Innovative Solutions Constant Innovations at the Helm
Tech-Effects Bring the Best out of Tech
VOL-01 | ISSUE-06 | 2022
www.insightssuccess.com
Editor’s Desk Delivering Pragmatic, Functional, and Organized Home Solutions
W
e are living in a world where everyone prefers smart things. People like to control everything with a touch of a button. Everyone wants smartwatches, smart machines, smart bikes, smart cars, smart devices, smart homes, etc. All these smarter things are obviously attractive and increase our comfort to a great degree. With the help of technology and using all the creative intelligence, it is possible to create smarter things and enjoy the world in a befitting way. The need for smart things will stay longer in the increasingly smarter world. Today, there are many smart home solutions available in the market that no one even imagined before. These smart home solutions ensure complete protection, security, and optimum utilization of space and devices in the home. The companies designing these solutions constantly innovate and come up with more exciting devices. They understand that technology is a tool, and they expertly utilize technology to create smart home solutions that provide happier user experiences. These businesses also consider the environmental and sustainability aspect while designing solutions. They strive to create home solutions in a way that there will be the minimum requirement of the utilization of energy or electricity so as to minimize carbon emissions. They also consider the designing aspect as well as an aesthetic experience. They use automation and innovative methods to deliver pragmatic, functional, beautiful, and smarter home solutions. Home automation makes the home highly secure and easy to access. With certified smart home devices, these companies make the lives of people and non-experts in the
home effortless and bring them utmost ease. People in the home can improve their functionality, productivity, and overall efficiency with services from smart home solution providers. They can save their most precious time, resources, and money with the smarter and more optimum services provided by expert smart home solution providers. These companies make the home more organized. With the help of easy-to-use new-age devices and smarter apps, the companies providing smart home solutions beautify the functionality of the home. In this way, through a variety of ways smart home solution providers improve the overall satisfaction and happiness of the people. Such companies adopt the latest methods and constantly improve the solutions they offer to the clients, thus sustaining their value in the market. In this edition of The 10 Best Performing Smart Home Solution Providers, 2022, we have enlisted companies that are experts in providing smart home solutions and are improving the overall functionality, security, experiences, and productivity of consumers Flip through the pages to learn about these companies and their exceptional offerings. Also, in between, you will come across CxO standpoints by industry experts and creative articles penned down by our in-house editorial team. Happy Reading!
Sharad Chitalkar sharad@insightssuccess.com
CO NT EN TS
16
O X C
Leader’s Viewpoint How Storytelling can Enhance Brand Identity?
Articles
18
Homes Smartified The Next Big Change
28
Promising Future The Future of IOT
08 Aprilaire
Healthy Air in Every Home
12 BrickControl
Facilitating Total Management of Construction Projects Easily and Ef?ciently
20 Netatmo
A Step Towards your Smart Home
24 Origami
Creating a Green Energy World with Innovation
30 Prescient
Digitally Transformation the Construction Industry
32 YI Technology
Making Lives of People Safer, Richer and More Fun with Smart Cameras and Computer Vision
Editor-in-Chief Hitesh Dhamani Managing Editor Anish Miller
Executive Editor Sharad Chitalkar
Assistant Editors Jenny Fernandes
Visualizer
Art & Design Director
Associate Designer
Co-designer
David King
Priyanka Rajage
Shyam Sonawane
Kartik Balapurkar
Senior Sales Manager
Business Development Manager
Kshitij S
Peter Collins
Marketing Manager
Sales Executives
John Matthew
David, Martin, Irfan
Technical Head
Business Development Executives
Jacob Smile
Steve, Joe, Saurabh
Technical Specialist Aditya
Digital Marketing Manager Marry D'Souza
SME-SMO Executive Amol Wadekar
Research Analyst Frank Adams
Database Management Stella Andrew
Circulation Manager Robert Brown
Technology Consultant David Stokes
sales@insightssuccess.com December, 2021
Follow us on :
www.facebook.com/insightssuccess/
www.twitter.com/insightssuccess
We are also available on : Copyright © 2021 Insights Success, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Insights Success. Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success.
Company Name
Featured Person
Brief
AprilAire aprilaire.com
Brandon Glancy, Corporate Training Manager
AprilAire has been providing a variety of Indoor Air Quality solutions and technology since 1938.
BrickControl brickcontrol.com
David Jiménez, CEO
BrickControl is a “cloud-based” application that helps you manage all of your projects in an easy, simple, and efficient way.
Netatmo netatmo.com
Fred Potter, Founder
Netatmo is a leading smart home company creating simple, beautiful smart solutions for a safer and more comfortable home.
Nexus 21 tvlift.com
Cory Lovett, CEO
Nexus 21 is the leading provider of systems that put technology in motion.
Nice S.p.A. niceforyou.com
Pete Haikio, CEO
Nice is an Italian multinational reference company in the Home Automation, Home Security and Smart Home sector.
Origami Energy origamienergy.com
Peter Bance, CEO
Origami is helping to build a green energy world, powered by smart technology.
