Virtual Office Resource

Phone (News - Alert).com and LiftMaster recently announced that they would extend an agreement between the two that would continue the integration of Phone.com services with LiftMaster’s next generation of electric gate and door solutions. One of the important benefits of these solutions is that it allows property owners to avoid the higher cost of having a conventional phone line at each access point.

Newark, New Jersey-based Phone.com (News - Alert) provides VoIP phone service for small businesses. These plans include the usual features of business phone service like auto attendant, follow me, toll-free number, scheduled call routing, and hold music. The company also offers a variety of different phones ranging from relatively simple models to higher-level phones with a sophisticated set of features.

Elmhurst, Illinois-based LiftMaster provides commercial and residential door and gate access systems. The company is owned by the Chamberlain Group, which is based in the same city. One of the more innovative solutions it offers is MyQ , a system that combines a Nest camera with a LiftMaster garage door. Through a smartphone app, users can keep track of door activity and watch a video feed of the garage area.

Both companies will be at the upcoming ITEXPO in Ft. Lauderdale from January 25-28, and discuss, Expanding Horizons – Innovative Uses for Cloud-based Telephony.

The combined solution is one example of how many of the systems people use on a regular basis are becoming part of the Internet of Things (IoT). The Internet is transitioning from one dominated by human interaction to one that will be dominated by machine interaction, either with humans or other machines.

We’re already seeing it today with many of the home automation systems available through cable companies or companies like Nest. Anything that involves taking measurements from gauges is another activity no longer requires human action and can be moved to the IoT.

We are approaching the world envisioned by RFID Journal contributor Kevin Ashton back in 2009, where computers will be able “to observe, identify and understand the world—without the limitations of human-entered data.”

As the IoT grows, one of the biggest concerns is going to be security. It would be catastrophic if hackers could easily compromise the communication between autonomous vehicles or access an Internet-enabled oven in someone’s home.

Such concerns are equally justified in gate access systems like the integrated Phone.com-LiftMaster ones. It’s undeniable that the IoT will make our lives better in so many ways, but an equal amount of effort must be taken to ensure that these systems are secure.