ABB And DigiValet Provide Guest Room Management Through IoT Cooperation

ABB and DigiValet have entered into a strategic cooperation to bring together ABB's KNX building automation technology and DigiValet's software and hardware for room control. By combining these two worlds, hotel guests are offered greater comfort and hotel operators greater efficiency. Energy costs can be reduced through automation so that lights and air conditioning will switch off automatically when a room is empty, but will switch on again to give fast and effective room service when the room is occupied. The products from ABB are based on proven KNX technology, the world's first open standard for the control of all types of intelligent buildings, from homes through to commercial and public buildings. ABB’s KNX products offer a spectrum of applications for buildings: from lighting and blind control to the heating, ventilation, energy management, security and surveillance. The result is increased flexibility, safety, economy and comfort. DigiValet's Guest Room Management Software (GRMS) solution is a combination of hardware and software designed for luxury hotels. With a tablet user interface, available in various languages, hotel guests can control room comfort with ease. The link between tablet and the KNX system is the DigiValet controller. DigiValet is known for its assimilation of building management systems with point-of-sale systems and other systems for KNX room control. This service is currently used in some of the best hotels in the world. Examples include the Armani Hotel in the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (UAE), the Torch Hotel in Doha (Qatar) or the Oberoi Hotel in Bangalore (India) and the Oberoi Sukhvilas in New Chandigarh (India). Mike Mustapha, managing director of ABB’s Building Products business, says: “This collaboration enables two leading technology providers to come together to add value to the hotel industry. The solution can help hotel operators to differentiate themselves by offering state-of-the-art automation within guest rooms, while helping them with their overall operating costs thanks to the intelligence gained from sensors.” Guests of the hotel need not look for switches, they simply use a tablet between check-in and check-out to adjust room temperature, lighting and blind control. They can even operate the entertainment system using the same tablet to select programs on TV, movies and music on demand, they can also use the system to order food, book a spa or the cinema. DigiValet software allows energy saving in unoccupied rooms and improves service efficiency through greater attention to detail even during periods of reduced staffing levels, resulting in increased profitability for the hotel owner.

Hamilton To Expand Bristol Site Into Turnkey Production Sales And Distribution Centre 

Hamilton Litestat has embarked on an expansion and restructuring initiative to develop its Bristol site into a turnkey production, sales and distribution centre, incorporating the development of a new customer contact centre and engineering Centre of Excellence. The result of recent business growth and success, Hamilton is currently expanding its Bristol site and centralising all operations to improve efficiency over the coming months. A new customer contact centre will be developed to handle all customer enquiries, with existing customer operations in Mere moving to the enhanced Bristol facility. Following this, a Centre of Excellence will be established during Q2 of 2017, incorporating Hamilton’s Engineering Design & Manufacturing services. This will grow Hamilton’s customised product capabilities and increase the customer offering of tailored solutions. “Our investment and development of Hamilton’s Bristol facility underlines our long term commitment to our customers in providing quality products at competitive prices,” says Gavin Williams, Hamilton’s marketing manager. “The restructuring of our operations into one facility will assist us in further improving the efficiency and productivity of the business and will allow us to pass the benefits of this onto our customers.” Development work at Hamilton’s Bristol facility is on target to be complete by Q2 2017.

CEDIA Celebrates Most Successful Ever Training At ISE!

CEDIA has announced 2017 was its most successful ISE show to date, with a total of 859 bookings for its education programme, and a number of companies signing up as members over the four days in Amsterdam. “CEDIA training at ISE 2017 proved to be the most popular ever, with bookings being up by over 100% on last year,” says Vincent Bruno, CEO of CEDIA. “We were delighted to see such a healthy appetite for new skills, technical insights and industry knowledge. Many classes were standing room only and attendees were full of praise for the quality of the training content and the teaching capabilities of the presenters. We would like to thank everyone who attended CEDIA training and look forward to an even bigger programme in 2018.” [caption id="attachment_11268" align="alignleft" width="200"] Vincent Bruno, CEO of CEDIA[/caption] Education highlights at ISE 2017 included a full-day Home Cinema Design course, a full-day Rack Building session and an Advanced Networking course. CEDIA also hosted a number of sessions focusing on SuperYachts, Remote Management, Reoccurring Revenues, Immersive Sound, Design Thinking, Hi-Definition Audio and Voice Control, all of which proved extremely popular. Meanwhile, Leslie Shiner, renowned US business guru, took the lead in presenting training for business owners. For those seeking insight into what the home technology sector will look like in 2020, the CEDIA Talks programme of free 20-minute TED style sessions also drew the crowds. This programme saw experts share key insights into changing market conditions, highlighting emerging opportunities and exploring potential challenges. These eight talks are now available on the CEDIA YouTube channel, CEDIAHQ. If you didn’t get a chance to attend CEDIA training at ISE then please visit www.cediaeducation.com to find out more about CEDIA training and upcoming dates.

