Residential Systems - December 2021

VOLUME 22 NO.12 | DECEMBER 2021

• Rethinking Service

Residential Systems

• Guide to Buying Groups • Zoomification and BYOM

ResidentialSystems.com

2022

Our Annual Look at the Wins of the Past Year and What It Means for the Next 12 Months

Review: Luxul PoE Switches

16 COLUMNS 10 Year in Review: Why 2022 Is the Year to Be a CEDIA Member

GEAR

FEATURES

30 Review

16 Companies to Watch 2022

Luxul PoE Switches The new Luxul PoE switches offer some standout features that you should definitely consider for your upcoming installs.

By John Sciacca

A Q&A with Amanda Wildman, president and owner at TruMedia and CEDIA board member.

12 Secrets of Success

Go with “The Flow” Seizing the moment and getting into the flow foments greatness.

By Katye McGregor Bennett

Our annual look at the wins of the past year and what it means for the next 12 months.

Compiled by Anthony Savona

26 Integration Guide to Buying Groups

No Time for Just-In-Time Buying groups work with their dealers and vendor partners in navigating the current supply chain issues.

By Karen Mitchell

14 Behind the Business

Zoomification and BYOM The quest to create the ultimate wireless videoconference setup, including crystal-clear sound.

By Henry Clifford

VOLUME 22 NO.12 | DECEMBER 2021

• Rethinking Service

Residential Systems

• Guide to Buying Groups • Zoomification and BYOM

ResidentialSystems.com

COMPANIES

TO WATCH

2022

Our Annual Look at the Wins of the Past Year and What It Means for the Next 12 Months

Review: Luxul PoE Switches

34 Going Forward

It’s Time to Rethink Service Meaningful change won’t come through a piecemeal approach.

By Jason Griffing

ON THE COVER:

DEPARTMENTS

How did the year look for industry manufacturers and service providers? What can we expect in 2022? Check out our “Companies to Watch” story on page 16 for the answers.

Illustration by z_wei/Getty Images.

Editor’s Letter............................................ 6 Resi Briefs.................................................... 8

ClickThrus

Get More Industry Information from

Join the online Residential Systems community on Twitter (resisys), LinkedIn (/company/ residentialsystems), and Facebook (facebook/resisys). And visit www.residentialsystems.com to read the interactive Digital Edition of this and past issues.

DECEMBER 2021

●

Web: www.twice.com Twitter: @TWICEonline

r es i d entialsy stem s.com

3

EDITOR'S LETTER

When In Doubt…

BY ANTHONY SAVONA

M

y mother-in-law recently returned from a two-week trip to Florida. My wife and I picked her up from the airport, drove her home, and stuck around for dinner, and all the while she told us of her adventures in the Sunshine State. More often than not, they involved the word “Lanai.”

“We had drinks out on the Lanai.”

“Usually, she just goes out to the Lanai to smoke, which isn’t too bad because she closes the sliding glass door.”

“This time, it didn’t feel so hot in the Lanai.”

When it came time to leave, as soon as we got into the car, I turned to my wife and asked, “What the heck is a Lanai?”

What I did know is that you could be “on” or “in” a Lanai, and that it has a sliding glass door. I had a good guess, thanks to context. My wife, who heard her mom say the word enough in phone conversations during the previous weeks, took the time to look it up, and was prepared.

Basically, it is pretty much what we refer to here on Long Island as a “Florida room.” It makes sense that they would not call it that in Florida — all their rooms are Florida rooms — but it was said so matter-of-factly, and often, that it was assumed everybody knows what a Lanai is, so I kept quiet until we got to the car.

This is not new for me — keeping quiet about a word I should understand, but didn’t.

In my early, pro audio reporting days, I was interviewing a very famous producer about the console he was using, and he kept describing how he loved the “detent” of the console. Like a lot. So much so, that I felt he knew I had no idea what detent was, but I kept grunting in the affirmative that he should continue onward.

Turns out that detent is just the clicking feeling a knob makes between stops. After learning that, I was sure he knew I was clueless.

I have mentioned my never-ending quest for self-improvement in this column before, and this is one that fits that list: When in doubt, ask.

But it is not as easy as it sounds.

Even recently, I have been on manufacturer calls with other journalists, speaking with product managers who are very deep into the gear they make, and when I hear some jargon I don’t understand, my assumption is that I should, but then one of my fellow journalists will ask about it, and it will turn out that it was

6 re s id e ntia l s y s t e m s.co m

●

Residential Systems December 2021 Volume 22, Number 12

CONTRIBUTORS KATYE MCGREGOR BENNETT Katye McGregor Bennett is chief strategist and CEO of KMB Communications and an avid podcaster. Podcasts include Connecting Tech + Design and AV Trade Talk.

HENRY CLIFFORD

quite acceptable — and often expected — that we would be unfamiliar with the phrase. Still, I was hesitant to ask.

As usual, when trying to fix myself, I imagine the worst-case scenario, where the pro I am speaking with would mock, “How could you not know that?” Which would suck, no doubt, but be survivable. But that has never happened — everyone has been very gracious in their explanations, even going deeper with appreciated patience when it takes a little longer for it to click with me.

I am getting better, and I mention this here in the event it is helpful to you when speaking to other experts, or as a reminder that you hold a wealth of knowledge that you can impart either with graciousness or disgust. I am a big fan of the former.

That’s enough for now; I’m going to enjoy the fall weather on the Lanai.*

Henry Clifford is president of Livewire, an integration firm in Richmond, VA. He also serves on the CEDIA Business Working Group and writes a bi-monthly blog for www. residentialsystems.com.

KAREN MITCHELL Karen Mitchell is a freelance writer based in Boulder, CO. She has written about the AV industry from both sides now — residential and commercial — for several years and still finds it most intriguing and fast paced.

JOHN SCIACCA John Sciacca is a principal with Custom Theater and Audio, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In his free time, he blogs prolifically about the CE industry. johnsciacca.webs.com

JASON GRIFFING Jason Griffing is the director of product at OneVision Resources and the co-host of weekly home technology podcast found at HomeTech.fm jason.griffing@onevisionresources.com

CONNECT WITH US ON LINKEDIN: * For summary purposes only — I do not actually have a Lanai.

Find me online... anthony.savona@futurenet.com residentialsystems.com twitter.com/resisys facebook/resisys company/residentialsystems

DECEMBER 2021

Residential Systems has a brand page on LinkedIn! Please follow us at www.linkedin.com/company/ residentialsystems/ for business and technology insights, as well as discussions on the articles that appear on residentialsystems.com.

Residential Systems (ISSN# 1528-7858) is published monthly by Future US, Inc. 130 West 42nd Street 7th Floor New York, NY 10036 Periodical Postage Paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: send address changes and inquiries to Residential Systems P. O. Box 1051 Lowell, MA 01853. .

Back issues are $8. Copyright 2021 by Future US, Inc.

PRINTED IN THE USA.

RESI BRIEFS

Trinnov Audio and Kaleidescape Announce Curated Content Package Titles Kaleidescape and Trinnov Audio recently announced a collaboration to deliver a heightened sensory experience to customers.

With the purchase of a Trinnov Altitude16 or Altitude processor and a Kaleidescape Terra + Strato C system, customers receive a Trinnovcurated collection of movies valued up to $1000 USD. This collection includes 42 titles with incredible audio, including some with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks, which can be preloaded onto the Kaleidescape Terra server.

“Chuck Back and I have personally selected these titles, from action and adventure to animation and family-friendly movies, giving Kaleidescape and Trinnov customers a spectacular experience with their new system,” explains Jon Herron, managing director, Trinnov Audio. “Only Kaleidescape is designed to present movies at full reference, with lossless-quality audio ensuring customers will be blown away when they hit Play and experience the power of Trinnov audio processing when matched with Kaleidescape playback.”

Kaleidescape + Trinnov Curated Title List 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

3:10 to Yuma A Star Is Born Across the Universe Adele: Live at the Royal Albert Hall Alita: Battle Angel Angel Has Fallen Aquaman Baby Driver Black Widow Bohemian Rhapsody Brave Captain Marvel Ender’s Game Eric Clapton: Slowhand at 70 F9: The Fast Saga Ford v Ferrari Godzilla: King of the Monsters Godzilla vs. Kong Gravity Hans Zimmer: Live in Prague

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

URC and Shelly Partner to Expand Smart Home Automation URC and Allterco Robotics, one of the fastest growing global IoT (Internet of Things) brands, announced a new phase of collaboration in smart residential and commercial automation technology.

Starting immediately, URC and Allterco Robotics US’s flagship brand Shelly have created the first fullline integration with Total Control, URC’s residential and commercial automation platform, and Shelly’s WI-FI-connected product lines. This full integration includes major home and office automation areas, including lighting, climate, energy management/ electrical, shades/drapes, and mechanical operation for elements like doors and windows.

The integration is based on MQTT, which provides secure and stable communication between IoT system elements. MQTT is a standard messaging protocol for IoT. It is designed as an extremely lightweight publishing/subscribe messaging transport that is ideal for connecting remote

8 r e s id e ntia l s y s t e m s.com

●

DECEMBER 2021

devices with a small code footprint and minimal network bandwidth. MQTT ensures that Total Control has no delay communicating with Shelly products, even battery-powered devices.

Key benefits include: • Simplified Automation Programming • Multi-System Integrations • Create Robust Scenes • Voice/Hands-Free Control • Control from Anywhere • Energy Efficiency “This full integration across the Shelly product line is a first in the industry and makes smart home or office automation faster and easier for our dealers and peace-of-mind for end users,” says Lars Granoe, URC’s vice president of product. “This partnership with Shelly includes current and future products, and makes set up and programming seamless.”

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard In the Heights John Wick 3: Parabellum Midway Minions Muse: Live at Rome Olympic Stadium Ratatouille Ready Player One Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Soul Super 8 The Greatest Showman The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug The Incredibles The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Unbroken Up WALL-E Wonder Woman Trinnov Experience Trailer Trinnov Music Machine One Music Video

Phoenix Marketing and AHA Distributing Open Training Experience Center

Phoenix Marketing Group and Catalyst AV member AHA Distributing have announced a new 5000-square-foot Training Experience Center at its Marietta, GA, location.

“We can easily accommodate 35 people in the training room and over 100 people in the experience center,” says Mark Garijanian, Phoenix Marketing. “Our goal at Phoenix Marketing is to provide the utmost support and service to our integrator friends.”

The Training Experience Center is located at 2197 Canton Road, Suite 202, Marietta, GA 30066. Contact Mark Garijanian at mark@phx-reps.com for more details.

CEDIALINE

Year in Review: Why 2022 Is the Year to Be a CEDIA Member A Q&A with Amanda Wildman, president and owner at TruMedia and CEDIA board member.

As the curtain closes on another jam-packed year for the home technology sector, you might be wondering about CEDIA membership renewals. Why should you join? Why should you renew? From networking to training, marketing to advocacy, discounts to development, a CEDIA membership powers success and cultivates a one-of-a-kind community for the custom integrator channel. We caught up with Amanda Wildman, a seven-year CEDIA member and two-year board member, member of the CEDIA Certification Commission, immediate past chair of the CEDIA Professional Development Advisory Council, and owner at TruMedia, to hear about the value CEDIA members will gain heading into 2022.

getting the networking certification completed for next year, too. As an ANSI Standards development organization, CEDIA, led by Walt Zerbe and Peter Aylett, has been making headway on standards, creating a solid foundation with RP1, RP22, RP23, and JSTD710. Through standards, CEDIA is able to recommend best practices and specify standards for design, installation, and integration of technology for people to support their lifestyles. Overall, this work delivers a load of incredibly valuable credibility for the CEDIA channel globally, and as CEDIA becomes the go-to organization for hiring top-tier integrators, we’ll only continue to grow our programs.

