Strategy in TECH...
OK, let me say upfront, I’m pretty sure the good folks at Josh.ai would take exception to the headline of this post. They might even have some harsh words for me. Most likely, they would argue they’ve always been about control. But in my view, they’ve been all about a subset of control – voice control (as well as AI or artificial intelligence).
This week, however, that all changed.
Allterco Robotics, a global high-tech manufacturer of simple yet sophisticated Internet of Things (IoT) devices, offers a line of home automation tools and solutions they sell under the Shelly brand name. While there are a lot of “black box” type solutions on the market today, don’t be fooled – Shelly devices contain world-class technology, expansive capabilities, and broad compatibility with major control brands.
AudioControl announced this week that it has released certified drivers for Crestron Home for its line of specialty electronics. This news means that the company’s products, already popular in home automation systems, will now integrate into the rapidly expanding Crestron Home ecosystem.
SnapAV announced today (Tuesday) that its latest rendition of its automation brand Control4’s OS 3 operating software – OS 3.2.2 – finally introduces full support of the company’s popular OvrC remote management platform. No doubt part of their ongoing integration strategy since they first acquired Control4, this news is sure to make life just a little easier for their Control4 dealers who support OvrC.
Wow, surprising numbers from a new research report from Parks Associates shows that control system adoption jumped a full 38% in 2019 as compared to 2018. That’s a really big jump in a really short period of time.
Josh.ai announced this morning that it has partnered with Savant to bring their more intuitive voice command system to one of the leading control systems in custom integration. While there are many advantages to this partnership, a big one is bringing the seamless integration of voice commands to Savant’s renowned user-centric ‘scene’ feature.
At CEDIA 2017, Savant displayed and demonstrated a whole roster of innovative new products – the very fact of which was an in-your-face proclamation that this new company era under founder Bob Madonna intends to use innovation to drive growth. And while we had only a limited time available at Savant, we were fortunate enough to grab a few moments of Mr. Madonna’s time to get a real cook’s tour of a couple of his latest offerings.
Josh.ai, the high-end voice control solution that created quite a buzz at last year’s CEDIA show, announced today that it is launching its first hardware product, Josh Micro. Josh Micro includes a home control processor, far-field microphone array, and a superior user interface in a small package that “fits in the palm of your hand.” It also disconnects Josh.ai from the need to talk into your smartphone…or to a nearby Amazon Echo.
Savant Systems announced today that it is launching a line of shades and brackets, entering a new category for the home automation company. This new line is known simply as Savant Shades and the company says they are “innovative” and “design-forward” shades with a unique “fascia-free” design that eliminates the unsightly window box that exists to conceal wires, screws or fasteners on traditional and competitive shading systems.