Smoke Alarm Research May Help To Save Children’s Lives

Researchers from the University of Dundee are seeking hundreds of families to help them trial a new smoke alarm sound aimed specifically at waking children. The number of lives lost as a result of fires has fallen by half since home usage of smoke alarms became widespread. However, there is evidence to suggest that some children do not wake to commonly used smoke alarms. This has prompted a research study by professor Niamh Nic Daeid of the University of Dundee’s Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) and her research student Dave Coss, a fire investigator and watch commander with Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service. The project is also supported by Derby Housing and smoke alarm manufacturer Ei Electronics. The research showed that children respond to different tones and frequencies of alarm than adults and that boys and girls are wakened by a different combination of sounds. The research team investigated different sounds and found that a low frequency intermittent bleep-rest-bleep pattern followed by a recorded spoken message appeared to be effective in waking up both boys and girls, with preliminary tests indicating a 90% success rate. [caption id="attachment_11257" align="alignnone" width="2500"] Research shows that children respond to different tones and frequencies of alarm than adults.[/caption] The researchers are now asking families to take part in what will be the largest citizen science project ever attempted in this research area. Professor Niamh NicDaeid says: “We know that smoke alarms are vital in making our homes and communities safe in the event of a fire. Our research has demonstrated however, that the current smoke alarms used do not always wake children from sleep. “The first stage of the project tested 34 children, both boys and girls, of varying ages, to see if they woke when a smoke alarm was activated. The tests were carried out in the family home and 80 per cent of the children, including all of the boys slept through the alarm. Protecting our children in the event of fire is so fundamentally important that we want to involve parents and their children in expanding this research.” Anyone interested in taking part in the smoke alarm study needs to have children under 16 years of age and should contact the research team at: www.derbys-fire.gov.uk/keeping-safe/smoke-alarm-study/.

ABB Helps Create World's First Energy Self-Sufficient Multi-Family House

ABB technology has helped make the world’s first multi-family, energy self-sufficient house a reality. This revolutionary building supplies itself year in and year out with solar energy. This is converted into electrical, thermal and even combustible energy for those winter months when the sun is less intense. This pioneering apartment building was symbolically cut from the grid at its opening ceremony to highlight the achievement. All the energy that the residents need for living, such as heating, cooking and washing, etc. is acquired locally from sunlight. Although the building saves on energy at all levels, the residents need not sacrifice comfort. This is achieved through proven technologies and systems that acquire and store energy, as well as innovations that reduce energy consumption. The roof and the entire facade are clad with solar panels and ABB products feed that energy into the house. [caption id="attachment_11151" align="aligncenter" width="3000"] In summer, the energy demand of nine families for 24 hours is covered by just one hour of sunshine.[/caption] "We are proud to be part of this milestone project. ABB-free@home converts these new apartments into intelligent homes and our solar equipment supports the building’s self-sufficiency," explains Mike Mustapha, managing director of ABB’s Building Products business. "Various functionalities of the building automation system are used to reduce energy consumption while at the same time enhancing comfort. With the goodbye button, for example, all standby appliances are switched off completely when leaving the apartment." In summer, the energy demand of the nine families for a full 24 hours is covered by just one hour of sunshine thanks to the powerful solar systems. For this purpose, 26 ABB solar inverters convert DC voltage from the solar panels to AC voltage and feed electricity into the in-house network. Energy that is not consumed immediately by the residents is stored for use at night, during cloudy days and for winter. This is done with the help of batteries for the short term and a huge thermal store for the long term. This thermal energy is used in winter for heating. To help consume less of the precious energy captured by the building the household appliances must work with the utmost energy efficiency. Apart from energy saving washing machines and refrigerators, the ABB-free@home building automation system helps keep energy consumption as low as possible. For greater comfort and ease of operation, different scenes can be configured into the system so that dimmed dining lights can be differentiated from bright illumination for reading. The system also recognises light combinations and offers them automatically for selection. If residents, for example, watch TV with the lights dimmed and curtains drawn, the building automation system notes this combination and then provides it as an option. Thanks to sensors outdoors and indoors, the ABB-free@home building automation system responds automatically to external conditions. If it is too warm in the apartment due to high intensity sunlight on the window pane, the curtains will draw automatically. If a strong wind is blowing that could damage the blinds, they are drawn up. In this way, the building's automation system ensures not only safety and energy efficiency, but also maximum comfort.

