ALL CHANGE?

Joe Roberts, CEO, RTI, offers his insight into the world of automation in the home and ligh-commercial sectors.

The control and automation industry is always dynamic. And one of the big changes over the years has been in system programming. There was a time (not that long ago) when integrating components required a highly skilled programmer to write line-level code. Companies like RTI, with our Integration Designer APEX platform, have dramatically simplified this time-consuming task. With auto programming and drag-and-drop interface editing, adding buttons and functionality that used to take hours to program, now can be completed in a matter of minutes, and can be personalised by any integrator with a basic understanding of interface design. For the average project, programming can be handled quickly with exceptional results.

This is important in the COVID era, where retrofit opportunities for integrators in the residential space abound. Whether it’s adding a home office, an outdoor living space, or a wholehome audio system, homeowners are investing in making time spent at home more enjoyable. However, due to health concerns, they don’t want technicians in their homes any longer than necessary, so the ability to quickly and easily program a system is key.

But simple-to-deploy options doesn’t mean the role of the high-level programmer is dead. At RTI, we have been careful not to let ease-ofuse take away any of our platform’s power or personalisation capabilities — integrators can incorporate virtually any device into a residential or commercial system and completely customize any control interface. The RTI platform allows integrators to write highly specific code for complex customized installations, particularly important for integrators in the ‘resimercial’ space.

The blending of inside and outside space in residential and commercial settings is a clear trend

RESIMERCIAL

As the world begins to open back up, integrators can expect to see numerous opportunities in the commercial sector as businesses take measures to adjust to our ‘new normal.’ For many of them, these measures will reimagine and reconfigure existing spaces. We’re already seeing this in bars and restaurants with the creation of outdoor dining areas that take advantage of whatever space is available — whether it’s a sidewalk or a parking lot. In an effort to recreate the indoor ambiance in a safe environment, these outdoor spaces typically add lighting and audio systems, with heaters to keep guests comfortable in cooler weather. The move outside is a boon for integrators — not only in terms of installing AV and lighting technologies, but in integrating them into existing control and automation systems. This integration makes it simple for staff to control the outdoor environment, while allowing its technologies to be included in ‘opening’ and ‘closing’ routines.

In most retail and office environments, setting up shop outside isn’t an option, so we can expect to see indoor spaces reconfigured to minimize crowding. For example, big-box stores have traditionally placed their displays together in one area, where customers can gather to view and compare them. To reduce gatherings, these displays will likely need to be spread out, which can also create new digital signage opportunities. The same principle applies in the office. Instead of filling a conference room with employees, a small number of ‘presenters’ can physically attend the meeting while the remainder watch on displays located throughout the office. In both instances, the key to spreading out displays will be using flexible, cost-effective video distribution technologies to deliver content from a wide range of sources — from video conferencing solutions to set-top boxes. Integrators are perfectly positioned to meet this need, and RTI is supporting them with new video matrix and video over IP (VIP) systems. These integrate video distribution seamlessly into control and automation systems, making it effortless for staff to send any content source to any display or group of displays. And as in residential projects, the ability to quickly program these systems and move on to the next job will be essential.