Evolutions in the CE World

WOW! This past year and the recent CES 2011 Show in Las Vegas has left my mind blown.

• Analog is dead (by mandate now), twilight period is in full flow now. Those little yellow, green, red and blue RCA connections will be useless soon enough.
• HDMI is going to be coming on strong now, or is it??? (What does the cloud to do video distribution?)
• Tablets are set to explode on the market. Mobile devices are becoming ubiquitous and will serve multiple purposes, driven by software in the form of "apps".
• CE (consumer electronics) are becoming more co-mingled than ever, working towards convergence, but still somewhat fragmented. Manufacturers agree there should be standards, but then create their own flavor.
• The "Cloud" (that means keeping stuff on the internet) is becoming the norm for storing data and content
• Autos are finally becoming more convergent with our personal technologies and homes, Auto Apps are here now.
• Even TVs are becoming a "Smart" now, they have built in Ethernet connections, whole computers and even touchscreens, in some cases. They will run Apps similar to smart phones.

There are so many new devices and ways to use the new devices it is almost mind boggling. First there were iPhone's, then iPads, now Androids and tablets abound, which can do just about anything a home PC or laptop could do (sometimes more), and in some cases with a faster connection. The fundamental way in which we connect to our world is changing, and fast.

We are moving from an "install software on your PC and look for almost anything on the internet (you had to search - pull the data)" to an "everything is on the internet (cloud) and Apps (mini software) automatically pulls down the information you want/need (you don't have to search - data is pushed, you just grab it)”.

Almost everything, any product you can now buy, can now be connected via WiFi,RS232, ethernet, Zigbee/Zwave, Blutooth, etc. Hardware and software are becoming more and more integrated and convergent. You can talk to your phone, tell it to take you somewhere, and it pulls up a map, ask if you want to navigate to it, then it pulls up another app, turns on your GPS and starts telling you how to get there. Like it should have been all along, right? But it actually really works now, and pretty good too. These little mobile devices/computers/life capsules/entertainment systems can do just about anything. Just about...

These new handy "phones" can serve as your media device (storage and distribution), security control, home control system and more, and made to work relatively seamlessly if parts and software are thoughtfully designed and integrated. They can assist in taking your controls, media, etc from your home, to your car, to your office and to meetings when needed. You can even use your Android phone as a “HotSpot”, or remote WiFi connection now, meaning when you check into that expensive hotel, you don't need to pay them the $10/night internet fee, just connect to your super fast phones 3G or 4G network and get your work done.

We've all seen the commercials showing that you can use your smartphone to control your homes various systems. Of course, many overlook the fact that you still need those controllable systems, HVAC, lighting, Audio/video, etc, installed in your home for those handy little apps to actually work. So don't get too excited to run out and get that app they keep showing on TV. We've actually had calls asking why an app someone purchased doesn't turn on their lights. We ask if they had any lighting controls installed and were told, "a switch is there". Well, it won't just control any device. That device, light switch, thermostat, TV, etc, needs to be controllable in one form or another and be able to communicate (IP, IR, RS232, etc) so that the App can "talk" to it. Consider this when getting new apps and products. Be sure to do your research, or purchase these systems with advice from your local integrator, and see that the electronics you are purchasing are easily integrate-able with these new mobile devices and apps. Most things are, but some are harder to manage and get working, than others.

They key to all of these new tools, is to get everything working well and working together, converging your technologies. A good systems integrator should already be embracing these technologies (Android, iPhone, remote control of homes/businesses). Many of us have been designing in remote controlling of homes since the late 1990's. Most of those systems, still function great. They key to making these systems work, is designing the system with components that are able to communicate with each other through some middle-ware (control system, etc).

There is some setup to getting the Android and iPhone, in some cases, to do all that you want, when you want, without having to dig through the 9000 apps you've downloaded. This is key to getting the value out of your phone, rather than having it be a time wasting "tool" that now takes more to figure out, then it relieves you of. Hiring a knowledgeable integrator to assist in creating a plan for your connected lifestyle, can go a long way in enabling many of the features you want and getting the best system in place for your needs. Insuring that you are getting the right products, that not only can be controlled by one of these apps, but also connect to and work with the other devices in your home (energy monitoring, home control, lighting, your car, etc). A knowledgeable systems integrator can also assist in designing a system that allows you to control your office or even your car, with the same device(s).

Things are changing, and changing fast. Some are afraid of this change. Whether we like it or not, these changes are here and most likely will revolutionize the way we live, work, play and even think. I say embrace it and see where it take us. But... do your research and get the right toys, eh, tools for the job.

BMS/Building Management Systems - what are they

We feel there are 5 main areas to an integrated building system.

HVAC control - one of the largest energy suckers, total control and management is key

Lighting control - having control over lights from occupancy sensors to dimming and scheduling.

