Please call 423-745-0026 for answers, a walk-through, and/or setup assistance.
Note: We are not like other companies who put you on hold, and whose support staff has limited knowledge
of their own products. We know our software, and we enjoy conversing with other automation enthusiasts.

When evaluating automation systems, these are the primary aspects to consider:

• Capability: Can it perform the desired tasks in the desired manner ?
  ECS can implement any desired logic, no matter how elaborate.
  ECS is the most capable/customizable system there is. No other even comes close.
• Dependability: Does it just work, or is it flaky ?
  ECS does the same thing the same way (every time).
• Ease of setup: Can most anyone set it up with a little effort ?
  None are truly easy :-), but we strive to make ECS as easy to setup as possible.
  And if you provide us a list of your devices, we'll gladly create your initial configuration and/or scripts to perform any desired task.
• Support: Can you reach a knowledgeable person quickly, or is it a time-consuming hassle ?
  And does the company appreciate problem reports, or are they bothered by them ?
  We are always easily reached by phone.
  And when someone reports a problem to us, it immediately receives the highest priority (and is usually corrected within the hour).
• Ease of use: Can most anyone use it (once setup) ?
  As ECS is basically a "blank slate", the user-interface will be as easy as the user makes it.
  But if setup properly, ECS can be used by virtually anyone.
• Company experience/longevity: As an automation system can be a significant commitment of time and money,
  you want to be sure that they will be around for a while ! We have been in this business since 1990.

If you're with a charitable organization, please send us an email describing same. We may provide you ECS at no charge.

• Capability/flexibility: ECS is simply the most powerful/flexible automation software there is
  (we have devoted some 20 years to make it so). And our customers concur.
  It supports more devices and features than any other, its scripting language can implement any desired logic,
  and ECS web pages can have virtually any desired appearance.

• Dependability: ECS is a robust/well-tested/proven program that is used in numerous homes, office buildings,
  and various other commercial/industrial sites (including universities, public schools, sports arenas, and a US stock exchange).
  A recent installation controls over 200 traffic-caution lights in a VA school district.

• Unrivaled tech support: With many (if not most) tech companies, reaching a knowledgeable person is a time-consuming hassle.
  And they are bothered by problem reports (when they should be thankful for them !).
  In contrast, we are always easily reached by phone.
  And when someone reports a problem to us, it immediately receives the highest priority (and is usually corrected within the hour).

• Company experience/longevity: We have been in this business since 1990.

• Free setup: If you provide us a list of your devices, we'll gladly create your initial configuration and/or scripts
  to perform any desired task. (thus allowing you to quickly/easily evaluate ECS with minimal effort).

• Flexible options/pricing: We offer ECS (only), as well as complete/integrated/tested systems.

• Experience: We have been developing automation software since 1990.

• You will not waste your time with ECS: All automation programs take some time/effort to master (ECS being no exception).
  But you don't want to invest your time on a product which may later prove to be incapable of performing the desired tasks
  (or doing so dependably). With ECS, you're assured that your efforts will be greatly rewarded :-).

• Access security: In November/2006, world-class security experts at the Philadelphia stock exchange subjected
  ECS to some 1800 unique hack attacks (all of which failed). Since our founding in 1990, no one has ever reported
  a security-related problem.

• Minimal memory/CPU footprint: The ECS executable is only around 2 meg, and ECS sleeps when appropriate
  (you won't even know it's running). So ECS can run on most of those old PCs that have been retired to the closet.

• OEM (private-label) versions: If you're interested in your own customized OEM version of ECS
  (which you may market as your own product), click here.

• Easily interfaces with other software: ECS supports a simple TCP/IP protocol,
  through which other software can monitor/control any devices that ECS supports.

• Internet-access: Access your site from any PC or web-device (e.g. iPhone, iTouch, BlackBerry, etc).

• Web-device support:
  
  • ECS detects when you're using a web-device (iPhone, etc), and displays small pages designed for small screens and low bandwidth.
  • Use your web-phone as a remote control.
  • Send notifications (i.e. messages) to your iPhone (via GrowlForWindows).

• Schedules: Set any light/appliance/etc to a desired state at any time.
  Some example schedule entries might look like this:

  Property	Time	Value
  Office-1 Light	Weekday:7:00 PM	On
  Office-1 Light	Weekday:11:00 PM	Off

• Scripting: Supports powerful IF/THEN/ELSE scripting language which closely resembles normal English.
  For example, this Script would turn a light on at 7PM if your site is occupied:

  	If  Clock.Time  Becomes  7:00 PM
  	And  Occupied  Is  True
  	Then  Office-1 Light  Set  ON

• Light/appliance control: Dim/brighten lights, and turn any appliance on/off.