What are you most looking forward to for the CI channel in 2022?

How would you describe the past 12 months for CEDIA members?

I think I speak for everyone when I say we’ve been navigating some uncharted territory. None of us could have foreseen the pandemic or how our industry could respond to it over the past year, but the custom integrator industry and CEDIA remained incredibly resilient and creative. A lot of industries had to shut down for a longer period or reduce their staff, but, quite interestingly, the home technology industry got busier! Juggling the challenges of having fewer people in the field and prioritizing health and safety has been new to all of us, and with more demand and importance placed on the home, we’ve experienced a much faster pace of business. We’ve had to learn to adapt and respond to the demand amid supply chain issues, social distancing, and more.

As we get back to a bit of normalcy following a busy year, the value of home technology is more widely recognized than ever before. As homeowners realize the role technicians play and how home technology will enhance their lifestyle, I’m looking forward to skipping ahead in the conversation with designers, builders, and architects. Homeowners are savvier and have more information available to them, and they have more curiosity and openness to the benefits of the automated home. This year, CEDIA members will make our voices heard as thought leaders to win business, and we’ll make the smart home more accessible with that.

I’m also looking forward to getting back to face-to-face meetings at trade shows and events. The Tech Summits are proving to be immensely beneficial for members this year, and, moving forward, we’ll be taking more opportunities to share our ideas and learn from one another.

What’s been going on at CEDIA during this time?

At CEDIA, there’s been a lot of behind-the-scenes work that not everyone has been able to see, but it’s all great work. Especially with fewer events and opportunities to connect face-to-face, it’s been a little trickier to share all the new developments, but heading into the new year the channel is in for a few treats. We’re looking forward to getting to know Daryl Friedman, our new CEO who joined our team in November 2021. The leadership at CEDIA and Vetted Solutions did a fantastic job selecting Daryl, spending nearly a year narrowing down the perfect fit to lead our organization. Finding the right CEO for CEDIA was a much different task than for other businesses or organizations — as advocacy and mission take priority over financials for an association.

We’ve also been investing heavily in our certifications and standards to bring them up to the highest level of excellence for the custom integrator community. Our certification commission, led by David Whitney and Dennis Erskine, is working hard to achieve the selective ANSI and ISO accreditation requirements, giving our certifications a global reach and aligning them with the most in-demand skills. It’s been a tremendous effort by CEDIA and many volunteers to align our certifications with these standards, ensuring that members all over the world can access them and benefit. The Cabling and Infrastructure Technician (CIT) certification has already been submitted and is pending approval. We’ve also just wrapped up the beta testing of our Integrated Systems Technician (IST) Certification, and we’re working on

10 r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.co m

●

DECEMBER 2021

What is your favorite part of being a CEDIA member?

That’s easy: I get to work with some of the coolest people! If I had the opportunity to live while Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla were alive, just to be around that level of genius, I’d take it in a heartbeat. But, honestly, that’s kind of what I get at CEDIA. When you’re a member, you’re with the godfathers of the home technology industry, and you get to work alongside them, learn from them, and volunteer and advocate around the most intelligent, diverse group of people. I’ve gotten some incredible ideas from fellow CEDIA members, and I’ve had so many opportunities to share my own perspective, too. It’s really a mutually beneficial growth opportunity for all.

This industry is collaborative, working with folks with mixed backgrounds, different levels of experience, different expertise, and unique perspectives is tremendously rewarding to my growth as a technician and business owner. From there, we’re also able to offer homeowners unique perspectives that tailor their homes to their lifestyles. CEDIA is an organization truly for everyone in home technology — people like me, a woman in tech, people that have worked in the space for 50 years, and people looking to make genuine change in a space that benefits so many. As we work to continue diversifying, I always say: You can’t change the past of what the industry was, but you can change what it looks like going forward. And getting to do just that is everything.

Learn about how you can join CEDIA or renew at cedia.net/membership/.

SECRETS OF SUCCESS

Go With “The Flow” Seizing the moment and getting into the flow foments greatness.

B Y K AT Y E M CG R E G O R B E N N E T T

Have you experienced or heard of “the flow”? Psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi describes flow as a state of complete immersion in an activity.

While in this mental state, you are completely involved and focused on what you are doing. “The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost,” Csíkszentmihályi said during an interview with Wired magazine.

In our AV Yoga practice, our instructor often guides us through what flow refers to — the dynamic move from one posture to another. Surfers, skiers, and snowboarders talk about the flow and how powerful it can be, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

In Montana, where I live, snow can start falling as early as Labor Day. It doesn’t stick around long, mind you, but it’s the proverbial knock on the door that reminds us winter is coming. Red Lodge Mountain ski resort is within sight of our home, and, as the ski runs start to fill in, it’s only natural to start thinking of the ride down. The swoosh of the snow beneath you, the subtle shifts your body makes from left to right, the delicate balance between the front and back of your feet. The flow...

During a beautiful fall day this past October, I experienced the flow at work in an incredibly profound way. I woke up early, as I often do, but this time I was wide awake and oddly energized. I decided to change up my routine and start my day with a very on-trend “well” morning routine: Rather than grabbing my latté and diving right into work and feeling pressured for time from the start, I quickly scanned texts and email for anything urgent and then put my phone on Do not Disturb. I drank a tall glass of water, then opened Spotify and selected a Chill playlist as background music for some sun salutations and core exercises. I meditated for a bit afterward and set an intention for the day: focus.

I still grabbed my latté and jumped on my computer afterward, but when I got to my desk that day, something was different. Sure, I had my diurnal shortage of time before the onslaught of Zoom meetings and barrage of deadlines. Yet, I had a surplus of other things. More Inspiration. More Ideas.

More Energy. More Creativity. More Focus. I had visions of what I wanted to share with clients that I was meeting with that day, fresh ways to spin their message, and what to capture during meetings to make the most of that message. My meetings were on-point, and the clients not only appreciated it, they were also energized. For KMB, I was struck with new ideas for ways we could operate more efficiently. I wrote down those ideas, some of which would take root only a few weeks later and already have the KMB team saving time and better serving clients. I was in the flow.

When I went to bed that night, my to-do list was still as long as it was the day before. I had many tasks that didn’t get done, but they were far less daunting than usual, because I surrendered to the flow of where my thoughts were taking me and inspired my team and my clients in doing so. It wasn’t that I was dismissing those things, I was just prioritizing them more appropriately and giving myself the space to do great work.

As I look back on this day and others like it, I realize that when we seize

12 r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.co m

●

DECEMBER 2021

the moment we can create both moments of brilliance, and potentially, life-changing experiences. You may have heard of or read the best-selling The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle. He talks about going with the flow to reduce stress and live better. “Enjoy the flow of energy, the high energy of that moment. Now you are no longer stressed, no longer splitting yourself in two.

Just moving, running, working — and enjoying it.”

I’ve been trying to tap into the flow more consistently and re-create days like the one I shared above, and it is not easy to do, but I will say that the following tips will help create an environment where it is much easier to get into the flow: 1. Silence alerts on your phone and step away from email, Skype, and other chat platforms for structured chunks of time. You can’t be completely immersed in a task if you are getting pinged by your colleagues or interrupted by phone calls. Those distractions are creativity killers and time-gobblers.

2. Take the time in the morning to think — intentionally. Think about your day as it relates to your big-picture goals and intentions for your business and your work-life balance. Make sure your daily work activities are aligned with these goals. Sitting and thinking, or even journaling, can help you focus and flow.

3. Don’t mercilessly behold yourself to a to-do list. We all have them, we all make them, we all dread them. Deadlines are deadlines, but to-do’s usually have wiggle room. If you have a flow moment, seize it and shift things on your schedule and let yourself stay in that space.

4. Block time off on your calendar to do what you need to do — whether for your business or yourself, personally — and don’t give that time up. Try allocating two or more hours of “flow time” and you might just find you’re more creative and productive.

5. Hit pause. A positive mental state is crucial to getting into the flow. If you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take a moment to hit pause and tend to your own mental health with a walk, a snack break, a short meditation, or some other respite. Nothing is more important.

6. Shake up your routine. If you normally work at your home office, go to a coffee shop or somewhere else and knock out some mundane tasks that you can do without being at your desk. Workout in the morning or late afternoon instead of during lunch. Go for a walk. A change of scenery or routine can be a catalyst to flow.

I’m enjoying my flow moments immensely and my biz is better for it, as is my personal life. Take the time now to encourage your flow and seize the moment when you experience it. You’ll reap the rewards of less stress, better living, and what I call “calendar freedom.” The holidays are here, so why not make that change and gift yourself a little extra go-power this season?

Katye McGregor Bennett is the CEO of KMB Communications and founder of #avyoga, #avfoodies, and #avwineclub.

BACK TO BUSINESS

Zoomification and BYOM

The quest to create the ultimate wireless videoconference setup, including crystal-clear sound.

Henry Clifford is president of Livewire, an integration firm in Richmond, VA. He also writes a bi-monthly blog for www. residentialsystems.com.

BY HENRY CLIFFORD

Henry Clifford’s setup to Zoom wire-free with exceptional sound, including Shure P300 audio processor, Shure MXA710 microphone, Sonos PLAYBAR, Sony 65-inch OLED TV, and Barco ClickShare.

In the midst of the pandemic, we have all experienced, as one industry expert put it, “10 years’ worth of innovation in three months.” Part of all that progress saw every able-bodied man, woman, and child become instantly familiar with daily Zooming. As with most technology solutions, a huge swath of the world is fine with “good enough” or even “marginally crappy.” Thankfully there exists a wonderful slice of the population constantly demanding better quality, innovation, and cool-factor. Even better, this cohort turns out to be our customer base.

One pain point we kept hearing over and over again revolved around

14 r e s id e ntia l s y st e m s.com

●

DECEMBER 2021

the lack of simple solutions enabling groups (families, colleagues, etc.) to videoconference without huddling around a laptop or getting tangled up in cables. There had to be a way to Zoom wire-free while enjoying killer sound.

I embarked on a six-month journey to get to the bottom of this challenge.

What follows is an account of my journey to solve the riddle and the amazing people who helped me bring it to life.

As I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve moved from tinkering to growing more impatient over time with the peculiarities of customer installation technology solutions and gravitating toward solutions that “just work.” In

BACK TO BUSINESS the case of Zoomification, most of these “justwork” solutions revolve around using onboard cameras, microphones, and speakers built into phones, tablets, or computers. What about when groups of people want to gather around and Zoom together? Most of the solutions out there are oriented at the conference room or huddle space world. How about attending virtual church or kids checking in with the grandparents? Gathering groups of people around a small screen is unsatisfactory for both sender and receiver.

What if there were solutions that could leverage the large screens and high-quality audio systems already installed in many family rooms? One would think those existed already, and I wouldn’t have needed to spend months collaborating with Barco, Shure, Leon, and others to build one from scratch. All I wanted to do was listen to video calls through my surround system and have the video autoframe the participants without being tethered by an umbilical cord. That shouldn’t be too hard, right? Boy, was I wrong.

I began the project inspired by Barco’s “Bring Your Own Meeting” solutions.

I loved the company’s agnosticism toward videoconferencing and thought it didn’t make any sense to buy hardware pegged to a single video platform.

I sought out assistance from Barco with a little help from Tim Sinnaeve, managing director, Barco Residential. We hit it off and discovered Barco had been independently pursuing third-party audio solutions to help its theater customers Zoom on huge screens. Barco’s approach supports Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, and other major videoconferencing platforms via their ubiquitous ClickShare system. I didn’t want any wires between the participants and the TV, so this solution looked promising. I thought naively I could just plug in a high-quality videoconferencing camera/microphone and port the audio out to my AV receiver. This is where I ran into my first brick wall.

