Nortek Security & Control unveils 2GIG GC3 home security and automation panel at CES 2016

2GIG GC3 all-in-one touchscreen panel provides home security, manages up to 232 smart home devices

CES 2016 - Sands Booth #70936 - Nortek Security & Control LLC, a Nortek Company and leader in the security and home control markets, recently announced the highly anticipated, next generation 2GIG® GC3 all-in-one home security and automation panel will roll out to dealers in February 2016.

7" all-in-one touchscreen panel features

With over 2.6 million panels installed in the U.S. to date, 2GIG is again set to forever change the home security and automation landscape with the new GC3. The 2GIG GC3 is a highly intuitive 7" all-in-one security and home control touchscreen panel that provides home security, manages up to 232 smart home devices, features robust zone and user customisation options, affords mobile security and safety alerts, and brings unprecedented update capabilities that allow dealers to manage their customers' systems easily and efficiently.

"2GIG changed the alarm industry model by making it dramatically easier to add home automation and control features to security systems," said Duane Paulson, senior vice president, Nortek Security & Control. "2GIG is at the forefront of driving the rapidly evolving security and home control market and the new 2GIG GC3 is the fruition of extensive research, beta testing, design engineering, and experience proven over millions of installations to deliver the premier all-in-one security and smart home solution in the industry, which is now poised to change the market again."

Monitored security and smart home control

The GC3 panel offers the state-of-the-art connectivity that security dealers need to start building a smart home system for their customers, including: 3G and CDMA Cellular modules, integrated Z-Wave 500 Series, and more. The GC3 combines monitored security and smart home control to give 2GIG dealers an easily installable and completely scalable solution. GC3 can manage up to 100 users and control up to 100 wireless zones, two hard-wired zones, and 32 key fobs with scene support.

The GC3 will be Z-Wave Plus certified and able to act as a smart home hub to support up to 232 connected Z-Wave devices. This provides dealers an extensive opportunity for selling attachment smart home products including GoControl® thermostats, light bulbs, light switches, alongside other popular Z-Wave devices such as door locks for maximum smart home capabilities.

Paulson stated, "Nortek Security & Control has been a key player in driving the smart home market opportunity and growth for security dealers, and GC3 is designed to help continue this momentum. We are offering greater smart home products breadth to be packaged with a 2GIG system and RMR, pre-sale or upsold at the time of installation, for an expansive security and automation ecosystem that easily provides extra margin and business opportunities to our dealers."

Designed for intuitive user control

The thinnest panel on the market today, the GC3 is a sleek 7" capacitive touchscreen with a new GUI designed for intuitive user control. The completely redesigned GUI makes the 2GIG GC3 30% faster to install than previous iterations and is engineered to effortlessly replace existing panels. State-of -the art programming architecture enables faster more efficient and flexible customisation. For example, single screen zone programming makes it easy to add devices. New "Rooms" and "Bookmark" custom features allow either dealers or users to group frequently used smart home controls on to one screen for quick access. The "Bookmark" button feature specifically allows the user to create a customised default home screen for the particular room. Dealer contact information can now be displayed on the panel so the customer can send with a single call button a request for support or even upgrades.

The highly-anticipated GC3 touchscreen panel is packed with best-of industry features and includes a new patent-pending resonant audio chamber design to allow for the clearest two-way voice communication, 24-hour battery back-up and 5-day weather forecasts and alerts. Mobile alerts allow homeowners to act quickly whether responding to a home security or fire alarm, a safety alert such as smoke or CO2 detection, motion sensing, home entry from a door lock, or any number of other notifications.

Easy-to-use

The GC3 panel was built with modularity and future-proofing in mind. Using a patent-pending CellSled design, the GC3 was architected with a dealer-lockable slot on the side of the touchscreen panel that allows users or dealers to pop out the old radio and upgrade to new technology. This design is extremely easy-to-use and requires no special tools to operate. The panel can receive updates over-the-air (OTA) via cellular connection or a USB port on the top of the panel also allows the system to expand features and deliver software updates onsite.

The new 2GIG GC3 will become the flagship of the 2GIG line and will complement the current 2GIG GC2 panel as a premium 2GIG solution. In parallel, the current 2GIG GC2 panel is being upgraded to the new 1.14 software platform, which expands compatibility with more devices on the market such as the 2GIG Bypass Sensor and new 2GIG Tilt Sensor, while increasing the GC2 system to 60 zones and 64-users as well as adding Z-Wave device-to-device association.

"I'm a tremendous fan of 2GIG and was grateful for the opportunity to beta test the new GC3 panel in my own home," said Steve Hammer, Operations Manager for Vector's Dealer Division. "The new 7" touchscreen is incredibly intuitive, with user friendly features that are going to appeal to customers. With all of the new programming upgrades, custom user features and ability to add an extensive array of home automation devices, I'm excited for the Vector branches and Dealers to offer the new GC3 security and automation panel."

2GIG 2016 roadshow

2GIG GC2 with the 1.14 update and new 2GIG GC3 represent the most significant and transformative upgrade to the 2GIG system to date. "Security systems are a natural gateway to the smart home and the 2GIG GC3 gives security dealers an elegant, easy to install control solution with nearly unlimited attachment sales opportunities," Paulson said. "The 2GIG 2016 Roadshow kicks-off on February 9th and will tour top U.S. markets to provide dealer training, sales and marketing tools."