NORTHVILLE – HouseSetter, with the help of MTAM-member company Logic Solutions, has introduced a low-cost, portable monitoring solution to give homeowners peace of mind while they’re away.
At $120 for the hardware, and service starting as low as $5 a month, HouseSetter’s canine-shaped device monitors a home’s vitals: power, temperature, and humidity. If something goes awry, owners will receive text or email alerts until the issue is resolved. HouseSetter has built-in wireless capability and operates on Verizon’s wireless network, so there’s no need for a home internet connection, Wi-Fi, or phone line.
HouseSetter was established by several former founding members of OnStar, including Chet Huber who launched OnStar in 1995. Huber said he got the idea for the company after he retired as president of OnStar in 2009 and spent his first winter in Bonita Springs, Fla. It was the first time he’d owned two homes at the same time, and he thought there should be a way to use sensors to inexpensively monitor them remotely.
In 2011, Walt Dorfstatter, who replaced Huber as president at OnStar, visited him in Florida. “I’m an engineer at heart,” said Huber. “I thought, this should easier to do than what we’d done with vehicles.”
He said he and Dorfstatter kicked the idea around for a year, founded the company in 2012, then spent two years getting the technology refined. They’ve had customers in beta testing for six months. Huber is chairman and Dorfstatter CEO.
“We want to provide people with the simplest, lowest cost way to keep an eye on their house,” said Dorfstatter said. “And while it takes a lot of advanced technology to make that work, our intent is to deliver our service in a way that makes all that complexity invisible so we’re providing peace of mind instead of unwanted science lessons.”
Ann Arbor-based development company Logic Solutions is one of HouseSetter’s key partners in the venture. Logic’s team designed and built HouseSetter’s public facing website with an eCommerce module to enroll subscribers and manage renewals; developed the communication software between the web server and the Verizon wireless carrier; and created the client facing web UI to engage, renew, and send reports to users.
“Michiganders provide a great use case for HouseSetter,” said Matt Sarkesian, Chief Technology Officer of Logic Solutions. “When ‘snowbirds’ spend winters in another region of the country, they are unaware of power outages in Michigan. With HouseSetter, they can get alerted of issues – such as extremely low temperatures in the house that can cause pipes to freeze – and instantly take steps to avoid a major financial consequence.”
For more information about HouseSetter and Sherlock, please visit www.housesetter.com.
Logic Solutions is an international, privately held development firm headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. With a team of 200 experts in six offices worldwide, Logic provides eCommerce solutions, custom software, websites, and mobile application development. Visit www.logicsolutions.com for more information.
