“If they deploy our technology into an ecosystem that they’ve been selling into for some time, all of a sudden their customer base is incentivized to go out and buy more for more areas within their home,” McKinney explains.
The company has established partnerships with other manufacturers beyond Philips, though McKinney says they cannot disclose partner names at this stage. He did elaborate that the company is targeting high-end residential applications, having previously attempted to penetrate commercial markets such as hotels and Class A office buildings.
“The residential market for us at the very moment is much easier to deploy to, especially from a standpoint of scaling,” McKinney says, acknowledging that commercial markets require approval from multiple stakeholders before deployment.
What This Means for Alarm Companies
Ivani’s deployment model creates a scenario where alarm companies become integrators of technology they didn’t sell, rather than sellers of technology they control. As RF sensing scales through consumer product manufacturers – Philips Hue today, potentially other smart home platforms tomorrow – alarm companies face three realities:
1. The technology is already deployed. Customers who call for security system installation or upgrades may already have presence detection throughout their homes via smart lights, thermostats, or other IoT devices. The question becomes whether alarm companies can leverage that data or ignore it.
2. The integration path remains unclear. While Wootton anticipates demand for professional integration services, the technical mechanisms for alarm companies to access RF sensing data from platforms like Philips Hue are not yet defined. API availability, protocol compatibility, and data access permissions will determine whether this becomes a genuine integration opportunity or simply remains consumer-grade functionality that exists parallel to professional security systems.
3. Acceleration of the “security as a feature” trend. When smart lighting platforms add presence detection and security monitoring capabilities, they encroach on traditional alarm company territory. The competitive response requires alarm companies to deliver integration expertise and system-level value that consumer products cannot match.
McKinney frames this as an opportunity rather than a threat, arguing that ubiquitous RF sensing creates demand for professional services. “Some users will want this functionality added professionally throughout the home,” Wootton says. “You didn’t have to roll a truck to hook them the first time, but it might be useful to roll a truck to build it for them correctly.”
The company views its technology as complementary to existing security hardware rather than a replacement. “I think the professionals will need to jump on,” Wootton says, referring to opportunities for integrators to tie RF sensing data into broader home automation and security systems.
Whether alarm companies can capture this opportunity depends on factors largely outside their control: manufacturer willingness to provide data access, standardization of integration protocols, and customer perception of value in professional integration vs. DIY configuration.
MotionAware as a PoC
The MotionAware implementation on Philips Hue includes two detection modes – standard mode, represented by purple lighting in Ivani’s demonstration, uses WiFi mesh detection with a three-minute hold time; and an enhanced mode, called R-squared, that provides increased sensitivity by applying additional intelligence algorithms to maintain detection during minimal movement.
MotionAware requires the Philips Hue Bridge Pro – its smart home hub – paired with a subscription. The feature was unveiled in September 2025 as part of an expanded security and smart home portfolio that includes 2K cameras, a wired video doorbell, and smart chimes.