Because echo cancellation (the ability for a videoconferencing speakerphone to cancel out the speaker’s voice and eliminate feedback) can only be accomplished via what Barco considers a speakerphone, it becomes necessary to break out the camera, microphone, and speaker into separate elements. The only other option here is to use integrated camera, microphone, and speaker units, but the obvious downfall is just like shampoo and conditioner in one — these combination units don’t play any of three roles particularly well. After a few tests leveraging out-of-the-box solutions with Barco’s amazing technical team, Sinnaeve kindly introduced me to Shure’s Tim Cornish to help engineer a third-party audio solution.

Cornish had me go through a good bit of training on the Shure website to make sure I understood how their gear worked and then sent me a few pieces of shiny hardware to play around with, including a P300 audio processor and an MXA710 microphone, both communicating using the Dante network audio protocol. I plugged it all together, and one of Cornish’s engineers tunneled into my computer to get everything finalized. We ran into a snag as we realized the audio output from the P300 needed to be converted back into the SPDIF optical format feeding the Sonos PLAYBAR we had connected as the audio source (figuring third-party soundbars would be among the most commonly used speakers). I waited impatiently for an adapter to arrive from a third-party Amazon seller, which showed up three days later. I plugged in the new gadget, and everything started to work properly.

The MXA710 microphone did an amazing job of picking up audio from the farthest reaches of the room and making it sound crystal clear to anyone on the other end of the call. We chose a Jabra Panacast camera at Sinnave’s suggestion for its aesthetics and ability to cast and auto-frame meeting attendees in glorious 4K UHD. We held a few more video calls using Teams and Zoom before pronouncing the solution ready for prime time. ●

re si d e n t i a l sy s t ems . co m

1_4p Loop.qxp_WIRE BUSHINGS 1 4 pg 7 09 9/16/21 3:27 PM Page 1

LOW CO ST H A N G E R

Made in USA

THE LOOP

™

F O R CO M M U N I C AT I O N S C A B L E

Flexible, non-metallic, The LOOP™ holds a 2" to 5" diameter bundle of CAT 5 or fiber optic cable without sagging, bending or damaging the cable!

The 2.5" TL25 holds the same amount of cable as a J-hook at 1/2 the COST!

2" TL20

2.5" TL25

5" TL50

TL50 for a 5" diameter bundle

Listed for Air Handling Spaces

Patented

http://www.aifittings.com/landing/loop

15

800/233-4717 • www.arlingtonlowvoltage.com

© 2001-2011 Arlington Industries, Inc.

DECEMBER 2021

With all the system components connected together and working properly it was time to make it look presentable. I placed a call to Leon’s Noah Kaplan and explained what we were up to. He got excited and started helping me think through solutions. I soon had a few shop drawings in hand from Leon’s talented engineering team that looked amazing. I signed off on one of their Edge MediaFrame designs, which promised to take all of the gear, hide it, and yield an amazing finished product.

I waited with bated breath as the Edge MediaFrame went into production and finally shipped to Livewire for final installation. Our team of talented installers at Livewire set to work mounting the Shure P300, MXA710 microphone, Sonos PLAYBAR, Sony 65-inch OLED TV, Barco ClickShare, and various other gadgets and gizmos to make it all work.

I walked into the conference room after everyone finished up and pressed the “Room On” button on the wall-mounted keypad. Everything hummed to life with a few low clicks and blinking lights. The moment of truth had arrived. Would it all work? I cracked open my laptop, plugged in a ClickShare Button, and started a Google Meet with a colleague. Could she hear me okay?

How about the sound? Everything just worked as it should! The sound and video on my end was crystal clear as well. The months of hard work had at long last paid off.

I am tremendously grateful to the team of talented professionals who made this project possible, and it turned out better than I ever dreamed.

What are you doing to push the envelope in your business and battle against the temptation to accept mediocrity?

FEATURE IMAGE: Z_WEI/GETTY IMAGES

2022

Our annual look at the wins of the past year and what it means for the next 12 months.

Compiled by Anthony Savona

W

ell, that was fast. Or at least it felt that way. It seemed like we were just grousing about the mess that 2020 was and now 2021 is nearing its end. With business being so busy, it can tough to keep track of what’s gone on this past year, but it is valuable information that can help plan for a successful 2022.

That said, here is our annual look back at the year so we can look forward to the next one.

Abode: The adoption of smart home devices is on the rise as devices become more intelligent than ever before. Manufacturers like Abode are relying on AI and context aware technology that will make for more seamless and personalized customer experiences. The Abode Cam 2 is a standalone security camera that relies on AI features to support Smart Detect, which notifies users if/when a person is detected and adds a short video clip to user timelines. As technology

16 r e s id e ntia l s y st e m s.co m

●

DECEMBER 2021

updates allow for new features that bring protection and convenience to customers, Abode looks forward to adding new features that enable protection and convenience in DIY security products to its customer base.

Access Networks: Home networking gained significant steam during 2021, and Access Networks offered several game-changing products and service introductions. The first to market with enterprise-grade Wi-Fi 6 access points, the addition of a cloud-based wireless LAN controller, and the launch of additional Site Survey products and in-person consultation services solidified Access Networks’ position as a provider of best-in-class networking solutions. Now, as a member of the Snap One family, Access Networks reaches an even broader cross-section of custom integrators with networking solutions and services designed to drive business and installation success.

Acoustic Designs Inc.: Acoustic Designs began its “Wellness Loft” journey two

FEATURE years ago. Its research led to Delos Living and it created the loft with Darwin Intelligence powered by Delos; filtered air, purified water, circadian lighting, and enhanced sleep. Homeowners can view in real time the levels of different pollutants in each room and observe as Delos filtration purifies the air. Water filtration is customized to the regional water quality challenges (in this case, Scottsdale) and specific chemicals, bacteria, viruses, and parasites are removed from the home. The benefits of circadian lighting are well known; however, Acoustic Designs has gone a step further with comfort blackout shades and an active green wall, because humans have an innate need to connect with nature.

Amber Solutions: 2021 was a significant year for Amber Solutions, a developer of patented solid-state technologies for the digital control of electricity. Most notably, Amber announced its alliance with semiconductor leader Infineon Technologies on a range of silicon opportunities anchored around Amber’s digital control of electricity with embedded intelligence. Now, due in part to Infineon’s MOSFET technology, Amber’s solutions have the capability of adding features together in universal form-factors that were once thought impossible.

Amber also secured four new patents to extend coverage of the company’s IP more deeply over its breakthrough technologies.

Arlington: It’s no secret that American manufacturers of construction products experienced challenges with labor, raw materials, and transportation this year. But because Arlington makes more than 85 percent of its products in its Scranton plant, it was less affected by long supply chains and less dependent on products coming from Asia. Arlington also continued developing time-saving electrical and low-voltage products that meet code requirements and enhance safety — including the adjustable steel SliderBar, for mounting boxes between studs with non-standard spacing, and hole cover kits that ensure OSHA compliance on multi-story building sites.

AtlasIED: Amidst a global supply chain shortage, AtlasIED maintains a fully stocked inventory and timely delivery from its worldwide distribution centers.

It’s a positive sign for AV integrators, designers, consultants, and other professionals who need enterprise-grade audio and communications products now for projects underway or in the pipeline. Packed with features to help integrators conquer resimercial projects are solutions like AtlasIED’s stocked-and-shipping Atmosphere digital audio system. Scalable and versatile, the system, which can be configured for the smallest cocktail lounge to the largest banquet facility, employs touchless control, automation, and artificial intelligence to process, manage, and distribute audio.

Atlona: Atlona’s products sit in the sweet spot of two growing trends in the custom install industry — home office and resimercial. With the appointment of Navatech Marketing to its network of residential AV manufacturer’s representatives this past fall, the company is pushing a “one integrator for home and small business” concept.

Audinate: Audinate’s Dante is increasingly moving into the residential space.

One example announced during CEDIA in 2021: a partnership with StreamUnlimited. StreamUnlimited added Dante Embedded Platform (DEP) into the StreamSDK feature portfolio. StreamSDK is a flexible, multi-dimensional software solution, portable to various classes of silicon, which enables the application of streaming audio functionality to consumer electronics devices.

With the software solution of Dante, StreamUnlimited customers are able to build Dante-enabled products without the need for any additional hardware for compatibility with thousands of existing Dante-enabled products, and provides integrators with a flexible, extensible, cost-effective audio system.

AudioControl: AudioControl made a splash at CEDIA Expo this year with its CM Series amps. These Made-in-USA solutions deliver 70-volt compatibility plus the critical features residential and commercial integrators must have to satisfy nearly every application, including audiophile-grade performance and high build quality.

Azione Unlimited: Azione Unlimited was, like the dealers it represents, busy throughout all of 2021, welcoming new vendor partners such as Rosewater and

CEDIA Watch: Association and Expo

CEDIA In 2022, integrators will be seeing their industry association everywhere. CEDIA’s new CEO, Daryl Friedman, will be embarking on a listening tour with industry stakeholders as he and the board prepare to draft a new three-year strategic plan.

Local CEDIA trainings will take place across North America, as CEDIA-certified instructors at Powerhouse Alliance locations begin offering in-person education. A growing class of CEDIAcertified professionals will emerge as more integrators achieve CIT certification and the IST certification moves out of its beta phase. All the while, the association has a full calendar of thought leadership, recommended practices, and market intelligence slated to emerge in the first half of the year.

CEDIA Expo While it is too early to reveal plans for the 2022 CEDIA Expo, Emerald Expositions, the producer of the event, is continuing to analyze the 2021 Expo. At CEDIA Expo 2021, residential technology integrators, designers, and trade professionals came together in-person for the first time in two years to connect and discuss topics within the industry. Though not the show that was originally planned, it was still able to provide integrators with hands-on experience with exhibitors, and provided many programming firsts, including welcoming strategic partner IMCCA to speak to the emerging and growing work-from-home technology segment. CEDIA Expo 2022 will take place in Dallas, TX, from September 29 through October 1, 2022.

Bryston and launching two key initiatives that hit two of the biggest pain points for its members — hiring staff and getting in front of architects and interior designers. AU is one to watch in 2022 as we see the results from its recent merger with Nationwide Marketing Group.

BenQ: 2021 has been a great year for BenQ, as the provider of visual display and collaboration solutions turned its focus to the red-hot golf simulator market. Just launched, the LK936ST golf sim laser projector delivers 4K resolution with superb color, contrast, and brightness, an exclusive golf mode, and maintenance-free operation — all at a price of under $6K. The first 4K laser projector designed for simulation, its no-compromises performance makes it ideal for building a multipurpose “SimTheater” with immersive home theater and gaming as well.

Blackdove: Blackdove is a category-defining solution that leverages the potential of digital art and NFTs to unite technology and interior design. Customers are bringing larger and larger displays into the home, but these screens are often at odds with the aesthetic of a luxury space. By delivering a curated selection of high-quality art to any screen, Blackdove enables the CI channel to amplify the value of high-end displays while also providing clients with a vibrant digital art experience. The management platform makes it easy to add new artwork and instantly change what’s on display.

Blustream: In partnership with RTI, 2021 marked the introduction of Blustream video distribution solutions to the U.S. market. Already, the brand has introduced multiple new solutions including HDBaseT 8x8 and 6x6 matrixes; an DECEMBER 2021

●

r es i d en t ialsy stem s.com

17

COMPANIES TO WATCH 2022 extender with ARC control; and a four-way HDMI switch with HDBaseT. New Video-over-IP solutions now available include the Contractor Series IP50HD and the IP250UHD 4K multicast platform featuring Dante integration, while new HDMI products are led by the HEX18G-KIT and HEX18GARC-KIT uncompressed, unconverted 18Gbps HDMI over HDBaseT extender sets. Finally, the company introduced the ultimate BYOD solution for wireless presentations: the AMF41W. Look for Blustream to continue its expansion into the U.S. market in 2022.