Prescient Co. Inc. prescientco.com
Magued Eldaief, President and CEO
Prescient is building a unique technology platform that is revolutionizing the building environment.
Swann swann.com
Michael Lucas, CEO
Swann is a global leader in do-it-yourself video surveillance, consumer electronics and security-centric solutions for homes and businesses.
Tespack tespack.com
Mario Aguilera, Founder and CEO
Tespack is a technology company specialised in the development of mobile energy solutions and wearable technology for off-grid purposes.
YI Technology yitechnology.com
Sean Da, CEO & Founder
YI Technology is the leading provider of advanced video, imaging and computer vision technologies.
The 10 Best Performing Smart Home Solution Providers of 2021
Healthy Air in Every Home
A
ir quality in our homes has been a growing risk the past few decades as tighter building envelopes have decreased the amount of fresh, clean air circulating in the house. Add a global pandemic on top of those issues and 2021 heard a concerted call for Healthy Air from homeowners, buyers, and builders as well as the service people who manage a home’s HVAC and air quality systems. To answer this growing call for Healthy Air, Aprilaire has produced the Aprilaire Healthy Air SystemTM for residential use to help in the fight against virus-sized particles and provide clean, Healthy Air. Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, Aprilaire has provided premium Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) solutions and technology to North American customers since 1938. Brandon Glancy, the Corporate Training Manager at Aprilaire, helps thousands of HVAC professionals grow their business by learning the ins and outs of selling Indoor Air Quality solutions to homeowners. He has been a highly effective motivational speaker and business coach for over two decades. He provides an inspirational element that gets right to the heart of the matter. That heart is passion and persistence. We at Insights Success caught up with Aprilaire in our expedition to find ‘The 10 Best Performing Smart Home Solution Providers of 2021.’ We talked with Brandon to gain in-depth knowledge about Aprilaire’s innovative approach to contributing to clean air. Let us go through their journey.
The Brief Synopsis Indoor Air Quality is more important than ever. Aprilaire has built an unparalleled reputation as the provider of choice among the millions of homeowners and tens of thousands of professional contractors who use their products every day. Aprilaire is on a mission to deliver Healthy Air to every home. They continue to be inspired by the needs of consumers and the proficiency of professional contractors to create, design, and build innovative Healthy Air solutions, including whole-house humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air cleaners, and fresh air ventilation. They have a long tradition of developing professional-grade Healthy Air solutions. Top-Notch Products Aprilaire’s strength is that they realize no single product can solve every home’s individual requirement for Healthy Air. Working with HVAC contractors and builders, Aprilaire has developed a suite of products to meet the various installation applications and geographic variables that must be considered. Aprilaire has brought these mechanical solutions (air filtration, ventilation, humidification, and dehumidification) into the palm of the consumers’ hand through a line of WiFi connected IAQ controls as well. Best-in-Class Aprilaire prides itself on education and training for all business partners, be it HVAC contractors, builders, or
JANUARY | 08 | www.insightssuccess.com
‘‘
‘‘
We help people breathe Healthy Air.
Brandon Glancy Corporate Training Manager
Aprilaire
basement and crawl space specialists. It helps them understand the technical details of its products, their installation, and the consumer features and benefits that allow them to leverage these products. Dedicated Work-Culture Aprilaire is committed to understanding their customers as well as their customers’ customers. They design and build products and provide training and support for all touchpoints: distribution, contractor, homebuilder, and homeowner. Implementation of Modern Technologies Healthy Air solutions were traditionally relegated to the mechanical closet, basement, or attic. Consumers had
limited interaction with the products and were therefore somewhat unaware of what they had in their home and how to use it, explained Brandon. Using IAQ controls that connect wirelessly through an app to Aprilaire products and sensors creates a more direct connection to the consumer because they interact with products on a more familiar platform – their mobile device. The Next Big Change Brandon states there is an increased awareness of the need to manage moisture in the air before introducing it to the living space. The air conditioner is designed to control temperature, and therefore will not manage the latent load in markets where heat and humidity is high; even when the
JANUARY | 09 | www.insightssuccess.com
temperature is mild, that increased moisture can lead to mold, mildew, odors, and discomfort. Aprilaire’s Ventilating Dehumidifier (E100V + 8190FF) is a new product designed with contractors and builders in mind to provide a simple, efficient, and effective solution for delivering filtered and conditioned air to the home to create a healthy environment. Like all Aprilaire products, the Ventilating Dehumidifier connects to their line of smart IAQ controls and thermostats, making homeowner management simple and convenient. The COVID-19 pandemic brought high-efficiency filtration to the forefront of consumers’ concerns. MERV 13 filtration
is becoming a standard among builders committed to delivering healthy homes due to the high capture rate of particulate PM2.5, the size considered to be most harmful to human health that includes viruses and bacteria. Helping Hand in the Community Aprilaire also closely partners with the American Lung Association. Aprilaire 4” air filters are included in the American Lung Association Proud Partner program.* They also support the American Lung Association Fight For Air Climb. Brandon says, “The funds raised support research, education, and programs to help the millions of Americans impacted by asthma, COPD, lung cancer and other lung diseases.” “Aprilaire is also active in our home community of Madison, Wisconsin, with employees donating time and money to countless efforts and organizations, including St. Vincent de Paul, an organization that fights hunger and homelessness,” Brandon concludes. *
The American Lung Association does not endorse any product, device, or service.
