ESSENTIAL FUTURE OF INSTALL
ONE SOLUTION TO RULE THEM ALL: THE FUTURE IS IN COMPATIBILITY Phillip Pini, Director Residential Sales UK at Crestron, considers the future of an industry that lives at the cutting edge.
The smart device most people have in their homes today, is a Smart TV. These have very much taken over – in occurrence and in usability. Combined with a universal remote that controls the television, Blu-ray player, top box and surround sound amp etc. After that, a homeowner may look into smart lighting, or smart heating controls, a smart doorbell, or even smart window furnishings. And before they know it, they have a plethora of smart devices, but not a smart home! That however is about to change. Because the future is in connectivity and compatibility. Even though we have our roots firmly in audio visual and control technologies, at Crestron we realise that AV alone is not the future of the industry. Smart devices entering the home and presenting huge growth for the sector represents the need for continued change. Environmental control alongside security is in huge demand within the sector. Do-ityourself installations have given end users and installers a great chance to learn the basics of what is possible and what can be connected and controlled. And once they’ve learned those, they are ready to move on to the big leagues.
26 NOVEMBER 2021
Distributed systems always suit new builds or complete refurbishments but having solutions for retrofit applications is also something that is in high demand. Smarter, smaller and more powerful are all terms we can use to describe Crestron’s technological advancements - alongside simple to use. As the users grow older, their need for comfort – and expendable income – grows too. Suddenly we have a giant potential client base that is looking for a flexible, adjustable complete system. And of course, they want to be able to play around with it, and have it personalised according to their needs. In the past, scheduling and adapting was done by a professional. Now, the industry is giving the end customer more control. Hide controls and rooms on the user interface so the jokester of the family can’t turn on the master bedroom television in the middle of the night while you’re sleeping? Check! Change images and names for your rooms, for a complete personalised experience? Check! Modify speaker settings? Check! But having a good, standard UI platform that takes the guessing and testing out of it, should still feel
comfortable for the enduser, even the inexperienced ones. And to successfully deploy a smart home system and establish a smooth longterm experience for the homeowner, it’s critical that they rely on fully trained and certified home technology experts for the design, installation, and support. Because the truth is that it doesn’t just start and end with an OS that delivers the speed and simplicity you want as an installer, and the intuitive experience your clients demand. Obviously, it’s more beneficial if you can set up fast with no programming. But the key is in having one solution that can control it all - lighting, heating, shading, audio and blinds. By lack of a standard protocol, the future is in a solution that offers compatibility to third party devices. A true smart home system works seamlessly with other technologies across the home, including, but not limited to, security cameras, smart door locks, the HVAC system, shades, lighting, audio and video distribution, outdoor and landscaping controls, and pool/ spa controls. And user experience is everything, so the homeowner can control everything in the home from a single touch screen, remote or app on their mobile device, instead of having to deal with multiple apps to control different things. Third party compatibility is key here. As is plug and play functionality, so you don’t have to restart the complete programming simply because the customer wants to install a new speaker in a room. The future of our sector is in connectivity and compatibility. While in the front end every system is unique, the backend is the same for everyone: it should be safe, secure, uniform and compatible with every smart device in the house.
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