a&s SMAhome #6

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Editor’s Note

Hello 2015! Earlier this month I got to check out CES 2015 and needless to say it was sensory overload! As a first-timer to the legendary show, (yes, no kidding!) it was fun, inspiring, and a jaw-dropping experience. What can I say…the whole funfair was bittersweet to the extreme. Weili Lin and I spent the next four days interviewing no less than 50 companies in and out of the show site, negotiating the mammoth playground, shifting through seminars, and squeezing just enough time in between the events to explore new smart home gadgets. Our busy bodies nearly got the better of us, from the jetlag and time pressure to long hours of walking. But looking back, it was indeed a great occasion to start off the New Year. Based on the scenarios presented by tech giants, we are currently entering the golden era of home technology (“The five momentums to bolster smart home,” Page 36). But looking from the Asian manufacturing side, it is still too early to tell what are the winning business models for Asian vendors. All the talk about “freemium business model” that seizes real users for acquiring margins in this IoT/connected-home arena, it is nevertheless hard for Asian players with their conditioned thinking – hardware-oriented sales with a relatively low profit margin and balance in the long term – to keep up with the golden era game as this model poses them a disadvantage. However, the well-designed connected home innovations from Asia do indeed exist. From aesthetic design and operation logistics to user scenarios, some products made in Taiwan have redefined the true essence of “up close and personal” – in a sense that these gadgets are quickly becoming a part of our everyday utility. In this issue, you have an exclusive look at how Taiwan’s networking & communications industry strives for the center stage in smart home (Page 30.) Looking back at 2014, the gateway was deemed by many as the iconic device in a connected home. But in 2015, will it remain so? Check out our groundbreaking report on this subject: “The brain in a connected home” on Page 12. This article stirs up the debate about the feasibility of a cloud-based gateway that will soon replace the physical connected hub as a single purpose unit. Check our updates on the other iconic product, the thermostat. Also, you’ve got an amiable list of 15 climate control gadgets on Page 60. Enjoy.

Until our next issue,

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facebook.com/mySMAhome twitter.com/mySMAhome Veronica Chen Editor in chief veronica.chen@newera.messefrankfurt.com

2 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

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mySMAhome.com

Security, Monitoring, and Automation Solutions for Homes

Issue 06 JANUARY 2015

Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media

Taiwan Branch: 2F, No. 8, Lane 360, Sec. 1, Nei-Hu Rd.,Taipei 114, Taiwan Phone/886 2 2659 9080 Fax/886 2 2659 9069 Website/www.mfnewera.com a&S SMAhome magazine is published bi-monthly, 6 times a year on every odd month, by Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media Taiwan Branch. It is a professional trade magazine for smart home professionals in the worldwide smart home industry since 2014. a&s SMAhome magazine and mySMAhome. com are the authoritative sourcing guides to provide comprehensive coverage of significant trends, latest technologies, innovations and successful business models on the smart home industry.

ISSN 2311-9705 中華郵政台北雜字第 2050 號執照登記為雜誌交寄

PUBLISHER

Managing Director Parson Lee

EDITORIAL

Editor in Chief Veronica Chen veronica.chen@newera.messefrankfurt.com Senior Reporter Weili Lin weili.lin@newera.messefrankfurt.com Senior Reporter Lingo Lin lingo.lin@newera.messefrankfurt.com Editor Chad Yang chad.yang@newera.messefrankfurt.com Editor Cindy Lin cindy.lin@newera.messefrankfurt.com Senior Online Editor Sandy Ouyang sandy.ouyang@newera.messefrankfurt.com Online Editor Michelle Chu michelle.chu@newera.messefrankfurt.com Technical Consultant Alf Chang alf.chang@newera.messefrankfurt.com

Design & Programmer

Executive Designer Gaven Lee gaven.lee@newera.messefrankfurt.com Designer Mao Chang mao.chang@newera.messefrankfurt.com Designer Arthur Wu arthur.wu@newera.messefrankfurt.com Web Designer Claude Hsu claude.hsu@newera.messefrankfurt.com Web Developer Eric Chang eric.chang@newera.messefrankfurt.com

CIRCULATION

Coordinator Michelle Shih michelle.shih@newera.messefrankfurt.com Coordinator Lulu Kuo lulu.kuo@newera.messefrankfurt.com

MANAGEMENT

General Manager John Shi General Manager Joseph Lee Account Manager Thomas Pin IT Manager Chihung Lee

ADVERTISING

Sales Manager Iris Lai iris.lai@newera.messefrankfurt.com Sales Manager Jerry Wu jerry.wu@newera.messefrankfurt.com International Sales Manager Juihui Lin juihui.lin@newera.messefrankfurt.com International Operation Officer Kay Yang kay.yang@newera.messefrankfurt.com Taiwan Sales Manager Cliff Kang cliff.kang@newera.messefrankfurt.com Taiwan Sales Specialist Gigi Chen gigi.chen@newera.messefrankfurt.com Taiwan Sales Specialist Roger Chen roger.chen@newera.messefrankfurt.com

Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media Ltd., a company formed by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. and former A&S Group in 2009, is an integrated media service provider in the security industry. Our service covers magazines, Web sites, events and trade shows. The portfolio of a&s magazines includes a&s SMAhome, a&s International, a&s Asia (above published in English), a&s China,a&s Installer, a&s Solution, and a&s Taiwan (above published in Chinese). a&s Turkiye, a&s Adria, a&s Italy, a&s India, a&s Japan and a&s Vietnam are licensed editions. Advertisers are responsible for their own advertisement content. The publisher is not liable for any legal, image, patent or trademark disputes from advertisements or among advertisers. Legal consultant: Julia S.H. Yu, Attorney at Law, First Law & IP Offices For changes of address or subscription problems, contact us at mfne-circulation@newera.messefrankfurt.com

Copyright© 2015 Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be republished, reprinted or redistributed in any forms, including electronic, without written consent from the publisher.

4 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015



CONTENTS Issue: 6

|

January/February 2015 | mysmahome.com

Editor's Note Welcome to a&s SMAhome

Cover Story

2

D-Link: Get Your Home Talking

8

Focus Intelligent Climate Control

62

The networking giant is entering through the second phase of its Connected Home Initiative where it aims to expand the dynamics of its smart home ecosystem.

Climate control has been a staple of residential buildings for generations. What justifies the demand for an intelligent alternative?

15 intelligent Climate Control Products

64

Talk Qualcomm Interview: Alljoyn, a Common Language for the Internet of Everything 26 Matt Michael, Senior Director of Product Management at Qualcomm and Chairman of the AllSeen Alliance, talks about AllJoyn and his perspectives on the latest developments of the smart home field.

EXPLORATION

The "Brain" in a Connected Home Simple Connection

12

Sending Data to the Cloud

Tablet Control

Smart Home

advertorial

Going Wireless

StarVedia

35

AIT

51

DAS Technology

53

Throughtek Kalay

58

Analyze and Standardize

Network Camera

6 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

Communication and Interpretation

Functionality – easy with a touch of a finger

As home automation continues to play its vital role as the driver of a smarter living, the growing awareness about wireless technologies and the connected home will only propel it further towards mass adoption in the future.

form to get 3 cost now! FREE COPY Fillissuesin theat zero

P85


Preview

Report

5 MOMENTUMS to Bolster THE Smart Home at #CES2015 38

Mobile World Congress 2015

73

SMAhome speaks to the Tech giants at CES this year to abridge the trends into the five momentums that will bolster the 2015 market in lightening speed.

Company

MOMENTUMS

OORT

69

Through Bluetooth technology, CEO of OORT Radek Tadajewski transforms ordinary objects into something smart and connected.

to Bolster the Smart Home at #CES2015

Orvibo

70

“Simplicity is the key to driving smart home sales and services,” said Orvibo CEO Mark Wang.

Unitech

#CES2015: 30 Picks You Should Know

48

72

Unitech is the smart systems expert with deep expertise born from over a decade of experience integrating RF devices across the Internet of Things.

PRODUCT Feature

DOOR SOLUTION

80

Taiwan's Networking & Communications Industry Strives for the Center Stage in Smart Home 30

ENERGY MANAGEMENT

No matter if the smart home is a gold mine or just a question mark of the real deal, Taiwan’s networking & communications companies have all benefitted from its burgeoning growth. Telcos and MSOs have asked these veterans to design and produce smarter home products in the recent years.

SENSOR

82

OTHERS

82

80

HOME CAMERA

81

LIGHTING

81

News WHAT HAPPENED

76

News, launches and views from the world of smart home in November and December of 2014

Show Calendar 2015 worldwide exhibitions and events related to smart home 74

STATS & FIGURE Offering comprehensive research and statistic charts on the smart home markets, applications and industrial outlook 84

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 7


cover story

Get Home D-Link, a global networking solutions provider for enterprise and consumer markets, has in the last 2 years endeavored to provide fully-integrated, easy to use smart solutions for the masses. The networking giant is entering through the second phase of its Connected Home Initiative where it aims to expand the dynamics of its smart home ecosystem.

8 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


Your Talking Composed and eloquent, Quenton Miao has seen it all. From the dot-com bubble to the burgeoning IoT trend, D-Link’s Vice President of Global Marketing said he has been with the company over the last decade through thick and thin. Even though every business has its ups and downs, Miao said the networking giant has always managed to overcome its obstacles with flying colors. Today, as the smart home frenzy becomes increasingly popular, he sees this as an opportunity to drive the business into a new frontier. And since D-Link has gone on to become a designer, developer, and manufacturer of networking solutions for both the consumers and business markets, it’s fair to say that the company has a lot to offer to the connected home front. “As networking specialists, it was a sensible decision to venture into the smart home three years ago,” Miao said. Today, D-Link has grown to become an exciting global brand offering the most up-to-date networking solutions. Whether it’s to suit the needs of the home consumer, business or service provider, the company is leading the way in offering comprehensive networking and security solutions worldwide. In the first half of 2014, D-Link made its first foray into the connected home market with the launch of its Wi-Fi-enabled smart plug, wireless motion sensor, and the aptly named “D-Link Cloud,”— a revolutionary series of remote manageable products comprising of the D-Link cloud router, cloud camera, and cloud storage products. The mydlink® Home App, which works in the premises of the cloud service, was also officially announced. As part of D-Link’s Connected Home Initiative, the company has all the ingredients to build a compelling smart home offering, he reaffirmed.

ENTER THE SECOND PHASE “We are actually entering the second phase of D-Link’s Connected Home Initiative,” he said. According to the global marketing VP, following hardware devices and software Apps, the networking giant is strengthening the solution by introducing a cloud NVR (Network Video Recording of IP camera footage) solution. The company will offer a Private Cloud solution for users who prefer to manage their cloud storage locally on their D-Link router, and a Public Cloud solution for users who would rather pay for the storage used as they go and not worry about storage hardware maintenance.

In the long-run, D-Link will provide both a free Private Cloud solution, and a Public Cloud solution that will only charge users who need extra storage space.

TM

“In the long-run, D-Link will provide both a free Private Cloud solution, and a Public Cloud solution that will only charge users who need extra storage space,” Miao said, adding that D-Link is offering both the Private and Public cloud services to give users more options on how they want to store and access camera footage. The idea to build a Private cloud was built upon the capability of D-Link routers to support remote access and streaming of an USB hard drive that’s connected to the router. The new functionality of a Private Cloud is a unique concept and natural feature progression for D-Link’s wireless routers. “Our private cloud service leverages the functionality of D-Link routers such as the DIR890L AC3200 ULTRA Wi-Fi Router by allowing you to easily connect, control and access a network remotely or locally alike via a smart phone or device.” With the evolution of D-Link’s routers for the cloud era, users will benefit by not only enjoying a more flexible home security system, but also by being able to choose how they store and manage camera footage. It’s a strategy that falls neatly in line with D-Link’s “Get Your Home Talking” initiative, the companies’ take of the connected home front. January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 9


cover story

“GET YOUR HOME TALKING” D-Link’s Connected Home platform provides a proven, reliable and scalable platform that works across a wide range of devices for a complete home security and automation solution, citing Miao in an interview with SMAhome. The smart home software platform can connect to a wide variety of D-Link’s cloud computing devices including IP cameras, wireless routers, motion/water sensors, gateways, smart plugs, sirens, and many more. These devices talk and react to each other to monitor and control homes and businesses. “Our Connected Home products work together to get your home talking and safe,” added Miao. The networking giant recently announced two home security kits—the DCH101KT HD Edition and the DCH-301KT HD Pan and Tilt Edition. They are designed to help homeowners take a DIY approach to their security systems. Each kit combines three of D-Link’s most popular smart home products – a WiFi Camera, Wi-Fi Smart Plug and Wi-Fi Motion Sensor–offering combinations of ways to secure, connect and automate the home. The kits also offer free cloud video recording, enabling users to automatically capture footage based on motion sensor triggers—a handy feature for travelers wishing to monitor their homes while away. “All of the products included in the DIY Security Kits work with the free mydlink® Home App for iOS® and Android® smartphones and tablets so users can control the devices all from one screen.” All of the newly announced devices will “talk to each other” to deliver a smarter, simpler alternative to traditional home security solutions.

DIFFERENTIATION & STRENGTH As mentioned, D-Link’s strategy for its second phase of Connected Home Initiative will primarily be based on a new D-Link Public and Private Cloud NVR

solution and the “Get Your Home Talking” initiative, according to Miao, adding that it is the networking giant’s differentiation and strength against competitors. While the smart home arena continues to expand at an unprecedented pace, players on the field will have to look for new ways to stay afloat in a pool of competitive talents. D-Link is planning to introduce All-In-One Solution of routers and controllers designed to make connected home management and security easier for homeowners. D-Link’s solution can also be added to third party routers by way of a D-Link Connected Home controller, which will similarly allow connections with third party made connected home devices. For the moment, D-Link is churning out slews of connected devices compatible with either Z-Wave or Wi-Fi frequencies with plans to include ZigBee as well, he added. “D-Link will adopt any protocol or standard because we are open to all possibilities, let it be Z-Wave, ZigBee or Bluetooth. The ability to adapt and customize are some of our key strengths.”

Company Milestones and Achievements LANSmart Network LANSmart Network Operating System version 2.0 wins PC World Magazine's Product of the Year (USA)

DSA-3100 AirSpot Gateway The DSA-3100 AirSpot Gateway is selected CRN Magazine as Product of the Year by

FlexSWITCH DES-5016

The DIR-685 Wireless N

The Multifunction FlexSWITCH DES-5016 wins the prestigious iF-Product Design Award (Germany)

1991 1994 1997

1998

2002

The DIR-685 Wireless N Storage Router wins a red dot Design Award

2004

2006

2011 2011 2012 DIR-635 Wireless N Router

DE-1824 Ethernet Hub series D-Link wins the National Gold Award of Excellence for the DE-1824 Ethernet Hub series from CETRA (Taiwan)

DE-650CT Ethernet PC card DE-650CT Ethernet PC card named Best in Test by U.S. World Magazine (USA)

10 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

The DIR-635 Wireless N Router is awarded Best Network Product of the Year by Computer Shopper (UK)

Annual Global Top 100 Information Tech Companies BusinessWeek Magazine lists D-Link among the Annual Global Top 100 Information Tech Companies

• The DNS-320L Network Storage, DCS-6010L Fisheye Camera, DHP-W310AV Wireless Powerline Adapter, and DWR-910 Petit Router win a red dot Design Award • D-Link announces Zero Configuration for all new Cloud Routers and Cloud Cameras and adds support for select current Cloud Routers

mydlink Cloud Services D-Link introduces the revolutionary mydlink Cloud Services, launches first Cloud Router,Cloud Camera, and Cloud Storage NVR


Future

Developments While the smart home popularity continues to grow, there is more interest in energy-saving solutions. The roll‐out of smart utility meters have greatly increased the opportunities for home energy management. To exploit these opportunities, a growing number of new Home Energy Management (HEM) products and companies have emerged over the past decade, ranging from basic energy displays to home control systems and smart phone mobile apps. D-Link is also looking to tap into energy management solutions, including smart thermostats for more efficient

TELCOS AND OPERATORS Today, significant trends have emerged to help drive smart home adoption. These include a higher aging population that demands new services in the home, increased popularity of mobile devices, and the dramatic increase in streaming media. On top of these, there is a strong push by a wide range of leading players, including telecom operators and utility service providers for new revenue generating services. Adoption-wise, thanks to their broad reach and a wide customer base, telecom operators play a leading role in terms of household penetration of smart home solutions. D-Link plans to work with Telcos by offering connected home and

energy usage. “We are open to all opportunities, whether it’s in the field of energy management, home automation or security solutions,” Miao concluded. All the while, the networking giant’s ongoing plan has been to create an open system that works with both Apple’s HomeKit and Google’s Nest ecosystems. “What does it mean to be a solution provider? Our DNA is the brand. Being a brand means we have to look at the big picture and work on solutions while adapting every step of the way to make people’s lives easier.”

cloud NVR solutions to their millions of subscribers. “We are definitely looking to market our connected home solution to telecommunication companies and operators,” Miao said. The global marketing head affirmed that there is much potential in the European telecom side as well as in the USA. “Telcos are also eager to enter the connected home market. They are similar to retailers in the sense that they have retail stores that sell mobile phones and accessories, but they also offer home security and other service packages. Their services also help promote network routers, smart home hubs, sensors and cameras.” Telecom operators are a significant asset by playing a central part in the customer relationship role as a trusted provider of networking products and services. The values of Telcos that could be leveraged include a robust sales and support network and their strong network management capabilities.

• D-Link launches the most comprehensive lineup of 11AC routers in the world

The D-Link Smart Home Family

• D-Link introduces the DIR-510L, the world’s first Wireless AC portable router with a battery bank

The D-Link smart home family encompasses a slew of home automation devices, security kits, and wide-ranging solutions for DIY homeowners. Together, they provide the D-Link ecosystem an even more functional, integrated and affordable experience for consumers. The networking powerhouse offers devices and solutions that include: motion/door/water sensors, network cameras, smart plugs, baby cameras, routers, and much more.

• D-Link launches the DKT-510L, re-imagining the router as a next-generation wearable device by combining a WearCam with a Wireless AC750 Portable Router

2013

uenton Miao, Q D-Link’s Vice President of Global Marketing

2014 • The D-Link DCS-825L Wi-Fi Baby Camera wins the 2014 iF Design Award and is an Engineering Award Honoree for CES 201 • D-Link DWR-930 4G Portable LTE Router wins a 2014 iF Design Award • D-Link announces Wi-Fi Smart Plugs, the company’s first product in a new line of Connected Home solutions • D-Link introduces two new DIY security kits that include a Wi-Fi Camera, Wi-Fi Smart Plug and Wi-Fi Motion Sensor to secure, connect and automate your home

D-Link Tel: +886-2-6600-0123 Email: sales@dlink.com www.dlink.com January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 11


Exploration

Simple Connection

Sending Data to the Cloud

Tablet Control

Smart Home

Going Wireless Analyze and Standardize

Network Camera Communication and Interpretation

Functionality – easy with a touch of a finger

“ The Brain in a Connected Home “

12 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


As home automation continues to spur to new heights, businesses the world over are all rushing to cash in. According to a recent report by MarketsandMarkets, the global home automation and control market is projected to grow at an estimated CAGR of 11.36% beginning this year to 2020.

US Smart Home Devices vs. Hubs Shipments 2014-2017

By Lingo Lin

Source: 16-Oct-14 Consumer Electronics Association, Parks Associates

SMART “BRAIN” HUB Smartening up a home begins with installing a hub. This gadget serves as a linguistic bridge between different protocols, letting ZigBee devices talk to Z-Wave, and both of them talk to gadgets that run on Wi-Fi or other wireless standards. The smart home hub, also known as the “brain” in an automated home setup, is designed to make automation easier in your house by connecting all the devices together. But due to the mishmash of competing protocols, most connected hubs are forced to include an ensemble of modules that can interpret them. Supporting all those standards inevitably makes the hubs more complex and pricier. In short, this little gizmo can often be a bit confusing for early connected home adopters in a number of ways, such as price, connectivity, interoperability, installation and usage. For a newbie, these questions really boggle the mind.

GETTING STARTED – THE EASY WAY A connected home hub is basically designed to perform “plug-and-play.” Since the hub acts as a universal remote for the IoT, it provides a single interface for binding the control of lights, media devices and any other smart electronic appliances from different manufacturers. “Consumers care about how the hub works, how fun and easy to install and use, and how much does it cost,” said Insteon CEO Joe Dada. “We created Insteon to be simple and that’s what I believe the market wants as well. This means homeowners can easily install the system on their own and then run it from any smartphone, tablet or computer without paying monthly fees. The best DIY solution will end up feeding the professional install market.” Regarding Insteon’s sales channels, Dada said his company also works with several other leading retailers in hope to bring home automation to the masses. It currently has more than 200 Insteon products readily available in more than 2,500 local

Million 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

20.7

24.9

29.9

35.9 Smart home devices

Connected hubs

1.4

1.9

2.5

3.1

2014

2015

2016

2017

It’s fair to say that the concept of home automation has been around for a long time. But it’s only been the last few years that this smart home frenzy has been charging ahead at full throttle. As home automation continues to play its vital role as the driver of a smarter living, the growing awareness about wireless technologies and the connected home will only propel it further towards mass adoption in the future.

retailers such as Walmart, Costco and Home Depot. Fibar, a connected home solution provider based in Europe and the official partner for Orange France, says early adopters typically look for the simplest ways to getting started. “The key feature of a main controller (hub) is robustness. It needs to be both powerful and simple to use, which is very hard to combine. However, I like to think we managed to do so in our products,” said Fibar Group PR Manager Ewa Bujak. Fibar believes that innovation comes from nature. Such examples include the design of their flood sensor, which was initially inspired by a drop of water; and the motion sensor, an idea conceived by observing the eyes of a cat. “All of our products are multifunctional, intuitive and easy to use. We provide the complete package in one device – everything suited to customers’ needs,” she said. Also based in Europe, Zipato is another major contender that provides a complete home automation platform for both professional installers and DIY customers to create their own smart solutions. “Our flagship product is certainly Zipabox, which is a unique modular home automation device that allows customers to scale from do-it-yourself, easy-to-install devices,” said Zipato CEO Sebastian Popovic. With well over dozens of connected home hubs lining across the IoT today, some suppliers are even taking steps to upping a hub’s exterior appeal. “The latest Insteon flagship hub follows the design profile of its predecessor. Its smaller, sleeker, square shape and white complements the style of any home,” Dada said.

