13 minute read
INSTALL PIONEER
DAN’S THE MAN
As Dan Feldstein takes up the mantle of President and CEO at Crestron Electronics, the company that his father (George Feldstein) founded, he takes on our in-depth Q&A in the latest of our Install Pioneer series.
Tell us about your early years at Crestron, what was your experience like?
From my childhood, through adolescence, and into my first years working post-college, Crestron has always been part of my story. I joined Crestron full-time in 1994. At the time, Windows applications were just starting to proliferate and there were no college classes that focused on them so it was completely new to me. We had one person teaching himself how to write Windows applications. I began to work with him, and we learned together. Once I became proficient, my first major Windows application was SIMPL Windows, which is still used today. Writing that application gave me a unique understanding of the inner workings of the SIMPL programming language. That led me to be part of the firmware team that wrote the logic engine for the 2-series control processors which is the basis for control processors to this day.
Did it help or hinder being the founder’s son?
I’ve been the son of Crestron’s founder for my entire life, not just my entire working life, and thus I’ve received decades of first-hand exposure to technology engineering that I consider instrumental in getting me to where I am today. From when I was a young kid, I dreamed of working at Crestron because, like my dad, I love to invent, which led me to become an engineer. That passion is the most important benefit I received from being his son.
How much have things changed since you started?
Our core identity as an engineering company is one thing that I can tell you has not changed, as Crestron is still very much technology driven. We’re big picture thinkers. We want to understand why a customer wants to see a feature added to a particular device, or what pain points are driving a request for new software functionality. By thinking holistically about the experiences our customers are after and the end results they’re trying to achieve, we can engineer whole solutions to whole problems, rather than constantly patching up piecemeal components.
Tell us about some of the company’s best and most significant milestones that you have been involved with.
In 2002 we were looking to implement a company-wide ERP system to manage our continuing growth. Few people had the software experience and the historical Crestron knowledge I had so I volunteered to run the project. We chose SAP as our platform and I led the team through the implementation process, which took nearly nine months. This project provided me with an incredible sightline to all aspects of the business since I had to work with every department to successfully deploy the system. From there, I got to work across the company overseeing IT, HR, Payroll, Accounting, Legal and Facilities most recently as Crestron’s COO.
What is the company working on right now as next step developments?
Crestron’s history as the leader in both enterprise technology and home automation means that no other company is as well-suited to making the home office feel like an equal part of the enterprise. That is one of our main focuses right now and in 2022 we’ll be building onto many of the foundational home office solutions we released in 2021, like the Crestron Microsoft Teams Desk Phone. Products like this will allow traditionally residential-focused integrators to expand their product offering to include workplace solutions as well, since if hybrid work is to work, we’ll need home offices to enjoy the same technology infrastructures that traditional offices have.
Do you have a favourite piece of tech/functionality/software that is being worked on right now?
Without revealing products yet to be announced, one thing I can share with you is my excitement on each of the ways we’re continuing to build out our distributed media portfolio to satisfy each level of consumer or channel need. Just last month (November 2021), we launched yet another SKU within that product family and we are far from done working on improving the way people experience their homes.
With Crestron Home, one of the debates has been around Crestron programmers, what part and what future do these longterm partners have to play now and in the future?
Crestron Home is great for a vast majority of home systems, and it allows people to have an amazing home automation experience that previously would have been cost prohibitive. However, there will always be the elite home and yacht projects that require a complete custom design and program. The ability to handle these unique projects is something that makes Crestron special and we couldn’t do it without our incredibly talented programmer partners. Crestron has always viewed our programmer partners as invaluable parts of the greater True Blue Support team effort to bring residential customers a more convenient and comfortable way to live. We will continue to onboard and certify new CSPs and keep existing ones up to date with regular ‘Masters Classes’ and other trainings.
What do you feel the automation industry in general has to offer in terms of making homes and buildings more efficient as we look to de-carbonise?
Much of the beauty of automation is that through technology we are able to improve our own experience of our homes or buildings while simultaneously optimising the rates at which they consume energy. Not only is it convenient and comforting to have smart shades raise themselves with the sun on a set schedule, but it is also energy-efficient to have those shades communicate their status to the home or building’s smart thermometer, which can adjust itself accordingly to offset the welcoming of the sun’s natural light and warmth. As everyone tries to de-carbonise their lifestyles, having automation solutions do some of the legwork on their own is a great help.
Give us your vision for Crestron over the next five years - what impacts on the market is it going to deliver?
Crestron has always considered itself a technology company driven by a desire to understand not just what our customers are saying, but why they are saying it. That approach allows us to engineer whole technology ecosystems that are built from the ground up to meet users’ needs. Recognising that every homeowner has their own unique space and that every enterprise has its own workflows, preferences, and needs, Crestron identifies pain points first and creates solutions to specifically solve them. We will continue to operate that way moving forward as we expand our solutions for the home and workplace, leveraging our strengths as a privately held family business to further bolster and support our invaluable dealer channel. We feel Crestron has done a successful job of building out our network of people at the same pace we’ve built out our product portfolios, so the next five years are less about dramatic change and more about converting and nurturing every opportunity we’ve already set ourselves up for.
Have you still got the soldering iron you got for your 12th birthday?
I do. In fact, I had to use it recently. I had a small appliance at my house fail and a replacement was unavailable due to supply chain issues. I took it apart and found a broken wire and after re-soldering the connection, it’s working just fine.