JANUARY | 10 | www.insightssuccess.com
David Jiménez CEO BrickControl
JANUARY | 12 | www.insightssuccess.com
The 10 Best Performing Smart Home Solution Providers of 2021
BrickControl Facilitating Total Management of Construction Projects Easily and Efficiently
W
ith a mission to improve the operations of the construction sector, facilitating the management of the entities and entities in charge of developing and directing works projects, SHM created the easiest construction management software to use, BrickControl. BrickControl is a cloud-based application that helps professionals and companies in managing all of their projects in an easy, simple, and efficient way. We at Insights Success caught up with David Jiménez, CEO of the BrickControl, to learn more about the company and its contribution to the construction sector. Improving the Operations of the Construction Sector BrickControl is a web software in the cloud for works management, which allows the creation of budgets with all the necessary structure, such as chapters, items, and units; certifications, planning through Gantt charts, orders, invoices, work reports, deviation control, warehouses, and powerful indicators of the multi-projects that can be managed in parallel in the software. The software is developed with the latest technology that allows access from anywhere and navigation devices. It also allows the protection of information through an access control system that allows maintaining a completely controlled and secure environment. Additionally, it uses one of the best servers in the world, such as the Amazon web services servers in Europe, to guarantee all its clients the special care of their data so that the information is backed up instantly and can be accessed at any moment. BrickControl is software designed to handle construction projects of all sizes, from small remodeling or construction to projects that involve teams at a global level. It has multilanguage, multi-currency, multi-company, and multi-user
features that make it a very intuitive and easy-to-use platform. Having a Leading System in Construction Technology Among BrickControl’s first-level features, it can count these that represent great solutions for the management of works projects of its users: BrickControl is a SaaS-based Cloud solution that keeps up with a construction ERP system. It allows the total management of construction projects easily and efficiently and thus, is considered as a Leading System in Construction Technology. Principal functions: • Estimates, Project Progress Reports, Budget management, Certifications, Cost analysis, Access control, Warehouse management, Resource management, Unit price management, Customer and supplier management, Document management, Progress control, assignments, deviations, invoices; and more. Main features: • No facilities or infrastructure payments. Just subscribe and log in. • Developed with the latest HTML5 technology. • Use of APIs to make business management and integrations more powerful. • Multi-language, multi-currency, multi-company, multiuser. • Progressive Web Apps System. (PWA). • High capacity for integrations due to API REST technology. • Exceptional capabilities like Measurement Software. • Applicable to project versatility.
JANUARY | 13 | www.insightssuccess.com
“We pride ourselves on having one of the best customer support teams, and one of the best teams of software development experts; these teams are without a doubt the reason why clients consistently choose us.”
Integrations: Integration with financial products of the SAP R / 3 type such as Microsoft Dynamics 365, plus other types of applications with which BrickControl integrates, such as: • Accounting software • Quality and environment • Helpdesk • Management of real estate, promoters, and assets In addition, BrickControl has a REST API that allows full integration with any other type of software. Innovating Based on Collected Experience and Needs of Users David states that according to the opinions of the clients, the sense of service and attention is a primary factor. BrickControl has 30 years of experience in the construction sector. Its secret to keeping the product efficient in the face of the changing needs of users has been to adapt to the needs of users and innovate based on recommendations and collected experience. In addition to staying close to the public, this practice has allowed BrickControl to evolve successfully in such a competitive sector. It is proud of the multiple recognitions obtained as the best technological solution for construction in 2021.
