BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Verizon announced that it is introducing a new customizable home monitoring and control service. According to Verizon, the service, now in the trial phase and expected to be available in the first half of 2011, will enable customers to set, adjust, and control smart thermostats, appliances, and lights; lock their doors remotely; and see what’s going on at home via networked cameras - all by using a smartphone or a computer or through FiOS TV.

Beginning this month, a pilot program for home monitoring and control will be conducted in New Jersey. The homes selected for the program will be outfitted with an energy reader, smart thermostats and appliance switches, a smart power strip, a smart door and window locks, motion sensors, an advanced pan-and-tilt camera, and a fixed indoor and outdoor camera.

“What we’ll be testing in these homes is just the beginning,” said Eric Bruno, vice president of product management for Verizon. “We’re giving customers a remote control for their homes that they can use to cut CO2 emissions and their energy bills and give them anytime, anywhere access and control of their homes. The concept of the connected home has been discussed for many years, and now Verizon’s high-IQ networks are making that concept a reality by converting customers’ homes into bandwidth-rich ecosystems that enable a wide variety of customizable options.”

For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

Publication date:01/10/2011