ABB Hits Production Milestone Of One Million Smart Home Units

With 1,000,000 smart home units produced and 20,000 people trained in Germany alone, ABB-free@home has made its mark on the home automation market. ABB launched ABB-free@home in 2014 and added the wireless version in 2016 to expand the possibilities of the smart home. The solution makes it possible to control more than 60 functions, including lighting, heating, blinds or doors from a smartphone or tablet. [caption id="attachment_11146" align="aligncenter" width="3535"] From a smartphone or tablet, more than 60 functions can be controlled including lighting, heating, blinds or doors.[/caption] ABB-free@home opens up the home automation market to electrical installers and wholesalers. Previous home automation systems required the specialist knowledge of expert installers and distributors. The system brings smart home technology to a much wider customer base. The units are simple and straightforward for electrical contractors to install – saving both time and money. The system connects directly to a homeowner’s Wi-Fi network and integrates a variety of smart devices to enable their personal smart home. Its switches and displays are intuitive and simple for installers to understand, meaning an installer can learn the system in only a few hours, increasing his expertise in the sector. Tarak Mehta, president of ABB’s Electrification Products division, comments: “We have been delighted at the success of ABB-free@home. This is a great example of the benefits that people can experience in their own home through digitalisation." “Via the myABB Living Space portal we bring the Internet of Things into people’s homes to deliver valuable service support.” Although definitions of the smart home market vary, as well as figures about market size and growth expectations, what they all have in common is that the market is already significant and that the industry will see at least an annual doubling in the next five years. According to Zion market research, the global home automation market was valued at around $7bn in 2015 and is expected to reach $27bn in 2021, growing at a CAGR of around 25% between 2016 and 2021. ABB-free@home wireless is particularly interesting for the home renovation market. The benefits of an intuitive smart home system can be enjoyed without chiseling and plaster work. For the electrical installer the system is easy and quick to implement, which supports their business as labour costs are the largest investment for a smart home upgrade. The System Access Point enables access with PC or tablet and via an existing network or an ad-hoc connection via WLAN, the functions of the system can be easily defined and programmed, without special software. With the new radio modules, an existing wired ABB-free@home system can be expanded by up to 64 wireless components. The prerequisite for this is only the installation of the new System Access Point. Last year, ABB introduced the intelligent voice control via the smartphone App. For example, coming home in the dark you need to simply say: "Light in the corridor, switch on", and the light is switched on. ABB-free@home not only enables the capture and execution of voice commands via App, but also gives the user a response: "Okay, all the lights in the corridor were switched off". Mike Mustapha, managing director of ABB’s Building Products business, adds: “This is an exciting space to operate and we have the experts in building automation solutions working tirelessly to ensure that we build on our growth momentum through the introduction of ground breaking additional functions. “Our aim is to make smart home living easier than ever. Bringing the benefits of the Internet of Things alive in the comfort of people’s homes.” ABB is holding a series of customer events to celebrate the production milestone.

D-Link Demo Day Helps Resellers Capture Additional Revenue

CCTV security was brought into focus by networking and surveillance specialist D-Link - during a demonstration day at supply specialist Nimans - as resellers discovered how to ‘capture’ additional revenue. With up to six million security cameras in the UK - and forecasts the industry is set to expand by a further 15% this year – a successful open day was held at Nimans’ Trafford Park Trade Counter on the outskirts of Manchester, as part of a new high profile partnership. Product demonstrations and expert advice showcased how resellers can be part of a growing industry where security solutions in education and general business sectors are gaining significant traction. “The open day was a compelling way for resellers to understand how they can capture new sales success in security surveillance,” says Judith Addison, networking solutions business manager at Nimans. [caption id="attachment_11099" align="aligncenter" width="1914"] D-Link's security experts were on hand to showcase its surveillance products[/caption] “D-Link enjoys an exceptional reputation for high performance, resilience and technical innovation. It is a leader in networking and video surveillance thanks to quick and easy set-up, waterproof and vandal resistant technology and affordable high quality HD footage.” D-Link's security experts were on hand to showcase how resellers and installers can easily add indoor and outdoor surveillance products to their portfolios. Their advice was well received as a Manchester-based visitor remarked: “The on-going support of Nimans and D-Link with training and events of this nature are vital in helping us take greater strides in this area. I already know about D-Link switches but I’ve never looked at their CCTV before. It’s very interesting and good quality stuff with more exciting innovations coming soon. I’m very impressed. A day like this helps build knowledge and confidence.”