Protocols & interoperability - a mishmash of options Protocols and interoperability, two eluded words that might even startle entry players interested in setting up a connected home. Right now, there are two names at the forefront of standardizing the connected home: ZigBee and Z-Wave. Both are composed of similar wireless networking technologies, and both include languages that allow devices to share select information over their wireless networks. Meanwhile, there are also other mishmash January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 13


Exploration

of protocols floating above our IoT sphere today, including Lutron ClearConnect, Wi-Fi, Insteon, and so forth. The role of a connected hub is to provide a single way for appliances to speak with each other. However, what modules are embedded to the hub depends from manufacturer to manufacturer, and even software platform providers who sells their services to hub makers. “Certainly Z-Wave and ZigBee are two of the most well-known wireless standards in the home automation industry today. However, there are other new/old names such as Bluetooth LE or WiFi, which are commonly used wireless protocols by customers worldwide,” Popovic said. “Gateways/hubs are mostly becoming like controllers as they are doing much more than just converting from one protocol to another. Ability to integrate multiple protocols to the same home automation installation, and their advanced logical possibilities gives them the most important role in each and every home automation network,” he added. As software solution provider, Icontrol Networks develops platforms for tier 1 service providers and home security companies worldwide that enable them to offer these connected home solutions under their own brand name to their customers. “We chose ZigBee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi years ago because those had the most traction with device manufacturers in the worldwide marketplace. And that has continued to be the case for… at least for the smart home growth and the wireless standards that are driving that smart home growth,” said Icontrol VP of Marketing Greg Roberts. To date, ZigBee, Z-Wave and Wi-Fi are the predominant protocols in the smart home industry and those are the ones we embrace currently, Roberts told a&s SMAhome magazine. However, Roberts said due to the hodgepodge of protocols available today, it seriously hinders the growth prospects of the connected home market in North America. “How we look at the marketplace is looking at what are the opportunities for growth and what are the barriers that are hindering growth in North America. One of those is interoperability. It’s the friction of interoperability of connected devices and solutions that hinder the consumer an easy and frictionless way to get a 14 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

we see the ‘hub’ as something that can be a standalone device or our software could be embedded inside other ‘always on’ devices found in the home, like an HDTV, set top box, BluRay player, security panel, etc.

Bob Cooper

Chief Marketing Officer, Zonoff

connected home,” he added. Considering all these protocols, and the fact that wireless is often combined with some hard-wired devices, it is obvious that integration will be necessary in the future, explained Popovic. Since connected home adoption is still in its very early stages, the standardization or integration of protocols has yet to be seen. According to Zonoff Chief Marketing Officer Bob Cooper in a recent interview with a&s SMAhome magazine, the current problem lies in the interference of custom protocols that falls into the mix. Zonoff Inc., which powers the software for the Staples Connect Hub, provides a comprehensive software platform to channel partners including retailers, service providers, consumer electronics OEMs and system integrators who, in turn, deliver “Connected Home” products and services to the consumer mass market. “You have people writing their own custom protocols which cause confusion for consumers, and


support issues down the road. Our goal at Zonoff is to work with all the top wireless standards (current and future) and eliminate that confusion for consumers,” Cooper said. The different radio protocols (ZigBee, Z-Wave, DECT-ULE, and so on) will remain a long discussion, according to Thibault de la Fresnaye, Orange VP and Head of Product Marketing Anticipation. “We are keeping watch on the alternatives in term of interoperability, battery life and product range. Additionally, Orange Labs is also looking at managing multi-protocol situations,” he said. “Orange is supporting standards but we cannot implement all of them in the home boxes, hence Orange is making choices in relation to the entire ecosystem.” Orange France, who partnered with Fibaro to bring its own connected home solution since October last year, said it is working effortlessly to propel its presence in the smart home space. According to Sunitec Enterprise Minerva Yeh, the company is focused on Z-Wave standard because of its low development cost, low power consumption, high usability, expandability, and interoperability. "Furthermore, besides our popular Z-Wave home security sensors, we are working on applying Z-Wave with health-care monitoring products such as sleeping pillows for the elderly," she said.

IS SOFTWARE-BASED GATEWAY POSSIBLE? There’s been a lot of heated debate lately about the feasibility of a cloud-based gateway in the future of smart home, replacing the physical connected hub as a single-purpose unit. Yonomi, a software developer based in the US, had mentioned in its press release on November 19: “Our innovative approach to device discovery and connectivity eliminates

Joe Dada, CEO, Insteon Sebastian Popovic, CEO, Zipato Thibault de La Fresnaye, VP and Head of Product Marketing Anticipation, Smart Access, Orange Greg Roberts, VP of Marketing, Icontrol Networks Hans Liu, Senior Manager of Software R&D Department, D-Link

the need for the hub and instead leverages the user’s mobile device as an essential piece of the communications fabric.” “Consumers don’t want hubs, they need hubs. That is, until the requisite hardware is embedded into other devices that consumers have,” Insteon’s Dada retorted. “As the best wireless protocols become the winners in the IoT space, their silicon will be embedded into routers and other consumer devices. The silicon already in those devices might be functional enough for some of today’s single point IoT offerings, but they will not meet the demands of the future automated home,” he added. The fact is, a connected home still need one central “brain” or control point to truly integrate all the subsystems of a home, said Cooper, adding that he still sees the hub as a central controller for connecting all the devices together. D-Link, a leading global networking solutions provider for enterprise and consumer markets, provides a fully-integrated, easy to use smart solution for the masses. Their line of connected home includes network cameras, gateways, routers, smart plugs, sensors, cloud service, and mobile app. “The connected home requires an ‘always-on’ device to act as a bridge between the different connected devices,” said Hans Liu, senior manager of software R&D at D-Link. “Until there is a breakthrough, I simply don’t see individual electronic appliances working on TCP-IP, or any other such protocols to enable them to send information to the cloud. That is simply not cost effective and energy efficient in this respect.” However, Liu reiterated that he expects the connected hub to be embedded to other connected appliances in the coming future, and not only as standalones. “All-in-one hubs will be the foreseeable hype.” “I think SAAS and cloud services will gain bigger and bigger share of the software market, however there will always be the need of physical hub, at least to provide all modules in installation with Internet connection, since Wi-Fi in every one would highly increase power consumption. We also believe that system should be as independent as possible, to ensure flawless work even when there is no Internet connection, since there are still some remote areas without access to broadband,” Fibar Group’s Bujak said. Meanwhile, French telecom giant Orange said it is studying whether some future functions, handled by the gateways or other boxes at home could be achieved in the network (in the cloud) either for Total Cost of Ownership reasons; or for greater agility that would enable rapid updates and further segmentation; or for customer needs such as multi-site services.

COMPETING FOR SPACE From a retailer perspective, we can see that the heated competition in the home hub segment is still raging on. In a tug-of-war affair, leading home automation retailers are slashing down their hub prices in a bid January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 15


Exploration

A Comparison Table of Major Hubs Price

Monthly Fee

Compatibility

IFTTT Support

Revolv

$299

No

7 different standards

YES1

Staples Connect

$49 / $79

No

Linksys: Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Lutron ClearConnect Caseta D-Link: Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Lutron ClearConnect Caseta, ZigBee, BT

NO

SmartThings

$99

No

Z-Wave, ZigBee, Wi-Fi

YES

Wink

$49.99

No

Wi-Fi, BT, Z-Wave, ZigBee

YES

Insteon

$39.99

No

Insteon

NO

Lowe’s Iris

$179-$299 (kit)

Yes

Z-Wave, ZigBee, Wi-Fi

NO

Nexia BR100NX

$66.74

Yes

Z-Wave

NO

Note:

Data collected as of December 20, 2014. Information may be subject to change at any time without prior notice. Please refer to suppliers’ websites for latest updates.

to woo new customers. Examples such as Staples, which introduced the $99 Connect Hub in late 2013, slashed its price to $49 in June last year. The device, originally manufactured by Linksys, supports Wi-Fi, Z-Wave and Lutron ClearConnect Caseta wireless technology, has become one of the cheapest on the market in that price range. The move was initiated to differentiate from the newer Staples Connect Hub that is made by D-Link for $79. The newer model adds ZigBee and Bluetooth to the mix, including the Win 8 and Samsung TV apps that are added to its platform. “We believe that the most recent Staples Connect Hub, manufactured by D-Link, supports the widest array of wireless protocols available on the market today, including Z-Wave, ZigBee, Lutron Clear Connect, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth LE,” Cooper exclaimed. Zonoff’s modular, cross-technology approach includes Home, Cloud and App Software which can be combined to deliver best-of-breed home automation, remote control, energy management and safety monitoring, ranging from entry level to comprehensive solutions. When asked about Zonoff’s partnership with Staples, Cooper said his company provides a service that Staples was looking for. “Staples explored the idea of adding home and small office automation as a new retail category. Once they understood what we offered, they realized that it was an ideal fit for them,” he said, adding that Staples looked to Zonoff for “best in class” recommendations of connected devices. “We did additional testing on each device to make sure it would create a great user experience for Staples’ consumers.” Several other leading US retailers, such as Home Depot and Best Buy have also joined in on the fray, and are all vying for a space in the smart 16 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

Announced on December 6, 2014 (http://support.revolv.com/ knowledgebase/articles/469750-ifttt-supports-revolv)

1.

home arena. The Home Depot/Wink partnership formed in July last year brings the Wink hub to retail stores across the US for $49.99, a buck more than the Staples Connect Hub. Meanwhile, electronics retailer Best Buy has teamed with SmartHome Ventures to bring PEQ, which is sold in kits ranging from $120 to $490. Adding to the smart home frenzy, giant retailer Walmart partnered with Insteon in November last year to stock the Insteon hub to its 1,500 stores across the US. A day prior to this announcement, the home automation maker unveiled its “killer” flagship hub. “We are leading in this dimension. Our new hub is the lowest priced unit on the market. Through the release of the new Insteon Hub, we’ve made it more affordable and efficient to get your home connected. While $39.99 is an introductory price, we will continue to offer the Hub for free in our kits. We’ve demolished barriers in order to reach the broadest customer demographic,” Dada said.

SO, WHAT’S NEXT? In the midst of all this excitement, it’s safe to say that for the Internetof-Things to really take off, we need to get all the connected devices at home to talk to each other in one common language, regardless of what brand they carry and the functions they provide. The smart hub, through which the information is synced and carried to the cloud, plays the inevitable role in a connected home. As technologies continue to evolve, there is a potential trend from a gateway perspective that could very much play a role in the growth of the smart home, said Roberts of Icontrol, adding that for the foreseeable future, cloud-supported smart home solutions are nevertheless going to be prevalent in the marketplace and driving a lot more innovation along those lines. “It’s like any other complicated organization. Someone ultimately needs to be in charge, making the final decisions,” Cooper said. Obviously, like the Game of Thrones, there is a King leading his royal subjects. As the IoT continues to rage on, a mystery “big player” has yet to surface, whether it’s Google, Apple, Microsoft, or any other anonymous connected home player. It’d be interesting to see what they can contribute to the development of a connected home. “We strongly believe that there is no other way than cooperation of different protocols with each other, which is the future of home automation,” Bujak concluded.


Philio Features Automation/Security

Smart Home Solution Philio’s app makes it easy to automate your home. • Your privacy is protected courtesy of our private cloud • With our unique drag and drop user interface, setup is a breeze • Stay connected to your home, regardless of where you are • Sensors are preconfigured in our app

Philio Technology Corporation

www.philio-tech.com

TEL: +886 2 2908 8952


Exploration

D-Link DCH-G020

Wink Hub

• Easy to install: one page of quick install card and no user manual needed – setting and configuration via mobile App • Built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi: supports 802.11 b/g/n and 2 x 2 built-in antenna for better Wi-Fi connection • Supports Z-wave plus: applies new generation of Z-wave chip to support Z-wave Plus – supports speed up to 100kbps • Security: supports AES128 bits encryption for Z-Wave connection – WPA/WPA2 encryption for Wi-Fi connection • Able to talk to other D-Link connected home devices: supports D-Link propriety protocol to allow communication with other D-Link connected home devices

• Allows for diverse collection of smart products to speak the same wireless language: supports Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Bluetooth and ZigBee frequencies • Easy to set up in a matter of minutes; only requires user to connect Wink app compatible products to the Wink app • Lightweight and portable; weighs only 2 pounds • Supports remote control via the Wink app on smartphones including Android mobile, Android Wear and iOS • Compatible with the Wink home automation system and can connect to several other items to control and customize your home with automated rules, shortcuts & more; all with no monthly fees

D-Link Taiwan sales@dlink.com

Home Depot USA questions@wink.com

Insteon Hub 2245-222 • Works in combination with your router and smartphone or tablet to control remotely INSTEON devices • Plug-and-play setup with automatic remote access • Instant notification: sends instant text and email alerts from anywhere • Enhanced security: applies industry-standard secure, encrypted communication to and from Insteon Cloud Servers • Increased transmission distance featuring more powerful Insteon radio for more coverage Insteon USA tech@insteon.com

Staples Connect Hub (by D-Link) • Supports Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Z-Wave Plus, ZigBee, Bluetooth Smart, Lutron Clear Connect • Staples Connect App: one app to control all of your devices using a smartphone or tablet • Over 140 compatible devices (cameras, thermostats, sensors, lighting, blinds and more) • Staples Connect Cloud - monitor and manage your home remotely • Connected home made easy with simple installation procedures Staples USA sales@staples.com

Nexia Hub • The Nexia Bridge is the hub of your system and lets you manage your home through your online Nexia subscription • The Nexia Bridge connects to your router to allow you to control your home through a securely encrypted broadband Internet connection • It communicates wirelessly with many other Nexia-compatible Z-Wave products from leading brands giving you complete control over your home, whether you’re at home or away • The Nexia Bridge can hold and control more than 200 Z-Wave products at the same time so you can start small and grow your system as you like. • The average Z-Wave communication range is 60-Feet to 100-Feet Nexia USA lindsay.kirchhausen@irco.com

18 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015



Exploration

Nest Revolv

SmartThings Hub

• Unifies and automates all smart devices under one app • Creates scenes such as “shutdown house at night,” “come home to a warm, well lit house,” “daytime settings,” “movie night,” or “music time” to simultaneously control all your devices, including lights, locks, thermostats and speakers • Quick automatic start with 60-second setup • Monitors and controls your home from anywhere in the world • No contracts, monthly fees or professional installation required

• Connects seamlessly with hundreds of ZigBee, Z-Wave and Wi-Fi smart products; includes SmartThings app to control all your smart home products • Controls and monitors connected doors, lights, locks, electronics, small appliances, wireless speakers and more from your smartphone • Sends notifications and alerts to your smartphone when connected devices are triggered • No contracts, monthly fees or professional installers required. Simply add as many devices as desired • Free SmartThings app that works with iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. Easily downloadable from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store or Windows Phone Store Samsung (SmartThings) USA Info@smartthings.com

Z-Wave Zipabox

Lowe’s Iris • Core of all Iris™ Smart Home systems that adds intelligence and management for all in-home Iris™ devices • Provides customization on how your Iris™ Smart Home system communicates with you • Connects security, energy and temperature management devices • Creates custom-use scenarios by adding the devices you need • The Iris Home Management System is compatible with a large variety of sensors Lowe’s USA customercare@lowes.com

• Applies simple, reliable, low-power radio waves that easily travel through walls, floors and cabinets; also uses existing power lines or BUS wires to connect all your home electronics • Features multi-environment capabilities: adds almost any electronic devices such as appliances, window shades, thermostats and home lighting • Expandable functionality: add in additional modules for unlimited upgrade possibilities • Expandable modules are connected together via an integrated expansion port on the sides of the modules • A variety of expanding modules are already available for increasing Zipato functionality: security module, Z-Wave, power module and so on Zipato Croatia hello@zipato.com

Homelive • Homelive Smart Home Solution supports Z-Wave protocols • Adjustable settings to control remotely all connected home appliances from any place in order to enhance home security, improve home comfort, and manage energy consumption in the home • Homelive solution includes a central unit (hub) and 3 devices: smoke sensor, one door/ window sensor and motion sensor • Compatible with offerings from Z-Wave Alliance member companies including the MiOS software technology platform for home control and smart devices from Fibaro and AeonLabs • Sends out alerts and notifications when sensors are triggered Orange France France info@orange.fr

20 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015



Exploration

BTstar ZG01 Heimdall Z-Wave gateway

Fibaro Home Center Lite • Tiny device with huge potential: quick and effective able to control your home from anywhere in the World using smartphone or tablet • User-friendliness and flexibility of FIBARO app to enable your intelligent system operation easy and straightforward; manages your TV, home cinema, Hi-Fi and other devices • Supports Z-Wave protocol: provides ability to manage up to 230 devices in your home • Built-in power management functionality: monitor the current energy consumption and the power consumption history while being able to spot the devices consuming the most of it • Featured app provides security alerts and notifications, such as fire alarm, floor alarm, burglary alarm and gas alarm Fibar Group Poland servicedesk@fibaro.com

• 500 series Z-Wave module supports multichannel operation with higher data transfer rate (9.6/40/100kbps) • High output power to enhance communication range • Provides external USB port for optional USB device expansion • Remote firmware upgrade • Invisible antenna design BTstar Taiwan office@btstar.com

Dexatek SA-7113 ΣQube home automation gateway • Controls up to 12 smart home devices • Sends notification to your smart phone when sensor is triggered • Free app for iOS and Android • Built-in 2T2R Wi-Fi antenna • Features Bluetooth Smart Ready Dexatek Taiwan sales@dexatek.com

Harmony Home Hub

• Central portal collects all the information and sends out alerts to home automation devices • ZigBee, BT and USB dongle can be added to expand automation needs • Supports various sensors for temperature, humidity, power sockets and more • Supports P2P cloud, IP cam, NVR and storage functions, the sensor hub can build M2M, surveillance, NAS ecosystem services both at home and office • 10/100Mbps WAN port for broadband connection

• Can turn your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet into a personal, universal home remote with Harmony Home Hub and Harmony App • Combines entertainment, lighting, blinds, locks, and more to create unique experiences like “Welcome Home” or “Good Night” • Controls home entertainment and automation devices quickly and easily thanks to the intuitive design of Harmony App • Home Hub sends commands from the mobile app to your devices using IR, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® wireless signals • Supports 802.11g/n, WPA Personal, WPA2-AES and 64/128-bit WEP encryption

ChipSip Taiwan sales@chipsip.com

Logitech Switzerland info@logitech.com

ChipSip Wireless Sensor Hub

22 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


REMOTE


Exploration

VIPER Smart Hub • Maximum RF range: 1968 feet open air with ECOP bi-directional radio protocol • Data security – 128-bit AES encryption • Users remotely control and manage the system via the cloud, using smartphones, tablets and PCs • Supports up to 64 security peripherals, 24 safety peripherals and up to 32 users, including two Master Users • Built-in rechargeable backup battery with LAN cable VIPER USA info@viper.com

PEQ Starter Kit • Includes 1 hub and 1 door & window sensor • Hub supports LAN connection: wireless/ Ethernet • Door & window sensor runs on a 3V lithium battery • Remote control and monitoring from smartphones or tablets • Add-ons include lamp modules, cameras, motion sensors, water sensors, and smart thermostats PEQ USA info@mypeq.com

oort Hub • Multi-radio Wi-Fi / BLE hub to work with different kinds of beacons, sensors, switches + cloud & mobile management application • Simple and easy to use: fully automatic setup to get everything started in a matter of minutes • No hidden costs; features free smartphone app • Works with all Bluetooth Low Energy devices • Users can decide to allow every device in range access to the ecosystem or make all of the communications password-protected oort USA hello@oort.in

Scout Hub • Wall-powered (primarily) with battery backup • Battery backup uptime of over 24 hours; 110v / 220v compatible • Includes built-in 106db alarm • 3G cellular chip and international SIM card included • Ethernet port connects to user’s router / 802.15.4 IEEE mesh device with range greater than 100ft Scout Security USA sales@scoutalarm.com

Nucano Smart Door Chime/Smart Hub • A smart door chime that doubles as a smart home gateway • Connects to and controls over 1,000 compatible devices for your home • Easy to use: installs in minutes, replacing your existing doorbell • Gives a voice to your home through the door chime and your smartphone • Supports Wi-Fi and Z-Wave standards Nucano USA pr@nucano.com

24 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


The“Brain in a Connected Home “

WallyHome Gateway • Simple installation: provides coverage for your whole house in under an hour; connect sensors to the network using the Wally app • Maintenance-free peace of mind: uses ultra-low power technology that eliminates the power burn required by Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and lasts over 10 years with no battery changes • Free app that sends out notifications and alerts when sensor is triggered • Works with Google Nest • WallHome is available in kit: one hub and six sensors for $299

Icotera IGW 1000S Residential Gateway • Intuitive, slide-on design with phenomenal aesthetic • Low power consumption • Developed and manufactured in Europe • Features 2 USB ports prepared for Z-Wave, ZigBee, CAT-iq and Storage • Fiber switch integrates optical Ethernet-based data transmission with Layer 2-4 functionality, CATV and USB • Operator branding (optional) and customized firmware Icotera Denmark info@icotera.com

SNUPI USA info@snupi.com

ALYT Smart Hub HomeSeer HomeTroller SEL • Controls lights, thermostats, door entry, video camera, energy costs, garage gates, and many more • Sends out spoken alerts, announcements and reminders to users through app • Able to completely power down audio and video equipment and other appliances at night or when not in use • Supports Z-Wave, Insteon, X10, UPB and PLC-BUS at additional costs depending on needs • Wi-Fi capability with Linux operating system

• Supports multiple protocols: Bluetooth Smart, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, ZigBee, 3.5G Cellular, Infrared and DLNA • Touts seamless operations and video verification during power or communications failures • ALYT app learns from the user’s habits. It can be customized on the basis of little and specific needs • Open app which allows anybody to develop new additional features, sharing them with all the ALYT community of users • Streamlined designed smart hub features easy to use and install characteristics ALYT Italy info@alyt.com

HomeSeer USA sales@homeseer.com

Gigaset Elements Safety Starter Kit • Home security system that reports alerts to iOS/Android devices via a hardware gateway connected to a household router by Ethernet • Starter Kit includes a gateway base, motion detector, and contact sensor for the doorway. Sirens and window sensors also available • Other than real-time event reporting to mobile devices, the cloud-based service can update household conditions to email and web interface • Depending on activity within the household, battery life on sensor accessories can last up to an average of 2 years • Currently available only in France, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands Gigaset Germany info@gigaset.com

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 25


Talk

QUALCOMM INTERVIEW:

AllJoyn, a Common Language for the

Internet of Everything

By Lingo Lin

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Matt Michael, senior director of product management at Qualcomm and Chairman of the AllSeen Alliance, to talk about AllJoyn and his perspectives on the latest developments of the smart home field.