Bowers & Wilkins: Acquired by Sound United near the end of 2020, Bowers & Wilkins had a busy 2021, with several updates to its well-known products including the Zeppelin, which was originally introduced for use with iPods but has now been updated for the streaming age. While notable, that update was dwarfed by the latest versions of the 800 Series Diamond speaker range. Every new model in the range combines hundreds of detail improvements plus several entirely new technologies to create what B&W calls, “the most transparent, detailed, and natural-sounding series of loudspeakers Bowers & Wilkins has ever produced.”

Catalyst AV: 2021 has been a great year for Catalyst AV members and their dealers. Welcoming three new member distributors: LM Electronics, covering TX, OK, AR, and the LA markets; Profit Line Distributing, servicing N. CA, N. NV and Hawaii; and CyberSmart, covering the fast-growing Phoenix and Tucson, AZ, metro areas.

Chief: In 2021, Chief had the home office covered with the introduction of its flexible, cost-effective Koncƒ´s Series Monitor Arm Mounts. Available in singleand dual-monitor configurations, the desktop mounts combine sleek aesthetics with advanced functionality. Offering a choice of silver or black finishes, the Koncƒ´s Series is designed to complement any environment, while its premium gas springs deliver smooth, dynamic height adjustment. For effortless monitor tilting, the monitor arms feature patented Centris Extreme Tilt technology with +65 degrees to –10 degrees of fingertip tilt adjustment.

ClearOne: Recognizing early that hybrid and remote work is here to stay, ClearOne re-examined its entire product portfolio and created a new, curated line of audio, video, and audio-video collaboration tools that significantly increase professional home office productivity. ClearOne’s Aura portfolio is designed for home offices, meeting the growing need for easy to purchase and install commercial-quality solutions that deliver high-quality audio and true-to-life video technology. The portfolio features a variety of professional audio and video collaboration solutions with choices of microphone and camera components that optimize home office acoustic and aesthetic aspirations. The Aura solutions are natively optimized to work with one another, and come with a free personal subscription to the company’s COLLABORATE Space video conferencing app.

Crestron: Over the last year, Crestron Home has been continuously evolving to be a platform that supports dealer growth, offering a control solution that is easy to deploy, manage, and update. In addition to the numerous updates to the Crestron Home platform, Crestron has also released several new products, including the battery-free Horizon Thermostat, the long-anticipated DM-NAX Audio-overIP distributor, and a new line of architectural speakers created in collaboration with Origin Acoustics. Dealers can expect to see continued innovations that deliver the solutions they need to continue to exceed client expectations.

D-Tools: There’s nothing simple about designing and executing a home technology project. Several steps are involved, from generating proposals, winning the bid, collaborating with designers, and managing your workforce and workflow to stay on schedule and deliver exceptional systems. The D-Tools Cloud platform proved its worth to systems integration firm ESS, streamlining what could have been a difficult residential retrofit project to pull off. The future looks bright for ESS and other systems integrators, thanks to D-Tools’ continual push to perfect its product portfolio. With each new refinement and addition, its software solutions become increasingly powerful tools for continued business growth.

Da-Lite: For retrofit installations requiring a flexible alternative to hardwiring, this year Da-Lite introduced the Agility Battery Motor for its Tensioned Designer Contour Electrol and Designer Contour Electrol ceiling- or wall-mounted

18 r e s id e ntia l s y st e m s.com

●

DECEMBER 2021

electric screens. Available in diagonals up to 110 inches in 16:9 HDTV format and 113 inches in 16:10 wide format, this screen option features a lithium-ion battery that lasts over 200 cycles on a single charge via its micro USB port, while a PoE 5V micro USB adapter accessory is available to keep it charged between uses, or leave connected for maintenance-free operation. The battery option allows for wireless handheld remote operation and is available with screen surfaces up to 16K-ready. A Wi-Fi Bridge accessory enables connection to a mobile app that provides a battery life indicator and screen control.

DISH Custom Integration: When DISH Custom Integration started in 2016, it held only 3 percent consumer mindshare, compared to DTV. This year, DISH won the CEPro Brand Leader award in satellite. Custom integrators have discovered that DISH’s equipment, program, and service and bar none — just ask Frank DeFilippis, the general sales manager and “founder” of this small business within DISH. DMF Lighting: The DID series is exclusively engineered for the custom integrator and has received several industry awards in 2021, including a Residential Systems Picks Award for CES 2021. Many DID product enhancements were announced in 2021, including completely redesigned housings for easier installs, all-new installation options, including Remodel, Chicago Plenum, and Flangeless Trim optimized for wood ceiling applications, increased light output for higher ceiling layouts, and additional standard Trim finishes to match more design aesthetics. DMF continues to invest into the CI space with the DMF Promise, which guarantees compatibility with all lighting controls, access to advanced technical support, and an industry-leading 10-year warranty.

Draper: Draper came on strong in the shade category this year, introducing the Motorized Exterior FlexShade, an economical outdoor shading system that provides a comfortable outdoor space and reduces interior heat gain and glare. At CEDIA Expo, the company introduced a new shade sales kit and a new CE course, “Shade Fabric Selection — A Performance Based Approach,” which earns .5 credits for CEDIA Certification and is available via in-person or virtual presentation. Not forgetting home theaters, the company also introduced the Acumen Recharge at CEDIA, which adds battery-powered motorization to any Draper screen.

Elite Screens: Have a need for invisible AV? In October 2020, Elite Screens introduced the Kestrel Tab-Tension 3, which is an electric floor-rising projection screen that is an attractive centerpiece for home theater or high-level conference rooms. Its tab-tension design maintains a flat and taut front projection surface to provide a ripple-free image suitable for ultra-short throw projectors.

Enclave Audio: In an increasingly wireless world, consumers are looking for devices that can be easily integrated with their existing living area and home entertainment setups. Audio options, including headphones, gaming headsets, and home theater systems, are cutting the cord to bring consumers the quality and convenience they are looking for to complement their at home entertainment areas. Companies like Enclave Audio will continue to make innovative products that allow consumers to cut the cord and bring high-quality immersive audio to the home theater environment. In 2022, Enclave looks forward to technology and product updates that will enhance the wireless audio market.

Exertis: Exertis, like all distributors, had an interesting year thanks to the global supply shortages, but the company was still able to service its dealers.

“Covid made the supply chain much more volatile and unpredictable, and so we moved quickly to increase our inventory of all major product categories before factories were forced to close,” says John Dunne, managing director, Exertis North America. “The good news now is that end-user vertical markets are recovering, and we are working with our manufacturers to identify weakness in the

COMPANIES TO WATCH 2022 supply chain and take steps to increase inventory to mitigate the impact on our customers.”

Grimani Systems: If Anthony Grimani is behind it, you know it will be good, and this year his company added two more speakers to its Rixos line, the Rixos-H, which is a speaker with horizontal form factor that incorporates the proprietary wide dispersion CSA waveguide, and the Rixos-L, the new flagship in the ultra-shallow line.

HARMAN Luxury Audio: HARMAN Luxury Audio’s JBL Synthesis announced a number of new products and initiatives this year designed to enhance the performance and dealer focus of the brand. These announcements included HDMI upgrades for the brand’s existing surround processor and AVR in order to support 8K video, a forthcoming surround processor, an AVR with integrated 8K HDMI capabilities, and a new lower-priced, dedicated subwoofer amplifier.

On the heels of these announcements, two new models, the SDP-58 surround processor and SDR-38 AVR, will become available in the first quarter of 2022, they will include the HDMI 2.1 video board as a factory-installed component.

Home Technology Association: The HTA has invested a lot of effort in creating association-to-association relationships with design and build industry associations, seeking to build a bridge between the best integration firms and their architect, builder, and interior designer members. In 2021 the HTA has formed partnerships with ASID (American Society of Interior Designers), IDS (Interior Design Society), and NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry). The HTA is also proud to welcome two new Board of Advisors members: Gretchen Gilbertson of Séura and Tom Doherty of the HTSA buying group. The HTA looks to furthering mutually beneficial relationships with more design and build association, to the mutual benefit of all members.

Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA): HTSA’s greatest success in 2021 has been its expanded lighting program. The group was the first in the residential integration industry to conceive of a lighting program that went well beyond lighting control to include upgraded fixtures, design services, and other related services. Announced at its 2017 Fall Conference, HTSA entered this category knowing that it would take significant training to achieve success, so it built one of the industry’s finest education teams that brought the kind of lighting expertise that would elevate all HTSA members’ success with the category. In 2021, group members experienced tremendous sales with lighting.

Hunter Douglas: Leading window treatment manufacturer Hunter Douglas continues to develop its PowerView automated shade portfolio heading into 2022, leaning into key connected home demands, including wellness, energy efficiency, convenience, and more. With over 20 shade styles customizable by fabric, size, opacity, and shape, Hunter Douglas shades can be automated with a tap of a finger or voice command, leveraging the latest power options, including the Rechargeable Battery Wand and PowerView+. In the new year, Hunter Douglas plans to continue expanding its PowerView portfolio to support dealers in taking on the smart shading category with more power options, styles, and dealer resources.

Integration Controls: The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) is a set of concepts and tools used by 100,000-plus companies to clarify, simplify, and achieve their vision. Integration Controls began implementing this business mindset after the pandemic hit in 2020. “EOS helps you set goals, check in with yourself, and hold yourself and your team accountable,” says Jamie Briesemeister, co-owner. “The pandemic caused the world to take pause, but we knew we needed to make the commitment to ourselves and our staff. We were offered an EOS pilot program through OneVision Partners, which was exactly what we needed to align and set goals during a time of uncertainty.” iRoom IO: In 2021, iRoom IO launched its U.S. sales network, partnered with D-Tools, made drivers for Crestron Home and ELAN, and introduced new touchDocks that fit the latest models iPads. Expect more updates in 2022.

Jetbuilt: The supply shortages left many integrators scrambling, and Jetbuilt decided to help manage the process with the release of Stock, an inventory and

20 r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

●

DECEMBER 2021

warehouse tracking tool for AV integrators. Listening to the needs of their users, Stock was designed to work seamlessly with Jetbuilt to efficiently organize and follow equipment through the stages of design, purchasing, receiving, warehousing, transporting, installation, and service — solving a notable point of frustration felt by many in the industry.

Josh.ai: The launch of Josh Nano, the world’s smallest far-field microphone, coupled with the launch of Josh Core and the integrated Lutron keypad was a huge success for the industry this year.

Juke Audio: Juke Audio found great success in 2021 with the continued user adoption of its multi-room audio streaming amplifier. This expansion came through a number of different sales channels and yielded over a three times revenue multiple from 2020. This growth was derived from a heightened marketing effort for direct-to0consumer sales, strategic partnerships with over four dozen AV installation firms, and a national distribution deal with Crutchfield Corporation.

Just Add Power: The biggest thing to watch for at the beginning of 2022 is the MaxColor 4K60 Series. Supporting 4K60 4:4:4 from source to screen, the transmitters and receivers make it simple for integrators to create AV-overIP video systems that optimize the latest 4K sources, displays, and formats without having to upgrade existing network infrastructure in a home. MaxColor supports instant seamless switching, 4K up- and downscaling, all lossless audio formats, seamless HDR management, HDMI 2.0b and HDCP 2.2, deep color up to 12-bit, and Dolby Vision. The Series works with existing Just Add Power drivers and supported control systems, allowing integrators to select the Just Add Power solution that best fits the job, providing an evolutionary, scalable, systems approach to 4K video signal distribution.

Kaleidescape Inc. : With a new CEO at the helm, Kaleidescape recently announced a number of new products. This includes the Kaleidescape compact Terra 12 and 18TB and the Kaleidescape Terra 72TB, delivering a vast range of storage sizes to meet a wide range of customer needs. These new product announcements followed significant partnership announcements that caught the industry’s attention and imagination with Meyer Sound (speakers) and Trinnov (surround processors), as well as direct integration with Lutron (shading and lighting) and Josh.ai (voice automation).

