Nolana Baillargeon was on tour in Ireland with the Calgary Fiddlers when she remembered her cleaning lady was due to arrive shortly at her home. She clicked an app on her smartphone and was able to open the front door of her house in Calgary.

"The approach allows us to optimize our field technician schedules throughout the day to ensure that all jobs and resources are optimally matched, even with changing service requests throughout the day," says Taylor. He adds that you have to be a believer in such automation. The system continually provides a three hour window of opportunity for on-the-road appointments.

When the opportunity came up to better secure his home, he did a little research and found something that is becoming a unique option for homeowners. The Vivint security and home automation system gives homeowners the ability to control there home from literally anywhere in the world.

A first glance at this year's CE Pro 100 might lead an outsider to think custom installation is no longer a cottage industry of entrepreneurs. For the most part, that conclusion would be wrong, even though some very large companies are now in the business of installing home automation and home theater systems.

Having more control options is never a bad thing. Vivint agrees, announcing plans to add the Vivint Secondary Panel into its mix.

User-friendly digital technology isn't just for kids anymore. Smartphone-based home-monitoring systems are making seniors one of the largest market segments for home security companies.

Wouldn't it be great if you could control and see everything that goes on in your home....even when you're not there? New technology can help you do just that.

Brent Street runs through a diverse, tree-lined neighborhood in Dorchester, Mass. At 81 Brent Street stands a three-story, traditional New England home. However, its basic design is the only traditional thing about the home, which is adorned with 30 solar panels on its roof, native and drought-tolerant plants and trees in its yard, and a home automation system fit for the Jetson's.

To best understand where Vivint Inc. is headed, start with the home security company's smartphone app. From there, customers can see if an alarm is set, when doors and windows are opened and what's happening at home through live video feeds. Then take a look at the rooftop solar panels and smart thermometers that reduce electrical grid demand and energy use.

Innovations in rooftop solar system financing may be driving the growth of solar more than anything except, possibly, Chinese government subsidies. But China's subsidies are unsustainable, if not illegal, while financing advances like the just-announced Clean Power Finance (CPF) partnership with Vivint Solar are transforming the industry.

The simplicity of Enphase's microinverter technology has allowed Vivint to fulfill its mission to provide simple, affordable solar technology. Vivint professionals can design arrays quickly and make minor adjustments during installation. Being a leading provider of simple, affordable solar solutions as well as an early adopter of the power purchase agreement (PPA) model, Vivint can deliver solar energy systems to customers throughout North America. Backed by award-winning customer support and proven infrastructure, Vivint is dedicated to saving customers money and protecting the environment.

Smart home technology has been available for years now. But until now, you had to wire your home to get it, which could get pretty expensive. Now that it's gone wireless though, you might be surprised to find out how affordable it can be.

A new smart home security system from Vivint Security is making homes in the CSRA more secure and energy-efficient.

As with any type of security, the more you have to lose, the better your protection technology should be. Vivint is state-of-the-art, and now the company is gearing up to integrate solar energy in its offerings. In many weeks of use, its all performed flawlessly. Vivint alarm response has been lightning quick, the companys tech support is outstanding, and we even like how the Go!Control panel puts a next-day weather forecast in its interface...not to mention those tornado warnings.

Now a variety of security measures are available for use through Smartphones, ipads, and computers. They include infrared motion detectors, glassbreak sensors, smoke detectors, and video cameras, either fixed-lens or pan-tilt, which allow users to watch live and recorded video from anywhere in the world. Other options are remotely operated locks, with access codes that can be changed from anywhere at anytime.

Home automation or smart home systems with robust residential security features can provide a critical line of defense when criminals strike. In addition to preventing burglaries in the homes where they are installed, a study by researchers at the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice (SCJ) in Newark, New Jersey found that residential alarm systems help lower the crime rate in surrounding neighborhoods.