Tell us how AllJoyn got started and what Qualcomm thinks about smart home? About five years ago we started the AllJoyn open source project as part of Qualcomm developer ecosystem team. What we identified was that there were a lot of app developers who were building these peer-to-peer applications where you would have for example games you would play with people that were in the same room as you. In all those cases, the app developers really struggled to figure out how to use all the ubiquitous Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that were on all the phones because they weren't radio protocol experts. Instead they all fell back to leveraging the cloud. Even though you're playing poker with five friends who are two feet away from you at another table, instead of just all interacting locally, peer to peer, these games and these apps all went through the cloud. This meant they incurred a lot of

â–“ The AllSeen Alliance is a shared vision that all of the connected devices should be able to discover and interact with one another.

latency that just wasn't necessary. We started digging into that and we realized we can solve this problem because it’s something that Qualcomm was good at.

How many members did you start out with and what were some of the responses in the early stages of the Alliance? We started working with the Linux foundation and around 25 other founding members at the time and we kicked off the AllSeen Alliance. The mission of the AllSeen Alliance is quite simple. It is a shared vision in that all of the connected devices that are entering our world should be able to discover and interact with one another. The basis of this is the open source project called AllJoyn. What we wanted was companies who are experts in appliances, automotive, audio equipment or consumer electronics to come into the Alliance and augment the open source project while adding all the necessary pieces that would allow AllJoyn to be appropriate for those various verticals.

What is your vision of an open alliance and has it turned out to what you expected? We really wanted to focus on an open source project, kind of more in the vein of like Lab Kit or Linux even where member companies join and we don't talk about specs or debate our visions of IOT. If there's a company who feels that they need something to create a standardized interface for connected lights, they build it and they contribute it. Now everyone in the world has that implementation for a standardized way to control connected lights. If there's a company that feels we need to improve security for certain situations on top of AllJoyn, they can come into the Alliance and they can contribute that code. That's really what we set out to do from day one and I would say that what we're pretty happy to report at this point.

So the contributions the member companies make, they go back to the AllJoyn project which is open source and is available to everyone? That's correct, it's available to everyone. Now the AllSeen Alliance owns all of it. Qualcomm doesn't own any of this anymore. It was contributed


Apple, Google and Samsung all have their own smart home ecosystems or have announced plans.The relationship between those ecosystems and AllSeen Alliance's ecosystem isn't necessarily zero-sum game. Is that correct? I don't think it's a zero-sum game. AllJoyn works across all operating systems so Android phones and iOS phones today run AllJoyn enabled apps that can work with various devices. That's one of the key differentiators I think of the AllSeen Alliance is the space versus other solutions. If you're an appliance maker, or you're making a connected thermostat or connected speakers, if your customers just use one OS, then you could probably tie your product to just that ecosystem.

Since it's an open source project anyone can contribute to the code. What's the difference between a contributor and a community member?

code is what we deliver, not documentation, not specs. it's more like web kit or linux. however, we are not against specs. to the AllSeen Alliance when the AllSeen Alliance was formed. Every single bit of code that's being contributed by any company at this point is contributed to the AllSeen Alliance and it's all freely available through the repositories. In fact, even new work groups that are formed right now, where companies are defining the contributions that they want to build, or just starting to put some codes in there but is not fully tested, all that's done in the open.

There are various levels of membership inside of the AllSeen Alliance. Primary membership is called a premier member. Premier members get more seats and the technical steering committee so they really are members who are looking to help drive the future of the evolution of the AllSeen Alliance. The decisions that we make both on a business perspective, technical perspective, certification perspective, that would be premier members.

It's appears to be the opposite of ZigBee where every company can have their own implementation. It's more like Wi-Fi? Both Wi-Fi and ZigBee are standard bodies that specify standards and specs and then different companies can implement those specs in different ways. AllJoyn is more focused on the implementation deliverable to the open source project. Code is what we deliver, not documentation, not specs. It's more like Web Kit or Linux. However, we're not against specs. If there's a company that really values the specification, we welcome them to join the AllSeen Alliance and to document all the interfaces that are existing across our various service frameworks and turn that into an official spec. If someone else wants to take that and offer alternative implementations, they're more than welcome to do that by meeting the specs. January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 27


Talk

Community members are members who want to be actively engaged and may very well be interested in spearheading some work groups or contributing to various work groups, then they're more than welcome to do that. If they are leading a work group then they also get a seat on the technical steering committee so that's a community member.

Although not a member, August Smart Lock can use the code and they can contribute it back to the code base if they want and the maintainer will decide if it gets implemented. Is that correct? Yes. There's a difference between folks who leverage the AllJoyn open source into their products and folks who are contributing AllJoyn open source into the open source project. In some cases one company might actually do both. For example, companies that are interested in evolving and driving the architecture, the features, the standardized APIs for this protocol, they're going to be contributors. They're going to contribute open source into the AllSeen project.

Regarding marketing language, I think most of Qualcomm's marketing language uses Internet of Everything rather than IOT. Are the two terms interchangeable or was there a conscious decision? I think from Qualcomm's perspective there was a conscious decision. A lot of marketing folks probably put a lot of thought into this and recognized or had the viewpoint that what we're observing is that connectivity is going everywhere and into everything. It's not just going into what historically has been M2M type devices. They wanted to differentiate this trend of getting connectivity literally into everything from what the industry was connecting to M2M with the term IOT. I think they made a conscious decision.

Do you personally have any kind of home automation system installed? I tend to believe less in going to the store and buying “home automation� systems where you're buying everything all at once in an effort to have this closed ecosystem of devices that work 28 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

I become a little bit more aware to purchase the ones that are part of the allseen alliance. there might be some type of magical interactions starting to happen in my home. together. I believe more in buying individual devices that I'm purchasing because they solve a particular problem and then having the pleasure of having them work together over time. For example, I have a connected TV. I did not buy that connected TV because I wanted it to be part of a home automation system, I just have one of the latest LG TVs in my house and it speaks AllJoyn. When I bring home various things that are running AllJoyn apps or speak AllJoyn, they speak to that TV and the TV displays notifications.

So you bought the TV for entertainment and the connectivity enables added benefits like talking to other devices. Is that it? Yeah, I bought the TV because I wanted a high-end TV that has all the benefits of the latest HD TVs. I also wanted connectivity in my TV because I want to house Pandora and Netflix and everything else that everyone has. The fact that it's not only connected but it also speaks AllJoyn gave me other benefits. Then when I got to experience them, they really delighted me and now when I go to the store to buy my next thing, like speakers, or coffeemaker, I become a little bit more aware to purchase the ones that are part of the AllSeen Alliance. There might be some type of magical interactions starting to happen in my home which I noticed for the first time.



Feature

Taiwan’s Networking & Communications Industry Strives for the Center Stage in Smart Home By Weili Lin

In Taiwan, there are around 50 networking and communications companies, of which 90 percent supply smart home products. Most of them are large-sized public-listed companies with sales revenue amounting to over tens of millions of US dollars. To date, the majority of networking companies – around 30 to 40 companies – conduct OEM, ODM and EMS services for leading global brands like Netgear and Nest, and for operators like AT&T, Deutsch Telekom, and Comcast directly or through system integrators. Gemtek, Alpha Networks, Pegatron, Arcadyan, Sercomm, CyberTAN, Inventec Appliances (IAC), Pegatron, MitraStar, TECOM, Zinwell , Senao Networks, Wistron NeWeb (WNC), Askey, SMC Networks and Planet are the well-knowns. Famous for sub-manufacturing services, 30 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

they are competitive in economies of production scale, along with efficient and cost-effective manufacturing capabilities. In the smart home market, they pursue profitable operation by offering integrated solutions that include hardware, software and cloud platform. The cloud service adds value and product differentiation.

Background and business models The networking and communications companies in Taiwan are specialized in hardware and software services of satellite, fiber optic, wireless networking, and telecommunication fields. Those companies offer wired and wireless solutions, including set-top boxes, mobile phones, routers, IADs, home gateways, base stations and IP telephone systems to telcos, MSOs and ISPs. With these carriers stepping into the smart home, smart home products are natural extensions for the Taiwanese makers. They offer smart home products like smart gateways, set-top boxes and network cameras to help their customers to generate new revenue stream from monthly service fees for home security and automation. There are also companies whose core business is related to power solutions like Billion Electric and Tatung have both communication


No matter if the smart home is a gold mine or just a question mark of the real deal, Taiwan’s networking & communications companies have all benefitted from its burgeoning growth. Telcos and MSOs have asked these veterans to design and produce smarter home products in the recent years. The knack has shaped the island into a true powerbase of smart home technology and service.

AboCom

Jeffrey Liu Director of Strategic Business Unit IV

and energy business units. They leverage their power measurement capability to release smart energy solutions, including wireless modules embedded in the power meters, energy-related devices and cloud services for energy management. The other type of suppliers like Pegatron and Qisda provides computer and peripheral manufacture, offering EMS and OEM services based on volume production. They are competitive in vertical integration, cost reduction and economies of scale. The business models include contract manufacturing The future of Taiwan’s services and own-brand business. The leading Taiwan brand companies include D-Link, Zyxel and Metalligence smart home industry who outsource production to their subsidiaries or mother – offering high tailorcompanies. The companies who promote own-brand like made and niche Metalligence and Loopcomm are more optimistic toward the market. Take Loopcomm for example, smart home products to gain more product lines, including home gateways and IP cameras profits and pursue the accounted for 5 percent of its sales revenue in 2014. The differentiation in the company plans to launch an own-brand Wi-Fi home kit that consists of a gateway, IP cameras, power strips and competition. plugs, and LED bulbs in H2 2015. The company predicts that its own-brand home kit would contribute to around 50 percent of their sales revenue in the next two years. Metalligence, who offers cloud service and ZigBee smart home products, said the smart home products to account for 50 percent of its sales revenue in 2014, and the ratio is forecasted to grow to 70 percent in 2015. Tecom, who sees 25 percent of its sales revenue generated from the smart home business, predicts 20 to 30 percent annual growth in 2015. For most OEM/ODM companies, smart home products currently account for less than 10 percent of their sales revenue. They are testing the water by offering just few a product lines based on sub-contract manufacturing cases at present. They believe the smart home provides a new business opportunity to boost their sales revenue and profits by launching new products. (A comparison table on P. 36)

Askey

Arthur Li Senior Director, Marketing Div., Sales Group Billion Electric

Jason Liao Deputy Manager, Product Management Dept., Power & Energy Management Division EDIMAX

Galvin Chang Marketing Director, OBM Sales Division Loopcomm

Tactics in smart home In a bid to spur demand, many telcos, MSOs and retailers have been lowering down prices of home gateways and smart home kits to boost market penetration. To stay head of the game, the makers provide competitive prices and fast delivery to global buyers. Generally, Taiwan networks and communications companies head two opposite paths to conquer the smart home market. One is low-profit but mass-produced to achieve overall cost leadership, which are facing direct competition from neighboring countries such as China, Vietnam and so on. The second path is believed to be the future of Taiwan’s smart home industry – offering high tailor-made and niche products to gain more profits and pursue the differentiation in the competition.

Sam Lin, CEO TECOM

Wesley Huang Managing Director

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 31


Feature

From the standpoint of supply, they can handle engineering, ID design, manufacturing assembly, testing processes and after-services. Vertical integration capabilities enable companies to reduce transaction cost and delivery time. The monthly production capacity reaches from 100,000 units to 1 million units. The major manufacturing locations are in Northern Taiwan and China’s Jiansu and Guangdong provinces. Overall speaking, they have more than 20 years of contract manufacturing experiences to shorten learning curves as well as delivery time. Customers are benefitted from overall project savings. Besides cost leadership, they adopt product diversity strategy like package solution to increase customer utility plus makers’ profits. Offering one-stop shopping service is the way to enhance customer loyalty in the long run. Offering one-stop shopping service is the way to enhance customer loyalty in the long run. In terms of product mix strategy, they prefer to ship packaged solutions of hardware devices or total solutions instead of supplying standalone products so as to enhance sales revenue. The total solutions comprise of hardware, sometimes a kit, software and cloud services in general. The package set contains a gateway and connected devices like network cameras, smart plugs and sensors to customers in addition to software and cloud services. Companies like SMC, D-Link, and Senao Networks offer a set of network switches or gateways with IP cameras. Besides, the makers are able to offer basic cloud services by setting up storage, SSLVPN, PNS (Push Notification Server) and BMS (Backend Management System) servers. For own-brand companies, they tend to sell standalone DIY products and kits to distributors and channels. For example, WNC utilizes its wireless technology and system integration experiences to offer home automation solutions for lighting control, motion detection and wireless charging. Seeing the growing trend of energy management, the company offers smart meter communication boards and hubs for smart grid applications along with software stack customization. Sercomm, whose 20 percent of sales revenue is generated from smart home product lines, offers security surveillance, home automation, parent monitoring, remote healthcare and energy management solutions in addition to cloud services. ASUSTeK, the global leading computer supplier, plans to release its own-brand ASUS 32 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

AiCam in Q1 2015 bundled with its home cloud platform. The camera can be used for baby monitoring, featuring two-way communication and playback of lullabies. Tatung’s smart home gateways, available with module or finished product called Gateway One connect lights, security cameras, smart plugs, multisensors and EVs with its cloud platform. Its multi-sensors can detect changes of temperature, pressure and motion, supporting ZigBee or Z-Wave. Besides, it features built-in HomePlug AV/Green PHY to enable connectivity with smart meters. Gateway One can be used for home surveillance and monitoring, energy monitoring and control, and home automation like smart HAVC control. Their customers include system integrators, distributors or utility firms. As increased competition and aggressive pricing strategies continue to reduce profitability for hardware manufacturers, Kevin Yang, Executive Board of Director of Gemtek believes offering total solutions that integrate hardware, software and cloud services will help them stay competitive in an increasingly crowded market. Gemtek offers backend custom cloud services to traditional lock and home automation companies who would like to establish valueadded business models and increase recurring revenue. Jeffrey Liu, Director of Strategic Business Unit IV of AboCom said integrated solutions in the smart home offer value and profits to both customers and solution providers. When asked about how the company will cope with the price competition from suppliers in China, Liu thinks staying ahead of the game is crucial. Wesley Huang, Managing Director of Tecom indicated that home security becomes a must-have for smart home, and home automation is a nice-tohave add-on application. As a leading ehome system provider and gateway manufacturer, the company builds its own clouds to offer total solutions of software and hardware to maintain competitveness.

Gateway leads the way Smart home gateway, Wi-Fi smart plug/power strip, IP camera and smart LED bulb are the four key products supplied by Taiwan's networking and communications companies for the smart home market. The smart home gateway is the major product line to these makers due to its greater profits. Also, the market is promising. Jeffrey Liu indicated that the home gateway provides a higher level of product differentiation due to its complexity in firmware architecture as well as wireless integration technologies. The smart plugs offered by Taiwan makers are embedded with smart metering function to measure power voltage and current, collect and transmit usage data,


DECT technology. DECT is a popular wireless telecommunication standard in Europe. Askey has its major export market located in Europe, and its Senior Director of Marketing Division of Sales Group of Askey, Arthur Li, indicated that ULE is a reserved spectrum that features power saving and low unit cost. Li also said that ULE using a star topology as BLE will be a popular option for wearable devices or ones that require oneto-many connections.

and send back to the cloud server for data analysis. About the alarm and safety sensors, the communications companies prefer to offer proprietary wireless systems based on ZigBee, Z-Wave or sub-G RF standards, or to cooperate with manufacturing partners like Climax and Goodway who are dedicated to this field. Those Wi-Fi experts are not in favor of implementing Wi-Fi standards into alarm sensors due to their high power consumption unless they can last at least for one year without changing batteries. “As the smart home involves many different areas of expertise, most companies cannot make all the smart devices alone. We are open to partnerships with other companies in the smart home market as well as cooperation with cloudbased service providers”, said Jason Liao, Deputy Manager of the Product Management Department in the Power & Energy Management Division of Billion Electric. In 2015, C.J. Chen, General Manager of Metalligence believes that home IP cameras and environmental sensors like gas, CO and CO2 detectors are two promising product lines because of market demands and improved technologies. The IP security cameras that incorporate basic video analysis function help increase value and demands to products. Chen added that data analysis via cloud service can be a major driver to boost the market over the next two years. The other two professionals, Askey and Arcadyan offer smart home solutions based on ULE standard which is new to the market and based on

Without a trace of doubt, networking vendors in Taiwan regard the smart home as a promising area with notable growth in the coming years. Faced with stiff competition from neighboring countries, Taiwan’s networking makers are striving to transform themselves from pure hardware OEM/ODM suppliers to “cloud technology service and total solution providers” of the connected home.

AboCom

Billion Electric

Offering one-stop shopping service is the way to enhance customer loyalty in the long run.

PLW52P Smart Plug Email: jeffrey@aboway.com.tw

• Wi-Fi extender smart plug • UDID support remote on/off • Over current protection • Allow access via smart apps • Support energy usage monitoring • Cut off the relay at the point of zero-crossing • Wi-Fi: 300Mbps 11b/g/n 2X2

The better future

SG6200NXL: 3G Wireless-N Smart Energy Gateway Email: jasonliao@billion.com.tw

• Fully IEEE 802.15.4 / ZigBee PRO compliant • Dual WAN – broadband and 3G connections • 802.11n Wireless AP, up to 300 Mbps data rate • 2 x USB 2.0 ports for 3G networks • Supports multiple SSIDs • Auto fail-over for always-on connection

Askey

IP camera Email: arthur@askey.com.tw

• Easy to install • Palm-sized • 140 degree viewing angle • Night functionality with automatic IR filter • Temperature and humidity monitoring

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 33


Feature

EDIMAX

IC-3140W Email: marketing@edimax.com.tw

• Wireless day & night network camera • HD 720p video with night vision, automatic IR filter and light sensor • Motion detection through the built-in PIR sensor and sound detection. • Instant push notifications & video alerts to your mobile device when an event occurs • Built-in microphone and speaker for 2 way audio; microSD slot for local storage • Easy remote monitoring from iPhone, iPad, Android, PC & Mac • Compatible with IEEE 802.11b/g/n products

MitraStar

Cloud Center - Deluxe Email: info@mitrastar.com.tw

• Support 2 x 3.5” SATA hard drive that provides a maximum capacity of up to 8 Terabytes • DLNA-certified server and bundled DLNA client software to ensure enjoyment of digital life everywhere • Auto-classified to make files management easier and faster • AJAX-based Management Interface • All-in-one backup solution to protect the user’s data

Loopcomm

LP-9668T (800mW) Email: jane@loopcomm.com

• High power 802.11 b/g/n indoor wireless smart touch repeater • Support 2 x 2 MIMO technology with up to 300Mbps downstream and upstream • 2.4GHz high power amplifiers and low noise amplifier (LNA) support • Support 20MHz and 40MHz bandwidths • RF output power adjustable • Wireless user access control • Multiple SSID

TECOM

Video Door phone Home-Version Email: sales@tecom.com.tw

• 640 x 480 / Quality CCD camera, resolution up to 640 x 480 dp • With 2 LED lights for night vision. • 1 x ISO14443 Card Reader and RFID sensor card • Door lock access circuitry for external power door lock, mainly application for access control. • Power supply: PoE or external 12V power supply

34 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

Senao

EDS5131 Email: jessica.hsieh@senao.com

• 1~2 MP / 30fps IP camera • Wired and Wi-Fi versions • IP67 for weatherproof • Built-in mechanical IR cut for day/night vision • IR, Audio and Powered by PoE/DC12V

Zinwell

plugCAM Powerline Camera Kit Email: ben.huang@zinwell.com.tw

• Plug & play, without need for Wi-Fi configuration • Support HomePlug AV 1.1 technology; Deliver video data over home powerline with fast and secure connection. • Wide-angle lens with 720p HD video quality • Built-in infrared LEDs and temperature sensor for better night vision and notification • Home monitoring on-the-go from iOS and Android devices


Advertorial

a Software-savvy Solution Company

C

reated by StarVedia, the IP camera integrates a number of innovative technologies aimed to enhance camera performance by means other than purely improving processor power. In order to reduce actual hardware volume for cost-efficiency and easier integration, WiFi connectivity is implemented on the camera board itself, rather than as a separate module. To further reduce form factor, and to improve hardware stability and durability, instead of utilizing mechanical IR-Cut filtering (ICR) to adjust the different focal levels of a single lens required for daylight recording and night vision, day and night functionality are separated into 2 lenses in a dual-lens design.