KEF: In celebration of its 60th anniversary, KEF has promised to “launch the most advanced products it has ever created” in the coming months. And when you look at its recently updated Music Lounge, including its new THX Certified home theater, that is a powerful boast.

LEA Professional : As the resimercial space gained considerable momentum in 2021, LEA Professional, manufacturer of high-quality, pro-audio amplifiers with cloud- and IoT-based technologies, recognized the opportunity that this sector represented, and its technologies helped integrators navigate this new space. LEA Professional has created a Cloud Platform that allows secure remote monitoring and control capabilities. This provides systems integrators with powerful, reliable, and secure remote monitoring and control capabilities.

Legrand | AV: Throughout 2021, Legrand | AV’s industry-leading brands introduced numerous solutions designed to transform the connected home.

Structured wiring solutions included On-Q’s AC1060 Shelf Mounting Bracket, In-Wall Power and Cable Management Kit, and Dual-Purpose In-Wall Enclosures, which conveniently house cable boxes, streaming players, and more.

Da-Lite released its Agility Battery Motor as an alternative to hardwiring electric projector screens, while SANUS rolled out its VLT7 Advanced Tilt 4D TV wall mount, as well as a suite of accessories designed for Sonos. For the home office, Chief released its new Koncƒ´s Series Monitor Arm Mounts, while Luxul had networking covered with new L2/L3 Gigabit switches.

Legrand Building Control Systems : Legrand’s Building Control Systems (BCS) division had a significant release in 2021 and is poised to continue making

COMPANIES TO WATCH 2022 waves in 2022. Recently, the company introduced Vantage LHUMAN, a dynamic HCL solution for the residential market. LHUMAN incorporates Vantage lighting controls, QMotion motorized window shades, and color-tunable lighting fixtures from leading alliance partners to put the natural lighting cycle in the control of homeowners. By integrating QMotion shading with Vantage lighting control, end users can maximize natural light in a space by raising their shades, or mimic natural light artificially all from the same touchscreens and keypads.

Leon Speakers: Leon Speakers has built a solid reputation and successful business as a manufacturer that pushes the envelope in speaker design, turning audio technology into legitimate works of art through partnerships with several professional artists. This commitment to providing customers the best of both worlds — speakers with style — remains steadfast in 2022, symbolized by Leon’s collaboration with up-and-coming contemporary artist Mike Han. The newly commissioned artwork turns Leon’s Ente Soundtiles into decorative statement pieces.

LG: Year after year, LG pushes the boundaries of what televisions can offer, including its OLED line. Along with TVs, it also pushed ahead with its projector and soundbar lines, but it was its late-year introduction of the Direct View LED (DVLED) display series that really turned heads. LG DVLED Extreme Home Cinema uses 2 million to 33 million individual diodes (depending on resolution) to deliver high performance with exceptional brightness, years of residential lifespan, wide viewing angles, and a very high color gamut — even in rooms with lots of windows and high ambient light.

Lutron: Lutron had a very busy 2021, expanding its lighting portfolio and partnering with Josh.ai and Kaleidescape, but it closed the year on an even higher note with introduction of the highly anticipated Palladiom Wire‐Free Shading System and the release of RadioRA 3, which features the first-ever line of wall controls with both light bar design and IoT connectivity, a new all-in-one processor powered by PoE, and new simpler PC programming software and app-based editing features.

Luxul: In 2021, Luxul’s Epic Mesh wireless mesh solution added ProWatch+ to its list of features and continued to serve as a key networking component in work-from-home environments, while the company’s ProWatch cloud management solution gained traction with integrators for remote monitoring and management. New solutions introduced this year included three additions to Luxul’s portfolio of managed L2/L3 Gigabit switches: the 48 PoE+ port SW-510-48P-F; 24 PoE+ port SW-610-24P-R; and 48 PoE+ port SW-610-48P-F. Designed for large residential and commercial networks, the units are packed with features for simple network expansion and management, while offering high performance with fast switching capacities of 104 Gbps, 128 Gbps, and 176 Gbps, respectively.

McIntosh Group : McIntosh Group has ventured into the automotive sector with Jeep/ Wagoneer and Maserati, continuing to explore brand-aligned opportunities to bring high-end audio to a broader consumer base. McIntosh Labs and Sonus faber have innovated their expertise in home audio to create automotive audio system integrations for the Jeep Grand Cherokee L and Grand Wagoneer vehicles, as well as the Maserati MC20 Super Sports Car. Modus VR: Modus VR is changing the design game for the industry with virtual reality and a suite of immersive 3D tools that empower AV Integrators to create and optimize rooms in real time with AV technology and other objects. In 2021 Modus VR expanded its offerings beyond residential into resimercial and enterprise markets, adding products and partnering with leading commercial brands such as Crestron, Bose, Logitech, Salamander Designs, Barco, and more. With Modus VR, dealers save time, increase efficiency, and show clients and partners their actual room and technology — long before construction begins.

MSE Audio: The demand for speakers in quality theater and multi-use rooms is high, and MSE Audio has been working throughout 2021 to develop tools to help integrators simplify the theater development process while simultaneously updating many products in its lineup to work better and/or install easier. The

goal is to create perfect sound, regardless of the room’s acoustics, while helping integrators be competitive with high-quality solutions. Many more MSE Audio products will be built in the U.S. in 2022 to minimize supply chain issues.

Nationwide: This past October, Nationwide Marketing Group and Azione Unlimited merged to form a results-driven whole-home platform. Together, Nationwide and Azione serve a diverse network of more than 450 custom integrators, and Azione brings into the mix over 60 additional vendor partners, making the combined group one of the largest and most diverse offerings in the industry. And this merger will allow both Nationwide and Azione Unlimited to offer smart home integrators and the vendors that serve them an end-to-end suite of tools and programs that focus on improving efficiency and profitability — at no additional cost.

Nice North America: Nice will enter 2022 following a thrilling end to 2021 as the company’s recent acquisition of Nortek Control and its multitude of brands now doubles the company’s R&D capacity, grants entry into strategic new markets, and substantially strengthens its presence in North America. Dealer/ integrator partners of Nice and Nortek Control will experience an enhancement of their current relationships through a larger organization with an even stronger commitment to the channel. This acquisition solidifies Nice as a global company with a diverse regional presence ready, willing, and well prepared to serve markets and partners all over the world.

Nortek Control: Fueled by a focus on technology and integrator needs, Nortek Control released over 20 new products in 2021. The company unveiled the 2GIG EDGE Security and Automation Panel packed with industry firsts and the 2GIG New Home Program Powered by Alarm.com. With emphasis on audio solutions, the company leveraged its Sunfire designs to deliver all-new SpeakerCraft and Proficient subwoofers and brought 18 speakers to market in four months. A new ELAN 4-Channel Onboard NVR was released to expand mid-market offerings for integrators, builders, and homeowners. With these successes, Nice acquired Nortek Security & Control, LLC in October.

On-Q: On-Q released several structured wiring solutions throughout 2021, including the AC1060 Shelf Mounting Bracket. The AC1060 provides a vented, stable surface to rest and secure third-party devices inside the company’s structured wiring enclosures and is suited for heavy or tall devices requiring additional support, such as modem routers and connected hubs.

OneVision Resources: OneVision has introduced ProVision, a software solution that acts as a central hub for service operations. ProVision brings together everything integrators need to manage client-service relationships, providing tools designed to educate clients about service, market and sell premium recurring memberships, drive internal accountability, promote repeatable processes, and drive consistent execution. Part of OneVision’s ongoing efforts to bring innovative solutions to service, ProVision complements the company’s support and RMR generation platform. The software has been rolled out to OneVision Partners at no additional cost.

Origin Acoustics: Origin Acoustics had the anchor booth at this year’s reduced CEDIA Expo, and, sure, it commanded attention with a floor-shaking demo of its new Acoustic Landscape 3-channel AS51 System, AS51SYS, but it also received attention for two big announcements — its acquisition of Ambisonic Systems and becoming the co-distributor of Amina Technologies in the U.S. Orro: Orro is making great progress in the professional installation industry. After setting the strategy and making some go-to-market changes, in the last few months, it has started working with its first distributors in the U.S. and is seeing early success. Dealers of all sorts are showing interest in Orro given its flexibility to play any role in just about any job.

It can be the control system for a job, a part of another control system like Control4, it can provide the unique, human-centric lighting system for a job or be a piece of the lighting, and work with Lutron Caséta, for example. Orro is listening DECEMBER 2021

●

r es i d en t ialsy stem s.com

21

COMPANIES TO WATCH 2022 to the feedback and ideas they are getting from the channel, which is resulting new integrations, like with Control4, and new tools, such as Orro Pulse, its remote monitoring and management platform.

Parasol: Labor issues continue to plague the industry, so Parasol has launched what It calls “the custom installation industry’s first Uber-style platform,” Parasol Anywhere. Parasol Anywhere enables its dealer community to leverage excess labor capacity to solve customer issues across the United States and around the world.

Planar: This year’s release of Planar Lifestyle Displays introduced a combination of large-scale displays and installation services that enrich luxury environments. Planar Lifestyle Displays includes Planar Luxe MicroLED, Planar Luxe, and Planar Luxe UltraRes X 100, offering customers a selection of LED, including models with MicroLED technology, and LCD display solutions that support large indoor spaces, deliver outstanding video performance, and integrate with architectural elements and complement interior decor. With the new Planar Elite Technical Services and Planar Elite Installation and Commissioning, Planar Lifestyle Displays are fine tuned to ensure imagery looks its best in each unique environment Portal.io: Once again, Portal.io teamed with Residential Systems to provide a snapshot of how business is doing in the annual State of the Industry report. The company had steady growth over 2021, and has been providing valuable research to its vendor partners in order to help them navigate the current supply climate.

PowerHouse Alliance: After a year of challenges coupled with tremendous industry growth, the PowerHouse Alliance members continue to succeed. Several PowerHouse members moved to larger locations, and several other members opened additional locations in their regions, increasing access and pick-up options for dealers and integrators across the country with more growth opportunities expected in 2022. The PowerHouse Alliance also continues to expand its vendor lineup, offering access to products from popular categories including newly released products from the house A2V brand. Next year, the PowerHouse distributor members will expand training options for integrators as each member location will offer in-person CEDIA education trainings.

Pro Audio Technology: 2021 was Pro Audio Technology’s best year in the company’s 17-year history. Homeowners continue to be more willing than ever to invest in ways to entertain and to be entertained within their homes — including investing in custom home cinemas that outperform their local commercial theaters. PRO’s group of elite integrators thrived in 2021, installing PRO surround sound systems that re-create the sheer size, scale, and quality of audio only experienced in a movie theater within the personalized comfort of their clients’ homes. With many more projects lined up into 2022, PRO looks forward to making 2022 its best year ever.

ProSource: ProSource opened it new Lighting Technology Learning Center at the Dallas Market Center this year. The space is home to the exclusive ProSource Lighting Technology Certification Level 2 training. The ProSource LTLC permanent showroom features interior and landscape solutions in a fully built smart space with lighting and controls. The Level 2 Certification curriculum takes the program to the next level with hands-on live experiential training.

PTZOptics and HuddleCamHD: More than 80 percent of employees say they don’t want to return to the office full time. PTZOptics and HuddlecamHD offer affordable, high-quality cameras that allow remote workers to create engaging video communications from home. Their ultra-high-definition webcams, with dual output and electronic zoom capabilities, combine everything a user needs to capture high-quality, multi-shot videos, ranging from sales demonstrations to lectures to gaming livestreams, in a single compact device that can be mounted anywhere.