If Netflix'sQwikster was the Pinto of rebrandings, then APX Alarm's reinvention as Vivint may well be the Aston Martin. Kristi Knight, Vivint's vice president of Communications, said the main reason for the change was the former name limited the company from expanding the scope of its offerings.

Drawing power from the sun is not a new concept, neither is the use of solar panels to save money on utility bills. But add those concepts to the other automated features of a smart home and you have the next best thing offered by Provo-based Vivint.

Continuing with its business plan to move beyond just security services, Utah-based Vivint announced this week that it has received $75 million in financing from a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp to support the company's new solar energy panel installation business called "Vivint Solar."

Up until now, the young residential solar market has been divvied up among local and regional service providers: some of them are small crews of roofers and contractors while others have managed to expand to multiple states. Here comes a large home security company that thinks it can shake up the market: Vivint said Wednesday that it has lined up a $75 million fund to jump-start its solar business. Utah-based Vivint, one of the largest home security installation companies in the country, has gotten the fund from U.S. Bancorp to create Vivint Solar and offer residential solar financing and installation services.

"If they're [the solar panels] not producing energy, you're not paying for it." That was Vivint CEO, Todd Peterson on Vivint Solar, the company's latest attempt at bringing renewable energy to consumers in a disruptive fashion. Through Vivint Solar, customers do not have to pay anything up front for solar power. They simply sign a contract, allow Vivint to strategically place solar panels on their roof and then buy the produced energy at a locked-in rate 20-30% below that of the local utility company. And again, if it happens to be an unusually cloudy summer, you don't take a loss since you didn't pay anything up front.

Vivint Solar, the solar energy division of home automation company Vivint Inc., announced Wednesday that it has received a $75 million tax equity commitment from U.S. Bancorp to finance the purchase of residential home solar energy systems in the U.S.

The Utah-based company, formerly known as APX Alarm Security Solutions Inc., is getting $75 million in financing from U.S. Bancorp, which is supporting the company's plan to provide solar installations for homes in New Jersey, Utah, Hawaii and New York

One of the country's largest residential home security companies is making an aggressive move into residential solar power, The Post has learned. The company, Vivint, a privately-held Salt Lake city firm, is expected to announce as soon as today that it has raised $75 million to finance the initiative -- which will provide solar panels to homeowners with no upfront fees, In exchange, customers must sign a 20-year purchase power agreement with Vivint.

The company, formerly called APX Alarms, today is scheduled to announce its new name and strategy to expand into home automation. It now has about 16,000 homes using a combined home alarm and energy management system, which it expects to grow to about 100,000 customers this year, according to CEO Todd Pederson.

U.S. Bancorp created a fund to support as much as $75 million in residential rooftop solar installations by Vivint Solar. The tax-equity fund will finance about 2,400 residential solar installations in New Jersey, Utah, Hawaii and New York, Provo, Utah-based Vivint said today in a statement.

U.S. Bancorp, which seems to have a very strong appetite for the tax-equity funding of solar roofs from firms such as Sungevity, SunRun, and SolarCity, funded another $75 million for residential solar with partner Vivent in Utah, Hawaii, and New York. Vivint is using Zep Solar for the mounting portion of the installation.

Vivint, a home automation and security company, has announced a new solar division and residential solar leasing services. The launching of a new division, Vivint Solar, included a financing commitment of $75 million in renewable energy tax equity from a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp.

Security, home control and energy management service company Vivint believes that offering affordable solar panel systems--as in no money down--could pave the way to sell more energy management in homes.

Improving field-service management takes more than giving technicians smartphones and subscribing to some Web-based apps. To be successful, companies need to shape new systems to their specific needs and give themselves plenty of time to switch over.

For years the smart home has seemed like one of the ultimate dreams of how technology could enhance our lives -- responding to, and even anticipating, every whim for entertainment, comfort, and safety. The road to the automated home, however, has been difficult -- fraught with exorbitant prices, difficult installations, and incompatible and unreliable products.

