Masonite, a brand long known for building products, recently announced plans to build a smart front door. The company will achieve this by offering a door that has power inside to connect smart devices such as doorbells, cameras, lighting, and smart locks. With its patent-pending technology, Masonite intends to embed Ring video doorbells and Yale smart locks directly in the front door.

This is a unique solution, as many of today’s smart locks and cameras rely on battery power, or require homeowners to get creative with low-voltage wiring. In addition, Masonite will offer Wi-Fi and a sensor in the door which will notify a homeowner if the door is opened or closed. Integrated lighting in the door is a future feature that Masonite plans to offer.

Masonite said it will include a standard power interface, simplifying the task of supporting multiple vendors in the door. In addition, the company will offer a control app – enabling a user to monitor and control multiple devices that are part of the door. For homeowners who prioritize safety features, Masonite also intends to bring a smart door hinge to market that will sense flames and automatically close it to help slow the spread during a fire emergency.

“Smart doors are the latest in smart home devices to join blinds, ovens, washing machines, toilets, and locks, to name a few. The challenge of the smart home ecosystem, however, continues to be the fragmented approach in which the industry is moving forward. With each vendor providing its own app, a smart home buyer could have dozens or more apps to perform a few simple functions,” explained Stuart Sikes, Senior Vice President at Interpret.

As Interpret’s Smart Home Matrix™ research indicates, the primary reason that smart home product owners desire interoperability is to reduce the number of apps needed on a daily basis. The smart home company that solves this problem will certainly live up to the “smart” name.