For any of you who are old enough to admit that they remember Disneyland's "House of Tomorrow" from the 60's Tomorrowland venue at the original southern California theme park, hold onto your hats. Now there is the Internet Home, brought to you by Cisco Systems.

In an announcement recently by the San Jose-based high-tech firm, Cisco Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CSCO) just unveiled its Internet Home, a 1,700 square foot dwelling that showcases the benefits of a high-speed, always-on Internet connection that enables an array of consumer devices and appliances in the home. Cisco is teaming with developer Playa Vista to build Internet-equipped 'smart homes' in a major new residential and commercial community development in West Los Angeles.

Collaborating with leading consumer companies, such as Digital Interiors, The Great Indoors, Hewlett-Packard, Sears, and Whirlpool, the Cisco Internet home demonstrates the power of the Internet in improving life for consumers, and will serve as a beacon to light the way for homes and communities of the future. The high-speed Internet connectivity throughout the home allows homeowners to conduct daily activities online, such as shopping for groceries, listening to music, sending family photos to grandparents, or monitoring their kids in the pool by remote access from home or work.

"The Internet Home drives home the message that always-on, high-speed Internet connections are available in today's home, whether it's an older home or brand-new development," says Mike Moone, group vice president and general manager. "It also demonstrates how it is as easy to use as turning on a light or a water faucet," he adds.

Just how helpful can the Internet home be to the consumer? How about having the ability to "talk" to your appliances from anywhere and have them talk back? The refrigerator will know when the door is left ajar and notify you via a web pad device. You'll be able to turn on the oven for the roast to be cooked by the time you get home, and if you're late, to turn down the heat to keep it warm. In another recent press release, Whirlpool has just announced its Integrated Home Solutions Initiative, which includes a new generation of appliances and KitchenAid brand appliances that can be linked to the Internet.

On vacation or away for a few days? Monitor your home's security system, the lights, and the sound system with the touch of a button. This is all possible through a high-speed Internet link such as Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and a Cisco Internet Home Gateway, which will be available next year.

As for phone service, the Internet phone in the home office can retain its number even in a remote location. Cisco, who makes these phones available to its employees, is expanding on their own inter-office technology that utilizes desk-sized units that ring whenever they are plugged into the Net at any Cisco location, so workers never have to miss incoming calls.

The Internet Home displays a big-screen TV in the family room that has the capability of simultaneously display two video windows, such as a DVD movie and the nightly news broadcast. From the personal computer in the child's room, a Web cam enables voice-and-video calls to a traveling family member for help with homework.

Within the Playa Vista Community, Paetec, a Cisco partner, provides the Internet and network infrastructure to the new community, which, when built out, will consist of 13,000 residential units and 6 million square feet of commercial and retail space. According to the press release, every home, office, kiosk and retail outlet will be pre-wired for broadband Internet access to ensure future compatibility as Internet capabilities evolve.

It is perhaps a bit disconcerting to imagine how much untapped power the awe-inspiring new medium of the Internet will offer in future decades. The Internet Home is but an early example of what everyday life may be like for our children, our grandchildren and ourselves in the 21st century, just as the House of Tomorrow had many of us awe-struck by the electric toothbrush way and the family of the future back when.

Published: July 28, 2000

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A veteran of the real estate and homebuilding industries since 1986, Dena Kouremetis first joined Realty Times as a new homes writer in 1998. Since then, she has authored four books, written consumer columns on new homes issues for websites and newspapers all across the country, contributed to builder trade magazines, appeared as a guest expert on several radio shows and even created a ten-chapter podcast for LendingTree.com’s homebuilder website, iNest.com, now available on iTunes, entitled Uncharted Waters; Navigating the Purchase of a New Production Home. Kouremetis recently joined her local Folsom, CA Coldwell Banker office as a broker associate while continuing to write for the real estate industry. For the past three years, she has been training real estate agents for both the resale and new homes industries, putting her experience, research expertise and gift of expression to work to help others entering the business.