Product provides truly universal plug-and-play functionality – utilizing StarVedia’s Auto-IP Solution. StarVedia demonstrates the extent of its “software-savvy” in the camera’s approach to peer-to-peer video streaming, which reduces latency by directly transmitting video up to 20 users without passing through a server. In addition, this design secures data from third-party access. Without requiring end-users to engage in the complicated configuration, the camera can easily connect to WiFi by scanning QR code which has been generated by the APP. This level of user convenience stands out in the home camera market, which as of yet still lacks maturity in its delivery to non-technical consumers. Also support for data storage to Micro SD card, NAS device and Dropbox for cloud recording. Recognizing the importance of interoperability, StarVedia has initiated efforts to include Z-Wave connectivity in future offerings, directing their product development toward the provision of Smart Home Solutions on a Camera (SoC). Products of this category build the features of a smart home gateway into an IP camera device – with inclusion of all Zwave aware sensors and devices.

About StarVedia

Temperature Sensor

Easy WiFi Setup

Dual Lenses

Dropbox Cloud Storage

IC711W

IC717HD

StarVedia is a one-stop provider of complete OEM and ODM solutions for video and networking products, specializing in IP cameras. Since 2007, the company has engaged in the design and manufacture of residential network cameras, covering product development from back-end infrastructure to the front-end GUI. Developing all software in-house, StarVedia bears extensive experience in product development across multiple operating environments, including iOS, Mac OS X, Android, and Microsoft Windows. STARVEDIA TECHNOLOGY INC. Tel : +886-3-5600686 www.starvedia.com

IC717Z

IC727W

IC737

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 35


Feature

Taiwan's Special Networking Company name

AboCom Systems

Askey Computer

Billion Electric

Edimax Technology

Established year

1995

1989

1973

1986

Number of employees

400

9,500

1,000

2,000

Email

jeffrey@aboway.com.tw

arthur@askey.com.tw

jasonliao@billion.com.tw

marketing@edimax.com.tw

Website

www.abocom.com.tw

www.askey.com.tw

www.billion.com

www.edimax.com

2013 Sales revenue (US$: Million)

50

1,200

38

195

2014 Sales revenue (US$: Million)

50

1,400

37

Undisclosed

Export ratio

90%

100%

90%

100%

OEM/ODM: own-brand

95% : 5%

100% OEM/ODM

20% : 80%

Undisclosed

North America

35%

20%

15%

30%

Europe

35%

60%

40%

60%

Sales performance

Export market (%) Middle East Latin America

10%

Asia

20%

15% 20%

Oceania

10% 30%

Manufacturing capability Factory location

Miaoli, Taiwan

Monthly production capacity (units)

100K

Production lines

8

PCB assembly

In-house

Tooling / plastic injection Sub-assembly Packing

Taipei, Taiwan Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

Taipei, Taiwan Dongguan, Guangdong, China

Dongguan, Guangdong, China

1,000K

400K

150K

51

11

10+

In-house

In-house

In-house

In-house

Outsourced

Outsourced

Outsourced

In-house

In-house

In-house

In-house

In-house

In-house

In-house

In-house

Number of R&D staff

50

1,000

120

200

Annual R&D expenditure (%)

10%

Undisclosed

10%

Undisclosed

R&D capability Products Major product lines

Broadband, wireless networking, Broadband access products powerline, smart home products (gateways, cable modems), (P2P camera, gateway) automotive solutions, wireless set-top boxes, wireless networking products (Wi-Fi, 4G LTE AP, routers, and repeaters), connected home products

Communication and Networking AP, router, WLAN card, smart Devices, Power and Energy plug, network camera Management Products & Solutions, Smart Lighting Solutions, Smart Grid AMI Series, and Smart Home Series

Share of smart home in total revenue (2014)

10%

1%

2%

Home Security

30%

33%

Controller/Gateway

10%

34%

30%

40%

33%

70%

15%

Smart home product category 67%

Software Energy Healthcare Multimedia Key Component Others

36 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

20%

33%


Companies in Smart Home Loopcomm Technology

Metalligence Technology

MitraStar Technology

Senao Networks

TECOM

Zinwell

1996

2010

2011

2006

1989

1981

70

35

2,600

1,000+

400

3,000

jane@loopcomm.com

cj_chen@metalligence.com

info@mitrastar.com.tw

jessica.hsieh@senao.com

sales@tecom.com.tw

ben.huang@zinwell.com.tw

www.loopcomm.com

www.metalligence.com

www.mitrastar.com

www.senao.com

www.tecom.com.tw

www.zinwell.com.tw

27

Undisclosed

414

168

200

256

30

5

Undisclosed

200

180

270

95%

50%

99%

95%

50%

90%

100% OEM/ODM (home gateway)

100% own-brand

100% OEM/ODM

40% : 60%

70% : 30%

Overseas: 100% OEM/ODM; Taiwan and China: own-brand + OEM/ODM

70%

60%

18%

100% (IP camera)

20%

50%

10%

EU+Asia: 40%

42%

60%

50%

5% South America+Asia= 20%

5% 40%

Taipei, Taiwan Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Taipei, Taiwan

10%

Hsinchu, Taiwan Wuxi, Jiangsu, China

Taoyuan, Taiwan

Hsinchu, Taiwan Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Chiayi, Taiwan Shenzhen, Guangdong, China Undisclosed

Taipei: 600K; China: 400K

Undisclosed

1,200K~1,400K

60K (IP camera)

Undisclosed

11

Undisclosed

15

12

Undisclosed

20+

In-house

Undisclosed

In-house

In-house

Undisclosed

In-house

Outsourced

Undisclosed

Outsourced

Outsourced

Undisclosed

In-house

In-house

Undisclosed

In-house

In-house

Undisclosed

In-house

In-house

Undisclosed

In-house

In-house

Undisclosed

In-house

30

25

730

210+

200+

350

5%

35%

10.62%

6~7%

12%

Undisclosed

routers, gateways, IP cameras

smart plug, environment sensors, software, cloud service, alarm systems (PIR sensor, door/ window sensor/siren)

mobile broadband CPE, fiber broadband CPE, broadband access devices, multimedia applications (set-top box, cloud storage)

IP camera, Switch, PoE, VPN, UTM, Long range phone

Business Communication System, Broadband and Wireless Access, IP Phones

Set-top box, LNB, powerline products, Wi-Fi routers

5%

50%

14%

10%

5%

5%

100%

60%

100%

30% 70%

80% 65%

20% 20%

18% 2%

”As of December 2014 January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 37


Report

International CES 2015 kicked off another year of the smart home. Tech giants announced their aggressive movement via new product launches and strategic partnerships. Having spoken to them at the show, SMAhome abridged the trends into the five momentums that will bolster the 2015 market in lightening speed.

Technology revolutionizes our lives. Home users can do their housework wherever they are, leaving more time to prioritize the things that are really important. People are benefitted from a more convenient and comfortable lifestyle by managing everyday chores with a smartphone or tablet. That’s what Bosch, Honeywell, Samsung, and other IT giants illustrated the smart home at this year’s International CES. Amongst the 3,600 exhibitors, over 300 smart home companies showcased hundreds of smart home solutions, including home security and video monitoring, energy management, home control and automation, and smart home appliances controllable by mobile apps. They are displaying the future of smart automation. Yet, it is a common consensus that the market is still at its infancy with a predicted rapid growth in the coming years. “The smart home market is poised for tremendous growth in 2015. We are seeing significant players in the marketplace. There’s a lot of competition for the home, as with smart home devices and solution providers,” said Icontrol Networks VP of Marketing Greg Roberts, the leading smart home platform designer in the US.

MOM to Bols

By Weili Lin/Veronica Chen

1. Security, the heavyweight in a smart home 2. DIY smart home ascending 3. More integrated, more personalized 4. Expanding ecosystem for better customer satisfaction 5. Complementary, not the unified standard & 30 Product Picks at CES 2015 You Should Know on Page 48

38 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


OMENTUMS

ter the Smart Home at #CES2015 Security, the heavyweight in smart home Home security tops the requirements of smart home, followed by energy management. In home security, camera, sensors and smart locks are the three spotlights at the show. At CES, integrated solutions supporting home security and safety features such as Chamberlain’s Notify and Sengled LED lights embedded with a network camera are the main attractions. Ranging from MNC brands, IT giants and networking specialists to Asian makers, the home camera is often taken as the entry product into the smart home market, featuring aesthetic appeal, functionality and outlandish cloud software deployment. Those technologies commonly used in professional surveillance

camera such as HD resolution, facial recognition and 360-degree view have been initially adopted in new-generation home cameras. Netatmo and Simplicam are adopting facial recognition to identify family members. These cameras can send alerts and recordings to users’ mobile devices when unfamiliar faces are detected. Netgear’s arlo is a complete wireless and outdoor camera designed for DIY January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 39


Report

The Consumer Electronics Association in US announced the winners for the 2015 Mark of Excellence Awards at CES 2015. SMAhome lists the winners that are home security, home control and smart home related here.

2015 Integrator of the Year

Ian Williams, Owner, Encore Custom Audio Video

Automation Device of the Year

ecovent, ecovent

Control Product of the Year

Crestron, Crestron Pyng

Energy Efficiency Product of the Year

Alarm.com, Alarm.com Smart Thermostat

Home Technology App of the Year

Roomie Remote, Inc., Roomie Savant, Savant app

▲▲

DIY smart home ascending

Human Interface Product of the Year ▲

users. Full-view coverage cameras with ultrahigh resolutions and without dead spots are some of the eye-catching innovations at the show. For example, IC Real Tech unveiled its award-winning 26-megapixel ALLIE Pro camera that is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, featuring dual lens and up to 720-degree field-of-view. Users can panoramically scan from floor-toPhilips showcased a humidity and temperature sensor, door / window contact sensor, and ceiling and completely around the camera itself motion sensor compatible with ZigBee 3.0 - zoom and freeze images in a smooth way. The V.360° camera from VSN Mobil is a portable camera that supports 6480x1080 HD resolutions, 360-degree viewing, dual-microphones to capture and deliver stereo sound, built-in motion and audio detection sensors, and time-lapse recording features. Interestingly, camera veterans are expanding their smart home offerings by adding motion, smoke, door/window or CO2 sensors in their lineup at CES. Swann, also known as the camera leader, launched the SwannOne system that consists of a Smart Hub, SoundView Camera, Zen Thermostat, and enables remote control of Phillip’s Hue lighting. With popularity of the Philips Hue rapidly on the rise, the brand maker is showing its ambitions in the smart home by showcasing a range of sensors, including a humidity and temperature sensor, door / window contact sensor, and motion sensor compatible with ZigBee 3.0 that will be launched later this year.

CEA Announces Winners of 2015 Mark of Excellence Awards

The smart home market mainly goes by two different business models. One is the DIY pattern that projects a one-time buyout of the hardware, where it generally comes with complimentary cloud or software services. The other one is the contract model, which is bundled with service providers’ offerings and requires a monthly fee. “Why should users pay on monthly basis” asked Filipe Fernandes, an expert electronics designer and Umbrela co-founder. “Umbrela is a powerful security system which does not require third-party monitoring. This means users do not have to pay any monthly fees. Umbrela’s combination of lighting control and learning algorithms can simulate homeowner presence and fool the bad guys.” At CES, DIY is sizzling with abundant releases of home kits. Having perceived such growing opportunities, leaders of the professional installer market are also joining in on the DIY frenzy. Legrand, a whole home system solution provider, demonstrated its smart home DIY products, including battery-less light switches supporting ZigBee 3.0 Green Power technology, and a home gateway supporting ZigBee and WiFi standards. Legrand ZigBee Connected Home Solution includes ZigBee receivers, battery-powered wireless keypads and a gateway, used for lighting and shading controls. The system supports If you don’t make ZigBee 3.0 technology, interacting with third party products the technology easy, the using the same protocol. The system offers smart actions consumers don’t based on users’ lifestyles and needs with its mobile app. adopt it. Scenarios can be initiated on user-defined conditions. The Dirk Wyckoff DIY home kit will be available in France in April 2015. Unikey Pella, known for its window and door solutions, introduced its exclusively smart home brand Insynctive with new smart home products, including window and door sensors, garage

Installation Product of the Year

Control4, Control4 Composer Express

Integrated Security Project of the Year

eLifespaces, Securing Art

Lighting Control Product of the Year

Lutron Electronics Caséta Wireless

Mark of Excellence Disruptor Award

Savant, Savant App

Motorized Product of the Year

QMotion Advanced Shading Systems, Motorized Drapery Rods

Multi-Room Audio/Video Product of the Year ▲

Autonomic Controls, Mirage Music Player MMS-2A ELAN Home Systems, UltraMatrix

Residential Security Product of the Year

Resolution Products, Helix - Security and Automation Platform

Structured Wiring Product of the Year

Legrand, On-Q Digital Audio System

Video Surveillance Product of the Year

IC Real Tech, IC Real Tech ALLIE Pro 720-degree Video Surveillance Camera

Wireless Product of the Year

Wilson Electronics, Pro 70

40 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

Remote Technologies, Inc., T3x Remote Control Stir, Stir Kinetic Desk


door sensors, entry door deadbolt sensor, status indicator, bridge and motorized blinds and shades. Linear was renamed as Nortek Security & Control to provide a range of smart home solutions to OEMs, telecoms, major retailers, managed service providers, security dealers, custom installers and DIY consumers. Nortek Security & Control announced an array of GoControl branded DIY smart home products, including Z-Wave wireless thermostats, 60-watt dimmable smart light bulb, smart switch, garage door controller, and home security starter kits. The premium version of the thermostat also supports Wi-Fi connectivity. Bosch Security Systems launched the Z-Wave Home Control Gateway and B Series control panels to expand its offerings for the emerging smart home market. They work with wireless lighting controls, door locks,

temperature sensors and IP cameras for customized control over security, lighting, heating and cooling. What’s behind DIY’s rosy outlook are challenges on interoperability, connectivity and simplicity. Michael Mendoza, Business Development Director of SmartThings said, “The point of smart home is to make things easy and responsive, and to make people more comfortable to use the technology. It’s believed to be a better way to get everything connected to the ecosystem to ensure better control. “ Dirk Wyckoff, Sales and Marketing VP of Unikey said, “If you don’t make the technology easy, the consumers don’t adopt it.” Simple to use is the key to smart lock market as well as to the smart home market. For more convenience, UniKey’s Touchto-Open technology allows the user to unlock the door with just a touch, keeping the smartphone in a pocket or purse. To help manufacturers launch products easier and faster, several product design solution providers are “modularizing” their solutions. Jim Hunter, Chief Scientist and Technology Evangelist of Greenwave Systems said, “It’s a fast-moving market with multiple players. IoT means Interoperability of Things.” Joseph Bousaba, senior director of product management, Qualcomm Atheros said, “With our Lighting Connectivity Module (LCM), we are making product entry easy and enabling manufacturers to ensure that their smart lighting products interoperate with a wide variety of systems and services within the smart home. The turnkey hardware and open source software make the solution suitable for lighting manufacturers of any size.”

More integrated, more personalized Whether it is DIY or offerings from service providers, the smart design is translated into more intuitive use cases and intelligent algorithms. According to Wi-

The Six Best Innovations from #CES2015 The CES Innovation Awards is an annual competition honoring outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products. SMAhome picks the six smart home-related winners as follows: Edyn Garden Sensor and Water Valve

iCam HD Pro

Multi-function Air Light (Z-Air)

Edyn Edyn is a smart gardening system that monitors and tracks environmental conditions to maximize plant health. The system includes the Edyn Garden Sensor, Edyn Water Valve and Edyn App, which review plant soil and make smart recommendations about what to plant, when to water and fertilize.

Amaryllo International B.V. iCam HD Pro is Amaryllo’s newest entry to the home security market. It is an innovative home security camera featuring full HD video, object tracking, multiviewing, and 360° of rotation giving the user complete control over their home anywhere.

Zalman USA Inc. Z-Air is a ceiling fan with concealed blades, air purification, and LED lamp integrated together into a sleek and aesthetically pleasing dome. It features simple and easy installation plus smart automation for hasslefree use and operation.

Noke

Snap

Sproutling Baby Monitor

FŪZ Designs Noke is the world’s first Bluetooth-enabled padlock. Protect your property and belongings without the hassle of keys or combinations. Share access with others via the Noke app with the tap of a button.

Sengled This device features indoor/outdoor LED PAR lamp with integrated 720p HD IP camera, microphone and speaker. It supports cloud recording/playback, voice and motion activation, facial/activity recognition for home security, automation, and commercial applications.

Sproutling Sproutling is the pioneer baby monitor that senses, learns and predicts a baby’s sleep patterns and optimal sleep conditions.

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 41


Report

Fi Alliance CEO, Edgar Figueroa, “Smart means things working for you without you having to do anything. If your thermostat is set to the wrong temperature it will switch because of your preferences. Your device knows you.” Through Wi-Fi Aware, smart devices would be constantly monitoring whether there’s a match on those preferences. There are a handful of demonstrations on personalized temperature preference settings, voice and gesture controls at the show. Voice control is a hot topic at CES due to the number of partnerships with Apple’s HomeKit. Schlage Sense lock provides consumers with key-free convenience by using Siri. HomeKit technology provides an end-to-end encryption and authentication between the Schlage Sense lock and an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. The home entertainment system has been the center of focus at CES. We are seeing a blur in the lines between automation and entertainment. It is an important trend to watch as A/V systems are integrating with home alarm and security systems, such as Nexia's partnership with Sonos and Zonoff’s convergence with Bose. The ambient alerts of Staples are enabled on smart TVs and via home audio systems. For example, a home entertainment system will play a noise alert when the garage door or refrigerator opens. Zonoff chief marketing officer Bob Cooper said, “We built our software with Samsung SmartTV platform. The TV itself becomes the control center of the smart home, just like a hub. And it takes care of users’ daily lives. When the garage door opens, it turns on the TV and lights automatically. Kwikset Kevo, powered by UniKey, is the first smart lock to work with Nest for energy saving and user’s preferred temperature setting. Users can set Nest Home and Away modes along with temperature settings through the Kevo app. On the Away mode, Nest will be adjusted to a lower energy-saving temperature. UniKey’s access control cloud platform enables the Nest Thermostat to know who has arrived home and therefore set personalized temperature preferences as defined by the individual Kevo user. Kevo Smart Lock tells your Nest Thermostat who's home

and what temperature they like. Zuli Smartplug, supporting Bluetooth Smart, tries to realize its vision of making the home contextual as it becomes aware and responsive to a user’s presence and preferences. Zuli Presence lets connected devices to be adjust passively based on users’ presence, identity and preferences, all while their phones stay in their pockets. According to Zonoff, the next integration target of smart home is pet care, gardening and fitness. And wearable devices such as Jawbone play an important role here. Cooper said, “You will see more and more specialized integration of these three segments. Smart home solution is all about solving problems. When your Jawbone wristlet senses you awake in the morning, the system tells the bath system or any other system you set to be ready. We always get feedbacks from partners and help them design the products that solve problems.”

Expanding ecosystem for better customer satisfaction At CES this year, Nest has announced over 15 new 'Works with Nest' integrations. It is seen as an omen amidst the tense ecosystem battle of the smart home. The winner is still murky, but those leaders are welcoming more brands to be the allies at the moment. While many Apple Homekitbased devices are seen at CES, Joe Dada, CEO of Insteon said, “It’s a customer pull business model. Customers decide what they want. The partnership with the tech giants like Apple, Google and Microsoft help us to drive the business growth.” BK Yoon, President and CEO of 42 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


Samsung Electronics addressed at the keynote speech, “By 2017, 90 percent of all Samsung products are IoT-related, including smart TVs and mobile devices. Five years from now, every single piece of Samsung hardware will be IoT devices.” To realize the dream, he stressed the importance of the cross-industry collaboration and an ecosystem across all industries by integrating smart components, IoT devices, open platforms and developer communities. "And that’s why SmartThings

IoT is the lifestyle coach. It helps and tells the way of better welfare. And that is what smart home technologies truly values. Cees Links Green Peak

became a member of Samsung family in August last year. We promised to keep the platform open,” added Yoon. Despite Google, Apple and Samsung being very appealing for hardware makers, Icontrol Networks with its 22 million devices in the field provides a pathway to market through integration with large service provider’s smart home services, including Cox, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Rogers, ADT and Swisscom. Roberts of Icontrol Networks cited, “As consumers embrace those, and we see traction there, we want to add those to our ecosystem because ultimately that is what the customer really wants. Customers don’t want to have a whole bunch of connected devices where they have to toggle through each one of them. They want to have all those devices working together so they can easily automate and control their home in one application.” Dada is positive on the ecosystem development. “We built one HomeKit compatible hub, and we can bring our 200 smart products to iOS users over half a billion compatible phones and tablets. We can do a one product development cycle and reaches very large audience. It also saves time. From the software development side, we had to write codes for multiple manufacturers of light bulbs previously. Now, we write codes for one platform, we get all the compatible light bulbs. It’s a big difference for us. “ Later this year, Staples will be offering new lighting

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 43


Report

products from LG that work with the Staples Connect app, including a wireless connected LED light bulb. By integrating with Staples Connect, LG is joining an ecosystem that includes over 35 existing hardware partners and close to 150 devices for the home and office. Chamberlain works with Wink, Nest, HomeKit and SmartThings platforms. Cory Sorice, Connected Product SBU Leader of Chamberlain believes the collaboration can add utility to increase value of its products, moving customers to buy its garage door openers and drive sales.