22 r e s id e ntia l s y st e m s.co m

●

DECEMBER 2021

RoseWater Energy Group: RoseWater Energy is looking toward a bright 2022. With power issues becoming more prevalent throughout the country, integrators are looking to solidify power reliability for their clients while eliminating service callbacks. RoseWater will release a new energy management and storage Hub in 2022 that will allow more flexibility in installation spaces and larger inverter capacities. Not only does RoseWater provide pure 120V/240V power, it also provides large-scale battery backup, non-sacrificial protection against lightning, and renewable integration.

RTI: RTI kicked off 2021 with the introduction of a new line of HDMI 2.0 full-bandwidth video matrixes built on the latest HDBaseT 18 Gbps standard, followed by the release of its Video over IP (VIP) platform, which allows integrators to distribute 4K UHD video over a 1 GB network switch. Next RTI turned on a new dealer website for updated access to software, firmware, drivers, and training. During CEDIA, the company launched RTI Music and the MS-3 Music Streamer, delivering an exceptional streaming experience for users with native control through any RTI control system. RTI will continue elevating its resimercial solutions in 2022, starting with version 11 of the CEDIA Hall of Fame Integration Designer programming software.

Salamander Designs: Salamander Designs expanded its solutions, design options and footprint in 2021, supporting integrators in residential and commercial markets worldwide. Addressing the most popular requests, Salamander has become the “go-to” for Fortune 100 companies, who have standardized on Salamander Designs for videoconferencing meeting room and AV technology deployments. With Ultra Short Throw Projectors now spanning home theaters to boardrooms, Salamander partnered with leading UST manufacturers to bring optimized solutions to both sectors. The company delivered a new online residential Seating Design Configurator, and enterprise products became certified with the Architecture Institute of American (AIA).

Savant: With the introduction of Savant Power, the result of the acquisition of Racepoint Energy, Savant now addresses every pillar of the connected home — climate, lighting, entertainment, security, and energy. Savant Power brings a scalable software platform to manage distributed energy resources such as solar, storage, and flexible load management. By reimagining the concept of smart energy through an advanced automated platform, Savant Power brings to market the key components needed to achieve a smart living experience as well as a modernized energy infrastructure.

Samsung: Samsung’s Neo QLED QN90A 4K TV combines Samsung’s advancements in MiniLED picture technology with the Neo Quantum Processor 4K to deliver 4K clarity and picture. The QN90A has been a runaway success in 2021 — so much so that Samsung has unveiled three new models to meet end-user demand for more sizes/price points at both ends of the spectrum. Now 43-inch, 50-inch, and 98-inch sizes join the existing portfolio (55, 65, 75, and 85 inches).

SANUS: In 2021, SANUS released its line of Pro-Install accessories that include in-wall device storage, in-wall cable management, power, and surge protection to add the finishing touches to any space. Additionally, SANUS accessories designed for Sonos, like the Extendable Soundbar Wall Mount for the Sonos Arc, give users the ultimate home theater experience.

Screen Innovations: When home systems integrators talk, Screen Innovations listens — and with serious intent. To get the conversation started, SI launched an open dealer forum on Facebook, called “Tribe.” Within a few months, integrators were sharing stories about projects, finding solutions to challenges, and exchanging ideas via this engaging peer-to-peer platform. It has provided SI with valuable insights into what its dealer customers need and want, resulting in introductions of several technologies and products.

Severtson Screens: This year was Severtson Screens’ 35th anniversary, and it celebrated with the release of a number of new products, including SAT-4K and TAT-4K projection screens, the Cable Drop Series of electric motorized projection screens, and the Deluxe In-Ceiling Series (DSE) and Deluxe In-Ceiling Tab Tension Series (DST) screens.

COMPANIES TO WATCH 2022 Snap One: 2021 was a pivotal year for Snap One. In May, it acquired Access Networks to expand Partner options for network solutions. In June, what was once SnapAV became Snap One — a new brand to reflect the company’s goal to be the best provider of solutions, services, and platforms for custom installation integrators whose businesses have grown well beyond AV products. And in July, Snap One successfully filed for a public offering. 2021 was undoubtedly a transformative year that led to more product and solution offerings, an increased local and online retail footprint, and more.

Sonos: Despite some supply issues, Sonos was able to introduce several new products this year, including the Roam portable speaker and the Binary B-260ARC Audio Return Extender for the Sonos Amp, which was made especially for integrators. In the fall, the company introduced the next-generation Beam soundbar, which now includes Dolby Atmos. The company also plans to support Amazon Music’s Ultra High Definition audio and Dolby Atmos Music.

Sony: Sony had so many new televisions, soundbars, and projectors this year that it is tough to focus on just one — but we will. The A90J is Sony’s flagship 4K OLED TV and it is available in 83-, 65-, and 55-inch classes. Sony’s new Cognitive Processor XR understands how humans see and hear, and delivers intense contrast with pure blacks, high peak brightness, and natural colors. XR OLED Contrast Pro provides an immersive depth and realism with ultimate blacks and Sony’s brightest-ever OLED picture.

Sound United: Denon and Marantz introduced new AV receivers capable of working with 8K this year, and the company hosted its first virtual event, with inside looks at all its brands in early November.

SurgeX: Heading into 2022, SurgeX continues to disrupt and protect the AV industry with solutions designed to monitor, clean, and mitigate risks in any power environment. The latest offerings from SurgeX, Squid and the UPS + Isolation Transformer, have enjoyed continuous software improvements and found their way into the most in-demand use cases for integrators. From the return to the office to the rise of the home theater and connected home, SurgeX’s product lineup will continue to keep companies, homeowners, and integrators covered with advanced power management, surge elimination, monitoring, battery backup, and PDU solutions.

Theory Audio Design: In 2021, Theory gained major momentum by defining a new category of audio components for residential installed sound. Finishing the year off strong with the introduction of its highly anticipated in-ceiling speakers, Theory’s ic4 (4-inch) and ic6 (6-inch) are the first of many products that will take Theory beyond the walls of the media room with premium and discreet architectural solutions for surround sound, distributed audio, outdoor, and commercial installations in 2022.

Torus Power: During the summer of 2021, Torus Power realized the next phase of its business growth by acquiring the machinery and equipment from manufacturing partner Plitron Manufacturing and opening a new manufacturing facility dedicated exclusively to producing Torus Power products. The move sets Torus Power up to achieve improved efficiencies in its manufacturing process, reduced lead times for new customer orders, and greater business agility for ongoing product development and building stronger partnerships within the CI channel. This transition promises to be a springboard for future company growth.

Trinnov Audio: Trinnov made dealers very happy back in September with a software update that added two major features integrators were looking for: The Altitude16 and Altitude32 are now upgradable to four additional channels and are certified to render IMAX Enhanced content playback.

URC: URC’s proprietary supply chain ensures availability for its dealer

community. URC’s Total Control provides fully scalable systems for whole home to large commercial spaces, while the Complete Control portfolio includes solutions for entry-level residential systems. 2022 promises to be a breakthrough year, building on URC’s voice control foundation, continuing success of its HDA (high-definition audio) portfolio, expanding URC Lighting powered by Z-Wave product line, developing new hardware products, and crafting new integrations with popular brands.

Vanco International: In 2021, Vanco International introduced more than 20 products across its Vanco, Evolution, Beale Street Audio, and PulseAudio lines.

In addition, Vanco was named the preferred partner for Procell Professional Batteries, adding an additional 15 SKUs. Other new products include the first certified HDMI 2.1 Ultra-High-Speed cables, the Evolution 4K HBaseT matrix switch/receivers, a lossless 70m 4K HDMI extender, and a timely expansion to the PulseAudio line. Expect this pace of product development to continue in 2022. Dealers can join Vanco’s new Brand Enthusiast program to get a sneak peek at new devices; participants unlock benefits, including beta testing opportunities from Vanco’s prolific R&D department.

Wall-Smart: Trade shows post-pandemic put many companies into a tailspin, but not Wall-Smart. Rather than take its exhibit across the globe to the trade show floor, it decided to take attendees to its headquarters — virtually. In 2021 Wall-Smart set up a booth and launched online tours for integrators, architects, designers, builders, and manufacturer partners. Customized to suit the specific interests of the guest, the tour happens in real time guided by a Wall-Smart executive who answers questions, shares details about products, and entertains opportunities for collaboration. Highly successful, the tours have generated new business for Wall-Smart and provided a nearly authentic trade show experience.

WhyReboot: Celebrations continued in 2021 for WhyReboot. With a new rep network in place, it is seeing tremendous growth and working with many new integrators in both the residential and commercial sectors. With the expansion in business, WhyReboot outgrew its offices and moved to a larger location this summer. It foresees another great year in 2022 as the work from home trend continues and adoption of Wi-Fi 6 Certified grows. WhyReboot supports the custom installation industry with partnerships with HTSA, D-Tools, Jetbuilt, Portal.io, and BlueDog Group.

Wilson Electronics: Wilson Electronics’ latest cellular signal booster product, weBoost Installed Home Complete, features professional installation through OnTech by DISH. weBoost Installed Home Complete delivers the strongest indoor cellular signal for all cell phones, tablets, hotspots, and cellular-connected devices on all U.S. carrier networks. weBoost is committed to the 5G movement, ensuring all its products work with 5G and support the latest in 5G technology.

Z-Wave Alliance : As conversations around interoperability and the future of IoT continue to heat up, the Z-Wave Alliance is looking forward to working with new entrants to the smart home protocol space in 2022 and beyond in an effort to enable robust product ecosystems that work together within the home for consumers. As champions of interoperability for over two decades, Z-Wave’s legacy as one of the original smart home communication technologies continues to expand with new and evolving technical capabilities as well as an expanding membership base comprised of smart home industry leaders. In 2022, the Z-Wave Alliance expects to make even more progress with Z-Wave Long Range, as members will have the ability to adopt the technology and create devices that support greater range, coverage, scalability, and battery life, which will enable connected device applications beyond the walls of the home.

Zappiti: Zappiti introduced the Zappiti Neo, Zappiti Reference, and Zappiti Signature — three new 4K HDR media players featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10+ powered by the latest Realtek RTD1619DR chipset. The new media players are also media servers capable of streaming content to other Zappiti devices in a network through the exclusive Zappiti Share advanced streaming protocol.

DECEMBER 2021

●

r es i d en t ialsy stem s.com

23

A SUPPLEMENT TO

MAGAZINE

THE INTEGRATION GUIDE TO

Richard Glikes, president/CCO, Azione Unlimited

BUYING GROUPS

NO TIME FOR JUST-IN-TIME Buying groups work with their dealers and vendor partners in navigating the current supply chain issues.

By Karen Mitchell

R

ichard Glikes, president/CCO, Azione Unlimited, has a comment that is sure to be music to any integrator’s ears: “The best news of all is that clients’ wallets are open. Business is great!”

That sentiment, despite supply chain issues, is demonstrative of how buying groups are providing dealers with deeper relationships to participating vendors, and perks such as discounts and access.

“The relationship has been stressed based on supply chain issues,” Glikes acknowledges, “and the lack of endemic vendor tools to communicate and respond to dealer issues. However, business is booming, and great business covers a lot of sins.”

26

Andy Orozco, vice president, business development, ProSource, notes that in many ways, dealer/vendor relationships have strengthened. “We’ve all had to support one another to better understand consumer behavior/demand.

Manufacturers need information that will help them build better forecasts and ultimately be able to deliver the proper products and services to support their dealers. The relationships extend beyond the vendor, as many brands utilize manufacturer reps, and then, of course, the buying groups are an active participant in these discussions.”

For Jon Robbins, executive director, HTSA, the only impact on relationships with vendors is the inability to get face-to-face because of the pandemic.

BUYING GROUPS “So we pivoted and leveled-up our alternative methods of communications to keep the relationships strong.

Normally, we have a whole host of events that represent face-to-face time with our valued vendor partners, such as our Spring and Fall Members Conferences, as well as several education events in partnership with vendors.”

