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Why DIY Automation is So Difficult

2/15/2016

Courtesy of Julie Jacobsen at CE Pro, here's a great article explaining why DIY Home Automation is a lot more difficult than you expect. Please call us before you go down John's road.
"Truly, the smart-home user experience for DIYs is atrocious, from product packaging to installation to service and more. The letter and my (exaggerated) response should speak for themselves."

Please read the rest of the article here:

http://www.cepro.com/article/hello_julie_this_is_john._i_have_some_questions_about_home_automation_

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Savant Unveils New Products

4/2/2015

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By Julie Jacobson, April 01, 2015

New Savant Host Home Automation Controller is Cheaper, Faster, Streamlined, Z-Wave Ready.

Savant is launching a new, streamlined version of the Savant Host home automation controller that retails for $999 and has a host of I/Os built in; Also, new multi-button Wi-Fi keypad with dial.

Savant, a maker of erstwhile high-end home automation systems for the professional installation channel, introduced a relatively affordable Smart Host controller a couple of years ago. While it has worked just fine, it requires several external pieces to get a good amount of I/Os, making the product less affordable than promised.

Enter the new Smart Host, announced today, which “retails” (sold through authorized integrators only) for $999.

It has all the I/Os necessary for a fairly complete system (minus HDMI and on-screen display):
• 6 IR
• 2 RS-232
• 1 relay
• 1 GPIO
• 1 Ethernet
• 1 Toslink audio

An entire ecosystem can support up to 12 Host controllers.

In addition, Savant upped the processing with a Quad Core Linux board, making the system 40% faster.

The company also added user-programmable notifications to the software. Previously, notifications had to be programmed by the integrator, but true to Savant’s new philosophy of putting more control in the users’ hands, the new feature lets consumers program alerts, say, when the front door is left open.

On top of all of this, the Smart Host will be able to integrate with Z-Wave devices such as door locks and sensors, via IP-enabled Z-Wave gateways such as Vera from MiOS.

The Smart Host is compatible both with the new consumer-configurable Smart App as well as the original Savant TrueControl environment.

A Better KeypadWhen Savant acquired LiteTouch in 2012, it inherited the lighting control manufacturer’s keypads, which were quite modern at the time ... but fell out of style over the years.

Savant is reintroducing the old Metropolitan keypads in a smaller, sleeker form factor that fits with standard Decora-style faceplates.

The keypads are available in white, light almond and black, and in 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-gang configurations.

The previous versions were Wi-Fi only, but the new models include Bluetooth (BLE) as well for simple device discovery, binding and pairing.

“The reliability and ease of installation is unprecedented,” said Savant director of product management Tim McInerney during a recent visit with CE Pro.

One day, perhaps, the BLE radios in the keypads will be used as beacons for proximity detection.

The Metropolitan line includes a four-button keypad with rotary dial ($199 retail), a multi-function dimmer that works with virtually any load type ($149), and a rotary fan control. A slave dimmer ($49) is also available for three-way circuits.

The new four-button keypad is Savant’s sleekest yet. The buttons can be used to control any device or activate any scene. The dial can be used either to control a bank of lights or else the audio volume.
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Reposted from CEPRO.com:
http://www.cepro.com/

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Why DIY Automation is So Difficult

Savant Unveils New Products

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