Complementary, not the unified standard Other than the ecosystem, there is another battle for the smart home: protocols. Mesh dominators, ZigBee and Z-Wave and other wireless linguists, BLE, ULE, Enocean and Wi-Fi are having massive displays at CES. Sigma Design announced two new development kits that empower gateway, router and controller companies to create Z-Wave products and services and meet IoT for Smart Home market needs at CES. The new development kits provide streamlined tools for the development of Z-Wave controllers and end-devices. However, with the arrival of ZigBee 3.0, it is creating a universal open standard for the smart home and giving Z-Wave a run for its money. Ryan Maley of Zigbee Alliance

Customers don’t want to have a whole bunch of connected devices where they have to toggle through each one of them. Greg Roberts Icontrol Networks

Thank you for dropping by! SMAhome @ International CES Las Vegas 2015

We had a fantastic show with attention from more than 500 attendees interested in smart home products and updates. Thank you for leaving us your business cards. We will send you three copies freely. If you are a maker, send us your product info to promote it globally. Check our smart home collection of CES 2015: goo.gl/x3g9uv

Follow @ mySMAhome 44 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

said the 3.0 standard will bring all of past profiles together into a compilation. And he believes the connected lighting will have the largest growth in the smart home. Commenting on the rival, Jim Hunter of Greenwave Systems said, “We don’t have to unify standards, just as we people in the world don’t speak the same language.” Cees Links of Green Peak believes, “we should talk about complementary. Just like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are complementary technologies, used for complementary applications. For example: Bluetooth Smart is very suitable for Body Area Networks and ZigBee for Smart Home networking. One may well expect to see combo ZigBeeBluetooth chips in the future, supporting both technologies.” Take the award-winning Brio Smart Outlet for example, it’s a Wi-Fi plug that supports connectivity with ZigBee safety sensors, and audible alarm alerts when detecting smoke, water or harmful carbon monoxide gas. For new customers, they need a really easy plugand-play solution; they may not need fullfunctional hubs that cost high. They just need something providing security, comfort and convenience. In terms of BLE, Radek Tadejewski, CEO of OORT said, “Bluetooth means affordability because Bluetooth chipsets are not expensive. Z-Wave and ZigBee chipsets are more expensive than Bluetooth. Because Bluetooth has thousands and millions of devices in the world, we’ve got the ecosystem.” Lars Felber, PR Director of Elgato also indicated that BLE technology features easy setup, use and maintenance; most important of all, no need of hub. All you need is a smartphone and tablet for the setup and controls. ULE, inherited from DECT technology, made its new presence in the US market at CES 2015. The technology, having a large user base in Europe, features clean frequencies operating on 1.9GHz frequency, and long operation range of 60 meters at home. ULE is a ready-to-use technology. Ruth Wilson, VP of EU Sales and Marketing, DSP Group indicated that most European home gateways support DECT standard. What users need to do is just to upgrade software if they need to use ULE smart home systems.


EnOcean also makes products that communicate in 2.4GHz as well as sub-1 GHz. Jim O’Callaghan, president of EnOcean Inc. , “That is a radio frequency that performs very well for low power devices. It has long range and very small interferences so it’s very reliable. We also support products where we use the same energy harvesters but they communicate over radios like 2.4GHz such as ZigBee or Bluetooth. The 2.4GHz happens to have more radios communicating in the same frequency but there is some interference.” According to him, Enocean is interested in working with Bluetooth devices.

Smart home, a life style, a real business Future concept designs are also spotlights at the show. Samsung is working with BMW to showcase their concept design of a driverless car, which will be made available in the coming years. When you are just walking out of your house, the car will drive to the front door automatically. In addition, Intel is teaming with ADT to show the

Collaboration can add utility to increase value of its products, moving customers to buy our garage door openers and drive sales. Cory Sorice Chamberlain

vision of the future to the front door with Intel True Key and RealSense Technology, and ADT Pulse interactive alarm system. Users can open front doors and enter their homes via automatic smartphone proximity sensing and facial authentications. The Intel RealSense 3D camera, making 3D scanning a reality, integrates three lenses: a conventional camera, an infrared camera, and an infrared laser projector. It enables better human-to-machine interaction via hand and head movements—even your facial expressions. While the IT giants are illustrating their future home lifestyle, it is undeniable that we are still at the early stage. Cooper of Zonoff indicated, “When you see major consumer electronics stepping into smart home and every retailer is selling smart home product, you know the time is here. I think it takes at least three years to reach there.” Links of Green Peak believes that the IoT should not only be about sensors. “IoT is the lifestyle coach. It helps and tells the way of better welfare. And that is what smart home technologies truly values.” Smart home, no doubt, has entered the growing stage. It’s a long race with different runways. The person running faster doesn’t guarantee a final winner. It’s more like a cycling game, teamwork ensures the qualification to the finals.

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 45




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#CES2015: 30 Picks You Should Know Amaryllo iCamPRO FHD

• Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution • Built-in multiple motionsensors for auto object tracking and 360-degree field of view • Employs 256-bit encryption for purposes of ensuring user privacy • Remote PT control • Dynamic channel adjustment for smooth video streaming • Mechanized IR-cut filter for improved night vision in the dark and free from purplish color under bright sun light • Supports Google’s browser-based real time communication service (WebRTC) ■ Amaryllo ■ www.amaryllo.eu ■ Netherlands

IC Real Tech ALLIE Pro

• 8x zoom and pan • Dual 13 Megapixels per lens • App works with mobile device gyroscope to provide 720-degree viewing without blind spots • For table top, wall or ceiling mounting • Cloud recording with 7 or 30 days saved • Live streaming with bank level encryption • Utilizes Qualcomm Snapdragon chip

Sengled Snap

• Indoor/Outdoor LED PAR lamp • Integrated 1080p HD IP Camera, microphone, and speaker • Applied for home security, automation, and commercial applications • Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) for wide-angle viewing • Double frequencies of 2.4GHz and 5GHz • Real-time viewing and playback with a mobile phone • Easy installation by fastening it firmly on the lamp-holder without extra wiring ■ Sengled Optoelectronics ■ www.sengled.com ■ China

Schlage Sense

■ IC Real Tech ■ icrealtech.com ■ USA

UniKey Smart Access Platform

• Smart Access Platform integrates with Nest Learning Thermostat to enable climate personalization and energy savings • Touch-to-Open technology - allows the user to unlock the door with just a touch • Allows users to set Nest Home and Away modes, along with temperature settings, through the Kevo app • Supports access control cloud platform to set personalized temperature preferences ■ UniKey Technologies ■ www.unikey.com ■ USA

• Provides end-to-end encryption and authentication between the Schlage Sense lock and an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with HomeKit technology • Voice control capability to lock and unlock doors by using Siri • Manages and schedules up to 30 codes at the same time through the Schlage Sense app • Certified for Grade 1 security, the highest rating certified by Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) ■ Schlage ■ www.schlage.com ■ USA

48 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


NETGEAR Arlo

Netatmo Welcome

• Compact form-factor, battery-powered wireless home security camera for indoors and outdoors use • Weatherproof double-shell case for protection from sun, wind, rain, snow and curious pets and children • HD video encoding at 720p resolution, with a 130° field of view • Night vision capabilities available • Submits customizable email or app notifications in real-time on detection of activity via infrared motion sensors. • Motion sensors activate customizable alerts for real-time email or app notifications • Supports up to four concurrent camera streams to mobile or desktop browsers • Battery life up to 6 months ■ NETGEAR ■ www.netgear.com ■ USA

• HD 1920 x1080 resolution at 30fps • Supports facial recognition technology to identify registered users and notifies users when detecting an unknown face • 130° field of view • Supports night vision with high-powered IR LEDs, mechanic IR filter • Saves recorded videos and identification data on the n SD card up to 32GB • Supports privacy customization, such as cancellation of recording activity or alert notification per user-defined conditions ■ Netatmo ■ www.netatmo.com ■ France

Legrand ZigBee Connected Home Solution • Includes ZigBee receivers, battery-powered wireless keypads and gateways • For lighting and shading controls • Supports ZigBee 3.0 technology, capable to interact with third party products using the same protocol • Actuator devices connected to the electric power supply to control the connected devices (lights and shutters) • Offers smart actions based on users’ lifestyles and needs with the mobile app ■ Legrand ■ www.legrand.com ■ France

Belkin WeMo Sensors

• WeMo Door / Window Sensor (F7C038): A magnetic contact sensor that detects an open or closed state on any window or door in the home. Works with other WeMo devices and can be programmed to automate tasks like automatically turning on the air conditioning when the window is closed by connecting to WeMo Insight Switch • WeMo Keychain Sensor (F7C039): A small fob to be placed on a keychain, collar or in a bag that alerts system users as to whether the fob’s carrier is at home or away, available with customized alerts • WeMo Alarm Sensor (F7C040): A small audio sensor that sits next to existing home alarms, notifying users if they are activated via a mobile alert. Distinguishes between alarm noises and ambient sounds, reducing the possibility of a false alarm • WeMo Room Motion Sensor (F7C041): An infrared sensor, Immune to pets, with a 30-foot operation range and 90-degree field of view • WeMo Water with Echo Technology (F7C042): Algorithmically analyzes water main vibrations and pressure changes to identify usage time, duration, and water consumption. Monitors water system and sends alerts to potentially damage and leaks ■ Belkin ■ www.belkin.com ■ USA

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SwannOne Smart Home System

• SwannOne Smart Hub supports Wi-Fi connectivity, and iOS and Android app. • Integrates with SwannOne SoundView Camera to provide motion-activated alerts and initiate video recording • SoundView also monitors for alarm noises from existing smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide alarms and automatically contacts emergency services via an optional professional security monitoring service in the event that a user cannot be reached. • Zen Thermostat provides remote energymanet management and climate control from the app, monitoring electrical usage and automatically making adjustments to settings based on pre-set rules. • Integrates with Phillips Hue for lighting schedules and presence simulation to deter intruders. • Cloud service provides secure storage for video, sound, and other data. • Easy and transferable placement of the peripherals with 3M Command strips

OORT Device Suite Expansion

• Comes with SmartHub, SmartFinder, SmartSocket and SmartLED, supporting Bluetooth Smart technology • SmartFinder: A beacon that lets you easily track down your lost items. The device can beep with the press of a button for easy search. • SmartSocket: An intelligent outlet that enables user to turn all appliances connected to it on or off with an app on a smartphone or tablet. • SmartLED: An energy-efficient smart light bulb that can be controlled via smartphone, with over 16 million colors to choose from. Lighting actions can be pre-scheduled ■ oort ■ oort.in ■ USA

■ Swann Communications ■ www.swannone.com ■ Australia

VeraPlus Smart Controller

• One Touch Control: quickly change lights, climate and security with one tap • Custom scenes: lights on when motion is detected • Geofencing: automatically warm/cool the home before you arrive, lock doors, and more • Advanced camera management: view all cameras together, add motion detection • Energy Monitoring: view energy use and save money on heating, cooling • Mobile Apps: control your entir Vera system via iOS or Android • Simple set up: easy to install in matter of minutes ■ Vera Control ■ getvera.com ■ Hong Kong

Umbrela Home Automation System

• Supports HomePlug technology for high bandwidth communication over existing power lines • Comes with a thermostat bridge and an Internet bridge to control the HVAC system and connect to the Internet respectively • Available with three configurations: Umbrela, Umbrela mini, Umbrela outlet • Features 7-inch high definition touch screen • Supports voice commands with built-in noise canceling microphones • Up to four switches can be wired to a single Umbrela unit, used to turn on, off or dim the lights • Keeps track of energy use information with the built-in power metering • Built-in environmental sensors enables Umbrela to monitor and enhance comfort from any room without using thremostats ■ Umbrela ■ www.umbrela.co ■ Canada

50 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


Advertorial

AIT: We keep competitive with early-tomarket and differentiation strategies

A

lpha Imaging Technology (AIT), recognized by its video processing and compression capabilities, is a leading SoC supplier for built-in camera modules applied in TVs, car DVRs, portable PCs, IP cameras and action cameras. “Our core competence is to build reliable video processing solutions for mobile devices which require low bit rates and smooth video streaming,” said Jeffrey Chen, Product Planning Director of AIT. AIT started its business as an image signal processor (ISP) provider for feature phones supplied to leading mobile phone companies like Samsung and Nokia since 2004. With more than 10 years of experiences in the video processing field, the company starts to offer IP cameras in 2013. Unlike most companies pursuing volume production and choosing price competition, the company is dedicated to continuous R&D effort on enhancing average selling price (ASP) and developing mid-range and high-end products. In comparison with prices of its chipsets, the company achieves 10 times ASP of its product offerings now. Its solutions can be seen in tier-one smart home products and cameras offered by leading branded companies and telecom companies like Belkin , Polaroid, Samsung, LG, Dell, lenovo, Logitech,Orange and more ... Around 70 percent of the company’s sales revenue is generated from export business in Asia, North America and China. With mature network infrastructure and cloud platform, AIT sees the IP camera as its promising product line over the next decade. Chen indicated that compact size, power saving and thermal designs are three major develop To keep competitive, early-tomarket and differentiation are AIT’s two strategies to win Jeffrey Chen, product planning director

directions for IP cameras. “To keep competitive, early-tomarket and differentiation are AIT’s two strategies to win,” said Chen. Chen indicated that products supporting 1080P resolution face keen price competition. As a profit-driven company, the company heads toward new products supporting 1080P resolution in 2015. To precisely serve its customers, the company segments its product applications into specified, standard and hybrid. The hybrid consists of cloud camera and professional IP cameras. The specified application refers to baby monitors, car viewers and doorbell cameras. The standard segment include P2P/relay and 360-degree fisheye IP cameras. In addition, AIT works with cloud service companies to offer total solutions of hardware, software and services. The connection paths are available with P2P and relay servers, multi-stream support. Its solutions support QoS bandwidth management, push-to-app alert, and storage services like video clip storage and access control list for security concerns. For the company, the major design direction is to develop high-end and value-added products. In 2015, AIT will launch a new SoC AIT6x68/8x28 Family series, ranked as the high-end model, for professional surveillance cameras supporting 4K2K resolution. 6268 features ARM9 processor, SDIO Wi-Fi support, and H.264/MJPEG 1080P resolution. Its AIT 6368, a more advanced model, features dual RISC processor, sensor up to 64Mp, H.264 High Profile, 360-degree fisheye viewing and resolutions of 1080P, 1440P and 4Kp. Its SoCs support sensors from Sony, Aptina, OV and Samsung, available with 3MP, 5MP, 8MP,13MP,and 64MP resolutions. In addition, the company is working on intelligent video analytics (IVA) and intelligent audio analytics (IAA) as a value-added feature via audio and video processing technologies. With its strong video processing capability, its solutions provides not only People Monitoring, Site Monitoring, Image Manipulation, Automotive Safety and Image Manipulation. As for its audio processing technology applied in intelligent audio analytics, its solutions support Audio Functions, Audio Certification. AIT expects its next ten years to be flourishing with its multiple product lineups and technology enhancements on both hardware and software. Alpha Imaging Technology Corp. www.a-i-t.com.tw jane_lin@a-i-t.com.tw

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Guardzilla All-in-One Video Security System

• Provides live video monitoring and sends captured images to users’ smartphones • Features a modern, sleek design which blends into the environment providing discreet surveillance/ infrared night vision • Siren alert and motion sensing technology to alert owners when motion detected • 2-way audio allows users to talk remotely with someone in the area Guardzilla is located • Geofencing: arms when user leaves and disarms when user returns ■ Guardzilla ■ guardzilla.com ■ USA

IGOO Smart Lamp

• Built with 4-color multipoint LED flooding and onboard speakers for entertainment integration • Managed from a dedicated smartphone-like control device, which connects to LED lamp via Bluetooth, but may connect to the internet via Wi-Fi • Control device is rechargeable, with a battery life of roughly 20 hours during continuous use, and 25 days in standby • Soft, shadowless lighting effect designed to protect eyes, and suited for reading and other uses • Lighting activation may be scheduled • Lightsong light and music integrations may be created, customized, and initiated on demand for purposes of living, sleeping, dining, education, partying, romance, music and phototherapy ■ IGOO ■ www.igoo.com ■ China

Blue Maestro Pacif-i Bluetooth Smart Baby Pacifier

• Records a baby’s temperature and passes it to a mobile device for tracking • Features built-in temperature sensor in the pacifier’s silicon teat to transmit temperature data via Bluetooth Smart to a free app on an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet • Features built-in proximity sensor that allows parents to monitor the pacifier’s location and so be alerted when their child wanders off • The pacifier also features a buzzer alarm that can be activated via the smartphone when it has been misplaced or hidden by a child • Using a low-energy Bluetooth Smart chip, the device has a battery life of more than one year ■ Blue Maestro ■ bluemaestro.com ■ UK

Zuli Smartplug

• Intergrates with assorted smart home products via Bluetooth Smart mesh network communications • The mesh network confirms user identity based on proximity of a registered mobile device, and reactively automates operation of devices to create a personalized environmental context • With use of the iOS Zuli app, users can control, monitor, and create proximity-based experiences. Specific user preferences are saved and implemented on approach • Integrates with most Bluetooth Smart enabled lights, devices, and appliances, as well as standard electronics that are plugged in to the smartplug ■ Zuli ■ www.zuli.io ■ USA

myFox Security System

• Capable of distinguishing between normal movement events and a break-in, initiating siren broadcast before an intruder accesses the house • Key fobs permit geofencing / geoproximity based system disarming for recognized users and access logging • Communicates with remote devices for monitoring and management via Wi-Fi • Attempts to access workaround backup network in the event of a Wi-Fi outage • On-board rechargeable battery has a life of 4 hours in case of a power outage • Mechanical camera shutter enables privacy in the event that streaming is undesired. • Full HD camera enables live video streaming and 2-way audio communications ■ myFox ■ www.getmyfox.com ■ France

52 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


Advertorial

DAS Technology:

Safety and Automation, With a Bent Toward Efficiency

F

ounded in 1999, DAS Technology was originally a provider of software solutions with a specialization in LINUX. Acknowledging the growing demand for smart home products, DAS Technology invested its software expertise into the research and development of a complete ZigBee-based home automation system, which now integrates with wireless devices, smart plugs, light dimmers, alarms, thermostats, and gas detectors, and may be managed from any wireless-enabled mobile devices and computers.

Automation, with attention to security and safety

The DAS Home Automation System is built around an Ethernet-connected Gateway device that interfaces with paired and recognized computer systems and mobile devices. A web-based Gateway portal permits that control of the system may be performed without the installation of any apps or special software. Integrated devices can be managed independently or as a group with use of userdefined modes or scenarios – which may be initiated manually, or per schedule. In the event that use of a computer or mobile device is unfeasible, local management of the smart home may be performed via the Gateway device’s own touch screen interface, or from a wireless HDMI 1080p tablet interface, which communicates with use of Wi-Fi connectivity. Core automation devices within the DAS Home Automation product suite include a hands-free video intercom system; a wireless thermostat that provides environmental data such as wind speed; a wireless light dimmer; a wireless outlet receptacle with metering capabilities and autooff functionality for fire prevention in case of overload; and a wireless curtain controller. The DAS Home Automation System also includes a robust suite of ZigBee-connected home security and safety products, which include sensors and other monitoring devices such as wireless smoke alarms; wireless gas

alarms; door and window contact alarms; and wireless network cameras. The lineup of automated safety devices presently comprises only of the Wireless Gas Shut Off Valve, which integrates with gas alarms to automatically shut the gas valve in the event that an irregularly high level of gas is detected. DAS receptacle can let users monitor energy consumption, and automatically turn off if current or voltage is too high to prevent fire.

Thinking Outside the Box

The mesh capabilities of the ZigBee communications standard permit repetition and extension of a network across relatively large indoor spaces. Taking advantage of this, the DAS Home Automation System is also suited for offices, hotels, and factories. The DAS system is low cost, and may be installed as quickly and easily as powering up devices and pairing them to the Gateway. Furthermore, DAS’ experience with energy management ensures that its smart home products are truly designed with a bent toward energy efficiency. DAS Technology is currently in the process of releasing a new “gateway free” home automation product line. With use of Wi-Fi connectivity, devices from this new line connect directly to the internet, and are manageable via DAS’ newly launched cloud service. A free iOS and Android app designed with intuitive user interface permits remote management of home devices from any location. The gateway free line is both more convenient to install and cheaper overall than its Gatewaybased ZigBee predecessor.