JANUARY | 14 | www.insightssuccess.com
Being Transparent, Adaptable, and Passionate Transparency has allowed BrickControl to inspire confidence in the market and maintain it over time because customers know that they are not going to get surprises in the provision of the service or the execution of the system. Besides, BrickControl is closely linked with its users and their experiences of use and management of works; it constantly obtains learning that transforms into a continuous evolution of its product. Its team is characterized by feeling passion for the area in which it works. This commitment can be seen in BrickControl’s final product, and it is the delivery itself that allows it to anticipate situations and venture to innovate. Providing Customers with Modern Software David anticipates that we are going to experience strong growth in the construction software market. Many companies want to modernize their systems, the time is right, and companies like BrickControl have been working for many years to provide customers with the modern software they need. At BrickControl, everyone is preparing to meet the demand that will be experienced in the coming years. Depending on the country, it will also help its customers obtain financial support for the digital transformation prepared in different countries. BrickControl aspires to continuous growth, to continue to
be a reliable and useful solution for its users, and a leading solution in the market. Hear it from the Client “Working with BrickControl allows us to see a quick and accurate analysis of the costs of our works, as well as the imminent integration of data into our“ review ”accounting software. Metro7 is a leading company in singular building and sustainable construction. We decided to work with BrickControl despite being used to working with other cost programs for many years because, in addition to being in the cloud and being able to access it from any device, we realized that it gave a very detailed cost analysis to everyone. The projects. We work as a team often because we all use BrickControl at the same time. In addition, BrickControl's decisive decision to become part of Metro7 was based on how we have been able to integrate data with the accounting program, so that in administration we do not do double work. By including invoices for expenses and income, you transfer them to accounting, without having to re-enter the data. But we would like to highlight the efficiency of the entire BrickControl team, they are professionals who have always known how to solve any problem through online chat or instant email.”- @ metro7_construccionsostenible, a well-known industry customer
JANUARY | 15 | www.insightssuccess.com
h ps://ww .brickcontrol.com/
Leader’s Viewpoint
About the Author From the start-up community to the classroom and now in my companies Schmooz Media and Daddys Digest, Zoë Share values creating meaningful relationships, helping businesses add value to real people specifically families, parents and children. Her passions for business and education stem from her belief that communication and collaboration can start a positive conversation and impact values-based businesses bottom lines. Zoë Share
CEO Daddy’s Digest
JANUARY | 16 | www.insightssuccess.com
How Storytelling can Enhance Brand Identity?
I
’m going to tell you a story. The story of how I came to acquire Daddy’s Digest, when I was 8 months pregnant. It all started at the beginning of the pandemic. My husband and I were in lockdown in Toronto Canada with our 2-year-old daughter, and I was beginning to feel like the work I was doing was not as meaningful as I wanted it to be. I loved helping brands determine their core values so that they could live them in their social media marketing, but I felt stuck in the day to day and wanted to serve my bigger purpose more directly- helping parents show up for their children. I set out to co-author a children’s book - ABC Stay Home with Me - and worked with some amazing contributors - illustrators and printers - to make it come to life, so we could all raise money for front line workers. After doing this, I knew that writing and publishing was my future. One of the people who bought my book for his child was the founder of Daddy’s Digest - a dad centered publication with over 850,000 in its audience. I fell in love with the brand, so much so that the founder asked me if I wanted to buy it and carry it forward. It was a dream come true, one that I had never even dared to dream until I started writing and actively creating again. I was newly pregnant with my second child, but that didn’t stop us from starting the negotiations and figuring out how I could make this publication my future. I have always loved writing and I’ve also always loved a good novel - whether fact or fiction, a good story hooks me. After pursuing an English degree, a Teaching degree and finally going to business school, it was second nature to me to talk about a business with accessible language and storytelling, so that people could feel connected to it. I always say that marketing is where education and storytelling meet and that’s why it became my career. It’s not rocket science - telling a story makes your audience engage more with you. In the case you don’t have an audience, or are looking to grow one, it’s vital that you think exactly about who you’re writing for. If you or your brand are experts on environmentally-conscious products and your audience is made up of single moms with a midlevel income, you probably want to talk more about topics
that would appeal to them so that they are getting value out of your stories and experiences. Right now, I’m writing for you and I’m making assumptions about you - the reader - as I write. I assume you’re interested in business, you are curious about how an entrepreneur who has had 2 companies before the age of 32 years old, with 2 kids under the age of 4 makes it work. You want to learn from my subject matter expertise (education, language and business) and you want to feel like you didn’t waste your time reading this. A platform like Daddy’s Digest is so strong because it’s made up of these vulnerable moments and opportunities for connection. DD is amplifying the voices of fathers to encourage the radical involvement of fathers and father figures in their kids' lives and teaching them how to navigate fatherhood. We focus on stories from the audience about self-discovery, mental health, gender and sexuality crisis issues, divorce, and doing the work so you can have the hard conversations (and all the fun) with your family. The staff at DD also tell their own stories which are part of our brand’s identity. It shows people that we also go through these problems and are also looking to build a community to help one another. With Daddy’s Digest, people (partners, readers and friends) can tell that we are more concerned with helping fathers to navigate fatherhood more than trying to get money out of them. So can storytelling enhance a brand’s identity? Absolutely. My advice is not to tell a made-up story, but instead search yourself and your colleagues for the true stories that make up the passion and expertise in your company. How did you all end up at this company? Why do you care about the work you’re doing and how do you live your learnings day to day? This is the stuff that makes people want to know more about you and your products. Remember, if you don’t care about what you’re talking about or sharing, no one else will care. I challenge you to think deeply about the stories you are telling and encourage you to tell the stories you want to read about. The more I lean into that, the better I feel about the way I am spending my time each day.
