????私募股權投資巨頭黑石集團Blackstone最近出資收購了美國猶他州普若佛市一間專事安裝家庭保全系統的公司的股權并為其估值20億美元。對于這樣一個并未受到大眾多少矚目的行業黑石集團從中看到了什么呢？

????事實表明這家2012年銷售額近4億美元、在住宅保全領域僅次于ADT的第二大私營企業Vivint正在逐漸超越普通保全公司的定位。公司CEO托德·彼德森將保全業務看作一種面向客戶的銷售渠道所售商品從智能溫控器到照明控制系統乃至屋頂太陽能系統無所不包。彼德森喜歡穿著格子襯衫，頭戴一頂前額處飾有“Vivint”草書字樣的棒球帽他說“我們所處的行業已經有20年沒有出現過任何創新了。”

????彼德森立志改變這一現狀。他認為公司的70萬名客戶所想要的也許不僅僅是一套保全系統。他推出了一套家居自動化系統它由一塊安裝在墻上的觸摸感應控制面板、若干傳感器、攝像頭、照明控制裝置、溫控器以及智能手機應用構成能夠幫主人們確保家居安全同時節省能源。比如說這套系統連接著家庭保全系統中的運動探測裝置可以獲知是否人在家中。人們出門時系統會自動調低室內供暖關閉燈光。其他系統，如蘋果公司（Apple）前任設計師設計的Nest家庭恒溫器都是根據人們的作息記錄“記住”人們當前在家與否。彼德森宣稱自己的系統更加精確并表示公司的客戶們在供暖、降溫及電力開銷上平均每月可節省30美元。

????Vivint公司的系統還能讓屋主獲知自己正在藉由何種方式消耗著多少電力。它也可以與Vivint公司新推出的屋頂太陽能系統配合使用。研究表明讓屋主掌握自己正在消耗的電力額度可以降低差不多10%的電耗。用戶還可通過智能手機或平板電腦遙控供暖、照明及門鎖裝置。打算提前回家嗎只要告訴系統你會在半小時后到家房屋便會開始為室內供暖。這套系統甚至還能控制草坪上的灑水裝置。如果當地天氣預報有雨接入互聯網的系統便會獲知這一消息屆時不再打開灌溉裝置達到節水的目的。

????目前Vivint公司的節能系統所簽下的客戶已經超過了17萬戶。一整套完整的家居自動化套餐費用為每月68.99美元外加199美元的一次性激活費。不過想到這一點的企業并非僅有Vivint公司這一家。它主要競爭對手ADT正在向客戶提供家庭能源系統。Tendril是一家位于科羅拉多州波爾得市的公司，專門銷售精密的家庭能源管理系統。大型有線電視公司如時代華納（Time Warner）、威瑞森（Verizon）、康卡斯特（Comcast）等也于近日進入了家庭安全及能源管理領域。彼德森一天只睡4個小時，他說：“我時刻謹記著，我們的創新速度還不夠快，就是這一點支撐著我熬到深夜。”他一定聽到了身后那些正在追趕的腳步聲。

????譯者：薄錦

????The powerhouse private equity firm Blackstone recently invested in an Provo, Utah company that installs home security systems in an equity deal that valued it at $2 billion. What does Blackstone see in an industry that's not known for being particularly sexy?

????It turns out that private company?Vivint, which had sales of nearly $400 million in 2012 and is second in residential security only to ADT, is becoming much more than a security firm. CEO Todd Pedersen sees the security business as a way to sell his customers everything from smart thermostats, to lighting control systems to even rooftop solar systems. Says Pedersen, who favors plaid shirts and a baseball cap with "Vivint" scrawled across its front: "We've been an industry that hasn't innovated in 20 years. "

????Pedersen aims to fix that. He figures that his 700,000 customers might want more than just security. His home automation system -- which comprises of a touch-sensitive control panel mounted on the wall, sensors, cameras, lighting controls, thermostats and smart phone apps -- can help keep your house safe and save energy at the same time. For example, the system links with the motion detectors of the home security system to tell when you're home and when you're not. When you're not, the heat is turned down and the lights are automatically turned off. Other systems like the?Nest thermostat, which was created by former an Apple (AAPL) designer, tries to "learn" when you're home or not based on your past behavior. Pedersen claims his system is more accurate and says on average his customers can save $30 a month in heating, cooling and electric bills.

????Vivint's system can also tell the homeowner exactly how much power he or she is using and how. It can also be hooked up to the rooftop solar systems Vivint now offers. Studies have shown that homeowners can cut their power usage some 10% when they know how much power they're using. Users can also control heating, lighting and door locks remotely from a smart phone or tablet. Coming home early? Just tell the system that you're arriving in a half hour and the house will start to heat up. The system can even control lawn sprinklers. If the local weather report is rain, the system, which is hooked up to the Internet, will know and won't turn on the irrigation system, saving water.

????Vivant so far has signed up more than 170,000 of its customers for the energy-saving system. The full home automation packages costs $68.99 a month plus a $199 one-time activation fee. But the company is not alone. Its archrival ADT is starting to offer home energy systems. Tendril, a Boulder, Colorado company, sells sophisticated home energy management systems. And big cable companies like Time Warner (TWX), Verizon (VZ) and Comcast (CMCSA) have recently entered the home security and energy management space. Says Pederson, who sleeps only 4 hours a day: "What keeps me up at night is I'm always concerned that we're not innovating fast enough." He must be hearing some big foot steps behind him.