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ESSENTIAL NEWS
Z-WAVE ALLIANCE SURPASSES 4,000 CERTIFIED DEVICES
Z-Wave says it continues to dominate as the SubGHz smart home standard and shows no signs of slowing down.
The Z-Wave Alliance, the standards development organisation dedicated to advancing the smart home and Z-Wave technology, has announced that the Z-Wave product ecosystem has surpassed 4,000 certified devices. HOPPE AG is the Alliance member that hit that magic milestone which comes on the heels of the Z-Wave Alliance announcing that the first Z-Wave Long Range (Z-Wave LR) certified devices are hitting the market for implementation into smart home systems.
“Z-Wave has been at the forefront of smart home technology and a champion of security, interoperability, and backwards compatibility for over two decades,” says Mitch Klein, Executive Director of the Z-Wave Alliance. “Our recent bevy of announcements – ratification as a Standards Development Organisation (SDO), the addition of new board members, the first Z-Wave LR Certified devices, and now growth of the Z-Wave ecosystem to over 4,000 devices – all indicate that Z-Wave continues to innovate and advance the smart home market and shows no signs of slowing down.”
Interoperability between Z-Wave products is the cornerstone of the Z-Wave technology standard; interoperability is only achieved through testing and certification. Certification ensures all Z-Wave devices – regardless of brand, manufacturer, and chip generation – all work harmoniously with each other to deliver on the promise of the interoperable and backwards compatible smart home. Certification of devices to Z-Wave standards is required as part of the Trademark and Distribution License agreement for all Z-Wave Alliance members and every device must pass a series of tests to ensure that is it compliant prior to the device being marketed or sold commercially.
Z-Wave Alliance z-wavealliance.org
PMC PROVIDES LOST TRACKS ON ELTON JOHN’S ‘MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER’ ANNIVERSARY RELEASE
PMC’s Founder and Chairman, Peter Thomas, has come to the rescue with seven long-lost demo tracks for the 50th anniversary release of Elton John’s 1971 album Madman Across The Water, enabling a collector’s dream of a full album of demos to be assembled for the first time.
Peter was contacted by Elton John’s record label, Universal Music Group, following his previous assistance with supply of a track for the Record Store Day re-release of Elton’s first US album. For this 50th anniversary re-release of Madman Across The Water, Universal wanted to create a full album’s worth of demo tracks, to give die-hard fans a real insight into the creative process that went into the creation of the songs.
A long-time collector of Elton John’s early work, Peter has a vast collection of his music, including many rare and unusual versions of songs and albums, which he curates as part of the PMC music archives.
“After the release of earlier Elton John box sets, I contacted Universal to let them know I had in the PMC archives collection a number of never-beforereleased demo tracks that I had acquired from contacts at Trident Studios, where this album was recorded,” says Peter. “They were interested in including some of the tracks from my Elton John collection for future releases and took one for the 2020 Record Store Day release.
“I was delighted when they contacted me again during the compilation of this new anniversary box set to enquire whether I could assist. Of course, I was happy to help and was able to provide seven tracks, including the piano demo of the future hit Tiny Dancer.”
“These are not take 30 or 40, but the very first recordings made of these tracks,” commented Peter. “It’s a real treat for fans to hear them in their raw, unrefined form, before the outstanding production work by Gus Dudgeon, and Paul Buckmaster’s arrangements, turned them into the two-times Platinum album we all love.”
Peter was also able to supply very rare items of memorabilia for inclusion in a 104-page coffee table book that forms part of the box set release.
PMC Speakers pmc-speakers.com
In appreciation of his assistance in this exciting project Thomas and PMC are credited on the album sleeve and souvenir book
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INDIGOZEST JOIN FORCES WITH SOUND ENVIRONMENT
IndigoZest has announced a merger with Sound Environment, a leading smart home supplier and Control4 dealer.
Established in 2000, Sound Environment are experts in creating bespoke, integrated, automation systems for homes and businesses, building strong and long-standing relationships with clients and suppliers.
Combining over 40 years’ experience, this merger will enable IndigoZest to provide continued service and support for all existing Sound Environment clients and projects, as well as the development of new projects. Increasing service offering, clients will also be able to benefit from IndigoZests concierge support packages, providing on-going 24/7/365 monitoring, updates and aftercare.
Nicolai Landschultz, MD of IndigoZest, says “With a shared passion for bespoke home automation and customer care, this merger continues to strengthen our position in the market and contributes to the company’s growth alongside our strategic partners.”