JANUARY | 17 | www.insightssuccess.com
Homes Smartified
The Next Big Change
T
he advancements of the latest technologies have given us access to everywhere, and home is just another addition to it. With the deployment of smart devices in our homes, we can do multiple tasks. It feels similar to living in a parallel world. Today's smart home technologies serve at their best to take care of our homes. The features that come along with these products make everything look easy. So, what exactly are its features, and how does it work? Let us have a look at it! Smart Energy Consumption: In today's modern era, energy consumption plays a significant role, and thus, companies are making smart energy systems a top priority. It is the process of making devices energy-efficient and focusing on sustainable energy sources to promote eco-friendliness and drive down costs. This investment in smart energy systems poses benefits to consumers, the environment, and energy providers at large. Smart meters: Smart homes are well-insulated and protect homes with a cut back on energy use. Getting a smart meter has become paramount today. Unlike traditional meters, smart meters provide much more detailed results about your power usage. With the detailed insight on your home's energy usage, it opens doors to finding new, cost-saving ways to cut down on your energy usage and make your home more efficient.
JANUARY | 18 | www.insightssuccess.com
Home Automation: In simple terms, home automation refers to the automatic and electronic control of household features, activities, and appliances. It can easily control the features of your home with the help of the internet to make life more convenient, secure and even spend less on household bills. Achieving Greater Heights The studies suggest that the smart home market is projected to grow from 84.5 US billion dollars to 138.9 billion by 2026. Looking at this increasing need for smart home products, companies are building more smart home solutions to meet the growing need for various smart applications. Additionally, the covid pandemic has highlighted the importance of concerns such as health and hygiene. Thus, people are investing more in the deployment of smart homes solutions, keeping their home environment clean and hygienic. Many More to Follow Today, many companies are experiencing strong growth in the smart home industry. Indeed, it is the right time to invest in it, as the demand will increase in the coming years. This growth will continue to grow to become a reliable and useful solution for consumers as well as the industry. Smart home products are making everyone's life easier while improving well-being at home. The latest addition is the smartphone; it has aimed to improve more comfort in our lives. You can access and update each room from anywhere through the smartphone application.
Solar Energy: The increasing demand for solar panels has resulted in decreased energy costs. This is something that will overtake the energy crisis with optimizing renewable energy. Additionally, if you've got old, outdated appliances, you might consider an upgrade for your home. The energyefficient lights can cut down on energy usage while providing even brighter, more powerful illumination.
The future advancement of smart homes with the technologies like AI and the Cloud will grab more attention from the people. Smart home companies will become the next big thing. From cities to the entire nation, everyone will be committed to using smart platforms in their lives, as the transformation has already begun.
Security System: A fully automated security system in your smart home can boost your safety and get timely alerts for any suspicious activity, ensuring your house and family members remain safe. It uses the Wi-Fi network to connect entry sensors and sirens to devices like smart door locks, smart thermostats, and smart lightbulbs. These devices can talk to each other and integrate with your security systems to make life more convenient and more secure. JANUARY | 19 | www.insightssuccess.com
A Step Towards your Smart Home
A
healthy indoor environment helps you to feel comfortable, impacting your productivity and ability to concentrate on work. When it comes to home, a lot goes around - things need to be under control. From finding a notebook to your phone, keeping track of things can be a hectic task. Thanks to Netatmo and their healthy home coach monitors that can keep a check-in of every room from your phone. It is a leading smart home company creating simple, beautiful smart solutions for a safer and more comfortable home. It also monitors indoor air quality with its devices and accessories giving one visible access at every corner of one's house. So, build your smart home with Netatmo. To find more about it, an interview was held between Insights Success and Netatmo that answers all the questions on the smart home industry, making life easier. Below are the highlights of the interview. Give us a brief overview of Netatmo, its mission, and the key aspects of its strong foothold in the Consumer Electronics industry. Netatmo is a leading smart home company that creates simple and smart products for a safer, more comfortable home.
Since its launch in 2012, Netatmo has been committed to designing products that are: - 100% inclusive: no subscription fees or extra costs - 100% secure: data protection and privacy guaranteed - 100% upgradeable: free upgrades and features added regularly To date, Netatmo has launched 13 smart home devices and accessories. Helpful and easy to use, these products make everyone's daily life easier while improving well-being at home. In addition to its consumer product lines, the company collaborates with key leaders of the building industry through its “with Netatmo” program to develop smart solutions that integrate into the home's infrastructure. In 2018, Netatmo joined the Legrand Group, a global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures. Our baseline: Netatmo, same home, just smarter. Describe your top-notch solutions that address the need of your customers. Our products are divided into four categories of products aimed at improving the comfort and the security of their users.
