Evaluation of Ring: Home Security System
Introduction
With all the bad news going around in today’s day and age, it is hard not to think about security and how secure your home is. If there is one place that everyone wants to ensure is safe, that would be their living space, their home. This is where the Ring Security System comes in. With a wide variety of devices and even more features and functionality to keep track of everything going on around the house.
How did the Ring company come to be?
The company started out with their first product called the Doorbot. Its goal was to have a long battery life that will have notifications and work with mobile apps, while working as a doorbell. After failing to receive investments from the show Shark Tank, the company was able to find other investors and the total investments and sales amassed to $5.5 million. With this big amount of funding the company sought to create a new product that would be the foundation of the company and surpass the Doorbot. That’s when the Ring Doorbell was created and it was more than just a doorbell with the ability to provide meaningful security while having the smart doorbell functionality. Then with the big success of the Ring Doorbell, that allowed the Ring company to expand further into security and created many devices that all work simultaneously to create an even more safe environment.
Visibility of System Status
With a wide array of products it could be hard to keep track of the statuses of all of them. The Ring app is the solution to that problem, with the Ring app you can see all sorts of details about every Ring produced you have connected whether it’s battery life, signal strength etc. It is very easy to read and see everything to have a piece of mind that everything is working properly. Though the Ring app doesn’t work if the smartphone is not connected to WiFi nor can the app connect to the devices through bluetooth. That means without proper connection the user would be unable to see any system status of the devices.
Match between system and the real world
While the words used in the Ring app can be confusing to non tech savvy users, for the most part all the necessary information is easily understood. Things like battery level, signal strength, and power source are easy to understand. There are some confusing terms like MAC Address and Solar Status.
User control and freedom
User control and freedom with all the Ring devices is easy and simple to use. You can access everything through the Ring app and do things like check the doorbell video, check the security cameras, and adjust the lighting ( depending on the products that someone has). Also, if you want to stop doing those things you can just press the back buttons or adjust the lighting back to how you want it.
Consistency and standards
The products are consistent with what is expected of them. For example, contact sensors and motion detectors will notify the user. The cameras and doorbells can be used to see what is going on. Also, the wording is consistent throughout the Ring app to its best depending on the product, so users won’t be confused using different products.
Error prevention
There isn’t much need for error prevention when it comes to user error because most of the products just notify and allow the user to check on things. The error prevention is primarily on Ring Company to ensure everything goes smoothly and if worse comes to worse, there is always the option to factory reset Ring devices.
Recognition rather than recall
All the information in the Ring app is pretty uniform and clean so it is easy to spot things that you are trying to access, whether that be your Ring Doorbell or check up on your motion detector.
Flexibility and efficiency of use
It is pretty easy to use the Ring system along with its many devices because the app allows you to access them all. Though there isn’t much flexibility when it comes to using it other than toggling settings on the devices themselves.
Aesthetic and minimalist design
There is a constant theme of white aesthetic between all the devices and all the devices are allowed to be pretty minimalist because most of the functionality is accessed through the Ring App. Also the app design is simple and has all the icons labeled so users can understand what is what.
Help and Documentation
There are a lot of resources that the Ring company provides in order to help people get a better understanding of the entire ecosystem. There is a help page on their website and it covers most of the common problems and solutions that users need. If users feel like they need something else there are videos that help with installation and tips or tricks on their youtube channel. For more nuanced situations there is a forum page where other users can help each other or even employees can respond, and finally there is a chat or call option where users can get in touch with customer service agents for help.
Conclusion
Overall the Ring ecosystem has developed really well and has many features that make it a great solution for home security. With the wide array of devices, it can accomplish most things necessary in a home security system, whether it be cameras, doorbells, detectors, and sensors. With the Ring app it is easy to access all the devices and control them when necessary. A huge drawback is the reliance on WiFi. The app doesn’t work without a smartphone that is connected to WiFi, so that is a huge liability as it negates most of the functionality of the ecosystem. For improvements, I think it would be a big step forward if they stop hinging the entire system on WiFi and instead introduce some functionality through other avenues with maybe something like bluetooth. Another issue that can arise is if there is a power outage and the Ring products lose WiFi and power. There are some products and plans sold by Ring that can help resolve that issue but it should be in every product to ensure the users safety without having to pay the extra amount. All in all Ring has developed a fantastic and modern security system for the average household.