While HTSA is anxious to get back to that more normal in-person programming, they have been able to maintain communication with vendors over the last two years to great effect. “One lesson we’ve learned is that it is important to not overdo it,” says Robbins. “There is a point where too much of a good thing can become counterproductive. In recognizing that, we’ve found the optimal balance to keep relationships strong and productive.”

never been a year as profitable as this one.”

And, yes, there are supply chain challenges. “We’ve had numerous conversations with our dealers to communicate the need to change from a ‘just-in-time model’ and anticipate their needs,” says Glikes. “Depending on the vendor, purchase orders need to be placed as far as six months in advance. The smart dealers are working with their vendor partners and purchasing inventory based on information provided by manufacturers, representatives, and regional salespeople. The market has necessitated a coordinated effort between vendor and dealer to satisfy client demand. Receivers have been by far the worst product category from a supply perspective. The good Andy Orozco, vice news is TVs have, for the most part, been available, and president, business development, ProSource that’s an unexpected surprise.”

SHOW ME THE PERKS Supply chain issues are hampering ProSource members’ “The biggest perk, by far, enjoyed by HTSA members ability to stay on schedule and complete projects, Orozco is the ability to communicate and share best practices acknowledges. “The most challenged category currently with other dealers around the country who are similarly is audio electronics, specifically amplifiers and receivers. situated; dealers who look like you, have the same basic Any solution that enhances a client’s ability to work from core values, and the same business model,” says Robbins. home and entertain at home remains popular. Mature “We have successfully maintained that ability over the categories such as video, audio, control, and networking years, despite storms, economic recessions, business are consistently among the top categories included in disruptions, and pandemics. To do so, we have carefully projects and also extend to outdoor living spaces. Emerging curated our membership; careful to not drive market categories gaining popularity include lighting fixtures fragmentation by over-subscribing members in any given as well as indoor/outdoor shades. We recognize this and market. This dramatically improves best practices sharing continue to invest heavily in educational initiatives such to the benefit of all.” as ProSource University, ProSource Academy, and the Information exchange for vendors and priority ProSource Lighting Technology and Learning Center.” allocation for members have flourished during the Supply chain issues are ubiquitous, Robbins says. “In Jon Robbins, executive director, HTSA pandemic, Orozco says. “Vendors are able to benefit a way, for us the impact has been cultural. After years from the group’s ability to provide them with market of relying on our vendors’ skill in executing just-in-time intelligence. ProSource District Managers work with their delivery, we are forced to change our behaviors, particularly members to collect data that is shared with our vendor partners. Insight on ordering practices, to navigate this new world of disrupted supply chains. The which product categories are trending, visibility to the project pipeline, and strategy for buying has changed dramatically, and we’ve tried to help our major pain points in the custom integration market help vendors better focus members in any way we can through enhanced communication. Rethinking on the needs of their dealers and give them the ability to react quickly. For the logistics, something we rarely had to worry about previously, is just absolutely dealers, ProSource is able to be their voice with the group vendor partners. necessary in order to help ensure members’ clients are not impacted. As far as This goes back to before pandemic times. We are constantly working to what products specifically have been impacted by the supply chain problem, develop strategies with vendors that put our members in a favorable market it’s basically, anything with a chip.” position.”

Lighting, Robbins continues, has seen extreme gains in popularity. “While “The number one perk of being in a group is maximizing rebates from our some of this growth is the result of the group’s focus on the category, it is negotiated annual programs with our vendor members,” says Glikes. “There’s clearly gaining tremendous traction with clients. Another area exploding for us is control and home automation. We are seeing explosive growth with Crestron Home, with no end in sight. Also, longtime partner Control4 continues to do an incredible job for our members. In general, automation as a category has really performed well lately. This is because automation has become simpler to deploy and more reliable.”

Orozco says ProSource is excited to start getting back out into the market.

“Our District Managers are once again on the road facilitating meetings with our vendors and members. This is the best way to build strong bonds between our dealers and vendors. There’s nothing like a face-to-face meeting, and we will soon announce our plans for 2022 which include national conferences —Jon Robbins, HTSA along with regional meetings.”

“The strategy for buying has changed dramatically, and we’ve tried to help our members in any way we can through enhanced communication.”

27

BUYING GROUPS

ADVERTORIAL

Nationwide Marketing Group

As part of the Nationwide Marketing Group’s $19 billion in buying power, Home Technology Specialists Nationwide, or HTSN, is the custom integration channel’s premier buying and marketing group. HTSN combines best-in-class Jon Robbins, executive vendor programs, many of which are group exclusives, insurancedirector, programs, HTSA website development, digital marketing, education and eight world-class national distribution partnerships to ensure you’re ALWAYS getting the best deals and enhancing your bottom line.

When HTSN says we only win when you do, we mean it. While others inflate claims and promises, that’s not how Nationwide Marketing Group and HTSN roll. We’re member focused and performance driven, and we walk our talk EVERY DAY.

Learn more at: www.nationwidegroup.org

28

Luxul

PoE Switches L

et’s get ready to talk about…

SWITCHES! Hello…? Anybody there…?

Look, I get it — network switches aren’t the cool and buzzworthy things you are normally interested in reading about, and I’m betting you’ve never given a client sales presentation that included, “And let me tell you about this managed switch! It’s going to blow your socks off!”

But we can all agree that one of the most important things we install in a client’s home is a solid and reliable network. Remember CEDIA’s “Own the network, own the home!” mantra a few years back? And having solid network performance has only become a more important requirement since then, and that isn’t likely to change for the foreseeable future.

One thing I learned from completing the Pakedge Certified Network Administrator (PCNA) course was that the center of a home’s network is not the router — it’s the switch. This has to do with the way network layers work, and it’s the switch that connects all devices on a local network together — even the wireless ones — receiving, processing, and forwarding data across the LAN. The switch stores MAC address and port numbers in its table, and knows where to send the network traffic.

Another thing exploding in popularity across our projects is the proliferation of power over Ethernet (PoE) devices. Whether PoE is used to power wireless access points, other switches,

30 r e s id e ntial s y st e m s.com

●

cameras, control processors, shades, door stations, touchscreens, lighting devices, or something else, it is becoming a go-to for ease of use. And having a solid, managed PoE switch in the rack will not only help you have a more reliable and robust network, it will greatly clean up rack clutter by eliminating a ton of power injectors.

So, yeah, let’s get ready to talk about the new Luxul PoE switches, because they offer some pretty standout features that you should definitely consider for your upcoming installs.

The Lineup Luxul launched a trio of new managed L2/L3 Gigabit PoE+ switches this year, which took home a Residential Systems “Best of Show” award at CEDIA Expo. These include two large 48-port PoE+ models, SW-510-48P-F and SW-610-48P-F, and the 24-port PoE+ SW-610-24P-R. One big differentiator to be aware of is the -R and -F in the model names, with the -F indicating front facing ports and the -R indicating rear facing ports. So, plan your rack/install accordingly.

The SW-510 and -610 models are identical in performance save for one thing: the uplink speed.

The -510 features four SFP (small form-factor pluggable) ports, these are limited to Gigabit speed, whereas the four SFP+ ports on the -610 models feature 10 Gigabit ports. Additionally, these ports can be used separately or aggregated in any combination (1+3, 2+2, or 4), meaning you could get up to 4 GB (-510) or 40 GB (-610) transfer speeds between switches.

DECEMBER 2021

Why is this important? When you need to connect multiple switches together, you want that data flow to be lightning-fast between them.

These SFP ports can utilize a fiber-optic cable to carry gobs of data over great distances, meaning a switch in a secondary rack would have no lag or bottleneck. And since fiber is immune to EMI, isn’t prone to lightning strikes, and has virtually no attenuation, it is a perfect solution for switch-toswitch connection. (Remember an Ethernet cable is limited to a 100-meter run between devices.)

These managed switches all feature a new hardware security module (HSM) chip, which makes them more impervious to any hacking.

Additionally, they are now Linux-based, which allows Luxul to make the switches more feature rich, as well as offering the ability to add more features going forward.

To improve high-traffic handling, they also feature a better backplane for faster switching speeds, supporting full-duplex 1 Gbps bandwidth on all ports. They are ProWatch Integrated for easier integration with Luxul’s remote management software and offer higher PoE budgets of 370 and 740 watts for the 24- and 48port models, respectively.

Unlike the older (now discontinued) AMS4424P and XMS-7048P from Luxul, these new switches are not capable of being stacked. While stacking had its benefits — great in large AV over IP installations, and allowing you to see all switch ports under a single UI — it had its limitations, such as needing to have identical switches stacked;

PRODUCT REVIEW

older plastic models, with the added benefit of having better shielding and heat dissipation.

The 100-05PD also includes rare-earth magnets as a simple mounting alternative.

For my review, Luxul sent a SW-610-24P-R, a SW-100-04P, and a SW-100-05PD.

Installation

By John Sciacca LegrandAV.com/products/luxul 801-822-5450

KUDOS Huge host of configuration options; plenty of PoE+ power; quiet operation; ProWatch Integrated

CONCERNS None

PRODUCT SPECS ● 24

PoE+ rear-facing Gigabit Ports

●

370-watt total PoE budget

●

4 SFP+ Ports; aggregable up to 40 Gbps

an expensive proposition if you needed just a couple of more ports. Stacking is not supported with the new chipsets being used, and, in order to be more future-proof, Luxul had to drop that capability.

Luxul also launched some smaller, application-specific unmanaged switches with the SW-100-04P and the SW-100-05PD, which will give you some fantastic options at the edge of your network. Not only are these small enough to fit virtually anywhere — say mounted behind a flat-panel display — these are cheap enough where you can keep a couple on your vans to have available to solve a problem. Additionally, there is a new SW-10008P 8-port GB switch with a total PoE+ output of 92 watts.

All of the new switches feature metal cases, giving them a more premium feel than the

My main AV rack has a total of 24 network connections, and even though I know it’s against best practices, I had been using four 8-port switches to make all of my Ethernet connections. Besides the clutter, and potential ding to network performance, I also lost a total of six ports from all the connections required between switches. So, ripping that out and replacing it with the -610-24P was a Godsend for wire cleanup and a better experience.

Also, since every port on the -610 offers full PoE+ (up to the total PoE budget of 370 watts), I discovered my Crestron Pyng processor and Control4 touschscreen could power via PoE, letting me ditch a couple of wall warts!

All of the new full-sized switches are a standard 17.4 inches wide, and are 1U rack height with included rackmount ears.

I was a tad nervous by the inrush of fan noise when I powered the -610 on after making all of the connections, but was relieved when that very quickly died down to a nearly inaudible level at my seating location. Improved airflow is one of the benefits of the new design, and that allows the fan to run at a low speed to keep noise down.

The other thing I noticed was the cityscape of blinking lights on the front panel.

Unfortunately, the lighting currently isn’t defeatable, though Luxul tells me it’s on the request list. Fortunately, there are a couple of

● PoE

self-healing with auto-recovery and power scheduling

●

L2/L3 support

●

Optimized for AV-over-IP applications (including support for Just Add Power)

●

Luxul ProWatch Integrated

●

Lifetime U.S.-based tech support with 3-year hardware warranty

DECEMBER 2021

●

r es i d en t ialsy stem s.com 31

Residential Systems DECEMBER 2021

Vol. 22 No. 12

residentialsystems.com FOLLOW US twitter.com/resisys facebook/resisys CONTENT VP/Content Creation Anthony Savona anthony.savona@futurenet.com Contributors: Llanor Alleyne, Dennis Burger, Sam Cavitt, Henry Clifford, Dave Donald, Tim Fitzpatrick, Ted Green, Jason Griffing, Anthony Grimani, Karen Mitchell, Todd Anthony Puma, John Sciacca, Heather Sidorowicz, Gordon van Zuiden Production Manager Heather Tatrow Managing Design Director Nicole Cobban Design Director Marc Miller ADVERTISING SALES VP/Market Expert, AV/Consumer Electronics & Pro Audio Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com, 212-378-0465 SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE To subscribe, change your address, or check on your current account status, go to residentialsystems.com and click on About Us, email futureplc@computerfulfillment.com, call 888-266-5828, or write P.O. Box 1051, Lowell, MA 01853.

