Home of the future with its own heart and brain

Home of the future with its own heart and brain The doors to Europe's first intelligent home are being opened today. A house at Värmdö, on the outskirts of Stockholm, has been fitted with an integrated range of electronic household services, which simplify the daily chores and provide more quality time. e2 Home is a joint venture between Ericsson and Electrolux, which has been launched to develop the intelligent home of the future. e2 Home, in Hagaberg at Värmdö outside Stockholm, demonstrates a completely new forward-looking and cost-effective concept which has been devised to meet consumers' everyday needs and preferences. "It is people's needs that will steer the development of the intelligent home," says e2 Homes managing director, Per Grunewald. "But it is not so much a revolution but rather an evolution which focuses on the consumer. And we are convinced that this development will give us more time for each other, for our hobbies, for family and friends. It will also provide better security and more opportunities to gain control over our homes." The new house (built by JM) presents a vision of future everyday living in an authentic setting. The wide range of food, shopping and communication services is integrated and controlled mainly by a communications centre (installed in the Screenfridge) which acts as the home's heart and brain. The services can also be accessed - for example by mobile phone and Internet - at any time of day, wherever one happens to be. The usual weekly routine - planning meals, shopping, standing in supermarket queues and maybe getting stuck in traffic jams - can now be avoided or solved in next to no time. Home delivery of food or other products and services can be ordered simply by clicking on the "Screenfridge". Orders can be delivered to the front door the same day - even if there is no one at home - by using the practical and multi-functional delivery box. However, these services make up only a small part of the overall e2 Home concept. Safety considerations in the home are an equally important element. Fire, humidity, power supply and burglar alarms are examples of other systems installed in the house. For example, if the dishwasher overflows an alarm is activated which calls a pre-programmed telephone number. By linking energy, heating, water and ventilation in one common system, basic home management is simplified significantly while operating costs are reduced. "Households will also be able to communicate with nearby schools or doctors," says Per Grunewald. "It is already possible to get reports on local traffic and weather conditions. Mobile phones, electronic diaries and laptop computers can also be linked to the system. You can also pick up messages from the home wherever you happen to be." For more information, contact: Jens Algotsson, marketing manager for the constructors, e2 Home, tel: +46-8-685 23 92, mobile: +46-70-379 32 07 Donya Ekstrand, marketing communications manager, e2 Home, tel: +46-8-685 26 02, mobile: +46-70-557 49 62 Lena Jörgenson, press relations manager, e2 Home, tel: +46-8-685 26 17, mobile: +46-70-307 13 02 For additional press pictures visit: http://www.sthlms-reprografen.se/electrolux/ e2Home plays a leading role in the marketing of the intelligent home of the future. By offering a complete range of forward-looking and cost-effective services for the home, e2Home creates added value for operators, suppliers of services and other players within the building and property sectors. Focusing on the needs of the consumer, e2Home provides a range of household services, which are accessible wherever one happens to be. e2 Home was established at the beginning of year 2000 as a joint venture between Ericsson and Electrolux. The company who's headquarter is situated in Stockholm has currently about 30 employees. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/09/11/20000911BIT00780/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/09/11/20000911BIT00780/bit0002.pdf