I SUSPECT that our species has been longing for "smart homes" since prehistoric times. John Q. Caveman is in one corner of his cave, about to retire after a long day of gathering (he's never been the hunting type), and suddenly, a needling worry becomes lodged in his mind: Did he put out the fire in front of the cave? He vaguely remembers doing so, but what if he's thinking of last night, not tonight?

Thanks to leading-edge technology and extremely aggressive prices--the company heavily subsidizes its customers' equipment purchases in exchange for longer-than-typical 42-month service contracts--we think Vivint has become the company to beat.

Joshua Meyer feels good about his home's security when he has to travel for business. With a touch of a button on his door handle, he can set the alarm throughout his east El Paso home. And once he's gone, video cameras help keep an eye on the place. Yet when Meyer talks about the Vivint system, he admits he has more fun talking about the gadget side of wireless control systems. For many 30-somethings who have grown up with technology, discovering what they can do with a home automation system is as much fun or more fun than using it. And while safety is a reason for looking into these systems, it's not the only one.

Vivint has just named the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease as a $100,000 winner, part of a $1.25 million Vivint Gives Back Facebook Campaign.

Gracehaven, a shelter for young female human-trafficking victims being developed outside Columbus, won $25,000 from an online charitable campaign. The shelter grant was part of $1.25 million given to winners in the Vivint Gives Back Project, sponsored by the national home automation company.

The Team Sanfilippo Foundation, whose president, Kathleen Buckley, resides in Saratoga Springs, has won $100,000 in an online contest, according to a Tuesday announcement. The Team Sanfilippo Foundation received nearly 177,000 votes to win the eastern regionals top prize in the $1.25 million Vivint Gives Facebook Campaign.

This three-family urban home stands out for its commitment to energy efficiency technology. Cynthia Loesch and Ivan Liriano love showing off their new green home. The three-story, three-unit tenement in the diverse neighborhood of Dorchester, Mass., stands out with its 22 solar photovoltaic panels and eight solar thermal panels on its roof.

Provo-based Vivint presented its annual awards to charities on Tuesday, which this year totaled $1.25 million. The home-alarm and automation company and its employees donated $1 million, with the remainder coming from charity supporters who participated in a Facebook vote competition.

It's become a reality for many people: turning off your lights, or setting the alarm on your security system from anywhere in the world. Manitoba home owners are adopting smart-home technology at an alarming rate. Maya Morcilla is one of them, "I'm so busy in the morning, sometimes I forget to set the alarm. I'll forget to turn off the air conditioning."

Sparks, NV - They are accused of breaking into homes and terrorizing people who are over the age of 60. Tonight, the two men accused in a series of violent home invasions in the Sparks area are behind bars. But their victims are still having a hard time coping, two months after the incidents. And one woman says a very important decision she made about a year before saved her life.

If you work full time, it's a challenge sometimes to squeeze in a doctor's appointment and not miss too much time away from the job. Vivint Inc. headquartered in Provo, Utah has solved that problem by bringing the doctor to the workplace.

Vivint, a home automation company in North America, announced that two of its systems-the Home Automation Package and the Advanced Security Package-have received a "Best Buy" rating from Consumers Digest. The company reported that the ratings will appear in the July/August 2011 issue of the publication.

"Heard of APX Alarm Security Solution? Probably not. But that's ok, it's par for the course when discussing home automation, a market segment mostly ignored by the big boys of consumer electronics. Today APX is making a grand entrance into home automation thanks to a $443 million investment by Goldman Sachs"

"Vivint is a home security company looking for growth in home energy and solar installations."

"Veteran home-security company APX Alarm has changed its name to Vivint and jumped feet first into the home-control space. In a move that's sure to further shake up a market that's already undergoing rapid change, Vivint is now offering an integrated package that bundles Z-Wave-based home control with monitored home security at a remarkable price."

