IBM TO BRING PROGRAM TO RETAIL SHELVES
By Adnews Staff
U.S.-based International Business Machines Corp. will bring its Home Director software to the North American retail market in September. Previously the program was only available on IBM Apitva computers. Home Director automates home light and appliance routines giving a home a lived-in look even when the occupants are away. It can work with 256 devices, and can manage multiple lights and appliances at any time in any sequence. The dawn and dusk feature automatically sets lights to go on or off at dawn or dusk any time of year, according to the user's geographic location, without needing to be pre-set to a specfic time. The lfiestyle feature learns the way connected lights and appliances are used in the home and replays the same patterns later to make the home look lived in. The anytime feature allows Home Director to continously perform tasks, even when the PC is turned off. In Canada, advertising for IBM is done by Ogilvy & Mather of Toronto.