About
A home automation technologist and problem solver. I’m here to help you with your smarthome and solve the mysteries of taming technology so you take back control.
I’ve spent many hours automating my own home and my clients so I know firsthand how frustrating it is to have technology that almost works. Even with hours of fiddling, it never seems to work reliably and never does just what you want.
I’ve found there is no magical secret or shortcut to making things work. Just lots of hours of research, experimentation, and slogging through all the details until you get most products working the way they should and the way you want.
Smart Homes should be affordable
It may surprise you to learn that home automation has been around for more than 30 years. It simply has been too expensive.
With the explosion of mobile devices like iPhones and iPads you no longer need to use expensive custom touchscreens and specialized hardware.
Pioneering companies like Lutron (lighting automation), Ecobee (thermostats), Sonos (whole-house music systems), Apple (iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, & Siri), Logitech Harmony (remote controls) and of course Amazon (Alexa voice assistant) have made incredible hardware solutions available for very affordable prices.
No overpriced hardware, no exclusive products, and easy to understand transparent billing are the simple techniques I use to keep costs down and avoid “gotcha” invoices at the end of every project – big or small.
Hooking things up to each other is still hard
The “dirty little secret” of home automation smarth home systems is that it is still a tower of Babel with many different protocols, languages, and interfaces that don’t easily connect together.
My goal at DoItForMe.Solutions is to bridge the gap between affordable, high-quality home automation products and the traditional custom systems with the knowledge and expertise to hook everything up together into a smooth, seamless system.
It is now possible to retro-fit a smart home from a single room to an entire house (or multiple houses) without spending thousands and thousands of dollars on custom equipment and services.
Traditional systems are expensive because they are often sold “all or nothing”. With my Do-It-For-Me approach, you can start with a single project or single room and grow as you go.
Entire home automation systems or large multi-room projects can be accomplished with a series of smaller projects which add up to the same awesome system when completed.
I have a lot of experience navigating the choppy seas of integration and can guide in the selection of the best equipment and the right choices for you, and the help to hook everything together.
Ongoing help is my “Secret Sauce”
Nothing works perfectly all the time and even a working system can suddenly need attention after flawless operation for months or years. Having been on the receiving end of so many hidden problems and product deficiencies, I’ve made ongoing service and support, for a fixed monthly fee, an important part of my services at DoItForMe.Solutions.
I offer affordable support plans from standard telephone/email/text contact through in-person onsite visits, and options for automated network & equipment monitoring and troubleshooting.
About Me
I’ve been in the tech business for quite a while. Trained as an engineer at Cornell University, I have worked at companies big (Hewlett Packard, Cisco Systems) and small (Consumer DSP, Castelle, ASP Computer Products) and in between (Daisy Systems, Tandem Computers) in Silicon Valley.
After the Dotcom days, i started and ran a Web Hosting and Internet services company providing technical and marketing assistance for moving your business to the web.
I have developed software, managed product teams, and developed award-winning advertising and public relations programs, so, I’ve got a strong understanding of how networking products are made along with how to install and use them.
Podcast Appearances
Mac Power Users 402 – Home Automation with Robert Spivack
The state of Home Automation is constantly changing. We bring in Robert Spivack, a consultant and installer, to discuss the various systems, standards, ecosystems and best practices.
iPad Pros Episode 19 – Home Automation and Control with Robert Spivack
Robert Spivack, owner of DoItForMe.Solutions, talks all things home automation and control with Tim.
HTGuys Podcast #913 – Robert Spivack of DoItForMe.Solutions
Today we have an interview with Robert Spivack owner of DoItForMe.Solutions
Intellecy Podcast Episode 29 – Lets talk Smart Home with guest, Robert Spivack
Joost and Emilio, talk about where smart homes have been and will be with expert smart home tech integrator, Robert Spivack of DoItForMe.Solutions
Published Articles
The hows, whys, and when-to-uses of the popular networking system.
The Digital Media Zone – What’s the Best Way To Control Your AV Gear?
Guest contributor Robert Spivack gets into the nuts and bolts (or should we say “wires and protocols”?) of automating your home entertainment and AV equipment with a programmable/universal remote control.
Gilroy Dispatch – Tech specialist helps residents automate their living space
Robert Spivack of DoItForMe.Solutions specializes in smart home technology
The First Step is FREE
Click over to the Contact page to schedule your own private consultation – over the phone, a virtual meeting, or in person (as appropriate) to discuss your specific project needs.