"Having tackled its growing pains, Vivint will have to hone its tactics as it faces a new set of competitors. Technology behemoths such as Microsoft and Cisco Systems and telcos like Verizon Communications have plans to compete in home automation services. Pedersen is adamant that -- as an Idahoan -- he'll succeed."

It's the new wave in home security and comfort. Many homeowners are turning to home automation. Everything you need to control your house from near and far all at your fingertips. Home automation has been around for some time now, but it's been very expensive and not found in many homes. A Utah based company is one of the first to provide home automation packages at affordable prices.

Designing Spaces Correspondent Janeen Diamond meets Shawn Brenchley from Vivint, one of the largest home automation companies in North America, to take a tour of home equipped with state of the art home security and automation. The new digital systems are very affordable and allow homeowners to monitor activities around the house. With the a smart thermostat, interior environments can be controlled to reduce utility ills, and run at household for maximum efficiency. Security and management is controlled by a computer, and controls can be set and monitored with a cell phone. Maintaining a safe, secure and efficent home is within reach of all homeowners.

Vivint, a home automation provider, turned to BlackBerry devices to track its technicians job statuses in real-time, increasing technician utilization, and identifying opportunities to perform additional tasks or to upsell new services while on-site. With this increased efficiency, Vivint reduced its fuel usage by 1.2 gallons per work order, saving $600,000 annually.

Technology has proven time and time again to save people's lives during severe weather, and that was especially true during the Joplin tornado. Residents had 17 minutes of warning before the storm hit, but some residents like Edith Lawellin had an extra warning through their home alarm system.

The past month has seen unbelievable paths of destruction as tornadoes have torn through the American Midwest. And while it might be harder to protect your clients' homes against unpredictable Mother Nature than your average night-time burglar, at least one security provider is trying to give them a head start. Vivint, the Provo, Utah-based company well known for its door-knocking sales campaigns, has added tornado alerts to the messages that customers can receive on their Go!Control panels.

Imagine automating your home so you can run your lights, security, door locks and thermostat at the touch of a button, or remotely with your smartphone or tablet computer. Usually systems like that would cost you a lot of money. But there is a new system one company is using that is quite affordable.

Vivint is rolling out an in-home tornado alert for its home security and automation systems that use the Go!Control panel. This free application will automatically download to users in 20 states through-out the USA's midsection. Once a tornado warning is issued in the customer's area, the touchscreen Go!Control panel will beep loudly three times and then display a detailed message. This will continue until the owner disables the alarm or the warning expires.

"The automation services provided by Vivint are making the home of tomorrow a reality."

"Likewise, the third largest alarm company, APX (now rebranded as Vivint), has also announced its home automation offering. The Utah-based company, which is well known in the security industry for aggressive door-knocking campaigns in the Western states using Mormons, has a $199 solution for $66/month."

"Now this is a name-changer. APX Alarm? Make that Vivint, Inc. Security alarm company? Make that home automation company. Industry leader? Make that... well, some things never change."

"APX Alarm is no more. Over a months-long process, the company has turned inward, reinvented itself and, just this month, launched a new brand identity along with new product and services offerings. The sturdy, respectable APX Alarm brand has been replaced with a more vibrant, aspirational brand: Vivint."

"Vivint's leap into home automation was made possible by the control panel it uses on its home security systems."

"A company called APX Alarms is revamping as Vivint, and launching products that combine door locks, video security and lighting and appliance control. Vivint is working around the wireless protocol Z-Wave, which is proprietary and is being used by Verizon for its trial."

"The APX name has been around for more than a decade with its enthusiastic sales teams that go throughout the nation each summer selling APX home security systems.The company has transitioned from a residential security company to a provider of simple, affordable home automation services that deliver increased safety, improved energy efficiency and greater convenience for customers."

"Vivint will also focus on bringing customer service into the home automation industry. With a business model designed for ongoing service and support, Vivint employs certified technicians throughout North America typically available for next day service, as well as 24x7x365 monitoring and customer service support."