Qolsys IQ Panel is the ultimate hub, with seven wireless radios seamlessly integrating legacy, current, and future protocols. Johnson Controls’ Qolsys’ IQ Panel is the winner in the Benchmark Innovation Awards 2022 in the ‘Alarm – Detection’ category.
With a 7-inch HD, edge-to-edge, capacitive glass screen, the IQ Panel 2 – and its just-released successor, the IQ Panel 4, use a clean, modern user interface (UI). This panel supports multi-gestures and has 1280 x 800 resolution, allowing you to navigate with swipes and gestures that today’s consumers expect. In addition, the display only shows pages for devices that have been added to the system, which reduces clutter and makes it intuitive.
We interviewed Paul Andrews about winning the award and asked him what makes Qolsys IQ Panel special.
Wireless connectivity, security, and home control are made possible by the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, mobile OS, and up to six wireless radios – LTE Cellular, DualBand Wi-Fi 802.11 AC, Encrypted Security RF, Z-Wave Plus, Image Sensor, and Bluetooth LE 4.0 – all supported by the IQ Panel 2.
This system is easy to install because of its tool-less design, 5 MP camera, dual-path connectivity, picture frame saver, and Alarm.com-powered remote services.
A Bluetooth disarming feature is built-in, doing away with using cheap and hackable key fobs. It’s hands-free as the system detects the Bluetooth signal while the device is in a handbag or pocket. Up to five devices can be registered into the network.
There are a variety of purposes for the built-in 5MP Panel Camera, but the most popular is the ability to take “Disarm Photos.” The days of everyone sharing the same security code are over, replaced by intelligent notifications that include the date, time, and name of the person who deactivated the system. Parents can check to see if their children came home safely from school, while managers can view when the office opens each morning. Images are stored locally on the panel and can be sent via text or email to the user’s smartphone.
HD video cameras can be streamed over the air directly to IQ Panel 2. What’s more, all wireless signals are encrypted. Encryption and security at every level of the software are critical, from the signals travelling through the air from the door. The IQ Panel includes end-to-end encryption, including support for S- Line and PowerG security and life safety sensors.
The PowerG sensor technology is advanced sensor technology with a mature product lineup for long-range security and life safety applications. The system uses 128 AES encryption to protect the signals against cyber threats. It has 4x the range of legacy security wireless to cover any building, no matter its size or composition. PowerG automatically avoids interference using 50 different channels and 2-Way communication, which increases power to reach further decreases to save battery and accept changes from remote commands.
IQ Panel 2 relies on a flexible mobile software toolkit, which allows developers to customize software developed for other uses and apply it to Security and Smarthome. As a result, the user experience is intuitive, elegant, and feels like the one you get on your phone. Pages are dynamically paginated as new device categories are added to the ecosystem, and powerful features improve the user experience.
One of the appeals of the IQ Panel 2 is the ability to stitch multiple protocols into a single experience. The end user doesn’t need to know whether a device uses Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, or PowerG to communicate.
From the installer’s point of view, the IQ Panel 2 helps to avoid having to do guest work to find what might not be working correctly. The sensor diagnostic can make the invisible visible, displaying individual sensor strength relative to the wireless “noise” in the environment and Z-Wave network topology to map the entire network on the touchscreen.
Once the panel is installed, there will be little need for site visits. With Alarm.com’s Remote Toolkit or Mobile Tech App, installers can do everything they can do on the panel in the cloud.
With robust remote connectivity powered by Alarm.com, the new IQ Panel 4 controls your entire home. The video below illustrates how mom and kids can leave home and, using a mobile application, arm the security system, lock the doors, and adjust the thermostat and the lights, all with a single command. With IQ Panel 4, you can control wireless legacy devices, long-distance encrypted PowerG sensors, Z-Wave locks, thermostats, and even Z-Wave locks from anywhere in the world. Automations happen easily with Alarm.com scenes, and on the return home, arrival will be just as seamless with Touchless Disarming via Bluetooth.