DAS Technology www.das.com.tw

contact@das.com.tw

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Brio Smart Outlet

• Communicates wirelessly with Bio Sensors • When the sensors detect water, smoke or carbon monoxide gas, user will be alerted by the in-sensor alarm or through the Brio App • LED indicator for communication status between the smart outlets and the sensors • Embedded sensors detect a valid plug ■ Brio ■ www.briohouse.com ■ USA

Ring Video Doorbell

• Wide-angle HD camera • Motion sensors activate the camera and trigger instant mobile alerts via the free Ring app (iOS and Android) when movement is detected • Instant mobile alerts when someone rings the doorbell • Cloud recording; watch recorded footage anytime • LED ring indicating the device’s current function • Microphone with echo cancellation capabilities and two configurable speakers ■ Ring ■ ring.com ■ USA

Muzzley IoT Platform

• A cross-standard IoT platform that integrates the management of devices from multiple brands and manufacturers within a single app • Implements machine learning based on user behavior, context, and habits • Automatically suggests actions across all available devices to optimize the smart home experience based on available utilization data • Partners include Intel Galileo and Edison, the AllSeen Alliance, EnOcean, Insteon, LightwaveRF, Netatmo, and others • Applied for switches, light bulbs, cameras, GPS trackers, thermostats, weather station, home appliance and body analyzer ■ Muzzley

■ www.muzzley.com ■ Portugal

2GIG GoControl Home Security Suite

• Door-Window and Motion Sensors provide complete area protection • Loud siren with flashing light warns that the alarm has been triggered • Compatible with Wink App, 2GIG Go!Control, and most Z-Wave hubs • Essential Starter Kit includes 2x Door-Window Sensors and a pet-friendly Motion Detector • Premium Starter Kit includes 3x Door-Window Sensors, a 105dB Siren with flashing light, and a pet-friendly Motion Detecto ■ Nortek ■ www.nortekinc.com ■ USA

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Piper nv

• HD panoramic IP camera: 180-degree fisheye lens; 3.4 megapixel 1080p camera sensor with night vision • Security: 3 modes (home, away and vacation); motion detector; 105 dB siren • Customized alerts: phone call, text message, email, and push notifications to users and their trusted circle when security rules are triggered • Environmental sensors: monitor and control temperature, humidity, ambient light, and sound • Remote monitoring via iOS or Android mobile devices

iSmartAlarm Device Suite Expansion

• Multi-Sensor: IR motion sensing, adjustable sensitivity levels for pet-friendly motion sensing, battery life of 12 months, low battery detection • Smoke Alarm: Photoelectric Sensor, low battery warning, adjustable sensitivity level • Satellite Siren: 106 db siren, five optional tones, three powerful LEDs for visual notification, built-in self-charging battery backup, Gen-5 Z-Wave chip, AES 128 bit security encryption, adjustable sensitivity levels for pet-friendly motion sensing • Water Sensor: Flood detection, water absence detection, detects the presence or absence of as little as 0.03% of an inch of water, Gen-5 Z-Wave chip, AES 128 bit security encryption, adjustable sensitivity levels for pet-friendly motion sensing ■ iSmartAlarm ■ www.ismartalarm.com ■ USA

■ Icontrol Networks ■ www.icontrol.com ■ USA

ubiant hemis multi-factor Room Manager • Regulates the temperature, light and air quality of your home in accordance with a target consumption level and the selected control mode • Available control modes include “comfort”, “eco”, “standard” and “not at home” ■ ubiant ■ www.ubiant.com ■ France

Bosch Z-Wave Home Control Gateway

• Connects with B Series Control Panels and Z-Wave devices, including lighting controls, door locks, temperature sensors and IP cameras • Automatic arm/disarm based on whether an exterior door is locked/unlocked • Programs trigger- or schedule-based automation • Web interface for access to a system dashboard and home control via an iOS or Android smartphone or other Internet-enabled device • Video and other system data stored in the cloud with the service plan • Compatible with the B5512, B4512 and B3512 intrusion control panels with built-in IP communication and free apps for mobile operation ■ Bosch Security Systems ■ www.boschsecurity.com ■ Germany

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BigAssFans Haiku Ceiling Fan with SenseME

• Smart ceiling fan designed with an onboard computer and array of sensors • SenseME knows when you enter or leave a room, turning Haiku on and off automatically • SenseME monitors the room’s temperature and humidity, adjusting fan speed when conditions change • SenseME learns your comfort preferences, tailoring fan speed adjustments to what you find comfortable • SenseME’s scheduling feature turns on the light for you at the right time • Controllable by a smartphone app: set schedules or select from several unique control modes ■ Big Ass Fans ■ www.bigassfans.com ■ USA

E FUN Nexturn DIY Home Automation Suite

ArcSoft simplicam

• Wi-Fi monitoring HD camera with Face Recognition technology and night vision • Stream video on your iPhone, Android phone, tablet or computer • Easy scheduling of camera on/off times • Notifications for detection of sound or motion • Can record, save and share clips using optional Closeli Recording Services ■ ArcSoft ■ www.simplicam.com ■ USA

• Centralizes control of lighting; HVAC (heating/ventilation/ air conditioning); appliances; security locks on windows, doors, and gates; and other system • Nexturn+ app (iOS and Android) enables users to review and control their home electrical functions via smartphone or tablet • No monthly subscription • Full 128-bit SSL-encryption and PKI-based key exchange end-to-end for maximum security and data protection • Three kits: Bronze, Silver and Gold, all including a Zigbee gateway, smart plug on/off switch, smart bulb converter, two door sensors, and a magnet binding bar. Silver and Gold kits include additional items • Add-on accessories available including smart bulb converter, wireless switch, motion sensor, Wi-Fi IP camera and more ■ YIFANG Digital ■ www.yifangdigital.com ■ Hong Kong

Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight

• Plugs into wall outlet • Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4GHz; BTLE 802.15 @ 2.4 Hz • Sensors: temperature/humidity sensor; microphone; ambient light sensor • Listens for the frequency and pattern of your existing smoke and CO alarms and notifies you if they sound via the Leeo app • Allows you to listen in on your alarm sounding; calls your designated friends and family for backup if you can’t respond • Can set climate alerts to get notified if your home’s temperature and humidity aren’t the way you want them ■ Leeo ■ www.leeo.com ■ USA

56 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


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SOFTWARE EXPERT

Kalay:

Holding Hands, Staying Connected As ThroughTek continues to propel its specialized adhoc online (peer-topeer) technology for optimum overall solutions, its open IoT platform “Kalay” continues to break new milestones at unprecedented pace – having reached over four million managed devices to date with more than 60 million connections each month.

58 58 mySMAhome.com mySMAhome.com January/February January/February2015 2015


As a relatively young cloud platform design house set up only seven years ago, ThroughTek Co., Ltd. (known as TUTK ) is sweeping the Internet-ofThings by storm, promulgating its P2P (peer-to-peer) and Relay experience in the video surveillance arena. “We can offer solutions that integrate P2P and relay server capabilities in any designated space,” said ThroughTek CEO and President Patrick Kuo. According to him, as demands for multimedia applications have increased in the IoT, the implementation of P2P technology has surged in recent years.

THE “KALAY” ENIGMA Derived from Taiwan’s indigenous Yami people, the word “kalay” means “holding hands." Conceived under such idea, the company hopes to keep all devices connected in the IoT sphere

using one simple software solution hence the aptly-named Kalay platform was born. T h ro u g h Te k ’s K a l a y p l a t f o r m integration leverages a wealth of APIs (Application Programming Interface) for a growing variety of operating systems, thereby quickly and easily incorporating a wide variety of devices into online applications. The range of Kalay platform applications includes surveillance, personal cloud storage, smart homes, and consumer electronics. Kalay is an innovative cloud-based open platform catered to enterprise and consumer applications, including smart retail, smart building, health care, surveillance, wearable devices, home automation, personal storage, and home security. It features a modular and scalable architecture that allows quick rollout of new services.

OPENNESS “The main strength of Kalay lies in its open IoT platform,” Kuo said. “An open platform is a software system which is based on open standards, such as published and fully documented external application programming interfaces (API) that allow using the software to function in other ways than the original programmer intended, without requiring modification of the source code.” “For Kalay platform, we provide the developers with open SDK,” noted Kuo. Using an open platform a developer could add features or functionality that the platform vendor had not completed or had not conceived of. An open platform allows the developer to change existing functionality, as the specifications are publicly available open standards.

CORE MODULES Reflecting on Kalay’s open structure, its platform could offer customized solutions or selected modules to the customer depending on the application and request. Kuo highlighted VSaas, Logic Engine, TPNS server and Device Management modules in Kalay Cloud. VSaaS (Video Surveillance as a Service) provides a one-stop service including P2P real-time live viewing and cloud recording with the integration of video analytic tools. “Kalay’s cloud recording is back-end compatible with all brands and models of IP cameras,” he added. According to ThroughTek, contrary to P2P, network camera maker Dropcam utilizes streaming server to access recorded multimedia. ”Streaming server used for surveillance is outdated. Stream server existed because at the time there was no cloud. Today, P2P provides an alternative approach to multimedia streaming. However, in certain cases the stream server is still required.” About Logic Engine, the Kalay platform boasts of similar concept of IFTTT (If This Then That) for task synergy in smart home. Using Logic January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 59


SOFTWARE EXPERT Engine, its platform can automatically activate tasks to happen on devices on different locations, collect all the rules for data analytics, and also work with third-party applications. “Our platform can record logics from third party applications and then use SPIs to enter the settings on Kalay,” Kuo claimed One possible example is to integrate the web service of real time weather report. The home gateway sends the command to turn on the air conditioner and close the window according to different predefined scenarios. “Put simply, we can integrate third-party applications such as Google Map, Yahoo Weather into our platform,” Kuo said.

ThroughTek looks forward to partnering with home electronic appliances makers. Patrick Kuo CEO of ThroughTek

60 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

TPNS server, on the other hand, is one of key demands from most smart home providers. TPNS enables highly customizable push messages including scheduled and targeted push messaging. Its flexible push notification system can work on different push networks such as the Apple Push Notification Service, Google Cloud Messaging, and Baidu “One of the other major strengths of the Kalay platform is that it can provide push notifications in rich notification forms, images and videos in particular,” he stressed. The Device Management module further enables device makers to improve the user experience by examining the usage data collected from

the connected devices. Other than the four highlighted modules, Kalay’s Service Programming Interface (SPI) is noteworthy. It provides seamless communication and connectivity. It is a service in the Kalay platform that allows it to act as a client to communicate with ThroughTek UID-enable devices while enabling the system operation in any web browsers. “Devices can all interconnect and interoperate through our Kalay cloud without issue,” Kuo said.

USING UID VIA P2P A unique identifier (UID) is a numeric or alphanumeric string that is associated with a single entity within a given system. UIDs make it possible to address that entity, so that it can be accessed and interacted with. Like logging into Skype or any other similar programs where an ID password is required, Kalay employs simple UIDs to establish connectivity between two devices. “Using this technology, users only need to scan a barcode and input a password to connect their phone to the home controller or standalone device, all from within the app,” Kuo said, adding that with UID its software platform can transmit recorded video directly to a mobile device via P2P without having to go through a cloud server.

KALAY BOX – Personal Cloud Box Cloud storage has been one of the greatest things to come out of the IoT evolution. Examples of services


such as Dropbox consist of cloudbased services for user identity and management, data storage, access, and management, and application programmatic interfaces (APIs.) The concept of the Kalay box is based on cloud storage, a private personal storage solution that is derived of security issues. Kalay Box transform the portable hard drive or USB flash drive into personal NAS or mini NAS without complicated network setting. “The Kalay Box is a private NVR solution for the masses. It’s catered to those who do not necessarily have to know about NAS, DDNS, Port Mapping, and other complicated terminologies. The Kalay Box is easy to understand and use. On the contrary, NAS is more suited for small businesses or techies.” “Networking device should be easy to use in order to reach mass adoption in a smart home,” Kuo added.

UNDER-TAPPED MARKET “Our customers care about three things: First, economics – it has to be affordable. Second is security. And third is performance. I want to be able to recover and see data at a reasonable rate. We’re intrinsically faster because we use P2P connections. We are more secure because we provide encryptions at both ends of transmission and device with no single point of failure,” Kuo said. P2P is largely an under-tapped area in the smart home because there aren’t many software platform providers that deal with both P2P and relay server. “Using P2P, ThroughTek provides

comprehensive platform services and solutions to suit different modules.” IC makers, brand name companies, device manufacturers and solution providers have all chosen to adopt the ThroughTek platform solution. Qualcomm, MediaTek, Broadcom, Intel, Ambarella, Hisilicon, TI and NXP are some of their major IC partners. Another proven track record of Kalay is its exceptional time-to-market through an unmatched chipset vendor ecosystem already supporting more than 80 SoCs. “Kalay currently manages more than 4 million devices with over 60 million connections a month,” ThroughTek’s CEO proudly stated. Currently, the company is working on providing its Kalay platform for energy-saving operating systems (RTOS) in wearables. “Wearables are fast becoming the next big thing. And as such always-on devices require fast start-up, RTOS is what they need to operate on.” According to Kuo, chipmakers RealTek and MediaTek are some of their working partners in this respect. “ K a l a y ’s t o t a l s o l u t i o n i s n o t limited to home automation and personal cloud. On the long run, we will definitely look for even more possibilities to integrate our solutions with wearable devices.”

new smart TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, and so forth. Kuo said all the major electronics companies are working on their own smart home devices. It will also link to smart door locks, allowing people to open the front door by talking to their smartwatch or phone, he added. Despite the prevalence of connected devices and the growing potential of intelligent home electronic appliances, the smart home mass adoption is a little far away in the distance. To all companies in the game, the core sentiment remains the same – to efficiently promote smart home awareness is the most important element of a smarter living. While working with telco, channel players and retailers in the international market, “ThroughTek looks forward to partnering with home electronic appliances makers, including those in Europe and US. Home appliances certainly have a great future.” At first, there was the smartphone, and then came along the smart home. Soon, there will be raves about smart buildings and ultimately looking at the bigger picture, smart cities, Kuo concluded. “Either way, we are open to all opportunities, open to all businesses regardless of sector.”

MOVING AHEAD Home electronic appliances in a smart home is quickly catching on with Samsung, LG and GE spearheading ahead with the launch of

3 Benefits of Kalay for Device Makers • Helps makers to launch connected home products speedily • Core modules cater to makers’ various product design demands • Enhanced security encryptions and real personal cloud form privacy protection ThroughTek Co., Ltd. www.throughtek.com info@ tutk.com

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 61


Focus

Intelligent Climate Cont By Chad Yang

Climate control has been a staple of residential buildings for generations. What justifies the demand for an intelligent alternative?

According to the US Department of Energy, operation of heating and cooling systems accounts for roughly half of all energy expenditures in an average household – an estimated $1,056 in utilities costs per year. According to FH Aachen, nearly a quarter of this cost arises from inefficient climate control utilization, and could be eliminated by optimizing HVAC operation based on the actual needs and schedule of each household. Carbon dioxide output could also be significantly reduced; Google has reported that the Nest Learning Thermostat alone heads off roughly 745 thousand metric tons of CO2 output worldwide every year. To consumers conscious of rising energy costs and the impact of humans on the environment, the above would be reason enough to consider the adoption of something smarter than a traditional climate control system. Navigant Research has projected that the combined global revenues for the intelligent climate control industry will grow from $146.9 million in 2014 to $2.3 billion in 2023. Furthermore, TechNavio predicts a market-wide CAGR of 52.72 percent between 2013 and 2018.

assorted HVAC systems, microclimate data drawn from the web, and sensord e t e c t e d h u m i d i t y a n d p re s s u re differences. As in the case of Google Nest, algorithmic automation is sometimes achievable on built-in hardware alone, but visualization of metering and usage statistics in charts and diagrams generally requires infrastructural support from cloud-based systems. Availability of the cloud for more involved operations than settings backup might be regarded as one of the factors that separate higherend solutions from the entry level.

Professional Installation

Professional installations of modern HVAC systems or household automation Smart home typically include climate control as systems rely a package component. Intelligent Innovation through DIY Among standalone DIY products, intelligent climate control on a number of thermostats may in these cases be products typically incorporate technologies into an HVAC sensors to gain integrated with appliances outside thermostat interface to provide expanded functionality – for understanding the scope of the traditional HVAC – for example, window and blind example, enabling remote management or the integration of of the automation devices in the Vantage local devices such as temperature sensors via Wi-Fi, ZigBee, environment and Control4 solutions. Third-party or other RF connectivity standards. These mainstream to enable climate control devices also utilized in functionalities provide added-value features over conventional devices to solutions provided by companies don't climate control products with set-point automation and respond natively produce an equivalent. Savant, programmable temperature schedules. accordingly. for example, advertises compatibility Utilizing mobile GPS or presence recognition sensors, less with thermostats manufactured by rudimentary operations such as geofencing or proximity-based Honeywell, Aprilaire and Somfy. activation are optionally available on newer product offerings. Professionally installed climate control Devices such as Quirky+GE's Norm are also designed to systems are more costly than standalone support additional temperature sensors to account for comfort DIY devices, and generally support only conditions in multiple living spaces. the programming of schedules, remote Sophisticated product developers such as Google Nest are management, room-specific temperature able to supplement thermostat functions with use of onadjustment, and metering. However, board behavior learning capabilities. Set-point temperatures project-based solutions tend to offer and the absences of inhabitants are tracked over a period of very robust support for integration time, enabling the thermostat to algorithmically determine an with energy management, including upcoming schedule for maximum energy efficiency. Operation interconnectivity with smart metering can be further adjusted to account for the peculiarities of 62 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


rol

and smart grid technologies.

Strategies to Overcome the Challenge of Low Adoption Owing in part to high perceived costs and low consumer awareness of the practical benefits to the intelligent thermostat, Navigant Research expects slower gains in product adoption relative to smart metering, and direct competition within the market from cheaper, more widely available traditional and digital thermostats.

Perhaps as a strategy to overcome such an obstacle, Nest has announced a partnership with Electric Ireland to provide a free Learning Thermostat to end-users who sign on to a two-year contract with the utilities provider, utilizing the subsidized hardware model of the mobile phone industry. The Google subsidiary subsequently announced plans to obtain similar relationships with utilities providers worldwide. Taking into consideration the company's recent efforts to create interoperability between the “Works with Nest� product lineup and the project-based home automation solutions supplied by Control4, Crestron, RTI, and URC, we can speculate that Nest's goal may be to forge a paradigm wherein its placement within an IoT ecosystem is a nearly a natural, foregone conclusion. Only time will tell if this strategy grants them the market penetration that they desire. January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 63


Focus

15 Intelligent Climate From a range of suppliers based in North America and Europe, we've selected 12 DIY climate control products and 3 project-based climate control systems for your perusal.

Common features include:

DIY

Nest Learning Thermostat

emote management via mobile device R ü Operation to a programmable schedule ü Initiation of programmed scenarios ü Learning of household climate control usage behavior ü Operation by geoproximity or geofencing ü Responsiveness to presence recognition ü A utomated adjustment to account for weather ü conditions and humidity Integration of energy metering features ü Accounting for temperature changes in multiple living ü zones via sensor from a single thermostat Integration with a cloud backend ü Product Name

Country

• Learning feature tracks utilization patterns and inhabitant absences over time, using the data to algorithmically anticipate future schedules. • Supports remote management from iOS and Android devices via Wi-Fi connectivity. • Can be set to automatically optimize operation for maximum energy efficiency. • Integrates with smart metering to present energy utilization statistics on remote devices. • Accounts for weather and humidity during HVAC operation. Google Nest USA nest.com

Requires Professional Installation

Remote Management

Scheduled Operation

Scenario Initiation

DIY Products Google Nest Learning Thermostat Tado° Smart Thermostat (for Heating) Quirky+GE Norm Honeywell Lyric Ecobee3 Smart Netatmo Thermostat Emerson Sensi CentraLite 3000-s Pearl Thermostat with ZigBee Alarm.com Smart Thermostat hemis Eco-Thermostat Trane ComfortLink II XL950 Carrier CÔR Wi-Fi Thermostat TP-WEM01

USA Germany USA USA Canada France USA USA USA France USA USA

ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü

ü

ü ü ü

ü ü ü

ü ü ü ü ü ü

ü ü ü

Project-based Systems Control4 Wireless Thermostat Crestron infiNET EX Thermostat Vantage Communicating Thermostat

USA USA USA

64 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

ü ü ü

ü

ü


Control Products DIY

DIY

Tado° Smart Thermostat (for Heating)

Quirky+GE Norm

• Supports remote management from most iOS and Android devices via Wi-Fi connectivity. • Geofencing capabilities integrate with mobile device GPS to automate heating operation based on your proximity to the house. • Tracks heating within the household for maximum operational efficiency. • Accounts for weather to optimize heating operation. • Integrates with feedback systems in digital boilers to provide real-time alerts for events that require user attention. • Visualizes heating usage for tracking via the cloud back-end.

An intelligent climate control device that permits remote management of climate control / HVAC settings via the Wink home automation app for Android or iOS, designed to communicate with remote mobile devices via household Wi-Fi. Requires either the Wink Relay or the Wink Hub to operate. • Permits the creation of intelligent climate control schedules. • Tracks climate control utilization. • Permits integration with other products such as the Quirky+GE Aros for enhanced sensitivity to actual living space climate conditions. • Manual interaction functionality modulates climate control settings based on fingertaps to the Norm surface.

Tado° Germany www.tado.com

Usage Learning

ü ü

Geofencing / Geoproximity

ü ü ü ü

ü ü

ü

ü

ü

ü ü

Presence Recognition

ü ü ü ü

Accounting for Humidity / Weather (Onboard) ü

ü ü

Quirky Wink & General Electric USA www.quirky.com

Accounting for Humidity / Weather (WebBased) ü ü ü ü ü

ü ü ü ü ü

ü ü ü ü

ü

ü

ü

Accounting Energy Metering for Multiple Features Living Zones via Sensors ü ü ü ü ü

ü ü ü

ü ü

ü ü

Cloud Integration

ü ü ü ü ü ü

ü ü

ü ü ü ü ü ※As of December 2014

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 65


Focus

DIY

Netatmo Thermostat • Sets a program to reflect your habits. For optimal comfort, it predicts the start of the heating periods depending on your household insulation and the temperature outside. • The Thermostat saves up to 25% of your energy consumption and reduces your carbon footprint. • Display your past energy consumption. Your indoor temperature and boiler activity are recorded continuously in the App. • Free access to your online personal dashboard. Accessible from multiple devices. • Compatible with Wi-Fi, with support for standard Wi-Fi security protocol. Communication between thermostat and relay implemented with RF communications. Netatmo France www.netatmo.com

DIY

DIY

Honeywell Lyric

Ecobee3 Smart

• Supports remote management from most iOS and Android devices via Wi-Fi connectivity. • Geofencing capabilities integrate with mobile device GPS to automate HVAC operation based on your proximity to the house. • Fine Tune feature utilizes onboard sensors and information from the internet to account for the influence of weather and humidity during HVAC operation. • Smart Cues feature integrates with feedback sensors within the HVAC system and elsewhere to provide realtime mobile device alerts on matters that require user attention. • Predefined HVAC operation scenarios can be activated at a single button press from the shortcut menu in the management app.