JANUARY | 20 | www.insightssuccess.com
The 10 Best Performing Smart Home Solution Providers of 2021
“At Netatmo, we want to keep creating products which are useful, with a beautiful design which fits into any home, easy to install and to use.” - SECURITY With our Smart Cameras, Smart Sensors, Smart Video Doorbells, and Smart Smoke Detectors, our clients' homes are safe – whether they are in it or away on holidays. Alarms can be automatically triggered in case of an event. However, the users will also receive a notification on their smartphone so that they can react immediately in case of an emergency. - ENERGY Our Smart Thermostat and Radiator Valves allow our clients to increase comfort at home while saving energy. The heating programs are adapted to every room, easy to update from the smartphone application. - WEATHER Our Smart Weather Station is great for anyone who is looking to know more about his environment. Temperature, humidity, rain, and wind (thanks to its accessories, the Smart Anemometer and the Smart Rain Gauge): both the indoor and the outdoor data are available in the app. There's also a community-based Weathermap with all the Netatmo Weather Stations in the world. - WITH NETATMO We also develop products and smart solutions with key players of the home industry such as VELUX, Muller, or Bubendorff. Smart shutters, heating solutions. JANUARY | 21 | www.insightssuccess.com
Due to the pandemic, people have been staying much more at home, and they have invested more in improving it. The Smart Home industry has benefited from this. Our Smart Indoor Air Quality Monitor analyses the indoor environment and alerts its user when he should be opening windows to air the room (when the level of CO2 is too high, for example). This product has known great success in this time of the pandemic. Describe the values that drive your organization. Ÿ Innovation & Simplicity Ÿ There is always a simpler way to innovate; it is up to us to find it! Ÿ Common sense & Ambition Ÿ We are always looking to run the extra mile whilst keeping our feet on the ground. Ÿ Empowerment & Kindness Ÿ Take your responsibilities seriously, and we will support you. Ÿ Excellence & Friendliness Ÿ Excellence is our goal, to be achieved on a friendly playing field.
What makes Netatmo a preferred choice among your clientele over other competitors? All of our products are subscription-free. Most of our competitors sell products with a subscription fee to access their videos or history. With Netatmo, when the client buys the products, there is no extra cost. We also upgrade our products regularly au automatically: we don't incentivize our clients to buy new products. We expect them to use them for years and years. Security is also an important aspect of our company: video storage is always available locally on a microSD card when most of our competitors use the cloud, which is less secure. With our facial recognition feature, family members or relatives can choose not to be recorded by the Indoor Camera. From a business leadership perspective, what is your opinion on the impact of the current pandemic on the Consumer Electronics sector and the related market?
In your opinion, what could be the future of the Consumer Electronics market post the COVID-19 pandemic? And how are you strategizing Netatmo for that future? The consumer electronics market will keep growing: smart products are going to keep becoming more and more democratized and easily available in terms of price and accessibility. We are now all equipped with a standard remote: our smartphones. In what ways have you or Netatmo contributed to the community? Our Weathermap is a good example of our communityoriented mindset. Thanks to the data gathered from our Smart Weather Stations, not only can the users know the temperature anywhere in the world, but some meteorological institutions also use it to increase the accuracy of their weather forecasts. It is the case of Norway's YR, for example. What are your future aspirations? Where do you see your company in the next five years? Netatmo is now part of the Legrand group: in the next five years, we will use the group's presence all over the world to keep expanding our business.
JANUARY | 22 | www.insightssuccess.com
Creating a Green Energy World with Innovation
T
he world is approaching towards the energy system which will continue in the future, a shift for a more sustainable energy system. An important part of this approach will be the deployment of smart and green energy solutions in the business and household sector. Origami, a company that strives to mitigate its carbon footprint and follows global best practices related to Environmental, Social and Governance, provides software solutions through its platform, to help energy companies thrive amid more complex and volatile energy markets. Peter Bance, CEO of Origami, came up with the concept for the company 12 years ago. He saw that companies were investing billions into energy assets but
that once deployed, those assets were not being managed in a smart way. The need for this smart management, but also its complexity, would grow quickly with more solar and wind energy. Out of this sprang the idea for Origami – an energy technology company which would help inform and execute the thousands of decisions that needed to be made for a renewable-centric electricity system to run smoothly and efficiently. In an interview with Insights Success, Peter Bance exemplified the significance of digital solutions to accelerate the energy transformation. Below are the highlights of the interview: Describe your company and its energy solutions which address all the needs of your customers. Origami provides real-time energy optimization solutions to the energy market, operating at the forefront of the global energy transformation. As renewables grow and energy markets shift closer to real-time, powerful technology is required. Origami’s modular suite of real-time, machine learning solutions enables energy companies to quickly make and execute informed decisions across physical and financial positions, and to do so at scale. Real-time monitoring and intelligent control of large numbers and types of energy assets enables energy traders to respond quickly to changes in the energy market, increase their profitability, access new revenue opportunities and improve trading positions.
JANUARY | 24 | www.insightssuccess.com
The 10 Most Intelligent Energy Tech Companies to Watch in 2021
Peter Bance, CEO Origami
Origami is defining a new category in the global energy sector with mission-critical software products to accelerate the transition to a net-zero world.
the automated execution of asset and market instructions. Origami offers the versatility for energy companies to integrate their own data and deploy bespoke machine learning models on our platform at scale.
