Domotics Point | Your starting point on Home-Automation, Domotics and Domotica

Have you registered yet? It’s now less than 2 months to go until the doors open for Integrated Systems Europe 2007 at the Amsterdam RAI.
Firmly established as Europe’s leading event for professional AV and Electronic System Integration, ISE 2007 promises to be the one of the most exciting and influential shows of the year.

As the largest ever trade show of it’s kind in Europe, we have an unbeatable range of new features. There are spectacular digital signage displays, AV, Home Cinema and Home Theatre Pavilions, networking opportunities and a education programme. With over 350 exhibitors occupying Halls 1 - 4 at the Amsterdam RAI, this will be an exceptional experience.

You will find out about

• Electronic systems integration and custom install solutions for the home & the office
• Digital Signage solutions
• System integration and Control solutions for Architects/Electrical Engineers
• AV/ IT/ Networking solutions
• Audio visual solutions for the hospitality industry
• Large venue and digital cinema solutions
• Multi-Media conferencing solutions

And much more… Already curious? Click here to get some impressions from the last event.

If you are responsible for managing, implementing, researching or sourcing solutions on AV and Electronic Systems Integration, then this is the event in Europe this year, which will justify your time away from the office.

Find out more about the show, who will be exhibiting and what will be on display:

• Click here to see over 350 exhibiting companies from more than 40 countries
• Access information here on all the show features, the very latest technologies and products
• Find out here about the exciting education program with a new series of Exhibitor led seminars
• Training sessions led by the 3 major associations
• Find out the latest industry issues and trends on AV and Electronic System Integration

Act now….. register your place and receive your personalized badge. This will give you immediate fast-track entry and also ensures that all the latest news and information on ISE 2007 will be sent to you directly.

ISE 2007 will be the industry platform for hundreds of inspirational new products and will give you the opportunity to meet with over 12.000 like minded professionals who also attend the show.

Continue here to register

If you want to meet me there just let me know in the comments and we will plan a meeting.
I would love to that. Maybe I can do something for your business.

More on ISE, home-automation, shows by Erno, (Visited 90637 times)

Julie Jacobson from CE Pro is happy that she had predicted that AMX would acquire some companies, one of them was AutoPatch. And now it happened, AMX acquired AutoPatch:

AMX claims that AutoPatch’s 4,000-plus products “can be found in all of the 14 vertical markets in which AMX competes,” including business, government, education and residential.

In business for more than 18 years, AutoPatch’s product line ranges from standard to expandable semi-modular and custom-configurable matrix switchers for virtually any audio and video format.

AutoPatch will be fully integrated into AMX, and all current AutoPatch employees will now become AMX employees. AMX has formed a new group called the AutoPatch Group which will focus on further market and product development. AutoPatch’s individual product families will maintain their original model names.

From the press release, it is unclear whether AutoPatch founder and CEO Al Hale will stick around, but it sounds like he’ll be resigning. He says, “After nearly 20 years with AutoPatch, I am very excited to turn over the reigns to an organization that is so focused on providing a great work environment and continued growth for AutoPatch and its employees.”

The existing AMX sales force will take responsibility for selling AutoPatch products in their territories. All current AutoPatch dealers who are not AMX dealers will be contacted immediately by their respective regional AMX sales representative to tell them about the AMX dealer establishment process. AutoPatch dealers who are also AMX current dealers will experience no change in their relationship or ordering process with AMX. AMX customers will continue to place product orders and request technical support through the same procedures.

AutoPatch is the second company acquired by AMX this quarter. Last month, the company purchased UK-based Endeleo for its multimedia distribution technologies and in-house expertise.

Julie is adding some more predictions:

Anything’s possible, now that it is apparent AMX is willing to compete with its inConcert partners.

So let’s talk about lighting.

I will give myself a little credit for suggesting in 2005 that AMX buy lighting-controls manufacturer Vantage Controls, which was recently acquired by Legrand.

Lutron isn’t for sale, nor is Leviton, so I will stick with my earlier prediction that AMX could buy LiteTouch, and I’d add CentraLite to the roster of potential targets — assuming that Nortek doesn’t beat AMX to the punch.

AMX already offers commercial-oriented lighting controls under the Radia line, and has a very tight relationship with Lutron, whose lighting-control products can be incorporated into an AMX system as if they were native to AMX’s NetLinx platform.

Still, there’s nothing like your own lighting-control products, as Crestron will tell you.

I will also stick by some original presumptions that AMX might pick up an A/V receiver company. My money is still on Integra/Onkyo, and I will add Audio Design Associates (ADA) to that bet.

How about thermostats? That one’s a stretch, but if it wants to catch up with Crestron in that department, AMX would most certainly buy Residential Control Systems.

Speakers? No. Music/video servers? No, they already bought MAX awhile ago and are coming downscale (finally) with that product. Telecom/intercom? There’s not much to buy there, except maybe Inter-tel. Security? Not traditional alarms, to be sure, but maybe something in the access control arena.

Source: AMX Acquires AutoPatch: What it Means & Predictions for More on CE Pro

More on AMX by Erno, (Visited 90114 times)

Mike Berman (jocgeek.com) writes about a show he visited in Manhattan a consumer-oriented tech show, DigitalLife.

The show is not very big and at this point visited by many gamers, but it growing steadily and will atract more and more savvy consumers needing their yearly tech information source.