• Direct-wired/LED lighting (if wiring is an option): ECS supports this unique capability via the EcoDimmer and/or NCD's
  "PWM8x" line of dimmers. To our knowledge, this is the only direct-wired/DC lighting system that can be automated.
  A few AC systems are available, but all are very expensive (over $2000). LEDs use less than 7% of the energy
  used by incandescents, and they last some 60 times longer. And unlike fluorescents, LEDs contain no mercury.

• Email commands: Email commands to (e.g. "Outside light Set On") to ECS, and have it return an acknowledgment email
  that denotes the command and resulting value. ECS processes only those emails that are intended for it, and which originate
  from approved email and IP addresses.

• Alerts: Notify you of any desired events via a phone call, email, and/or text message.

• Twitter: Monitor tweets for specific subjects (from everyone and/or specific users).

• Security/Fire/Flood:
  • Detection: Monitor your site for intruders, fire, or flood.
    Detect motion via netcams/webcams and/or PIR motion detectors.
    Detect sounds via PC sound card/mike.
  • Reaction: React to alarm conditions in any way desired. Speak announcements, play audio-recordings,
    record/email video, flash lights, sound an alarm, send a text message, place a phone call, etc.
  • NetCam/WebCam support: See below.
  • Emulate activity: Randomly turn lights on/off to make your site look occupied.

• NetCams/WebCams (video):
  • Record only when motion is detected, or record 24/7 in time-lapse mode (1 image every 10 seconds or so).
  • Older recordings can be automatically purged based on age and/or disk space used.
  • Have camera images emailed to you if motion is detected during off-hours.
  • Check on your site via any internet connection.

• Database I/O: Read/write from/to SQL database files and/or ODBC servers

• Monitor/extract data from the logs of other programs

• Commercial sign support: Display text on large LED signs (in any desired combo of colors/sizes/blinking/etc).
  See "Signs" section of Supported devices table.

• Caller-ID: Announce/display/log the name/number of callers. Use customized names for known numbers.

• Graphics support: Create floor-plan/layout Pages with buttons and clip-art images (of doors, chairs, etc).

• Plot any desired data over any time frame.

• Client/server socket communications: ECS can communicate with other programs while acting as a client
  (that initiates communications) or a server (that responds to communications). Both TCP/IP and Datagram/UDP are supported.

• Place device icons within images and live video streams: For example: If you had a live video of a room
  in which ECS controlled a lamp, then you could place the lamp's icon directly underneath the real lamp.

• Run/control other programs: Execute and control any programs by emulating keyboard/mouse activity
  in the appropriate Windows (just as if a person were typing or clicking).

• Remote control: Carry out any task(s) when you push a button on virtually any remote control, keypad, pendant
  (X10, UPB, Insteon, IR, and/or RF), or ECS web page (on any PC or web-device).

• Web page downloads: Download and extract info from web pages (e.g. weather forecasts, stock quotes, etc).

• XML/RSS monitoring: Download XML & RSS pages, extract tags/values, and carry out any action(s) per the results.
  Monitor desired weather, headlines, stocks, etc, and report any desired tags/values via speech, emails, text messaging, etc.

• Custom web pages: Create fully-customized web pages which appear and behave exactly as desired.

• Logging/diagnostics: Any unexpected behavior may be easily diagnosed via detailed logging of the related Object(s).
  For example: If a light is coming on at an unexpected time, its log will denote what changed it and what it was set to.

• Accessible by other software (open API): ECS supports a simple text-based socket protocol (API) that allows other programs
  to read and modify Objects. So if you have your own software, it can easily access our entire suite of supported devices.
  And if you wish to use your own GUI, ECS can be run without one.

• Extensive ModBus support/capablitities:
  • RS485 and TCP/IP supported
  • Intelligent read-command optimization (reads the maximum # of registers with ever read)
  • Use customized names in place of numbers (e.g. "Off" and "On", instead of 0 and 1)
  • Easily create a ModBus object for any device (with which you can view/modify its registers/inputs/coils)
  • Emulate a ModBus device (respond to ModBus requests from other systems just as a real ModBus device would)

• Control/monitor unsupported devices: If you have a device which is not directly supported by ECS, chances are that you can
  support it via scripts (which can read/write data to the device's serial-port or IP address). We are also open to suggestions, if you
  would like us to add support for a new device(s).

• Protocol gateway capabilities (i.e. forward data from one protocol to another):
  For example, set an SNMP Oject to the value of a ModBus register (and vice versa).

• Remote access to serial devices: Most serial (RS232) devices we support may also be accessed remotely,
  whereby the device is connected to another PC and accessed via an ethernet connection. Contact us for details.