Orbit Irrigation & Control4 Partner on New Home-Automation Network

NORTH SALT LAKE, Utah – Orbit Irrigation Products, a worldwide manufacturer and supplier of irrigation and misting products for the commercial and residential markets, is joining forces with Control4, the leader in Internet protocol (IP)-based home control and entertainment systems. This collaboration – to connect Orbit irrigation controllers and other products with Control4 home-automated networks – marks the first time Orbit products will have the capacity to interface with a home network. The interface capability will enable consumers to operate their irrigation programs on the Web, by phone and even on their television sets.

Orbit is currently developing a controller with the hardware necessary to make the connection to the Control4. This technology is unique and, according to Chad Wilson, product development engineer leading the project at Orbit, there is nothing on the market today that is as integrated for providing home automation inside and out. Users will be able to check an irrigation system’s current status and settings, the last irrigation cycle, a history of irrigation cycles and settings, and watering instructions, as well as access climate-related adjustments and other indicators.

“Being able to access a system’s data and remotely control exactly how much and when to water offers significant conservation potential,” Wilson notes. “The combination of technology and innovation has, once again, provided a new way to conserve time, energy and natural resources while affording both immediate and long-term savings for our customers.”

“This partnership illustrates new ways in which homes can be automated,” adds Jim Gist, Control4 director of business development. “The Control4 platform enables nearly endless possibilities for homes to become more efficient, convenient and adaptable to any lifestyle.

“We are pleased with our working relationship with Orbit and the collaborative effort that has resulted in the development of this new solution,” continued Gist. “One of the real advantages of this partnership between our two Utah companies is our proximity to one another – it has facilitated easy communication and allowed us to move forward. Also, we share the same kind of customer-driven focus that has made Orbit so successful.”