Kimberly Kulesh

Author: Steve Janas, Vice President & General Manager – Retail, The Genie Company

Smart home and home automation is one of the major drivers of the IoT revolution, and access control being one of the prominent applications in this sector. One of the most frequently used entry points to the home   is the garage, making it the perfect place to add wireless connectivity and gain more control. To get a better understanding of the opportunity for a smarter garage, we asked The Genie Company about their innovative new product - Aladdin Connect, powered by the SimpleLink™ Wi-Fi® CC3200 wireless microcontroller.

1. What is Aladdin Connect?

Aladdin Connect is a garage door controller that will allow remote access for consumers to monitor as well as change the open/close position of a garage door from a smart device. The Aladdin Connect controller provides security and convenience to an individual to control access of their own garage door, or at other remote locations such as a vacation home or an elderly parent’s home, all from one smart device.

2. What makes Aladdin Connect stand out from its competitors?

Aladdin Connect can control up to three garage doors while other systems only control two.  Additionally, Aladdin Connect utilizes a sensor attached to the garage door itself alerting the user to whether the door changes to the fully open or closed position even if the door is operated manually by disengaging the door from the opener.  That’s a big security advantage versus other systems that monitor the opener instead of the garage door position.

3. There are many wireless connectivity technologies on the market. Why did you choose to integrate Wi-Fi in Aladdin Connect?

Wi-Fi was the wireless connectivity of choice for Aladdin Connect because it is the primary choice of wireless connectivity in the home today.  This would be the best value proposition for the consumer, allowing them to easily integrate Aladdin Connect within their home network and not have to purchase additional wireless hubs such as a ZigBee® or Z-Wave hub.

4. Why did you choose TI’s SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3200 wireless MCU for your product?

TI’s SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3200 wireless MCU was the choice for Aladdin Connect because it was the best combination of cost, performance and flexibility in design and programming.  It was our desire to create a cost-effective, high performing and easily upgradeable product for the consumer.  Our research showed that the CC3200 solution was the right wireless MCU that would meet these requirements.

5. Where do you see your technology/solution going in the next five years?

As more homeowners, builders and remodelers join the smart home movement, we see Aladdin Connect as one of the essential home automation accessories.  A study by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies shows that remodelers see home automation as the second fastest growing trend behind further development of energy efficient products. As impressive as that is, a significant 36 percent of that group sees home automation as the number one trend and the garage is certainly a place that homeowners can benefit from this development. The Genie Company looks forward to utilizing the latest TI technology to lead the home automation drive as it expands into one of the most utilized and important parts of any home, the garage, and its most important electronic device, the garage door opener.

For more information on the product discussed in this blog, please visit:

• Aladdin Connect smart device enabled garage door controller
• SimpleLink Wi-Fi CC3200 wireless MCU