PROVIDENCE – Nortek Inc.’s Linear LLC subsidiary has been renamed Nortek Security & Control LLC, and it will focus on providing “smart home solutions” to everyone from retailers and telecoms to security dealers and do-it-yourself consumers.
The Carlsbad, Calif.-based subsidiary’s main brands will be Linear, 2GIG and GoControl, according to information from the company.
Avi Rosenthal, vice president of security and control for Nortek Security & Control, explained in an email that “smart home solutions” are devices and systems in a home that can be controlled remotely and can interact with each other.
“Generally there is a central communication hub or gateway inside the home that controls various systems such as lighting, door locks, garage door openers, thermostats, security systems and more. These hubs also have an IP connection which allows homeowners to use their smartphones, PCs and other mobile devices as controllers anytime they are connected to the Internet,” Rosenthal said.
Nortek President and CEO Michael J. Clarke said in a statement that Nortek’s Linear business has been transformed during the past few years, as it has become a market leader not only in the security industry, but the broader home control and automation sector.
“Linear’s legacy includes 50 years as a pioneer in the wireless access control market and industry-leading capabilities in the design, engineering and manufacturing of sensors and connected devices. Our 2013 acquisition of 2GIG Technologies accentuated these strengths by bringing us more brands and capabilities, as well as complete solutions for the broader home automation space,” Clarke said.
Mike O’Neal, president of Nortek Security & Control, said, “Our success is now being driven by factors that are bigger and different from our historical Linear business. Nortek Security & Control is a tangible reflection of Nortek’s leadership in the market and its commitment to charting a strategic course in what may be one of the hottest technology categories in the past 20 years – smart home control.”
O’Neal added, “We already control more smart homes than any other home control solutions company, so this alignment is really about bringing the Nortek Security & Control brands into focus and asserting our leadership in the category.”
