Connected Design

Luxury clients know what they want, but sometimes it can be difficult to put their vision down on paper. By the time one homeowner approached Eddie Shapiro, chief AV designer at SmartTouch USA, multiple integrators had already come and gone, and the right system and plan had not been found. “The client was having a hard time getting people to understand what he wanted,” said Shapiro. “At the end of the day, he was focused on getting the right partner.” A Leap of Faith for a Fully Connected Home After talking with several integrators and from past projects, the homeowner had a working knowledge of home integration. In many ways this made it easier for Shapiro to do this project. “The client wanted electronic shades, a media room for his kids, touch displays and elegant lighting control,” said the integrator, adding that initially the client wasn’t interested in security but that changed with time. “He also had a relationship with Crestron and wanted to move in that direction.” Shapiro w...

Azione Unlimited, The Smart Home Association™, is pleased to announce that Angela Larson, SVP Services & Customer Operations at Savant has been elected to the Azione Unlimited Advisory Board. The Azione Unlimited Advisory Board is comprised of five dealer members and five vendor members who share intentions of creating, expanding, and implementing the organization’s mission. Larson was elected after the advisory board held a vote during the associations most recent national spring conference, The Didactic Dovecote in the Desert, and voted her as the most capable member to fill the position.  “Savant has been a proud member of Azione Unlimited for nearly a decade, and we value and respect the great work the organization does to educate and promote the CI marketplace,” said Larson, following the announcement. “I am personally looking forward to working even more closely with the talented family of Azione Unlimited integrators, helping them grow and continually evolve their busine...

LEDucation  2023 Trade Show and Conference celebrated its 17th year in New York City March 7–8 at the New York Hilton Midtown and has become North America’s largest annual international  lighting industry event . It was a record-breaking year with more than 8,000 attendees from all aspects of the lighting industry. Newcomers and industry veterans were impressed with this year’s exhibits and sessions. “We are pleased to see how this show is growing. The explosive energy and enthusiasm of attendees only confirmed that the lighting industry is still going strong,” said LEDucation Co-Chair Caroline Rinker. “The show is noticeably gaining more recognition internationally,” commented Co-Chair Burt Grant, noting an increase of exhibitors and attendees from other countries. “Attendance at our virtual educational sessions have proved there is worldwide interest and these sessions have contributed to the expansion of the LEDucation name. In addition, interested European compan...

Ethereal®, formerly MetraAV, has announced that it is teaming up with NETGEAR, Inc., the leading provider of networking products that power homes and businesses both large and small. The company provides connectivity, media, security and automation, and mobile solutions with an advanced range of reliable, affordable networking products that are easy to install and maintain. Ethereal is excited to share that all customers will now have access to these NETGEAR products through their Ethereal Sales Representative. “Ethereal’s goal has always been to manufacture the best quality home theater, AV, networking and security products for our customers. We strive to provide solutions that improve the project or AV system as a whole, and a partnership with NETGEAR will enhance our ability to do that” Says Jessy Crabb, General Manager of Ethereal. NETGEAR provides innovative and advanced connected solutions ranging from mobile and cloud-based services for enhanced control and security, to smart ne...

One of the first big announcements to come out of the Nationwide Marketing Group‘s Primetime event in Dallas, TX this weekend is the rebranding of its Home Technology Specialists Nationwide (HTSN) custom integration division. The group will now be known as Oasys Residential Technology Group. The new name is coupled with a strategy that will see the group expand its reach to a wider portion of the custom integration industry.  “We believe there’s an opportunity to take what we’ve built and provide an even greater service to those businesses just starting out or those who have struggled to get their feet under them. It’s a segment of the industry, frankly, that has been ignored and underserved for too long,” says Andy Orozco, senior vice president of custom integration for Nationwide.  Members of the group enjoy free CEDIA membership and access to the Oasys Learning Academy, which includes the entire catalog of CEDIA education as well as vendor-specific product training. Oasys m...

Josh.ai proudly extends its industry presence through ProSource’s established network of home technology professionals.  Josh.ai continues expanding the power, and now availability, of artificial intelligence in the home through a partnership with ProSource, an industry leading educator and buying group. ProSource proudly serves as a cooperative, member-governed, not-for-profit group representing more than 600 custom integrators and specialty retailers. The newly forged partnership will provide all ProSource members with access to Josh.ai‘s simple, private, and magical home intelligence products. ProSource membership represents a milestone in Josh.ai‘s go-to-market strategy, further solidifying the company’s commitment to the custom channel while strengthening its domestic sales footprint. The organization is a seamless fit with many respected Josh.ai integration partners and dealers already on its roster. Equipped with the industry’s leading AI, ProSource’s extensive network of te...

Technology company   Olibra , developer of the  Bond Bridge RF-to-WIFI platform ,  has released the findings of its recent survey of 100K active   motorized shade   users. The survey identifies what homeowners seek in shades and smart control and indicates that abundant sales opportunities exist in the category for custom integrators (CI’s).   Key points from the survey and takeaways for CI’s are: •  Many homeowners want to add more shades in the future (50% – Yes, 24% – Maybe) Meaning – CI’s should follow-up with their existing clients •  52% of homeowners have added more motorized shades since their first purchase                Meaning – New business can be gained by following-up with existing clients •  64% would like ALL their shades to be motorized                    ...

CEDIA, the global membership association for the home technology industry, today announced the official appointment of Eric Bodley to the Board of Directors. Bodley joins previously announced elected members Stephan Goodhue, Jennifer Mallett and James Ratcliffe in the new class of CEDIA’s Board. Additionally, Amanda Wildman joins CEDIA’s Executive Committee as Secretary. “When we set out to fill the open positions on our board, our intention was to create a well-rounded body to fully capture the diverse, global community that is CEDIA. The addition of James, Jennifer, Eric and Stephan achieves that objective,” said David Weinstein, Chairperson of the Board. “Their professional experience and character will help the Board provide strategic guidance to the Global President and CEO, and I couldn’t be more grateful that they’ve chosen to share their expertise with CEDIA. I also want to thank Vice Chairperson Jamie Briesemeister and the Governance Committee for their exceptional work resear...

Installers Can Now Take Just Add Power’s Certified Integrator Workshop and Introduction to AV-Over-IP Class as Part of Their AVIXA and CEDIA Certification Renewal Process Just Add Power, a leader in AV-over-IP distribution, today announced its new Certified Integrator Workshop and Introduction to AV-Over-IP class are now approved for AVIXA renewal units (RUs) and CEDIA continuing education units (CEUs). The hands-on, three-day Certified Integrators Workshop provides 8.5 AVIXA RUs and 8.5 CEDIA CEUs to those who successfully complete the training while the Introduction to AV-Over-IP provides 3.5 AVIXA RUs and 3.5 CEDIA CEUs. “Training has always been at the heart of what we do and a valuable part of building installers’ expertise,” said Eric Martin, training director at Just Add Power. “Whether you’re joining us in person or catching one of our nationwide trainings offered at our partner locations, these two opportunities are a fun and enjoyable way for attendees to level up their under...