The home automation revolution – it’s on our doorstep

Automation in residential homes is set to rise over the next five years with AV installers advised to be ready for an automation boom.

That was one of the key findings of the Integrate 2018 ANZ Industry Research Report which revealed that 95 per cent of respondents believe that home automation adoption will spike over the coming years.

The report also showed that AV installers had witnessed a 71 per cent growth in home automation and smart technology products over the previous 12 months, showing that rising levels of adoption is already at our doorstep.

This is largely because of the rise of other technologies, like virtual and augmented reality as well as the Internet of Things (connected devices that were once not connected).

AV installers also responded that home automation (at 15 per cent) is growing more than any other facet of the industry.

Why is home automation becoming so popular?

The adoption of home automation has obvious benefits as it improves and simplifies the way people use their home.

But there are other benefits for consumers, which AV integrators can leverage to further increase home automation product sales and installations.

Many of these automation devices can deliver significant savings when it comes to electricity usage. Central control panels (which can be tablet or mobile phone devices) can be used to turn devices on and off remotely and also adjust HVAC solutions.

Users can use their mobile device to have their house nice and cool/warm with the right lighting turned on 10 minutes before they return home, rather than leaving devices on.

Increased demand for home automation also means these devices add value to a consumer’s property, as buyers will find homes with this automation more desirable.

Users can also increase the security in their home through the use of electronic locks, video doorbells, cameras and viewing stations on tablets and mobile devices.

Integrate exhibitors introducing home automation solutions

Brightgreen was an Integrate exhibitor in 2018 and is providing automated solutions for home lighting. At the heart of Brightgreen is style, with their lighting solutions ticked off by architects and designers to make sure they will look amazing in homes.

Brightgreen also has a focus on automation, with a range of digital drivers for seamless integration with leading home automation systems. This allows for flicker-free dimming and light operation from a central hub while also adding protection against power surges and other influences that can damage home lighting systems.

Melbourne’s Canohm is another exhibitor that stocks products from Future Automation, a company that is an industry leader in high-tech home automation  mechanisms. Many of these provide out-of-sight solutions, with mechanisms that hide technology in the architecture and allowing for them to pop out when required. These include lift mechanisms, moving panels and out-of-the-ceiling projector drops.

And Connected Media Australia, based in Sydney, provides powerful central control solutions like The Valet system by Origin Acoustics. This turns Alexa (Amazon’s virtual assistant) into a simple but powerful voice-controlled multi-room audio system with room-paging, zone grouping, and support for your existing sources.

Australia’s premier annual AV trade show Integrate presents an invaluable opportunity for those in the industry to collaborate and learn about the next waves of innovation.

Integrate brings the industry’s top AV and IT manufacturers, distributors and dealers together for exhibitions, learning from keynote speakers, interactive innovation displays and the chance to network with over 6000 others from the industry in attendance.

Interesting in being involved in Australia’s premier AV event? The 2019 Integrate will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from August 27-29. Contact us today about being involved.

About the Author: Josh Alston

Josh Alston is a journalist, editor and copywriter who has worked for several daily, community and regional newspapers across the Queensland seaboard for 12 years. In this time he has covered news, sport and community issues and has been published in major daily newspapers and nationally online for breaking news. Josh presently works as a freelance reporter writing for clients including the Victorian Government, AGL Energy and a host of others.

Twitter: @alstonjoshua