Nortek Security & Control, a company known for a variety of connected home security products and lines, is introducing at CES new connected garage door openers targeted to the DIY segment. Nortek is well established in the opener space with its legacy Linear products, including the industry-leading Linear/GoControl Z-Wave Remote Controller.
The new openers include a standard wall-mounted panel/button and integration with third-party controllers like HomeLink for vehicles, but Nortek believes that the opener’s Wi-Fi connected features like geofencing and voice integration with Google and Amazon’s voice assistants will make you forget the need for all those buttons. (We’re a bit skeptical, still believing in the need for analog controls in some scenarios.) Unarguably, though, asking your voice assistant to open or close the garage door as you’re heading in or out with your hands full is a clear benefit.
The Mighty Mule openers will not be Z-Wave compatible, as with some of Nortek’s legacy devices, but they will support IFTTT for integration with multiple third-party services.
The new openers are designed to be easy to install, and one of Nortek’s reps talked about installing the device in her own home, validating that claim. They’re designed to be exceptionally quite, using a belt drive mechanism to lift and lower your door.
Nortek plans to make the Mighty Mule openers available later this quarter at a disruptive price, just under $200.