Rufus Greenway, MD of Sound Environment, will remain on board as a consultant to ensure a smooth transition for all current clients. On the merger he comments,“Holding similar values to my own, IndigoZest were a natural fit for the next stage of Sound Environment. Our customers will be able to take advantage of IndigoZest’s unrivalled support and aftercare service offering, with no disruption to current projects.”
IndigoZest indigozest.co.uk
A merger between two installation companies as Rufus Greenway (left) and Nicolai Landschultz agree a deal
Rising energy costs, reducing emissions and meeting environmental targets all need a change in energy management. IfM Engage, part of the Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge and ABB have teamed up to develop a blueprint for better ways of working that look at technology, challenges, processes and people to plan purposeful change.
In response to the energy crisis, ABB Electrification is collaborating with experts from IfM Engage3 to develop a roadmap that takes a strategic approach to improving energy management, breaking down the complex changes involved into manageable steps and building a plan for purposeful change. Reviewing processes, resources and capabilities and building on tools such as road-mapping supports the most effective change.
“Sometimes organisations make the mistake of looking at what technologies can help them to ‘go digital’, without considering the broader context including where value can be created and what pain points could benefit most from digitalisation. Do not build on the status quo but think about your ideal future scenario – then develop a roadmap for your digital transformation,” says Dr Clemens Chaskel, Industrial Associate, IfM Engage.
“IfM Engage and ABB developed a roadmap that will improve our technology strategy, R&D projects, customer deliverables and anticipate future trends, which has the potential to shape the energy management systems of the future. The next step is to turn this blueprint into real world actions,” comments Giampiero Frisio, ABB Smart Power Division President.
“By working with experts from the University of Cambridge, we secured our long-term trajectory for the evolution of the ABB Ability Energy Manager. We know we have a coherent and original strategy to support customers in cutting operational costs, reducing emissions and meeting environmental targets,” adds Giuseppe Casagrande, ABB Smart Power Division Digital Leader.
ABB new.abb.com
New roadmaps for better future planning are needed
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Kinly, specialist in AV systems integration and remote collaboration solutions, has announced Tom Martin as its CEO to further develop the impressive growth of the business in recent years. Tom takes the reins following a successful spell as Managing Director for Northern Europe. His experience with the company stretches back 15 years, beginning with Viju in the Nordics with roles in support, services and operations. With a passion for audio, his achievements and successes have seen him climb through the ranks to VP Technical Operation in Norway before Managing Director roles in Norway and, latterly, Northern Europe.
Based in the company’s Norway office, Tom envisages a bright future not only for Kinly, but for the AV sector as a whole. “This is an incredibly exciting time for Kinly and I am delighted to be announced as their new CEO,” says the 43 year old, before adding, “The past couple of years have set up the business for growth across the worldwide market and, with Kinly, we have the scale, assets & highly experienced teams to fully support local & global customers.”
Tom will continue to drive Kinly’s expansion with the latest technology offerings combined with a focus on service and support. Tom takes up his appointment with immediate effect.
Paul Bayliss joins PMC as Business Development Manager as Tom Baron retires after 23 years.
PMC Distribution UK has appointed Paul Bayliss to the role of Business Development Manager South, overseeing sales and retailer support across the company’s PMC, Bryston, AVM, and Martin Logan brands for the southern UK region. Paul steps into the role as veteran Tom Barron retires from the company, having served the business for the past 23 years.
Prior to his appointment by PMC Distribution UK, Paul worked for a UK-based custom installation distribution business and before that he was responsible for PMC’s home audio sales in the Asia Pacific region. “I am very much looking forward to my return to PMC and the UK hi-fi industry. The experience I gained working for PMC previously and latterly in the custom installation sector, will be of great benefit as I take up this new role,” Paul comments.
“Taking over the territory and responsibilities of Tom Barron is a very exciting prospect and an honour for me. He is one of the most well-known and highly respected figures working in the hi-fi industry, but I am confident that we can carry on the incredible work he has done with the UK retailers to establish and grow a solid retail base,” adds Paul.
Welcoming Paul to the company, Ian Sutton, PMC Distribution UK director, says, “We are delighted that Paul is returning to the PMC family and can’t think of anyone more suited to the task of following in the footsteps of Tom Barron. Paul’s experience with PMC products and his in-depth knowledge of hi-fi, custom installation and high-end home cinema projects will be invaluable as we continue to develop our portfolio and sales through the retail and CI channels.”
Anna Bateman joins as Customer Success Manager focused on Channel Partners engagement utilising Visualization’s unique service offerings. Visualization announced the new key addition to the expanding team. Having met the team recently in Barcelona at the ISE show, Anna was impressed with the vision and strategy that the Visualization, part of the VueAV group, had to offer.
