Business Profile | Adam Justice

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June 2014 View more

President, ConnectSense

Photo by Mike Hudson

Photos by Mike Hudson

Naperville-based ConnectSense is connecting families and businesses with the things that matter the most through home automation and business monitoring. ConnectSense uses cloud-powered WiFi-based sensors for monitoring just about everything in your environment including temperature and humidity, water, motion, security, and lighting. In addition, these sensors send text alerts and messages notifying customers about potential problems and solutions.

Naperville Magazine recently spoke with the founder and president of ConnectSense, Adam Justice, about how innovation and technology are keeping us connected and changing the way we live our daily lives.

Advances in technology have made it possible to remain connected to things that are important to us in our daily life. How is ConnectSense using technology to keep us connected at home and at work?

The next evolution of wireless technology is connecting devices to the Internet that could never be connected before. This is called the “Internet of Things,” and it opens the door for all sorts of smart devices that can be used in everyday life. ConnectSense makes wireless sensors that monitor things you care about at home and at work and then notifies you if something goes awry. Our sensors monitor changes in your environment, such as temperature/humidity, water, motion, security and light, and uses Wi-Fi to send alerts by text, email, Twitter or phone. This gives peace of mind to people who have invested in their homes, businesses, and collections.

With the rapid growth of wireless technology, there are a number of other home monitoring systems and products available to consumers. How is ConnectSense different from other traditional monitoring systems already on the market?

Traditional systems require recurring monthly fees that can add up significantly over time. In addition, products are complicated to install. ConnectSense is a DIY (Do It Yourself) system and can even be installed in places without an electrical outlet. This allows for a lot of flexibility in monitoring your home that traditional systems do not offer.

Adam Justice, CEO of Connect Sense, for Naperville Magazine

ConnectSense is a brand within the Grid Connect company. How did you come up with the concept of Wi-Fi monitoring at ConnectSense?

Grid Connect has been manufacturing and distributing sensors and networking products for many years. We heard from our customers that they were looking for affordable sensors that are simple to use and install. At the same time, we noticed that we were using the cloud more in our personal and professional lives. We realized combining sensors with notifications through the cloud made a lot of sense. We decided to develop products that connected via Wi-Fi because it is the most ubiquitous platform in the home and office.

As your company and brand continue to expand, and technology continues to evolve, what do you see is your biggest growth opportunity in the future?

The entire Internet of Things space has tremendous growth potential and is just in its infancy now. We are using our 20 plus years of experience with networking and embedded technologies to help other companies add customized networking to their devices and create their own smart products.

How important is “The Internet of Things” in developing new products and services?

Going forward, virtually all product manufacturers will need to consider whether they should enable products with wireless communication. As networking technology becomes more affordable, we’ll start to see more products wirelessly enabled. Not everything needs to be or should be connected, but many products will be improved by adding connectivity.

There are countless locations within the Chicago area where you could have based your operations. ConnectSense is headquartered in Naperville on Diehl Road. What makes Naperville an ideal location for your business?

Naperville is an ideal location for us for several reasons. We’ve found that we have good access to talented engineers and employees in other fields. Our employees, many of whom live in Naperville or surrounding communities, find the area great for raising families. Being close to the airport and highways makes our location convenient. Plus, there are terrific restaurants in the area, which is really important to us, since we provide our employees a free catered lunch once a week. It’s been fun to try the many different restaurants the area has to offer while bonding with the rest of the Grid Connect team.