There are some remarks that I want to highlight here since it is about home-automation:
AMD cooperate in the build of Media Center’s:

AMD also announced alliances with Alienware and Gateway to produce Media Center devices that come very close to achieving Bill Gates’ vision of the computer becoming the center of our entertainment universe. While Gateway’s offering looks, smells and acts like a PC, the new offering from Alienware is an entertainment center component featuring 5.1 Dolby surround sound, digital and component video and a DVD player that anyone would be proud to display in his or her living room.

Z-Wave is growing and is now an alliance of 100+ companies in all kind of areas:

The Z-Wave Alliance has taken home automation another step closer to practicality with more than 100 companies jumping on board to offer everything from lamp modules to routers designed to work together using a Z-wave chip, allowing them to be controlled from a single console, PC or digital phone. Most notable among these companies are Levitron, Lynksys and Intermatic. Other devices that will remotely start your automobile, open the garage door and turn on your lights and perform other tasks have also jumped aboard the Z-Wave bandwagon.

Also there are developments for high-speed wireless modems and routers for the new 802.11N protocol. Fast?
This protocol is in theory up to 16 times faster than 802.11g, that means faster than your Ethernet network at the office. Linksys, Belkin and D-Link will have “Draft N” protocol products in the stores probably before the Christmas rush.

Source: Jocgeek via Commercial Appeal

Technorati Tags: AMD, Media Center, Z-Wave, Z-wave chip, 802.11N

More on Z-wave, shows by Erno, (Visited 97050 times)

From the comments I received this question:

Hello,
I would like apply to my house the priciple of home automation but I don’t know from where to start: do you have nay practical handout for dummies????
thanks

Here you will find some books that will help you to get starter in the home-automation, domotics or domotica however you want to call it:

Hope you find here what you need.

More on home-automation, installing by Erno, (Visited 94109 times)

The market for home networking and connected entertainment devices will reach $85 billion by 2011 from $14 billion in 2005.

The transformation of most conventional consumer electronics devices such as game consoles, DVD players, TVs and portable media players from stand-alone devices to network-connected ones using both wireless and wired IP communications technologies will fuel overall market growth, according to ABI Research.

Service providers are also a catalyst in this market, as IPTV providers such as Verizon, France Telecom, PCCW and AT&T utilize home network technologies for video distribution, while others look to home networking as a way to extend data services without having to rewire the home. Residential gateways and networked set top boxes are becoming standard requests as service providers look for new revenue streams based on IP and converged networked services.

The total number of network connections shipped into the connected home will grow from 247 million in 2005 to over 861 million by 2011, according to the research. Wi-Fi will become the most common of the connection technologies, as consumers look to connect home servers, gateways, networked consumer electronics and portable devices over the media network.

The emergence of enabling technologies such as 802.11n for wireless video distribution, HomePlug AV and MoCA as alternative multimedia network backbones, and DLNA media server and device interoperability software will also drive market growth.

Source: ABI Research

More on domotics, home-automation by Erno, (Visited 101155 times)

In the latest issue of Music Emotion, a dutch monthly magazine about audio and video equipment, one of the projects I worked on is displayed.
The cover of this May number:

When you want to read the article (in dutch) you can visit the Music Emotion page on the website of eaDHome

More on home-automation, installing, interior by Erno, (Visited 101385 times)

Within just a month of its availability, the demand for Visual Architect™, the system design tool has received enormous praise. AMX invites you to discover, experience and try it out for yourself at one of our upcoming North American Roadshows.

AMX invites you to discover, experience and try out VisualArchitect yourself at one of our North American VA Roadshows. Wes Hair, AMX vice president of market development will be demonstrating the product in the following cities during the months of May and June:

* Seattle, WA: Monday, 5/1

* Portland, OR: Tuesday, 5/2

* Orange County, CA: Wednesday, 5/3 – Friday, 5/5

* Tampa, FL: Monday, 5/8

* Orlando, FL: Tuesday, 5/9

* Ft. Lauderdale, FL: Wednesday, 5/10

* Philadelphia, PA: Thursday, 5/11 – Friday, 5/12

* Boston, MA: Monday, 5/15 – Tuesday, 5/16

* Northern NJ: Wednesday, 5/17 – Thursday, 5/18

* Chicago, IL: Monday, 5/22 – Tuesday, 5/23

* St. Louis, MO: Wednesday, 5/24 – Thursday, 5/25

For information about attending any of these shows and to place your order for VA, please contact AMX Domestic Sales at 800.222.0193.

Source: AMX Newsletter

More on AMX by Erno, (Visited 93952 times)

Dubai based e-Home Automation, a leader in Smart Space technology in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will exhibit at the upcoming Hometech Middle East 2006 in the Dubai World Trade Centre, from May 14 to 16.

e-Home Automation is an electronic architect and systems integrator specialising in the execution of fully realised home entertainment and environmental control systems.

2006 is the first time that e-Home Automation will be exhibiting at Hometech; they will show examples of the different functionalities a smart home can bring.

• Read more: e-Home to exhibit at Hometech

More on home-automation, shows by Erno, (Visited 94885 times)

HetHuisVanMorgen.nl - “In this home lifes the family of tomorrow, all connected by the the dutch telecom company (KPN). The site is on Dutch but it is fun to watch and check out all the rooms in the house.

Source: hetHuisvanMorgen [dutch] via Beertjes

More on domotics, home-automation by Erno, (Visited 95260 times)