- WallyHome’s next generation home sensing solution helps homeowners avoid serious property damage
SEATTLE, 2016-Oct-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — The next generation WallyHome wireless sensor network provides homeowners with peace of mind through unprecedented access to monitoring and maintaining the health of their home. The revolutionary home sensing solution detects and alerts users to water leaks and changes in humidity and temperature. The new system includes updated capabilities for the hub and sensors, and introduces Rapid Response, an optional new subscription emergency repair service that connects users to a service professional who can be dispatched to quickly fix problems and help avoid serious property damage.
Almost 40 percent* of all homeowners have reported damage due to water over their lifetime and property damage from water leaks is the second most common home insurance claim,” said Ryan Ciovacco, President of Wally Labs and Connected Living for Sears Holdings Corporation. “Our goal with WallyHome is to solve real pain points for homeowners, such as leaks that cause serious water damage or a heating outage at 2 a.m. on a freezing night. WallyHome can help save our users money and provide greater peace of mind by catching problems early on and notifying owners before significant damage occurs. We go beyond simply alerting a customer to an issue. Our end-to-end solution will also connect you with a certified professional to fix the problem before it gets worse—24 hours a day.”The WallyHome system lets users know what’s happening in real-time through text message, push and email notifications and phone calls. Users can monitor for the following through the upgraded sensor:
- Water leaks: Detect leaks to reduce the risk of costly water damage.
- Temperature changes:
- Identify potential problems with heating and air conditioning systems to reduce the risk of frozen pipes and other hazards.
- Continuously measures the temperature in multiple locations in the home, alerting users to extreme levels or changes in temperature.
- Humidity: Reduce the potential for unhealthy mold growth by monitoring humidity levels.
- Doors & windows: Avoid unknowingly leaving doors and windows open, making the home more secure and help reduce monthly energy bills.
“We’ve taken all of the features our members loved from the original product, and extended them to be compatible with the most popular connected home protocols,” said Parag Garg, CTO of Wally Labs and Connected Living at Sears Holdings. “In the coming months, we’ll be announcing some new features, partnerships, third party products and service integrations, as well as several new WallyHome branded products.”
The WallyHome Rapid ResponseTM partnership with ServiceLive’s nearly 35,000 certified and screened professionals, makes it the first home monitoring system available with the ability to not only detect, but react to issues by quickly connecting owners with a service to dispatch the appropriate service professional to fix the problem. Quick action is the key to preventing or limiting property damage and the Rapid Response service delivers a professional to remedy issues within two hours, even if the homeowner is away. Rapid Response currently specializes in non-life threatening emergencies such as leaks, heating and cooling outages and frozen pipes. Areas of focus include refrigerators, dishwashers, ice makers, bathtubs, pipes, washing machines, water heaters, water softeners, HVAC, toilets and showers.
WallyHome is conducting partnership pilots with several home insurance and property management companies and is currently used in many commercial businesses ranging from restaurants and vineyards to data centers and farms.
Do-it-yourself installation of WallyHome is a snap and can be set up in minutes. Simply place the wireless sensors around the home, connect them to the network using the Wally app, and the system is set. WallyHome starter kits ($99.99) and sensors ($34.99) are available now at WallyHome.com and Sears.com. WallyHome works with iOS and Android** and is compatible with additional approved smart devices. The WallyHome sensors are rated for five years of battery life under normal usage and the second generation hub offers battery backup. For more information on Wally’s offerings and services, a complete list of compatible products and to stay current on Wally news, such as the introduction of additional modules and monitoring devices, visit WallyHome.com.
*Source: WaterDamageDefense.com
**Internet connection required for access to your Wally account.
About Wally Labs LLC
Acquired in 2015, Wally Labs is a subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation. Wally has maintained its innovation and technical expertise, and is now backed by the logistical and operational resources of a Fortune 150 company, as well as the unparalleled advantage of a close partnership with the nation’s largest home services provider.
Wally Labs is a sensor and services platform company for the connected home, focused on home safety, security, and loss prevention. Its technology provides homeowners with state-of-the-art coverage and sensor longevity for environmental hazard detection. Its customers use its devices, in connection with its monitoring service, to discover and alert themselves when a harmful event occurs in their home. Wally Rapid Response partners with ServiceLive’s nearly 35,000 certified and screened service professionals to dispatch the appropriate service professional to fix the problem. ServiceLive is a division of Sears Home Services.
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading integrated retailer providing merchandise and related services and is part of Shop Your Way, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through shopyourway.com. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through Sears-branded and affiliated full-line and specialty retail stores. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard — among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation’s largest provider of home services, with nearly 12 million service and installation calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.
Contact:
Larry Costello
PR Director
847-286-9036
Larry.Costello@searshc.com
Andrew Scutt
Zeno Group
312-245-0688
Andrew.Scutt@zenogroup.com
SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.
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