UK based Invensys is participating in a US-based pilot system that will allow homeowners to access and control home systems - including security systems – from their vehicle, PC, wireless phone or PDA (personal digital assistant).
Invensys will provide the in-home communication infrastructure.

The combined technologies in the pilot program will allow homeowners to remotely access and operate household functions, including locking and unlocking doors, operating the security system, thermostats and lighting, and even using a webcam to view the home's interior.

The "OnStar at Home" pilot program will be tested in the coming months in 100 Detroit households. It is an initiative of the Internet Home Alliance, of which Invensys and its four partners – General Motors, Panasonic, Hewlett-Packard and ADT Security Services, Inc – are members.

In the pilot, the Invensys server manages the homeowner's communications to the home, ensuring commands received via any OnStar channel reach the correct house in a form that can be understood by an Invensys gateway device.

Inside the home, the gateway enables communication between a thermostat, the lighting and the home security system, all the while communicating over the Internet with the server.

The company is a global leader in the automation and controls industry with its head office in London.