1Home team has just arrived back from the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show in Amsterdam. It really was the inte-GREAT-ed Systems Europe show, let us show you why.
ISE is the largest AV systems integration show in the world, with around 1,300 exhibitors and over 80,000 visitors to the RAI in Amsterdam, Netherlands. And since we’re keeping our ear on the ground at all times to stay in touch with the latest smart home developments, it brought us to Amsterdam as well.
There are some important industry developments you shouldn’t miss, even if you’ve missed the show. Here are the important voices of ISE 2019:
Crestron
Crestron is a huge player in integrated systems, enhancing anything from smart offices to smart homes. Their booth has been one of the most impressive ones at the ISE for years. This year was no different as it caught our eye the moment we saw it. We were happy to see that smart home was a major part of their showcase as the spotlight was on their newly launched Crestron Home OS 3.
The visualisation app got redesigned and now presents the important actions in a clear way without diving deeper into the app. A nice addition is also the fact that it allows easy use with multiple homes.
Lutron
Lutron goes hand in hand with Crestron when it comes to the proprietary smart homes. This year they have presented two very compelling things:
1. New Wireless Product Line
Lutron realized the need to address the retrofit market that it still lacks the full-stack solution. They have introduced their proprietary RA2 system, which can be installed and configured easily by the end user themselves without any help from the installer. They have also integrated most of the popular IoT devices (Philips Hue, Sonos, Alexa), but the system definitely needs to be tested first before being announced as a breakthrough.
2. Ordering & Project planning tool for simplifying partners’ workload on Lutron’s core business.
The tool should heavily simplify the process of creating an offer for the customer as well as ordering the devices and all the logistics surrounding this. We feel that it’s still lacking some core configuration features that we have seen with similar tools of other brands.
Domotron
Domotron is a mixture of proprietary smart home base and IoT. They offer a unified and intuitive experience from start to finish and they are very intriguing at presenting it. As we found out by exchanging a few words, the customer experience starts in the planning phase where—with the help of an installer—they plan their smart home over the house’s layout, price and configuration wishes. Once the offer is fixed, an installer gets the devices with the server already configured.
The customer then has complete freedom over the programming of their own home. They can reprogram their push buttons, change their automations and more. With all the freedom in their hands, they can decide to do whatever.
Divus
Our partner Divus was presenting one-of-a-kind CIRCLE intercom and TOUCHZONEpanel. Both products have been awarded several times, justly so as they present a great addition to any KNX-based smart home.
As a part of their regular presentation, Divus also showcased our integration as we have partnered to provide their platform with voice control.
Gira
Next to their core products, the X1, HomeServer and eNet, S1 was in the spotlight. They have put a lot of thought into the presentation of the product which is targeted at installers as it enables secure remote home maintenance, optimizes installer workflow and consequently lowers the cost of manual labour. As in Munich’s BAU fair a couple of weeks ago, multifunctional room control unit G1, was also catching the visitor’s eyes. Gira has also shared their booth with some of the companies they invested in, like “Senic” and have put a lot of effort into presenting their ecosystem and how it integrates with Gira.
Control 4
Control 4 has polished their offering even further to ease the entry barriers for adaptation of their system in Europe. They have focused on KNX and it is noticeable that they are researching many innovative ways on how to win over installer’s trust. The highlight of the show for us was the KNX ETS auto-detection software which automatically reads devices from a file and puts them in a logical order (floor, room, device type). Their primary focus seems to be on the push buttons so that when customers move into existing smart home installations, installers can simply change its functions based on customers wishes. Being able to connect them to other parts of Control 4 system (e.g. Netflix, Youtube etc.) is a big plus as well. One that their US customers have been enjoying for quite some time already. Control 4 has also thrown a delightful party which our team was happy to attend.
Basalte
When it comes to the design of both products and booths, Basalte always stands out. On this years’ ISE they have presented a sleek looking iPad dock called eve I plus that will be a nice addition to any smart home. One could say that their stand was outstanding.
Their speakers and push buttons have been the centre of attention as always but we haven’t seen any major novelties from last years L+B.
By the time ISE 2018 closed its doors, Integrated Systems Europe had proven unequivocally why it is the international destination of choice for AV and systems integration professionals.
We hope this article gave you a good insight into what you can expect from integrated systems this year, even though we can’t convey all the excitement from the show. You had to be there and we hope next year you will be.