Daylight harvesting - keeping lights off when enough ambient light is present and using daylight for lighting. This also includes controlling ambient light via shades and shutters to control light and heat gain/loss.

Overall efficiencies - using efficient products and systems, EnergyStar, etc., plugging leaks, and improving waste loss.

Systems Integration - bringing it all together with all systems in the building, from security/access control, lighting, hvac, audio/video and more. Tie them all together to create a complete and integrated system.

We, at Fultech, have taken a holistic approach to energy management. BMS is an often mis-used word these days, often applying exclusively to HVAC control systems. To me BMS should control and monitor ALL of the BUILDINGS functions and features. We design and install systems that control and integrate all aspects of a buildings functions. Maybe they should call it an IBS- Integrated Building System/Solution. Or Energy Management System, but really a BMS should provide both energy management and controls and conveniences as well.

Utilizing a system that integrates and controls HVAC, lighting, shade controls, occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting, audio/video even security and access control. This gives complete monitoring, management and control of your space. We find most businesses are spending money on most of these areas already; it is a matter of getting systems that integrate together, for around the same cost.

For instance, we received an EPA EnergyStar rating of 90, after 12 months of records. Our electric bills dropped nearly 40% and we see real, empirically backed savings and ROI. We gutted our space and redid everything 18 months ago, adding LEDs to all fixtures, using an integrated access control and security system, put in a control system for lights, hvac, audio/video and integrated all of that. The HVAC turns on 30 minutes before arrival on weekdays. Otherwise, the system is passively activated. Simply swiping your access control keycard unlocks the door (during weekdays, once disarmed before 9am, the doors stay unlocked until 4:30pm at which time they lock again), disarms security, turns on the main hall lights (all offices are on occupancy sensors) and turns on any digital signage or music we may want on (BTW- this also clocks in all employees as well).

When in the office, all rooms have occupancy sensor with built in daylight sensors preventing the lights from turning on when enough outside light comes in. In other rooms, the system is tied to our Outlook and when you schedule a meeting for the boardroom, for instance, the HVAC will turn that room on when the meeting is scheduled. When leaving the office, a final swipe of the keycard, locks the doors, arms security, turns off all lights and any other devices we may have left on.

The system also offers convenience, safety and security, as we can cotnrol any aspect from a PC screen, iPod/iPad, remotely via the internet and even monitor multiple locations. In addition, we added simple programming, with no product cost, to produce some additional unforeseen benefits such as the ability to remote lock doors. So, when everyone leaves for lunch, except the secretary, on their PC screen control, they press a "closed for business" button and the doors lock, until they press it again, unlocking the doors until 4pm again.

The system is totally passive, works flawlessly and really makes it so employees cannot foul it up. It clocks them in and out. Insures nothing is left on. Insure the doors aren't left unlocked. You have complete control to overide any feature or function using the thermostats, keypads, remotes or PC controls, so it really is the ultimate in energy management systems. It also allows real-time/actual and historical storage of energy use and consumption on mutliple levels, subsystems (lights, hvac, etc), type of fuel (gas, elec, solar, etc) and a few other metrics.

Our showroom is open for tours and we have some information on our website as well. Let me know if you would like more info.

Earth Day Blog - Going Green with Electronics

This was first posted for CEA (Consumer Electronics Association), where I serve on the Techhome Board.

No Earth Day line-up of green technology blogs would be complete without a look at developments in “green” homes. Guest blogger and CEA member Dan Fulmer, CTS., the founder and CEO of Fultech Solutions, Inc., shares his professional know-how on the benefits of systems integration. Dan has been a full-service systems integrator since 1995 and has served on CEA’s TechHome Board for the past six years.

You can follow Fultech on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about maximizing the efficiency of installed technology, be it in the home or the office.

By Dan Fulmer, Founder and CEO, Fultech Solutions, Inc.

Few of us realize the benefit of taking many ubiquitous and existing systems in our home or office and tying them together or integrating them to produce energy savings, management and monitoring for little or no additional cost. By thinking through the various purchases one makes in outfitting a building or home, you can usually save money through careful consideration of each facet of the system and how it will function.

But this is what I do. I’m a systems integrator and install systems that monitor or “talk to” each other. Whether it’s HVAC, a music server or iPod, solar panels or home health care equipment, it doesn’t really matter, the point is, a good systems integrator can often create savings with systems that already exist.

For example, most homes and businesses install a security system, an access control system, some type of lighting control and almost always an HVAC control system. You’re going to install these systems regardless of whether you are looking for convenience, energy savings or better management. By simply taking these same systems and integrating them, you create a much more robust, user-friendly system, than if you installed each as a standalone system.

Let’s analyze system (A) the standard system installed in an office versus system (B) which is the same system, installed and, integrated.