LICENSING/REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS Residential Systems is available for licensing.

Contact the Licensing team to discuss partnership opportunities.

Head of Print Licensing: Rachel Shaw, licensing@futurenet.com MANAGEMENT Senior Vice President, B2B Rick Stamberger Vice President, Sales & Publishing, B2B Aaron Kern Vice President, B2B Tech Group Carmel King Vice President, Sales, B2B Tech Group Adam Goldstein Head of Production US & UK Mark Constance Head of Design Rodney Dive FUTURE US, INC. 130 West 42nd Street 7th Floor New York, NY 10036

All contents ©2021 Future US, Inc. or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

If you submit material to us, you warrant that you own the material and/or have the necessary rights/permissions to supply the material and you automatically grant Future and its licensees a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in any/all issues and/or editions of publications, in any format published worldwide and on associated websites, social media channels and associated products. Any material you submit is sent at your own risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents, subcontractors or licensees shall be liable for loss or damage. We assume all unsolicited material is for publication unless otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit, amend, adapt all submissions.

We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill and printer hold full FSC and PEFC certification and accreditation.

32 r e s id e ntia l s y st e m s.com

●

DECEMBER 2021

ways to minimize it. First, selecting the blue LED setting instead of green made them far less visible. Second, there is a small recessed button on the rear panel that toggles between displaying all traffic and just active PoE ports.

By making them blue and PoE only, I cut my light pollution down significantly. One bummer is that if the switch reboots, it returns to the green color displaying all activity. (Luxul claims this has been remedied in models shipping after I received my unit.)

Granted, many people won’t care about the fan noise or blinking LEDs with the switch tucked away in a rack somewhere, but it can coexist if you do need to put in an area that is occupied.

At this point, the switch was up and running and totally functioning, but because it is a managed switch, there is an extensive, password protected Web GUI to access the configuration.

One configuration every installer should make is labeling each port in the GUI so you can more easily locate them later. Not only is this super helpful when using ProWatch, it also makes the life of anyone coming behind you easier.

Of course, managed switches give you far more control over nearly every aspect of your network. Admittedly, I am not a network expert, and there are numerous configuration options

here I didn’t fully grasp, but that will thrill your geekiest IT guy. Luxul kindly includes help prompts in the form of a white “?” next to each item that offers an explanation in plain English, frequently with a jump to an internal glossary to explain a term. For example, clicking the “?” next to MVR explains that it is Multicast VLAN Registration, and why you would want to use it. Will this make you a network expert if you aren’t one already? No, but it will give you a sense of what you are looking at and navigate the configurations.

There are certainly some standout options worth mentioning that will be beneficial on many installs. First, the switch can support up to 4095 (yes, over 4000) VLANs for segregating traffic from control systems, video distribution, cameras, guest network, etc. Second, there are a host of quality of service (QoS) adjustments, including IGMP Snooping (Internet Group Management Protocol), that will allow you to save massive amounts of network overhead and prioritize traffic for the best experience when doing things like streaming or video distribution. Third, besides just being able to monitor and prioritize PoE power handling, there are some nice PoE reboot features that can address and correct problems before your client is even aware of them. Things like PoE scheduling that can be used to configure automatic reboots of certain ports or if you

PRODUCT REVIEW

wanted to turn certain ports off at night, as well as a PoE Auto Check feature that allows the switch to ping the IP of the device connected on a specific port; if the device doesn’t respond, the switch can be configured to reboot it.

Finally, all three of these new switches work seamlessly with Just Add Power’s JAPConfig software via a new driver for the company’s AVover-IP distribution. Just Add Power’s sales team manager, Taft Stricklin, says these new switches “are perfect for single-switch systems with fewer than 50 AV-over-IP devices on the network.”

pool house where all we had was single Ethernet cable. By adding the -04P to his rack, I took that PoE+ output to power the remotely located -05D and then used its single PoE output to power a local Control4 touchscreen! This was a perfect, real-world use of these devices at a price that the customer was thrilled to pay.

With retail pricing of just over $100 each, these are the perfect option when you need some PoE+ power to fire up a few devices on a job, don’t have the space for four separate power injectors, or can’t access local power.

Unique Uses

Performance

While you’ll likely reserve the 24- and 48-port switches for larger projects, the new compact -04P and -05PD switches offer enough cool flexibility that you’ll likely use them on many projects, and I thought I’d call out a couple of use options for them.

Both devices are roughly 3.9 inches x 3.9 inches x 1 inch (L x W x H), making them small and thin enough to put about anywhere. The -04P has a single, non-powered uplink input along with four PoE+ outputs with a total power budget of 58 watts. This little guy worked perfect when mounted to the wall of a closet where I used it to power a whole room full of PowerShades PoEpowered shades (review coming).

The -05PD powers via PoE+, meaning it can go places where getting access to power is difficult.

Not only that, but it features a single PoE output to power one device up to 15 watts. While that 15 watts doesn’t leave a ton of overhead if you’re powering a big WAP, it should be enough to do it under all but the most extreme use cases. The -05PD was the perfect solution for my bedroom where I have a Kaleidescape M300, a Control4 EA1, and Dish Joey wall-mounted behind an LG OLED. Adding an additional power plug for a traditional switch would be a real hassle, so the -05PD allowed me to give a hardwired connection to all of my devices with no additional power required!

Since receiving my review devices, I’ve used these on actual installations. We had a customer wanting to add a network switch in a remote

No real surprise, my network worked great while using these switches. Never had any power issues from PoE, any Wi-Fi problems, or any performance issues during streaming or when using my network-intensive Kaleidescape.

Looking out beyond my install, I’m thinking how these switches would come into play on larger projects. My company is a Luxul dealer, and virtually all of our installations feature Luxul XAP-1510, -1440, and -1610 WAPs, frequently six or more per install. With each of these WAPs comes a fair-sized power supply brick that we have to account for in our rack and wiring. Having all of those PoE+ ports available will really clean this up on future projects, letting you get rid of all of those bricks and have for nicer wire runs.

I asked Luxul how many of these high-power WAPs the SW-610-24P could support, and the short answer was 24; one on each port. The switches are budgeted to support 15 watts per port (15 x 24 = 370 watts for the 24-port; 15 x 48 = 720 watts for the 48 port), which, under most uses, should be enough to power up to 24 WAPs. However, the worst-case peak power of an XAP160 is 26.1 watts, say if you had a large party where there were tons (say 100) of people connected to a specific WAP, or you had loads of people (say 50) all streaming an HD video from a single WAP, that could go up. If you were running the switch at its full power capacity, there would be no headroom to support a WAP asking for more, so Luxul said the “safe” maximum to allow a bit

DECEMBER 2021

●

r es i d en t i a ls ys t ems . co m 33

of headroom would be 20. (Which, honestly, if you have a project that requires 20 high-power WAPs, you probably won’t be using a single 61024P anyway…) Also, a drawback of running the switch at full-out power it that it will run hotter, producing more fan noise.

Finally, all of these new managed switches are Luxul ProWatch Integrated, meaning they offer full remote access and control. (A Luxul ProWatch+ device, such as one of the company’s routers, is still required to take advantage of this.)

It was great to be able to tunnel into the system and check settings, or be able to reboot a port if need be; something that could 100 percent save you a truck roll.

Another big bonus is Luxul’s free lifetime U.S.based tech support and firmware upgrades, along with a three-year hardware warranty. Not too shabby for a product expected to have a 24/7/365 operational life as the backbone of a home’s network. And when working on a complex project, having support you can reach out to and access is invaluable.

When you factor in the configuration features, number of full PoE+ ports, and overall power budget, uplink speeds, and remote accessibility of these new managed switches, plus the creative uses and applications for the new compact models, there is a ton about these new Luxul models to get excited about, and they are definitely worth looking into.

BUSINESS SOFTWARE

$88/MONTH 800-598-5860 Professional Proposals 3 Million online products demo: www.bidmagic.com

GOING FORWARD

It’s Time to Rethink Service

Meaningful change won’t come through a piecemeal approach.

BY JASON GRIFFING

For years, integrators have struggled to keep up with the growing service demands of their clients. Yet, for many, this critical part of the business is still handled in a piecemeal fashion. Client calls and emails flood in from all directions. Service information is scattered across disparate and siloed systems. Teams struggle to communicate in the midst of jam-packed schedules. And the level of service a client receives is dictated almost entirely by subjective factors like how loudly they’re yelling or how much money they spent on their project.

Even for those companies who have tried valiantly to “fix” service, the challenges are myriad. Sales teams are ill-supported to educate clients about service. Client expectations are rarely, if ever, managed through formalized service agreements. Project teams struggle to close out projects and smoothly initiate the service relationship. Owners and managers lack the tools they need to hold teams accountable. And service teams are left perpetually swimming upstream.

Service needs to be run like a well-oiled machine; instead, it’s the Wild West. This creates an inconsistent and subpar client experience, a chaotic internal operating environment, and a significant drain on the bottom line, to say nothing of the damage it does to the reputation of the home technology industry as a whole.

It’s Time for a Better Way Close your eyes and imagine: What would your company look like if your service went from being a headache to an efficient, organized, and profitable part of the business? If recurring revenue was finally a reality? If 100 percent of your clients signed a formalized service agreement? If all support calls funneled through dedicated channels? If you had a smooth, repeatable process for closing out projects and initiating the service relationship? What would it mean for your clients and employees if you were able to bring order to the chaos?

Let’s Stop Imagining and Go Make This a Reality If we’ve learned anything from our years of helping integrators lock horns with service at OneVision, it’s that looking at service in isolation doesn’t work. Service doesn’t start when the project completes; it starts the moment you speak with the client for the first time and carries through every touchpoint in the client relationship thereafter. Sales teams must be confident and well-supported in their efforts to educate clients about service. Project teams must have a repeatable process for closing out projects and smoothly initiating the service relationship. Service teams must have easy access to critical service information and a consistent operational playbook. And owners and managers must have the tools and information needed to drive change and

34 r e s id e ntia l s y st e m s.co m

●

DECEMBER 2021

promote accountability through every phase of the client relationship.

To solve these challenges, OneVision recently released ProVision, the industry’s first software tool designed exclusively to power the service departments of modern integrators. ProVision provides everything integrators need to manage client service relationships, market and sell premium support memberships, promote repeatable service processes, drive internal accountability, and, most importantly, provide clients with a consistent, world-class service experience. It’s a suite of tools designed to educate clients and to get everyone — from sales and project managers to service teams and company leaders — moving in lockstep toward a fundamentally improved service delivery model.

Of course, we’re proud of ProVision. But focusing solely on convincing you to check it out misses a broader point: whether you go with our solution or go another route, the only path to meaningful change with service requires a holistic approach. Trying to solve the service problem with piecemeal solutions is like trying to cure a heart condition with a pill while continuing to eat fried food at every meal. You can make tactical changes all day long to your service department — think setting up dedicated service phone numbers, creating a ticketing system, and tweaking your on-call schedules. These are all important and worthy steps, but, like taking a pill without making healthy lifestyle changes, no amount of tweaking the service delivery process alone will get you the long-term results you’re looking for.

Transforming service from a liability to a thriving and profitable component of the business is a challenge that has plagued our industry for too long. It’s time for a comprehensive approach to service: one that puts people, processes, and technology together, with a laser-like focus on improved client education and delivering world-class support experiences. It’s time to fundamentally rethink service.

Jason Griffing is director of product for OneVision.