HARRISON, NY (January 9, 2024) - URC, a leader in global smart residential and commercial automation, is starting 2024 with a significant upgrade to its Amazon Alexa Skill allowing consumers to reimagine smart home spaces using URC’s Total Control®. The new integration with Alexa Skill enables homeowners to enjoy more intuitive, personalized experiences with new smart integration and more conversational interactions. Overall, enhancements include more native integration, more direct voice control commands, direct control of all devices in an Alexa room and many more new features.
In 2017, URC launched its Amazon Alexa Smart Home Skill 1.0. This early integration allowed any Alexa device containing the URC Smart Home Skill to control within the Total Control ecosystem. It also enabled sub-systems like lighting to be included and allowed installers to add URC devices into Alexa-created macros. These were breakthrough features during the early phases of voice-assisted, whole home control and automation.
The latest evolution of URC’s Smart Home Skill 2.0 is a significant upgrade and allows a host of new features that are more intuitive, more personalized, and more conversational. With enhanced functionality, this integration can control numerous smart home and commercial environment platforms through its Total Control operating system. Also, it permits the inclusion of URC’s Total Control Unified module software which aggregates devices from other brands under categories like Unified Lighting and Unified Access Control.
Additionally, the user experience is more direct by permitting numerous functions with simplified commands that allow simple instruction. This eliminates the need to mention the operating system and go direct to Alexa. Also, it expands the reach of the rooms, devices and settings. Now, users can easily command within the Total Control system:
- “Alexa, turn on Family Room”
- “Alexa, dim Kitchen Pendants”
- “Alexa, turn on Movie Scene”
- “Alexa, set lights to 100 Percent”
- “Alexa, lock the Front Door”
Another enhanced feature is the ability for Total Control to permit Alexa’s room aware capability with URC devices that include Alexa built-in. This feature allows users to issue commands without the need to define the room (e.g. Primary Bedroom) and related device (e.g. TDC-5100). This important feature makes the voice command more efficient and easier for the user.
Regarding programming, URC’s Alexa Smart Home Skill 2.0 better manages what Total Control feeds into the Alexa ecosystem including adding more or limiting the number of devices. The new Skill automatically adds URC’s unique software user interfaces like Unified Lighting, Unified Access Control and Unified Climate. This feature eliminates programming steps while allowing the system to include a broad range of branded devices from other manufacturers included in the Unified interface.
Combining the enhanced power of URC’s Total Control and Amazon Alexa Smart Home Skill creates unified control and automation for homeowners and streamlined programming for URC certified dealers. Key benefits include:
- Unified Operation – Users can use a single device through the Total Control system to control a broader range of devices, interfaces and sub-systems minimizing the number of other controllers, remotes, and devices.
- Voice/Hands-Free Control - URC’s voice commands allow simple homeowner operation and can act as a virtual remote to activate entertainment devices in an occupied room.
- Fast User Response – URC’s secure data base enables quick response to voice commands and provides a superior user experience.
- Automatic Discovery – URC’s Alexa Skill 2.0 automatically discovers supported unified user interfaces like Access Control, Climate, Lighting, and Window Covering devices.
- Integrates with Amazon Alexa Room Aware – New functionality where the user can distinguish among supported URC devices with Alexa built-in and can be easily assigned to a room saving programming time.
- Customized Native Programming – Fast, easy, and professional programming through URC’s home automation dealer community.
- Virtual Remote – This feature allows the professional programmer to convert a device to a “smart” device through Total Control’s Now Playing feature.
- Scenes and Voice Events – URC’s Total Control Alexa Skill 2.0 executes professionally programmed scenes and voice events supporting standard Amazon Alexa voice commands.
- Inclusion in Alexa Routines – Now, any URC device or Alexa assigned macro, like lighting, can be added into Alexa routines.
“This project has been a significant investment by URC to deliver next generation, voice-enabled Amazon Alexa Skill integration. It allows URC’s certified dealers to more efficiently install premium, highly customized systems across devices and rooms. Now, our dealers and end-users can access this integration with less complex voice commands and faster performance,” stated Lars Granoe, URC’s VP Product Development.
In addition to URC’s Smart Home Skill, URC has integrated with Amazon Alexa for voice control since 2019. As URC evolved its product portfolio, the integration with Alexa grew and developed with native, voice control integrations in many of its latest user interfaces like the TDC-5100, a tabletop controller with a 5” touch screen, the TKP-8600, an in-wall controller with an 8” touch screen, the TRC-1480, an ergonomic handheld remote with a 2.4” capacitive touch screen, the MX-4000, a Complete Control® tabletop controller with a 5” touch screen, and the MX-1400, a Complete Control handheld remote with a 2.4” LCD touch screen.
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