Kwikset, the leader in residential security, is taking part in what is being billed as the world’s boldest and most remote demonstration of home automation ever: the FIBARO Mount Everest Challenge, powered by Z-Wave.

Last year, mountain climber Mariusz Malkowski took home automation to new heights when he remotely controlled home automation devices, including a Kwikset lock, from the top of Cho Oyu, the sixth-highest mountain in the world.  This year Malkowski will climb to the summit of Mount Everest, Earth’s highest mountain — over 29,000 feet above sea-level — from where he will control a number of Z-Wave powered devices located on the other side of the globe, including a Kwikset SmartCode 916 Touchscreen Electronic Deadbolt.  (The demonstration will take place between May 16 and May 30, depending on climbing conditions.

The demonstration is intended to show end-users the dependability of Z-Wave technology.  It will also showcase the reliability of Kwikset’s electronic locks, as well as the impressive functionality of the company’s Home Connect technology.

“Kwikset’s SmartCode locks, combined with Z-Wave technology, deliver a powerful standard of security performance reliability,” said Keith Brandon, Director of Residential Access Solutions for Kwikset.  “This extreme long-distance demonstration will provide a dramatic example of that point.

“It will also show consumers that SmartCode locks with Home Connect technology gives them control of their overall security – and the ability to create customized access control scenarios – from anywhere in the world.”

Mariusz Malkowski is a 40-year-old technical services manager at Sigma Designs, part of the 300-member Z-Wave Alliance.  Malkowski has climbed world-class mountains on four continents, many of them by himself.  For the FIBARO Challenge, Malkowski will climb Mount Everest alone, with no porters and no supplemental oxygen during the expedition.  He is scheduled to begin his ascent on April 3 or 4 and will conclude around the end of May.

A live connection is planned for ISC West in Las Vegas, April 16, where attendees will be able to watch Malkowski perform an initial demonstration from the Mount Everest base camp.