Piper makes good on its IFTTT channel promise
It's official. Icontrol's all-in-one Piper security system has a channel on the online integration service -- and a new app design.
Icontrol, the team behind the top-rated $200 Piper Classic and $280 Piper NV security systems, teased upcoming IFTTT support back at CES in January. Now that integration has become a reality with today's official launch of the Piper channel on IFTTT.
IFTTT, which stands for "If This, Then That," provides a software platform for products and services from different companies to work together. Visit IFTTT.com or download the recently rebranded IF app on your Android or iOS device to get started. From there, you can create a ton of different rules (IFTTT calls them recipes) for your connected devices.
These are examples of recipes that you can use with Piper.
Piper's revamped app.
You can create your own rules or use existing ones shared by manufacturers and other IFTTT users. Icontrol, for instance, has already created a handful of possible integrations (see image above) that link Piper cameras to Amazon's Alexa, Android Wear watches, your phone's built-in geofencing functionality and more. One example is, "If I tell Alexa to arm Piper, then arm Piper."
Icontrol is a bit behind the curve in terms of IFTTT integration, as smart home products from Nest, Philips, Honeywell, Withings, Samsung, Amazon, Ecobee, D-Link, GE and others already have channels. That was mostly OK because the Piper cameras are truly awesome, delivering 1080p live streaming with a 180-degree field of view. They can also act as standalone security systems because of their built-in 105-decibel sirens and motion, sound, temperature, humidity and ambient light sensors. Plus Icontrol offers free event-based cloud storage of as many as 1,000 clips on a rolling basis.
Even though Piper cameras can stand on their own, I'm still glad to see the Piper IFTTT channel. Up until this point Piper security systems have pretty much kept to themselves. Yes, they have built-in Z-Wave tech for integrations with select devices, but they haven't ventured out into the broader smart home realm. Today's IFTTT launch will make Icontrol more competitive with the many smart home gadgets and gizmos that already work with multiple third-party devices.
In addition to the new IFTTT channel, Icontrol also revamped its Piper app, promising that it's "sexier, cleaner and easier to use." I can't vouch for the easier-to-use part just yet, but it is clear that the app underwent a major design overhaul. We'll test out the integrations and weigh in soon.