Smart home technology is now a standard option for all people, not just those who are wealthy and technologically adept. The tech industry has responded by developing ever more sophisticated solutions. Many people believe that smart home technology is a result of gadgets like Google’s Nest or Amazon’s Echo however the term encompasses many other options for your home. This includes everything from remote controlled lighting and heating to CCTV, home security systems doorbells, smart locks. Some of them even let you keep tabs on children pet, elderly relatives and other pets; monitor water or electricity usage; and more.

Integration is the key to the success of a smart home system. This is why the best products are those that integrate with other devices and systems to make your home more intelligent. A smart light bulb, for example can connect to an centralized hub to schedule your lights on a schedule or turn them off when leaving the house. A doorbell with video could warn you of unexpected visitors and alarm systems could notify the police or fire departments. Once you’ve mastered the IFTTT (If this, then blog here that) service and you’re ready to use other services such as Stringify to automate devices in more complicated ways.

Of of course, bringing a range of new smart devices to your home has its own set of concerns. That’s why CNET works to understand the privacy policies of the companies, highlight concerns and direct questions to the businesses concerned.