has taken another step down that road with the addition Intellect, its fifth brand alongside Birchwood, ConTech, Intense, and JCC. Intellect is a Controls Platform that will support Leviton’s growing Internet of Things functionality and smart home tech.
Leviton already offers smart bulbs and other forms of smart home functionality, but until now, the company didn’t provide a proprietary way to control its bulbs. “Including Intellect in our Leviton Lighting portfolio is an important step in our smart lighting growth initiative and in offering our customers a complete end-to-end professional lighting and wireless controls solution. We designed Intellect to be an interoperable controls brand that complements our North America lighting hardware brands, Birchwood, ConTech, and Intense,” Philip Warner, vice president and general manager of Leviton Lighting, said in a statement.
The Intellect mobile app will be available for both Android and iOS. The app controls the Intellect wall stations, which connect to the devices via Bluetooth. This provides a layer of security that sets it apart from other competition within the smart home realm for two reasons. First, the wall stations connect directly to the home’s electrical system. This means more reliability and less downtime. Second, the lack of a network connection makes them far less vulnerable to attack.
Leviton aims to provide a simplified, straightforward system for controlling its smart home technology. The system will enable users to dim their lights at will and employ occupancy sensors that can turn the lights on automatically if someone is in the room. Smarthome products produced by Leviton are already code-compliant, so home builders can use the technology without worrying about it meeting local regulations.
The multiple brands may be confusing, but Leviton divides its offerings up based on the experiences they provide. One of the company’s branches provides luxury lighting solutions, while another is targeted toward everyday use. This method makes it easy for shoppers to find exactly what they’re looking for, and the addition of Intellect is another example of convenience for the consumer.