How does your energy solution differ from others? Energy traders already use a lot of specialist software to help them make decisions. A big problem is that these are often difficult to integrate – which limits the quality of information that’s available to make decisions quickly and at scale. Origami offers an interoperable suite of real-time energy optimization tools for energy companies to select what they need today, that can be integrated with more modules in the future. Origami provides better visibility for energy companies, with real-time monitoring and visualization of assets and markets. We also provide tools to decide how to use this information with modules that enable dynamic opportunity identification and decision support. We can also enable
Give a detailed description of the featured person’s influence over energy optimization solutions industry. Peter has spent his career focused on building high growth ventures and technology commercialization, primarily in the cleantech sector. He was CEO of a combined heat and power business that he took public on the London Stock Exchange (AIM) and then became Entrepreneur in Residence at Octopus Investments working with their venture capital team and renewable energy business, before he founded Origami. Alongside his role at Origami, Peter sits on several bodies which bring together senior business, government
JANUARY | 25 | www.insightssuccess.com
energy systems not only to adapt, but to embrace and profit from these changes. What is the greatest challenges energy industry facing and how are they best dealt with
“
Real-time energy optimisation software
The energy transition presents a huge challenge, and big opportunities. The emerging system is faster, more complex and interconnected. As weather increasingly drives supply and demand, more decisions need to be made shortly before delivery. With renewable generation at its heart, the new energy system needs intelligent technology at its head.
“
Today’s tools were designed for a slower world. Manual workarounds, siloed information and batched processes limit the capability of energy companies to respond as the system speeds up.
and academic voices from across the UK energy industry. He is a non-exec director on the Energy Systems Catapult – set up to accelerate the energy transition by applying expert ‘whole-systems’ thinking, and of the Energy Research Partnership – which provides high-level leadership to UK energy research. He is also a member of the UK Government’s Smart System Forum – a group of senior level experts and stakeholders in smart technologies, new business models and the energy system. Could you throw some light on company’s mission and vision statement?
We need a whole new approach using machine learning to optimise the use of energy in real-time; Real-time energy optimisation modules that integrate by design. Automated workflows, open frameworks for innovation, versatile microservices, configurable interfaces, delivering the information you need, when you need it. What technologies are you leveraging to make your solutions more resourceful? Our platform is hosted on the cloud (AWS). We are building machine learning, Big Data solutions – a few of the technologies we are leveraging are Kafka and Cassandra.
Our vision: A green energy world, powered by smart technology. Ÿ Our mission: To provide the time-critical visibility, decision-making and execution solutions required in an increasingly green energy system. Ÿ
How are advance technologies bringing disruption in energy industry? Energy industries around the world are undergoing huge disruption from new technologies – Renewables, storage, electric vehicles. The aim of course is to reduce our global carbon emissions, but these technologies are challenging for energy systems built largely upon coal and gas. Digital technology solutions aren’t really the disrupter here – they are providing the solution for JANUARY | 26 | www.insightssuccess.com
Promising Future
The Future of IoT
JANUARY | 28 | www.insightssuccess.com
T
wenty years ago, no one would have imagined how the Internet and Technology could transform our lives and the way we communicate, work, and socialize. Today, with the power of technology and the internet, the entire world is at our fingertips. Evolving technologies and the internet is providing us with unprecedented connectivity. Latest technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain Technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data are changing the game in the business world. Internet of Things (IoT) technology connects smart electronic devices to the internet. It lets smart devices send, communicate, receive and interpret information from connected devices from any part of the world in real-time. The fascinating part is it works to make sustainable ways of living and working. There are incredible opportunities for an organization that adopts the IoT technology early. Organizations can transform their businesses by leveraging IoT technology, and they can make significant profits by delivering advanced services to clients. Today, people can't imagine the world without mobile phones. We cannot deny the possibility of most of the functions in the future by using IoT technology. A future where all objects would not be connected to the internet is tough to imagine. Manufacturers have already begun incorporating IoT in cars, cities, smart home devices, and factories, and the use of IoT in most of the devices is continuing to grow rapidly. There are some challenges as well with using IoT technology, like security issues and data privacy concerns, but those can be resolved in the future. The use of IoT by businesses will continue to grow to achieve smarter business goals.
in developing autonomous vehicles and health monitoring systems. Smart use of IoT technologies can give businesses a competitive edge, and they can save money by building software solutions rapidly using cloud IoT accelerators. It will help businesses maximize efficiency and increase productivity from their manufacturing components and resources. This will lead to high economic value for businesses that adopt IoT technology. IoT will also play a significant role in bringing valuable improvements in mass personalization, cybersecurity, unprecedented connectivity, and smart healthcare systems. It has the potential to reshape the lives of people on different levels. Businesses should adopt IoT technology to stay relevant in the business world. The potential of the technology to transform businesses is limited only by our capacity to imagine. IoT will continue to provide great advantages such as connectivity, efficiency, health, fitness, wellness, making life on earth more sustainable, personalizing web experience, etc. The phenomenal growth and adoption of the Internet of Things by different businesses itself is evidence that businesses should not neglect the potential of this technology. Moreover, IoT will also play a significant role in controlling climate change by coming up with smarter options to save energy resources and minimize environmental threats. IoT is still in its beginning phases, and we can anticipate the integration of many devices with many applications in the years to come to improve people's daily lives and make businesses run more smoothly.