• Integrates with additional sensors to account for temperature conditions and occupancy in multiple living spaces throughout the household.

Honeywell USA lyric.honeywell.com

• Tracks utilization, user-defined inhabitant absences, and household activity to algorithmically anticipate schedules of HVAC operation. • Supports remote management from iOS and Android devices via Wi-Fi connectivity. • Accounts for weather and humidity during HVAC operation. • Provides basic energy metering functionality for the HVAC system. • Supports integration with household fan systems. Ecobee Canada www.ecobee.com

DIY

CentraLite 3000-s Pearl Thermostat with ZigBee • Integrates with remote devices via ZigBee for purposes of management and geofencing automation. • Connectivity with sensors via ZigBee permits accounting for humidity and temperature changes in multiple living spaces during HVAC operation. • Accounts for user-defined and sensor-detected absences to maximize energy efficiency. • Batteries permit up to a 2 year battery life in the event that powering by line becomes inoperable. CentraLite USA www.centralite.com

66 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


15

Intelligent Climate Control Products

DIY

DIY

Alarm.com Smart Thermostat

hemis Eco-Thermostat

An energy management and home automation thermostat for the Alarm.com connected home ecosystem. • Precision Comfort: Adjusts the temperature to multiple living spaces with use of discrete remote temperature sensors placed around the home. • Dynamic Modes: Automatically adjusts temperature based on the time of the day. • Cloud platform intelligently connects thermostat with other devices to learn a household activity patterns and respond in real-time. • Adjusts automatically when the security system is armed. • Changes temperature based on a user’s location. • Automatically reduces energy waste on extremely hot or cold days.

A simple thermostat for use with the Ubiant hemis home energy management system. • Produces all of the energy the thermostat device itself consumes. • Wireless and battery-free. • Communicates via EnOcean connectivity. • Automatically adjusts to meet user-selected power utilization target.

Alarm.com www.alarm.com USA

Ubiant www.ubiant.com France

DIY

Emerson White-Rodgers 1F86U-42WF Sensi • Supports remote management from mobile devices via Wi-Fi connectivity. • Users can freely define scheduled changes in set point temperature over the course of a day. • DIY-installable and programmable via free compatible app within minutes. • Native calibration support for most commercially available HVAC systems. Emerson USA sensicomfort.com

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 67


15

Focus

Intelligent Climate Control Products

DIY

Carrier CÔR Wi-Fi Thermostat TP-WEM01

DIY

Trane ComfortLink II XL950 • Room-by-room control. • Remote Wi-Fi access via computer, smartphone or tablet. • Monitors indoor and outdoor temperatures. • Uses wireless network to gather and display live weather data, including forecasts, radar images and weather alerts. • Create heating and cooling schedules to save energy when no one is home.

• Remote access via iOS and Android devices. • Detailed energy reports and customized energy saving tips • Smart setback intelligently adapts beyond manual programming for greater efficiency, while still meeting your ideal comfort levels. • One-button Touch-N-Go quick-settings-change feature • Ideal Humidity System management capable for exacting comfort • Day-at-a-glance 7-day (wake, away, home, sleep) guided programming • Vacation hold programming • Optionally integrates 3-zone panel system. Carrier www.carrier.com USA

Trane www.trane.com USA

Project-based

Crestron CHV-TSTATEX infiNET EX Thermostat A wireless thermostat that communicates with an HVAC controller via a proprietary RF standard, and integrates with the Crestron home automation platform for remote operation capabilities. • Supports up to additional 2 sensors to account for temperature changes in multiple living spaces. • Remotely manageable from mobile devices via the Crestron home automation platform. • In the event of system failure, the thermostat is manually operable in failsafe mode.

Project-based

Vantage CC-STAT Communicating Thermostat Though designed to integrate with the Vantage inFusion home automation system, the CC-STAT supports direct integration with remote sensors for standalone operation. • Compatible with most residential HVAC systems. • Integration with the Vantage inFusion platform provides simplified and enhanced management capabilities, and remote operation from mobile devices. • Onboard sensors account for changes in humidity during HVAC operation. Vantage USA www.vantagecontrols.com

Crestron USA www.crestron.com

Project-based

Control4 CCZ-T1-W Wireless Thermostat • Automates heating or cooling based on desired set point temperature, accounting for time, date, and weather conditions. • Sensor connectivity permits sensitivity to temperature changes in multiple living spaces. • Supports remote management from most iOS and Android devices. • Integrates with and automatically operates household fan systems and blind control systems to meet set-point temperatures. Control4 USA www.control4.com 68 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


Company

Q

Could you tell us about OORT and why you chose Bluetooth?

temperature, air pressure, and most importantly, air quality. It can detect more than 6,000 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air. Another benefit to Bluetooth is its affordability, compared to chipsets like Z-Wave and ZigBee, which are more expensive. Because Bluetooth is included in millions of devices around the world, the ecosystem is in place. In the past, Bluetooth provided only a single purpose for the headset, and you couldn’t use it with many devices. Now, we can use Bluetooth, our system and our hub, with dozens of different types of devices. In fact, our hub can control 80 devices at the same time. Not only that, it has WiFi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and USB ports, and you can use a 4G dongle to access the Internet through SIM cards.

A

OORT has a smart hub, which is the first Bluetooth Smart hub on the market. It’s Bluetooth Smart/Wi-Fi based, which means that the hub can monitor and control every Bluetooth Smartenabled device in its vicinity, creating a really open and flexible ecosystem. We also have smart light bulbs, smart sockets and beacon trackers that can be controlled by our smart hub. We’re currently working on a device that has yet to be launched that can sense

OORT: The Smart Home Wizard Radek Tadajewski, CEO of OORT, started his own business at the age of 17 by selling electronic components and computer hardware. Now he is known as the wizard of the smart home. Through Bluetooth technology, he is transforming ordinary objects into something smart and connected. by Veronica Chen/Cindy Lin

Q A

What is your business model?

OORT is creating everything from modules to embedded software, hubs to cloud software, and more. In the short run, we’re going to focus on software and hardware. In the long run, we’re going to focus on software, a cloud platform and mobile apps. We decided to create our own hubs because previously no such hardware existed on the market. We don’t want to focus on adding new products of our own, but rely on third parties. If we see something interesting in the market, like Nest or Dropcam, we will integrate it. Our business has two pillars, B2C and B2B2C, where we cooperate with telcos, cable TVs, digital TV providers and energy companies. We’re focused mostly on utility providers, energy companies, telcos and set-top box producers. At the moment, we’re actually working with one of the biggest set-top box producers in Europe to transform existing set-top boxes

Bluetooth is included in millions of devices around the world, the ecosystem is in place Radek Tadajewski, CEO of OORT

into smart hubs. In the long run, we believe that consumers will have access to hubs for free from cable TV providers, for example. If our partners want to use our system, but not our interface, we would give them open APIs for integration, so we’re very focused on a B2B strategy. There’s a third pillar of our business, which is very interesting. I call it “transforming dumb products into smart ones”. We cooperate with manufacturers from Asia, the U.S. and Europe to transform existing products into smart ones by implementing our small Bluetooth controller. In the world of connected homes, you don’t necessarily need to invent something new.

Q

How did the company perform in terms of sales revenues in the past 2 years?

A

OORT was created in 2014. We’ve been growing quickly, and we see a tremendous opportunity. In the past, there were bubbles, like the dotcom bubble, because there was no larger value behind it. But here I see real value because I see that having connected devices means getting new features and new products. The market is growing rapidly and, in the long run, I think the smart home is going to change many different things and make our lives much easier.

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 69


Company

Shenzhen Orvibo Electronics Co., Ltd. has every reason to get hyped up. Viewed by many as the year of the smart home era, 2014 shook the world with slews of major buyouts and mergers, with Google and Nest making the head start earlier this year at a whopping sum of $3.2 billion. While festoons dangle and trumpets blow, Chinese makers are eagerly anticipating the big boys to help drive the world’s home automation market to new heights. Incepted in 2011, it took Orvibo three years to contemplate and to come up

There is a clad too many similar products with singular features on the market today. Mark Wang, CEO of Orvibo

with solutions that are widely promulgated within its business framework. The company has always believed that “simplicity, economy and safety” will help make smart home more attainable for the masses. “Simplicity is the key to driving smart home sales and services,” said Orvibo CEO Mark Wang.

Simplicity and Ease of Use Although home automation continues to grow in popularity, the market fails to reflect the momentum of demand and supply, often leaving smart home makers pondering over the credibility of this uptrend. “There is a clad too many similar products with singular

The view from China:

entering the “smart” hardware revolution Edited by Lingo Lin features on the market today,” Wang said, adding that they have yet to find the ‘killer feature’ to make a breakthrough. Innovations, lack of features and poor user experience have always been the bane of China smart home makers. Overshadowed by the lack of innovative features in both software and hardware, smart home devices in China generally fail to impress the average consumer, often hindering their successes on the market, according to Wang. “Not only do we provide an integrated solution to the smart home, bu t a ls o m eet

70 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

customers’ demands in simplicity, practicality and trend,” he proudly said. “Since 2013 Orvibo has introduced the concept of simplicity to our line of products, and so far it has generated positive responses from our adopters.”


Magazine The “Wow” Factor The Chinese giant Xiaomi has recently launched four smart home devices – Mi smart remote center, smart camera, Mi smart power plug, and smart light bulb. It is said that the devices will be deeply integrated with the smartphone Xiaomi. “There is already a sea of similar devices prior to Xiaomi’s launch of remote controllers and smart plugs. The market is now flooded with these products,” Wang lamented. “To date, they only take up a small portion of the market because demand for those devices is relatively slow.” In recent years smart makers in China have been shelling out a wide range of smart home devices at an unprecedented rate in a bid to grab the majority of the market share. However, Wang said this method is counterproductive as it floods the market with cheap, low-quality products. The key to staying sustainable is by simplifying the products and producing those that meet the demands of consumers. “What we need now is that ‘wow factor’. We must produce items that pack a punch.”

Provides In-depth & Unbiased Market Information

Worldwide

Smart Hardware Revolutionizing Home automation is all about simplicity, easy installation and interoperability. Moreover, connectivity also plays an important role for early adopters and suppliers. Protocols such as ZigBee, Wi-Fi and even Bluetooth are battling out for dominance in the smart home sector. “Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave and Bluetooth are certainly here to stay. When the dust settles, the question is not about who will prevail and who will be the leading standard of the future, but instead it falls back down to hardware,” said Wang. “As IoT continues to evolve and change the ways in which we live our lives, whether it’s online shopping or social media, we must make the most of it by finding new opportunities that surround it.” Although IoT may be on its early stages to have emerged in recent times, nothing is in the way to slow down its growth. Driven by miniaturization, the affordability of components such as Bluetooth sensors, and the growing ubiquity of technologies such as Wi-Fi, it is now possible to connect devices in a way that would never have previously been thought possible. “Similar to the IoT, smart hardware revolution is now brewing on the horizon, and homing in closer day by day,” said Wang. Although supply and demand doesn’t always balance out, and with the issue of a unified standard or integration still looming on the horizon, the smart home arena is nevertheless a hotly-contested battleground in which it will certainly remain in the game for many years to come.

For more information, please contact us at intl@newera. messefrankfurt.com or visit us at www.mfnewera.com

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 71


Company

brand of products which caters specifically to the intercom and security market. The challenges of networking smart devices and unifying services delivery in a coherent manner for the adoption of IoT are no easy tasks. Unitech is the smart systems expert with deep expertise born from over a decade of experience integrating RF devices across the Internet of Things.

Unitech has been a global provider of auto AIDC (automatic identification and data capture) technologies for over three decades, with products that include rugged handheld PDAs, industrial tablets, RFID readers, and among several others. Unlike those who focus on a single technology competency, Unitech understands that their RFID and IP-based services combined with solid IT infrastructure need to be interwoven and mutually supportive to create new business opportunities, thereby effectively utilizing their total-solution potential. Hence in 2010, Unitech has taken a step further by introducing its “Tashi”

Going Global: DIY vs. SI Unitech CEO Pete Chen said 2015 is another milestone year for Unitech to go global, both product portfolio and market penetration. It is unveiling series of new products targeted at SIs and VADs (value-added distributors.) The products include “Elfin Home & Community”, “Elfin T&A,” “MoboBell” for remote doorbell featuring apps for consumer smartphones and tablets, and

TASHI –The Smart Living Solution for the Masses By Lingo Lin “Rainbow”, a system management console. “Due to the stagnant US economy whereby new construction of apartments and condos are springing up everywhere, it is about the right time to enter the market,” Chen said. “For integrated smart home, most traditional main players in the US market are still in SIs, for single devices or sub-systems such as security, smart plugs, IP cameras, and so forth.” With regard to DIY products, Chen said that since these items are generally channeled directly towards end-users, having a strong backup support is crucial for smart home adopters, adding that he prefers to be well prepared before going head over heels.

Rainbow - A cloud-based device manager While the wider scope of the IoT continues to evolve in smart home application, having a remote device management platform featuring device status monitoring, update, and event notification is quickly becoming an essential element in home/office automation. Having perceived such trend, for a little 72 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

2015 is another milestone year for unitech to go global, both product portfolio and market penetration. Pete Chen, CEO of Unitech

over three years Unitech has been working on developing its own IoT-based local smart gateway to consolidate their burgeoning hardware prowess. In 2015, the company is unveiling the "Smart Gateway" as a gateway for specific markets including smart home, hotel, and healthcare. "Having our own platform will provide better flexibility when it comes to connectivity issues and it also fuels wider market integration in smart automation,” said Chen. “Besides our MoboBell app, we are also determined to bring Rainbow to the mass IOT market alongside our protocol service capability”

Smart Home Outlook According to recent statistics, the global market size for the smart home will have a GAGR growth of 18 percent in 2020, around $52 billion. “For Taiwan brand makers of smart home, the competition will be both the high-end and low-end markets. Unless we find a spot in between the two segments, the situation will be tough,” said Chen. China and South Korea actually entered the smart home market earlier while Taiwan has remained in the horizontal ICT industry, he added. “However, considering the scope of the application field, there is still room for us to compete in areas such as Web services, cloud computing, big data and IoT.”


Preview

Mobile World Congress 2015:

Standing at the cutting edge of the mobile technology revolution Touted to embody "The Edge of Innovation," and showcasing the most cutting-edge of the year's technological breakthroughs, the Mobile World Congress stands as a trade exhibition and conference that defines the trends of the mobile communications revolution. With coverage of industry sectors including wearable devices, connected cars and homes, and mobile technology, the 2014 event drew over 85,000 attendees.

Sponsored by the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) in Barcelona, Spain since 2006, the 4-day Mobile World Congress is a central pillar in the Mobile World Capital Barcelona initiative, which integrates the latest in mobile technologies into everyday industry and life applications across Barcelona, Catalonia, and Spain. With extensive support from the public and private sectors, the initiative aims to transform Barcelona into a benchmark city for new and emerging mobile technologies. The 2014 event drew a total of 85,916 attendees from 201 countries, with 11,658 attending the conference alone. Europeans were the most strongly represented demographic at the show, accounting for roughly 60% of the attendance; Spain alone contributed 21%, and the UK had a showing of 10%. 16% of the attendance came from North America, predominantly from the United States. 14% originated in the Asian-Pacific region, with Chinese and South Korean showings at 4% and 3%. The Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America contributed 5%, 3%, and 3% respectively. 55% of the total attendance held senior management positions within their organizations. Press and media presence at the show numbered at 3,909 attendees, representing over 1,700 organizations from 84 countries.

A Focus on the Connected Consumer The exhibition portion of the 2015 event will span 9 halls and 98,000 square meters of floor space – featuring an entourage of over 1,900 companies, including Ericsson, Huawei, LG, Microsoft Mobile, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony. Zones and pavilions dedicated to specific facets of the industry will be scattered throughout the exhibition space, with coverage of such topics as app development, green technology, cloud solutions, mobile money, wearables, and the Connected City – an immersive experience of everyday technological applications across the domains of automotive integration, health, transport, home, and retail. Highlights of the conference portion for the 2015 event include a focus on the experience of the connected consumer; paradigm shifts on the horizon, such as the emergence of the 5G mobile standard; the integration of mobile technologies within education and healthcare; and the landscape of the Internet of Things, among numerous others. Additionally, the Mobile World Congress will be hosting the 20th Anniversary Global Mobile Awards and the 4YFN (Four Years From Now) event, a

Mobile World Congress 2015 Dates: 2-5 March, 2015 City: Barcelona, Spain Locations: Fira Gran Via, Fira MontjuĂŻc Website: www.mobileworldcongress.com Organizer: Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA)

prospectus and business platform dedicated to discussions of innovation and the forging of relationships between startups and major industry players.

The Connected Home Smart home industry players that will be making a showing at the Mobile World Congress include the Japanese-based ELECOM, smart remote control developer Peel, and iControl Networks, which provides the Piper home security camera. Network solutions provider D-Link has also indicated that their offering this year will include a focus on smart home technologies. As an encore to their smart home exhibitions in the Mobile World Congress 2014, Chinese appliance manufacturer Haier and Taiwan-based Alpha Networks will also be returning to the show. Additionally, the AllSeen Alliance will be hosting a partner program event on Wednesday, March 4th. On the same day, the European Connected Health Alliance will be hosting 2nd Health & Wellness event, which covers connected healthcare services in the context of the smart home. January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 73


Show Calendar

2015 Worldwide Exhibitions and Events Related to Smart Home a&s SMAhome magazine provides bonus distribution at the checkmarked shows. Birmingham, AL, USA Connected World Conference

Barcelona, Spain Mobile World Congress

Connected World Conference in partnership with University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Center for to 24 Information Assurance and Joint Forensics Research (The Center) have teamed up to bring professionals together to discuss security and connected devices.

The world’s largest mobile industry exhibition and conference, gathering over 85,000 visitors from over 200 nations during to 5 its 2014 show. The event is hosted by Mobile World Capital Barcelona, which consolidates the city of Barcelona as a benchmark city and test-bed for cutting edge mobile technologies.

• +1 630 933 0844 • connectedworld.com/conference

• +44 20 7356 0616 • www.mobileworldcongress.com

Feb

23

MAR

2

Hannover, Germany CeBIT 2015

Hong Kong Hong Kong Electronics Fair – Spring

speakers and forward-looking panel discussions, and showcases product innovations from all over the world. Under the featured “d!conomy” theme, CeBIT 2015 is addressing the ubiquitous digitization that is ever more strongly shaping our workaday and personal lives.

A spring electronics fair serving the Asian region, covering the domains of audio and to 16 visual products, brand electronics, eco-friendly products, packaging and design, navigation systems, telecommunications products, certification services, and a variety of cutting-edge innovations.

• +49 511 89 33155 • www.cebit.de/home

• +852 1830 668 • www.hktdc.com/fair/hkelectronicsfairse-en

MAR

Boasting an IT show and a conference programme for professionals,

16 CeBIT defines the latest IT trends, presents talks by high-calibre to 20

Melbourne, Australia Connect APR

APR

13

Taipei, Taiwan Smart Home International Conference & Exhibition 2015

A large annual trade show

21 organised in partnership with to 22

APR

An annual expo for premium Asian

28 manufacturers and discerning

the Victorian Government in Melbourne, Australia, and run together with 10 business summits. The show is designed for business people to understand how the convergence of a number of technology megatrends are creating a perfect storm of disruption which will impact the way we live and do business in the future.

international buyers in home security, home control and connected home. The event is held by the publisher of a&s SMAhome magazine, Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media. Top 100 smart home manufacturers from Taiwan, China and Korea will be highlighted.

• +61 2 8908 8505 • www.con-nect.com.au

• +886 2 2659 9080 • www.secutech.com/15/SMAhome

to 30

List your exhibitions here if they are related to smart home. Email your show profile, website and a 60-word introduction to a&s SMAhome Editor: SMAhome-pr@newera.messefrankfurt.com 74 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


Taipei, Taiwan Computex Taipei

London, UK Smart Home World Summit

The world’s second largest ICT exhibition with a history of more than 3 decades. The to 6 show is a platform for key global businesses to launch new products, and to showcase the latest technologies, developments, and trends in the industry to international observers and media.

the event will bring together the entire ecosystem including telcos, connected home specialists, professional installation specialists, device manufacturers, retailers, utility companies, security providers, regulators, standard and protocol groups and technology providers.

• +886 2 2725 5200 • www.computextaipei.com.tw

• +44 207 017 5665 • www.smarthomeworldsummit2015.com

JUN

2

JUN

A two day conference focused on the opportunities and challenges

23 surrounding the provision of Smart Home technology and services; to 24

Baltimore, USA Electronic Security Expo (ESX) JUN

Melbourne, Australia INTEGRATE

A major trade show dedicated to serving the electronic security

24 integration and monitoring industry within the United States. to 26

AUG

Integrate is Australia's largest industry event for

25 leaders and professionals in AV and Systems to 27

Industry players such as dealers, integrators and monitoring professional attend the event to discover innovative opportunities and winning solutions to challenges in the industry.

Integration. Partnering with InfoComm International and CEDIA, it is the leading industry forum that brings together over 5,000 visitors.