Retra Announces Second Smart Home Seminar

Due to popular demand, Retra, the association representing independent electrical retailers, service members and associates, will run a second Smart Home seminar, exclusively for business proprietors of its members. Taking place on 1st March 2017, the seminar is in association with, AWE, a UK distributor and trainer of smart home technology, and award winning training company T21. “We announced the date for our Smart Home seminar in January and within a week, the event was completely fully booked. Recognising that there is huge demand amongst retailers for this type of event, we plan to run a second seminar on Wednesday 1st March,” comments Retra CEO Howard Saycell. Hosted at AWE’s smart home showrooms at its HQ in Epsom, Surrey, the free-to-attend event will present attendees with an increased understanding of the substantial growth opportunities available through the rapidly growing smart home market. The day will consist of workshops, presentations, demonstrations and discussions, all providing vital insight for business owners to enable growth, profitability and sustainability. Following an introduction presentation from Retra CEO Howard Saycell and a welcoming address by AWE managing director Stuart Tickle, attendees will enjoy four sessions: The Definition of Smart Home – This session will provide a clear definition of smart home, will examine the differences between smart home and custom install, and will dispel certain industry myths. Adapting your Business for Smart Home – The second session will cover growth and value opportunities available in the smart home industry. Attendees will be assisted to craft a business strategy to maximise the benefits discussed during the day. Skills Workshop – Detailing the technical capabilities required, delegates will learn the subtle difference between which skills are needed and which should be contracted out. Home Cinema & Connected Home Demonstration – The final session of the day will include a demonstration of a home cinema and other smart home products, providing attendees with an understanding on how to provide a show stopping customer demo. The seminar promises to deliver crucial information for decision makers within independent retail organisations to enable a measured, successful step into the world of connected technology. For further information visit: www.retra.co.uk/smart-home-for-business-owners

Amazon To Host Exclusive CEDIA Event: Mastering Voice Control In The Home

CEDIA has partnered with Amazon to host a one-off, free to attend, exclusive workshop, entitled 'Mastering the Skills of Voice Control in the Home' at CodeNode, near Liverpool Street Station, London on Tuesday 21st February 2017. Leading Amazon experts will delve into the Amazon Alexa platform, explore how it integrates into the connected home and how to use the platform in individual smart home installations. “Voice control is one of the greatest technological advancements our industry has seen in recent years and is fast becoming common place in the home,” comments Matt Nimmons, managing director of CEDIA EMEA. “It is imperative for home technology professionals to be knowledgeable on how to integrate voice control into the home and how to use and promote this technology to ensure it is a profitable business venture. We are delighted that Amazon has chosen to host this event, exclusive for CEDIA, in order to help professionals get the most out of this ongoing phenomenon.” From 9:30am-1pm, the event will be split into three core education sessions to educate attendees on the Amazon Alexa platform and the skills required to integrate voice control into any connected home. The day will commence with a focus on how to ensure voice control becomes a profitable venture for a company, before exploring how consumers will interact with smart home devices using just voice control. Attendees will also learn how to create custom skills to operate the Alexa Engine and any Alexa powered device. The event will conclude with lunch and a networking session. For more information or to book a space, please visit www.cedia.co.uk/cedia-events. Spaces are limited and are distributed on a first come first served basis.

Chubb Highlights Importance Of Securing Urban Infrastructures In Smart Cities

Chubb Fire & Security will address the important role of innovative security solutions in connected cities at the forthcoming Smart Cities 2017 conference at Stamford Bridge - home of Chelsea Football Club. The two-day event will feature thought leaders from around the United Kingdom who will discuss the challenges and opportunities related to the themes of secure cities and urban innovation. Chubb, a provider of security and fire safety solutions, is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies. [caption id="attachment_11014" align="alignright" width="300"] Colin Leatherbarrow[/caption] Smart Cities UK 2017 will take a closer look at what’s known as ‘smart transformation’ across cities within the UK. The aim is to provide guidance and information on transforming the systems vital to a smart city, including security, energy, transport, waste and critical national infrastructure. Colin Leatherbarrow (pictured), product solutions director, Chubb, will speak about the need for closer collaboration between the public and private sectors in order to protect people and business. He will also discuss how enhanced security helps residents better enjoy everything the urban space has to offer, such as culture, national heritage, entertainment and commerce. Colin comments: “With the speed of new technology being adopted, ‘connected’ fire and security solutions have a place in any smart city where digital solutions are used to increase the efficiency of traditional networked services.” Smart Cities UK 2017 is being held at Stamford Bridge, London on 1st and 2nd February.