IoT is increasingly useful with technologies AI, Big data analytics. And by coupling IoT with evolving technologies, businesses can derive many benefits. Organizations can progress significantly by using these technologies, and the most advanced solutions can be made available to the citizens by improving the services. Besides, IoT will reshape the industrial sector by its huge potential to improve all types of services. Business leaders should recognize the potential of this technology and adopt smart technology and prepare for the shift in the business domain since IoT will be an essential part of business processes in the future. IoT will also be increasingly useful JANUARY | 29 | www.insightssuccess.com
JANUARY | 30 | www.insightssuccess.com
JANUARY | 31 | www.insightssuccess.com
The 10 Best Performing Smart Home Solu on Providers, 2021
oo
Techn l gy Making Lives of People Safer, Richer and More Fun with Smart Cameras and Computer Vision
W
e live in a world filled with smart devices from phones, watches, TVs, and many more. Creating smart homes with smart lifestyle features is now the new normal that makes people's lives safer, thoughtful, enriching, and more enjoyable with the evolving need of people. YI Technology sought its inspiration by a singular, bold vision of a future to provide people with a smarter lifestyle to assist them in their daily tasks. It is powered by widespread, intelligent video technology, where smart cameras and computer vision will make people's lives safer, richer, and more fun. YI Technology's mission is to make advanced, practical AI vision solutions affordable and accessible for consumers and businesses. It envisions becoming the global leader of revolutionary Edge AI and Computer Vision Technology. YI Technology is bringing the benefits of Computer Vision to every Person and business. We at Insights Success, caught up with Sean Da, CEO, and Founder of YI Technology, to know more about the company and its contribution to providing practical and affordable smart life home solutions for everyone.
Providing Smart Technology Solutions Advancement of technology such as combining AI and edge computing is the topmost offering of YI Technology that addresses the need of its customers. YI is an international brand focusing on the research and development of video imaging and vision technologies. YI has over 150+ patented technologies in advanced computer algorithm capabilities, original deep learning, edge computing, and assisted driving algorithms around the world. Since it was launched in 2014, YI has gained various prestigious awards for its practical and affordable smart technology solutions for individuals and enterprises across the globe. Enhancing Quality, Privacy Protection with Affordable Costs The following features make YI Technology a preferred choice of its clients: • It offers quality services with decreased reliance on internet connectivity and bandwidth. • It has enhanced privacy protection. • Cost reduction to customers. Seeing Business Opportunities even in Challenges For the smart hardware industry and related fields, the impact of the pandemic is two-sided: both challenges and substantial business opportunities. Due to the disruptive impact of the pandemic, the supply chain industry has been dramatically affected along with the shortage of chips and price increases since the second half of 2020. The lack of raw materials and rising costs of these chips have been detrimental to the healthy development of the industry. At the same time, in the era of the pandemic, human life and work methods have also undergone profound changes. Remote work, service robots to achieve contactless services, online video, and thus have driven the rapid growth of the demand for smart hardware. New industries and product forms are also emerging, which intends to
JANUARY | 32 | www.insightssuccess.com
YI Technology is an international brand focusing on the research and development of video imaging and vision technologies.
bring tremendous business opportunities to the smart hardware industry. Helping in the Development of Cities After the pandemic, the future of the computer vision market will be technological innovation and user experience for exploration and breakthroughs. YI Technology will combine its expertise in machine vision algorithms and IoT scenarios and its accumulation in P2P, cloud computing, and other technologies and use cameras as a carrier to help cities develop digitally, connected, and intelligently. YI Technology uses Kami Vision smart cameras particularly. Kami Vision leverages its computer vision technology heritage and decades of technical expertise in AI and security solutions to bring customers the most robust and seamless vision AI platform available. Ensuring Protection and Safety of People The values that drive YI Technology are Responsibility, Efficiency, and Empowerment. Specifically, during the pandemic, through YI Technology's subsidiary company Kami Vision, YI Technology has donated with 'One
Sean Da
CEO & Founder YI Technology
JANUARY | 33 | www.insightssuccess.com
More Breath' to support the relief efforts supporting the catastrophic COVID-19 crisis in India. One More Breath is raising funds to bring 1400 much-needed beds to hospitals throughout India. Each hospital bed will help approximately 20 people. YI Technology's goal is to fund 15 fully equipped hospital beds to ensure people's protection and safety.
scenarios. YI Technology will gradually introduce low-cost and fast-deployable solutions suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises so that its clients can have a safer and better solution more conveniently.
Establishing Largest Visual Intelligence Open Platform YI Technology is committed to establishing the world's largest AIoT visual intelligence open platform, including YI cloud platform, small and medium-sized enterprise solution platform, AI algorithm cloud ecological platform, and other solutions. YI will continue to analyze the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises in various vertical business
JANUARY | 34 | www.insightssuccess.com