• +1 770 432 8410 • www.esxweb.com

• + 61 2 9275 9200 • integrate-expo.com

Berlin, Germany IFA

Amsterdam, The Netherlands IBC

IFA is a global trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances, presenting the latest products to 9 and innovations. IFA offers a comprehensive overview of the international market and attracting trade visitors from more than 100 countries each year. IFA is the main meeting place for key retailers, buyers, and experts from the industry and the media.

IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) is the essential global meeting place for everyone engaged in creating, to 15 managing and delivering the future of electronic media and entertainment technology and content. The IBC Conference is held from Sep 10-14, 2015, whereas the IBC Exhibition is held from Sep 11-15, 2015.

SEP

4

• +49 30 3038 2220 • b2b.ifa-berlin.com

SEP

10

• +44 20 7832 4100 • www.ibc.org

Aside from the above,

SMAhome Magazine will also attend the following security shows. Security Show

03-06/03/2015

Tokyo, Japan

Safe Secure Pakistan

10-12/03/2015

Islamabad, Pakistan

Secutech India

12-14/03/2015

Mumbai, India

Protect 2015

23-24/03/2015

Metro Manila, Philippines

MIPS

13-16/04/2015

Moscow, Russia

ISC West 2015

15-17/04/2015

Las Vegas, U.S.A.

Secutech International

28-30/04/2015

Taipei, Taiwan

Expo Seguridad Mexico 2015

28-30/04/2015

Mexico City, Mexico January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 75


News

What Happened News, launches and views from the world of smart home in November and December 2014

CORPORATE

Nest Grows its Ecosystem by Working with 15 Companies Nest recently announced over 15 new 'Works with Nest' integrations. Devices that are coming soon with ‘Works with Nest’ include: Big Ass Fans (available in February); Beep Dial (available in February); ChargePoint Home EV (available in June); OSRAM/Lightify (available in March); Stack Bulbs (available in February); Whirlpool washer and dryer (available in April); Zuli Smartplugs (available in April). Current devices or companies that carry ‘Works with Nest’ include: August Smart Lock; Automatic Car Adapter; Insteon App; LG Applications; Lutron Gaseta Wireless App; Ooma Telo; Philips Hue; UniKey Kevo Smart Lock; Withings Aura Sleep System.

On your smart phone. Scan the QR code or see mySMAhome.com/news for more info.

CORPORATE

SmartThings Debuts New Hub and Sensors SmartThings has announced a new hub and sensors, including a new premium subscription service. The new hub includes a powerful processor and local app engine, builtin backup battery power, and expanded cellular connectivity options. It also includes additional protocols such as Bluetooth Smart. The new sensors are now one third the size of its first generation devices. Furthermore, SmartThings is also launching a new subscription service, bringing users the option of advanced home monitoring capabilities.

CORPORATE Corporate

Insteon Partners with Nest and HomeKit; Joins Thread Insteon has announced the partnerships with Works with Nest and Apple HomeKit for home management. Customers can now control their Nest thermostat with the Insteon Hub and the Insteon iOS or Android app. As with Apple, Insteon is offering a new HomeKit-enabled Insteon Hub, bringing Insteon switches, outlets, thermostats, and light bulbs into the HomeKit ecosystem. Meanwhile, it has joined Thread. It will have access to the Thread specifications, which are built on open standards and IPv6 technology with 6LoWPAN at its foundation, and will be able to certify and brand Thread-compliant products.

Icontrol Networks and Lowe's Offer More Smart Home Options Icontrol Networks has announced its partnership with Lowe's to offer more choices for customers who want to make their homes and lives smarter. Lowe's Iris smart home devices will be certified through Icontrol's OpenHome™ Developer Program, allowing these devices to work with Icontrol-powered solutions. Lowe's will also help customers determine product capability by featuring the OpenHome™ brand mark both online and in stores. An in-aisle electronic display will help customers sort products by OpenHome™ device compatibility and the service providers they use.

Corporate

ETS teams up with Lowe’s and Electrolux on Wireless PTAC Energy Technology Savings has announced a wireless PTAC pilot program with Lowe’s and Electrolux to test new heating and cooling units in multifamily, high-rise buildings. PTAC is a self-contained heating and air conditioning unit commonly found in hotels and condominium and rental buildings. The wireless HVAC units will enable building operations management and residents to better manage and reduce energy costs with smartphone mobile applications to control and schedule heating and air conditioning appliances.

76 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015


Corporate

Nest Partners with Electric Ireland for Free Nest Thermostats Nest announced that it is partnering with Electric Ireland to provide free Nest thermostats for households that sign on for a 2-year contract-subsidy deal for utilities with Electric Ireland. "This is just like the cell phone industry. We always thought it was going to be much more mobile-phone driven. You have a service and a carrier, and you have products that bond to that," said Nest Labs CEO and founder Tony Fadell.

Corporate

GE Helps U.K. Utilities Meet Smart Metering Requirements GE’s Digital Energy business has announced to help U.K. utilities meet new government requirements mandating smart meters in every home. GE’s SGM1300 IEC smart electricity meter will provide utilities with the advanced metering infrastructure to provide on-time, reliable and accurate billing information to their customers. GE's meters will aid U.K. utilities transform the delivery of electricity to homes and businesses and give consumers greater control over their energy consumption and costs.

CORPORATE

Qualcomm and LIFX Collaborate to Deliver Smart Lighting Platform CORPORATE

Intel Partners with ADT for RealSense 3D Camera Technology According to the latest report published by seekingalpha.com titled “Intel RealSense Technology Powers up Home Security,” Intel is crossing over the boundary to partner with security mammoth ADT for its home security RealSense 3D camera technology. “We are taking RealSenseTM and True KeyTM to bring a vision of the future to your front door,” announced Intel CEO Brian Krzanich during the Intel Keynote speech at CES 2015. Krzanich presented Intel’s latest wireless authentication technology on stage with a demo girl entering the front door of her home using a mobile device and face recognition.

Qualcomm and LIFX have announced to deliver a turnkey Wi-Fi based smart lighting platform to accelerate the development of connected lighting. The platform consists of a Lighting Connectivity Module (LCM) and complete LED bulb design. Both use Qualcomm Atheros’ Wi-Fi solution (the QCA4002) to connect lighting systems directly to a home’s Wi-Fi network without the need for a hub or translator. Manufacturers can easily turn their products into smart lights by integrating the LCM, while manufacturers entering the segment for the first time can leverage the complete LED bulb design.

Corporate

SNUPI Technologies Unveils Sensor Integration with Nest SNUPI Technologies has announced that its WallyHome product will work with the Nest Learning thermostat. The integration highlights the practical benefits of pairing smart home devices with a simple way to maintain a more intelligent, efficient and comfortable home. WallyHome's multifunction wireless sensors measure temperatures in locations placed around the home, resulting in comfort in the rooms that really matter. As part of the integration, a dedicated Nest scheduler in the Wally Dashboard can now be used with WallyHome and the Nest Thermostat to help optimize the ideal temperature in multiple rooms for whole-home comfort.

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 77


News

CORPORATE

CORPORATE

Bosch Sensortec has launched the BME680 environmental sensor for mobile devices such as air quality measurement, personalized weather stations, indoor navigation, fitness monitoring, and home automation. The sensor is equipped with both I2C and SPI communication interfaces, three power modes and oversampling rates for pressure and temperature measurements. Bosch has announced the Z-Wave home control gateway to allow B-Series control panels to be connected with Z-Wave devices including lighting controls, door locks, temperature sensors, IP cameras, and more.

Silicon Image has announced that Qualcomm has made a $7 million investment in their new subsidiary, Qterics, for a 7% ownership interest. Qterics will be focused on enabling solutions and services for Internet-enabled consumer products including TVs, mobile handsets, tablets, routers, home automation devices, white goods and more. Qterics is comprised of the UpdateLogic services business combined with other related Silicon Image assets, including software and other intellectual property (IP). Qualcomm and Silicon Image are working on the AllJoyn open source software framework and developing new Internet of Everything (IoE) services.

Bosch Launches Sensor and Z-Wave Gateway

Qualcomm Invests in Silicon Image's New Subsidiary

CORPORATE

ADT Pulse in Talks with Google Nest for Partnership CORPORATE

STMicroelectronics Works with August for Smart Lock Market STMicroelectronics has announced that its STM32 microcontroller is powering the August Smart Lock home-access control system. The embedded STM32 microcontroller gives August Smart Lock users access to their home’s door lock from a smartphone or computer without needing a key. In addition to providing the 32-bit performance and processing capacity required for secure signal processing, the STM32 microcontroller delivers real-time responsiveness and efficiency. The August Smart Lock powered by the STM32 is a device that revolutionizes a familiar home function.

CORPORATE

Audio Analytic Offers Sound Recognition for Swann Audio Analytic has announced that it will provide its patented sound recognition technologies for Swann's forthcoming SwannOne Home Security Solution and Cloud Video Recording (CVR) products. Audio Analytic monitors audio events, automatic parsing and sound detection, such as baby cries, car alarms, smoke alarms, breaking glass, gun shots, and aggression. It will provide SwannOne SoundView Camera with prompt alerts to remote mobile devices as well as realtime video streaming.

78 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

ADT held a talk with Google Nest last December regarding a potential partnership to integrate the Works with Nest ecosystem with ADT's Z-Wave Pulse home security and automation platform. The move follows the recent initiation of a partnership between the Pulse platform and IFTTT. According to recent reports, ADT Pulse is presently offered to end-users as a premium security service. Given to the Works with Nest ecosystem, it is likely to be placed as a more expensive extension to Nest's existing premium Dropcam cloud recording service.

CORPORATE

Zonoff Raises $31.8M in Series B Funding Zonoff has announced $31.8 million in Series B funding. The round was a mixture of strategic and venture investment, including current Zonoff investors Grotech Ventures and Valhalla Partners. The close of this Series B round of funding brings Zonoff's total funding to $35.6 million. "We're excited to reach this next milestone in our progress," explained co-founder and CEO Mike Harris. "This investment validates our approach in building a software platform for our channel partners, who in turn, have deep and trusted ties with consumers through their brand relationship."


January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 79


Product

Door solution

Energy management

Chamberlain

Impecca

www.chamberlain.com

www.impeccausa.com

Notifi

• Smartphone-connected video door chime featuring easy installation • Combine motion detection, lights, door chime, notification and communication in one smart device • Install LED bulb and video camera by replacing current light bulb and mounting camera to front door light housing • Install wireless switch control over current light switch to keep constant power to the video camera • Mount wireless push button on exterior door frame • Sync camera to smartphone app to complete video setup

HAT365W Wi-Fi Timer • Turn on/off appliances and electronic devices remotely from a smartphone or tablet via Wi-Fi connectivity • Multiple settings: can program appliances such as lamps and other electronic devices for year round • Dusk to dawn function • Daylight saving mode • Count down timer • Compatible with Android and iOS operating systems Smappee

Smappee

Email: info@smappee.com

AMROAD

AMROAD P9 www.amroad.com.tw

• Entryphone with call preview: open doors through controlled locks and display live video feed when someone presses the doorbell • Video communication with community members and neighbors • Record video notes for family members • Medical emergency alarm can be sent to user-defined contacts with a single press of the button • Connect with end devices such as Amroad I/O Controller to receive and send I/O signals, regular wall switches to ring the bell without additional SIP services, and additional push buttons to send medical emergency request from any place inside the house

80 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

• Detect abnormal consumption immediately • Identify and illustrate past and real-time energy usage and costs of household appliances in charts and tables with the Smappee app • All energy consumption data is anonymous and secure for guaranteed privacy • Flexible settings for automatic on/off depending on location, consumption, daytime and appliance activities • Support Homekit and IFTTT to make appliances respond to each other • Can measure solar production with an additional sensor   iDevices

iDevices Switch

Email: support@idevicesinc.com

• Wi-Fi enabled and plug directly into an electrical outlet • Manage appliances such as lamps, fans, humidifiers, Christmas lights and stereos • Integration of HomeKit allows for unique features such as controlling HomeKit-enabled accessories using Siri • Remote access via a custom IoT cloud without the need for an additional hub • Customizable nightlight with unlimited color combinations • Create custom events and schedules through the iDevices Connected app to fit user's lifestyle


Home Camera Branto

Branto Branto.co

• 360-degree Wi-Fi HD camera • Night vision • Motion sensor for detecting trespassers • Self-powered even during blackout • Built-in microphone for hearing a shattering glass • Receive instant notification as the motion sensor tracks any suspicious activity. • Play online radios, Last.FM, iTunes or Google Play music Gigaset

Gigaset elements camera www.gigaset.com

Panasonic

Home/Baby Monitoring Indoor Camera www.panasonic.com

• Long range (300m/1000ft) by DECT technology • Quad view • Record videos upon motion detection • Night vision • Two-way communication • Select detection area • Sound/temperature/motion detection • Play 5 lullabies Vivitar

IPC220 CaptureCam Email: support@sakar.com

• Two-way audio communication • Plug-and-play Wi-Fi setup • Connect up to 10 cameras at once • Compatible with iOS or Android mobile device • Support remote monitoring with iOS or Android mobile devices

• Support Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity • HD 720p video quality up to 30 FPS • 1 megapixel 0.25-inch CMOS image sensor with automatic white balance • 30 infrared LEDs with an illumination range of up to 15 meters • Field of view: 80° in the horizontal; 45° in the vertical • Use WPA2 encryption and directly transmit the data to the Gigaset elements cloud • Direct access to the camera via Gigaset elements app on iOS and Android smartphones

Senzo

iON Cameras

Senzo Smart Switch SZ203-Combo

SnapCAM

Email: support@ion-america.com

• Wearable social imaging camera with an incorporated OmniVision processor • Capture 8-megapixel photos and record HD videos at 720p resolution at 30FPS; live streaming available • Videos and photos are saved to the micro-SD card or to the smartphone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi • With the iON SnapCam app, upload videos and photos to the cloud or share them via social apps

Lighting Email: support@senzo.com.my

• Support IR and RF 434MHz wireless communications for light control by handheld remote, smartphone, PC and Internet • Built-in 24-hour timer & delay timer • Night light for easy use in the dark • All switches can be locked to prevent unauthorized usage • Light/dimmer control • Operation distance: 25 meters (indoor), 40 meters (outdoor)

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 81


Product

Emberlight

Water Hero

Email: hello@emberlight.co

www.waterhero.us

Emberlight

Water Hero

• Plug and play for easy installation • No hub required. Connect to your existing Wi-Fi router • Automate based on Bluetooth proximity • Control one or many lights with a single touch • Support preset moods • Use any incandescent, dimmable CFL/LED bulb for dimming • Designed to work with all global main voltages and frequencies (up to 265V) • Free iOS and Android app

Sensor

• Include a Flow Sensor that straps onto the municipal water meter and an Auto Shut Off Motor that clamps over the existing ball-valve shut off • Leak detection and freeze warning • Auto shutoff • Track and compare water usage • Battery backup • Standard App for programming of the leak detection preferences remotely from smartphones or browser; Premium App for text alerts, 24x7 access to water usage data, temperature and humidity data and analytics

MonDevices

Others

MonBaby

Email: contact@mondevices.com

• The smart sensor on the smart button detects the faintest movements caused by baby's breathing • Track the baby’s breathing rate, movement level and sleep position • Transmit important alerts to the smartphone if babies stop breathing, roll on her stomach, fall or are removed from her proximity • Attach to any article of clothing through patented MonSnap technology • Send real-time updates of your baby’s breathing, movement and sleep stats directly to your smartphone • Support Bluetooth technology

SMARTQSINE

SMARTQSINE

Email: sales@smartqsine.com

sevenhugs

• The system is made of a Pad, and an associated smartphone/tablet application • Monitor the remaining amount of goods placed on top • A message can be sent to a trusted grocery store guy when something is almost finished. Set an alarm to alert users for a specific time, or for when you approach a certain location (like your home or shop) when something is below a certain level

Email: contact@seven-hugs.com

Petnet

hugOne

• Include one hugOne and two minihugs sensors • Sleep monitoring sensor to monitor sleep quality and track sleep cycles • Temperature sensor, humidity sensor, volatile organic compound meter, and sleep monitoring sensor • Alarm for identifying the best moment in the sleep cycle to wake the user up • Real-time notifications on your mobile device for events • Compatible with Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n • Connect to smart bulbs to enable different lighting scenes like sunset, sunrise and night lights 82 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015

SmartFeeder www.petnet.io

• Remote feeding: Control pet feeding from a smartphone, tablet or laptop; feeding schedules can be adjusted in realtime • Automated schedules: Manage feeding times, portion sizes, and food dispensing speed • Feeding insights: Ensure the pet is getting the right amount of the right food • Alerts and notifications: Receive notifications on smartphones about feeding times, food inventory, and battery life


Altyor Group

Edyn

email: contact@nodon.fr

www.edyn.com

ID-RF NodOn Home Automation Suite • Communicate bidirectionally via energy harvesting wireless radio at 902MHz • Soft Remote Switch: wireless and batteryless controller for lights, blinds, plugs or any kind of EnOcean-based device that can be switched on/off or dimmed; integrates EnOcean electromechanical energy converter • Smart Plug: allows wireless control of electrical devices by using an EnOcean-compliant home automation gateway or Soft Remote Switch; detects power outage when combined with a home automation gateway • Indoor Opening Sensor and Indoor Temperature Sensor: solar-powered; heating can be turned on/off based on the status of windows/doors

Edyn Garden System • Wi-Fi enabled and solar powered • Include Edyn Garden Sensor, Edyn Water Valve, and Edyn App • Real-time monitoring of humidity, light, and temperature conditions as well as soil's electrical properties • Provide reports and tailored suggestions for maximizing plant health • Garden Sensor pushes live data to the Edyn cloud and mobile devices • Know the weather forecast • Water Valve allows automatic watering only when necessary based on sensor data or manual control from the Edyn App Pella

Insynctive Bridge www.pella.com

Cubic Robotics

Cubic

Email: cubic@cubicrobotics.com

• Include Home Cube for running the house, Power Badge for control from anywhere, and Cubic app for the mobiles • Control devices, apps, and services by speaking to Cubic (voice recognition from up to 25 feet) • Give traffic updates, read emails, play music, order delivery, read instructions while the user cooks, and perform other tasks • Cubic Intelligence Core learns the user’s favorite topics, sense of humor, and more • Mobile app for iOS and Android Pronto

Pronto

Email: sales@prontocontrol.com.

• Turn your iPhone into a smart universal remote control for TVs, set-top boxes, DVD, Blueray and more • Bluetooth Smart pairing via smartphones or tablets and with multiple users • Support Bluetooth Smart and IR connectivity • One-year battery life • 5.76 oz (163g) in weight including batteries • Red LED indicator • Receive personalized content recommendations with Peel Smart Remote App

• The wireless communication hub that connects Pella Insynctive products to STATUS INDICATOR or a compatible security or home automation system • In stand-alone mode, BRIDGE will beep twice (if chime is enabled) when Pella Insynctive SENSORS within the system change to opened or unlocked status • Can work with Z-Wave home automation system, supporting operation range up to 50 feet in close proximity to Z-Wave gateway • Easy installation by plugging it into electrical outlet • Frequency: 433.92 MHz (Insynctive), 908.42 MHz (Z-Wave) • Typical battery life: 4 to 6 hours eGeeTouch

eGeeTouch Smart Luggage Lock Email: info@egeetouch.com

• Comply with Transport Security Administration (TSA) requirements • Support Near Field Communication (NFC) to avoid unwanted hijacking Over-The-Air (OTA) transmissions • Proprietary Intelligent Encryption Technology capable of generating over 100millions encrypted code combinations • IP44 certified for water splashproof & freezeproof • Multiple access methods: factory pre-paired NFC smart tag, pre-paired NFC tag sticker (e.g. stick on wallet), NFC-enabled user’s own mobile devices, USB On-The-Go, and backup mechanical key • Backup power through USB 2.0 connectivity • LED light and audible buzzer notification of locking and unlocking status

January/February 2015 mySMAhome.com 83


Stats & Figure Scan the QR code or see mySMAhome.com/market for more info.

The Global Home Automation and Control Market between 2014 and 2020 The market was worth $5.77 Billion in 2013 and is expected to reach $ 12.81 Billion by 2020; the market is projected to grow at an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.36% between 2014 and 2020.

$

5.77 billion

Year 2013 $

12.81 billion

Year 2020

Source: MarketsandMarkets

The Global HEM Products & Services Grow 4-fold

$

2400

On your smart phone.

Germany, Spain & U.K. most willing to adopt the smart home As a fertile ground for mass adoption and development, the three aforementioned countries find smart home systems appealing, with safety and convenience as the key motivators of interest. Smoke detection and smart door/window sensors currently stand at the top of adoption pyramid. Early adopters in Germany, Spain and the U.K. posed 10 to 35 percent of the willingness to make a smart home purchase. The observation indicates that effort is still needed to educate the public about smart home.

million

th

The report examines regional and ow gr d l global HEM trends, with an emphasis fo 4on products and services along a continuum of five segments: paper bills, web portals, standalone HEM systems, in-home displays (IHDs), $ and networked HEM systems. Global million revenue attributed to HEM products and services is expected to grow Year 2013 Year 2023 from $586.9 million in 2013 to Source: Navigant Research $2.4 billion in 2023.

586.9

Light bulbs to be the best seller in next 12 months U.S. broadband households' intention to buy smart home devices in next 12 months

7%

adoption of home security systems

24%

adoption of home security systems

16%

adoption of home security systems Source: Park Associates

SMART THERMOSTATS

had the highest penetration of any smart device in 2014. Source: Park Associates

72%

of professional security dealers report offering smart home features with traditional security offerings. Source: Park Associates

Source: Park Associates

84 mySMAhome.com January/February 2015




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