The focus of her new role will be services based, to build relationships and support the team, whilst assisting in successfully delivering quality projects via Visualization’s Channel Partners on time and within budget. Bateman will also add value to the sales team for distribution opportunities as part of the process.
With a solid technical background, Anna has completed a degree in Sustainable Construction, written papers on the bend radius of cable and is a 18th edition qualified electrician.
Visualization Managing Director, Nick Pidgeon, comments, “Anna’s industry experience and strong people skills will make her the voice of the customer, at the heart of what we do – providing the ultimate customer service. As an advocate for the business, Anna will be working closely with operations director Gavin Avery. The pair will provide a unique partnership to further develop Visualizations customer relationships.”
Anna says, “I’m delighted to be joining the Visualization team. Exceptional quality of installation and service delivery are aspects where the team and I synchronise. I can’t wait to learn from Viz and to also bring the skills from my extensive career to the table. I’m looking forward to serving client requirements both old and new and forging strong and lasting relationships.”
PSNI Global Alliance, the worldwide network of leading technology manufacturers and service providers, has appointed Steve Riley as Director of Global Professional Services. Steve joins PSNI with over 25 years of system integration experience. His past roles include more than 20 years within various AV integration companies, where he amassed a working knowledge of every aspect of system integration business operations, including international cultures, staff leadership, business-unit profitability, technical documentation standards, project process improvement, service and support business, and departmental and IT infrastructure.
Joining the senior management team at PSNI, Steve will develop and implement a one-of-a-kind global technology integration and service deliverable program for The Alliance by leveraging the talent and knowledge available from PSNI Certified Solution Providers (CSPs) and partners worldwide to expand synergy across the network.
Starting his role in June, Steve is also delighted of what the future holds for both himself and PSNI, “I am excited to be joining the PSNI family and honored to be able to bring my skillset to their talented team. I am relishing the challenges ahead and look forward to leveraging the talent and knowledge available from PSNI’s Certified Solution Providers and partners worldwide to define and implement commercecentric strategic deployment and service programs that will generate revenue to The Alliance.”
Integrated security manufacturer TDSi has announced the appointment of Phil Tennent as its new International Business Development Director. With over 30 years’ worth of sales and international sales management experience, Phil will head up TDSi’s continued expansion in overseas markets through its network of professional partners.
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John Davies, Managing Director of TDSi comments, “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Phil to the senior TDSi team. With a highly impressive track record of sales and business development, he is the perfect person to lead TDSi’s continued international growth at this exciting time as we embrace the considerable opportunities worldwide for growth following the pandemic.”
Phil states, “A number of factors drew me to this role, including it being a British manufacturer with a strong back catalogue in terms of product, reputation, quality, and longevity. It also presents me with a varied and challenging role with international travel, and to be part of a progressive business with a strong financial backing. TDSI is well known and respected, with trust and credibility in the market, great opportunities for organic growth, a strong partner network, a senior leadership team with high work ethics and family values, and a solid multifunctional team structure to support new and existing business.”
Tom Martin Paul Bayliss Ian Sutton
Steve Riley Phil Tennent
CHUNG-ANG UNIVERSITY DEVELOPS FRAMEWORK FOR HOME ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
A new model for machine learning automation to drive efficiency is being proposed by professors at a South Korean University. This alternative is to use machine learning, where data from thousands of users is collected, sent to a central server, and used to train a model from the ground up. This strategy, however, may prove costly, computationally complex, and susceptible to hacking.
To tackle these problems simultaneously, Associate Professor Dr. Dae-Hyun Choi and PhD student Sangyoon Lee from Chung-Ang University, South Korea, have proposed a novel data-driven strategy. The researchers have developed a framework for automation based on federated deep reinforcement learning (F-DRL), combining the advantages of various machine learning techniques.
The key word to note in F-DRL is ‘federated,’ which indicates a decentralised form of machine learning. In the proposed framework, each home has an automation system connected to various appliances and devices, which collects data about its users’ energy consumption and tries to optimise a schedule for the appliances by creating a local model. These local models are all uploaded to a global server, which averages them to produce a global model. Afterwards, each automation system replaces its local model with the global model and proceeds to train it once again using local data. This process is repeated several times, progressively improving the accuracy of both global and local models.
The researchers tested their approach through simulations, showcasing its optimal performance when scheduling the operation of various appliances at different homes.
The researchers envision a more comprehensive version of this framework that also considers electric cars and energy trading between households.
Chung-Ang University neweng.cau.ac.kr
New types of machine learning could drive efficiency in home automation