Software or hardware? Or can’t you choose which one you like the best?
When I was young, I loved tinkering with hardware. When my father brought home a Commodore Pet computer when I was about 10, which he no longer needed at Crestron, I began learning to program in BASIC and I began to develop a passion for computers. Creating a hardware solution is probably the most satisfying, but writing software and immediately seeing the results gives instant gratification. In my early career I was focused on software development but what I truly love is the ability to write code that interacts with the real world through hardware devices.
Crestron crestron.com
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HOW TO OVERCOME SMART HOME HESITANCY
Snap One CEO John Heyman offers some insight into selling the concept of smart homes.
Builders and homeowners today are increasingly interested in installing home technologies, and for good reason: integrated smart home systems are more capable and easier to use than ever before. For professional smart home integrators, every homebuyer and home builder is a potential client.
Pros know, however, that knowledge about smart home technologies varies widely, from those who envision a plethora of automated systems all working together on a custom schedule to those who believe asking a voice-activated device what the weather’s like is the height of technological innovation.
So how do we convey the message that a truly useful smart home system requires professional design and installation when potential clients can buy something like a $100 smart lighting kit at a hardware store? It all comes down to explaining the real-life experience, instead of praising technical features.
EVERYONE WANTS TO BE COMFORTABLE
User experience is the most important aspect of any purchase, and it is especially important for items intended to be used for years or decades. For smart home systems, user experience includes everything from aesthetics and reliability to overall functionality and options to upgrade or expand in the future. To determine what experience they want, we must identify specific features or activities the client wants to invest in, whether it’s lighting, climate controls, AV, security, access or the ability to use voice control in every room.
If they express interest in gadgets from big box stores, a few simple questions can highlight the drastic differences to professional smart home systems. Do they want each room to require multiple remotes or apps that don’t work together, so they constantly have to switch between security, garage doors, lights, music, etc…? Or
do they want a seamless experience where one app controls everything, every room has the same controls and functions, and all the different systems communicate perfectly with each other?
TECHNOLOGY SHOULD JUST WORK, EVERY TIME
Delivering an optimal user experience requires working with an integrator whose expertise ensures proper system design, installation, user tutorials, maintenance and troubleshooting. Again, it’s all about experience. Do potential clients want their home to be outfitted by a trusted professional with vast technology experience, or do they want to do their own research and try to cobble together a few basic products from big box stores?
The hope is that showing images or videos of past projects, or giving a demo or showroom walkthrough, can help clients recognise that the power of a fully integrated system overshadows what’s possible from DIY solutions. Even if the client only wants a smart doorbell and a couple security cameras, we should make sure they know that in the future, that system may be incompatible with other systems, and that an integrated solution will be better if they have any interest in adding more technology down the line.
Connecting with the clients’ specific desires is crucial to demonstrating the full value and power of integrated solutions. Whether they are music or TV buffs, host a lot of parties, travel a lot or absolutely love voice control, we can specify exactly how a professional smart home system will enhance their home experience, and explain the limits and complications of DIY solutions if they ask.
THESE AREN’T YOUR PARENTS’ SMART HOME SYSTEMS
For clients who have prior experience with smart systems, the recent advances in capabilities, reliability and ease of use make these conversations and demos even more important. In short, past experiences do not reflect the current realities.
To win over skeptical clients, we can rely on the experience they desire, explaining how a professional system ensures that controls are consistent from room to room, that the home can be operated through a single mobile app or wall controls, and that we know how to make everything work together seamlessly. Currently, there is no DIY solution that provides easy, consolidated control of disparate systems with any reliability. We can also stress the importance of using trusted manufacturers that won’t end product support unexpectedly, and convey our personal ability to provide ongoing maintenance or troubleshooting, just like an electrician or plumber.
Physically using a professional system interface versus a DIY interface can be a lightbulb moment. This gets to the core of the homeowner experience and allows integrators a simple way to show how much better and more reliable a professional solution is. It can be as simple as opening a smart home app and letting them quickly navigate to lights, TV, security and climate controls, then giving them a more basic DIY app and noting the limitations and separate apps needed to have the same level of control.
DISPELLING THE DIY MYTH
If a client isn’t sold by hands-on testing and insists that a DIY system could work for them, it’s worth offering a comparison. If the client tried to build their own laptop with individual components and no assistance, would it end up being as good as a leading model designed and built by professionals? Would it be frustrating to constantly troubleshoot? And if a component didn’t work correctly, would there be anyone to help fix it?
If all a client wants is to add remote control to a single light switch or install a video doorbell, one-off solutions can do that. If they want all the lights in a room to be scheduled and controllable together, however, or to view their doorbell camera on their TV and have intercom capabilities through their phone, a consolidated solution is required to ensure smooth operation.
Integrators must strive to provide the best experience possible for every client, and one way to gain their trust is to express their own professional experience with the systems they trust. The more we talk about the user experience in the home and our professional experience installing successful, reliable home systems, the more we can help potential clients understand that these are complex installations, just like other core infrastructure systems. We can acknowledge that DIY solutions exist while noting their severe limitations, and then pivot to explain how easy and capable a professional home automation system is. By demonstrating the superior user experience our expertise enables, we can dispel the DIY myth and help clients achieve their smart home dreams with unprecedented power and reliability.
Underlining the step change in performance from DIY systems to proper integration is key
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