Over the past 20+ years in this industry I have seen it called many things – home automation, smart home, home integration, intelligent domain and connected home, to name just a few.

The good news is that the industry, whatever it is called, has come of age with the rapid, never-ending progress of technology and innovation. And you can combine this with consumers not just accepting, but embracing and expecting, connectivity, communication and entertainment wherever, whenever and on any device.

For instance, look at one of the world’s largest tradeshows, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held every January in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. The 2012 event had record attendance with over 150,000 attendees from 80 countries, all coming to see the latest technologies and gadgets that will be the next mobile phone or iPad of the future.

Life in the digital age is empowered by networks, bits, bytes, IP, web, the internet, tablets, mobile devices, and the list goes on. Digital is the de facto standard for the commercial world and now it’s ubiquitous in today’s homes, including multi-room audio, computer networks, surveillance cameras, communication systems, lighting, energy management, security systems, home theatres, home control and more.

It’s all about connectivity so let’s take a look at how it works in the digital building of today. And in order to best highlight the possibilities of these technologies to your clients, tell them to imagine a house made of puzzle pieces, one for each of the systems in the home:

Smart wiring
Communications
Entertainment
Lighting control
Environment and energy management
Security, health and safety
Networking
Integrated control
Power monitoring, protection and back-up

With all the benefits and interest in digital living, the market is opening wide. For years, many have predicted a plug-and-play world for installation of electronics. Products and interoperability have improved dramatically over the past decade, yet growth in technology is still faster than product enhancements, requiring installation and interconnection by trained and qualified technicians.

The skill set required is different than that of the electrician, the traditional wire installer in the home. The professional contractors serving the home provide electrical, plumbing, and HVAC now need the fourth trade – the company delivering digital living, the electronic systems contractor. The ESC includes the person performing the work in the field, called an electronic systems technician (EST), and the person doing advanced setup, programming and ongoing support known as a DTIP, digital technology integration professional.

Those in the industry know the benefits of digital living and the good news is the world is catching on fast. I have been watching and waiting for this for 20 years and am excited to have the opportunity to share my insights here during 2012.

If you would like to use the puzzle house graphic in sharing the benefits, just drop Wilma an email at [email protected] and she will send the file your way.

Bedrock Learning
www.bedrocklearning.com