Comparing home automation servers
The goal was to converge the two separate technologies of home networking and home automation by using the already available Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and extending it to more users. Obviously this implies giving users what they want: a friendlier yet more reliable system. Since the application affects home security, users must be confident that it delivers what it promises. With this in mind, trials were conducted between two types of networks: the current GSM (Global Systems for Mobile Communication) and the new GPRS (General Packet Radio Device). Factors considered in the trials included whether or not the tasks were easy to learn, the time taken to complete the tasks and the time it takes to establish a connection. The users selected consisted of two types. The first was a limited number of qualified users who had the system in their homes. The second was a broader and more general group of users, which evaluated the system in a laboratory type setting. Included in the resulting similarities and differences were such variables as gender and age as opposed to the users' familiarity with the technology. In summary the end results of the trials showed that in both systems, tasks were easy to learn and required little training time. If all goes according to plan, users should have a portable, friendly, flexible and reliable means to manage home devices in the near future.