System A includes: a security system, an access control system , the standard HVAC thermostats and incandescent, CFL or even LED lighting. The employees access the building through control cards, disarm the security using codes pressed into the security keypad and turn on the lights manually when they come to work. The owner is lucky if their employees remember to arm the security system, much less turn off any lights or HVAC systems. So this building owner may take the next step and install motion/occupancy sensors. This leaves the office with five separate systems that do not talk to each other, offer little usability, and don’t fully function together.

In System B, the owner wants the same services and systems, but would like them to communicate together for more functionality, ease of use and to provide energy management as well as savings. After hiring a systems integrator, a system is designed that fully incorporates security and access control into a single system. Additionally, a lighting control system is added to control and dim the lights around the office. This also serves as a master control system so all the systems can communicate back and forth. The owner decides to replace the regular thermostats with controllable thermostats. Finally, the owner decides to install “smart/learning” occupancy sensors that integrate with the lighting control system.

Now all the systems communicate with each other, thus providing feedback from one system to another. For instance, when each employee comes in, they have the ability to arm and disarm the security system, as they use their swipe card to gain entry. The security system can tell the control system that it is disarmed, which turns on the main corridor and area lights, turns on the HVAC system to a predetermined temperature and maybe even turns on some music. When leaving at the end of the day, any employee can arm and lock the building, which also turns off any and all lights and turns the HVAC system off. This produces about a 30 percent savings in energy consumption as well as added security and safety. The office lights are on occupancy sensors, which turn on and off as needed. The additional savings from dimming and controlling the HVAC based on doors being open/closed in many cases adds an additional 10 percent savings. Overall, the owner gained between 20 to 40 percent in energy savings, simply by consulting a systems integrator to make the existing installed systems “talk” to each other.

As you can see, the difference was minimal between the two systems, but the functional difference to an organization or a homeowner is huge. When considering “going green” be sure to discuss your options with your local systems integration expert to learn more about what they can do to help your systems function together and maximize your savings.

How my CCTV System paid for itself

We have always installed CCTV systems at our customers homes and businesses. I highly recommend them as a deterent. For almost the entire 15 years in business we have done this. In the early days they were usually just modulated to TVs around the house. While now, and for the past 7 years or so, we have digital DVRs connected the the internet that can be remote monitored and record acvitivy based on motion.

I've seen several instances over the years where the systems have recorded break-ins, potential break-ins and sometimes just funny stuff. We've delivered CD copies of incidence to police and other authorities from these systems too.

Recently though, our office CCTV system came in handy in a way I hadn't considered before. Asset and Inventory management. We had a Hospital grade TV delivered (these are really expensive and are sealed so O2 will not get sparked) that was broken but we didn't realize until after the fact. Granted, we should have inspected the box a little better but regardless, once we opened it, the entire glass front of the TV was broken. We called and were told since we accepted it there is no proof it was broken before. I checked my DVR for a record and sure enough, several cameras have recorded the delivery. We see the box is damaged as soon as the driver pulls it off the truck. In addition, we see how he is deliberately trying to hide the damaged portion and actually uses his body to block that part of the box while he loads it into our warehouse in such a way to put the damaged side of the box against the wall so we cannot see it.

I simply copied this information to a CD and sent copies to both the shipping company as well as our vendor and we were sent a new TV. These TVs, since specialty, are still rather expensive, around $5,ooo a piece, so this one small recording literally covered the entire cost of my CCTV and DVR system and I feel was well worth it. In addition, I have the piece of mind to know the cameras also act as somewhat of a deterrent and I can always log in and see what is going on at my office.

Consider this when thinking about your CCTV needs in your home or office.

The Future of our Industry - Pt 2

An additional note on the future of our industry. Another thing to consider looking toward your future as a systems integrator, is to look back at the past. In both residential and commercial markets the same things tend to occur. Products we sell to make money on, eventually become commoditized. Take TVs in the residential market; I used to sell a 50" plasma for $5000-10,000 or more and make nearly 40% plus on it. Newer and better TVs barely offer a 7% margin now and can become money losers as soon as one you've installed breaks and needs warranty work.

In the commercial world, the same thing has occured. These businesses used to do $1M or more a year in box sales of projectors and similar products. Today, if you're shopped, you can't buy it for what they are available online for, so projectors have become the commodity of the commercial A/V world. They are the loss leaders of the day now, only sold to get the rest of the project.

Consider, what is it we are selling. Is it a product? Is it a bunch of products? Is it a service? OR is it SOLUTIONS.

To worsen the situation, I see dealers in both markets making, what is to me, detrimental decisions to thier own livelyhood and that of the industry. I see dealers and installers reducing prices for or eliminating altogether things like programming, design, installation and other charges ,that to me DEFINE an integrator or installers talents and should not only NOT be discounted or removed, but should be enhanced and promoted as what makes your company, product, solution, whatever, better. otherwise, we are all just selling A/V gear. I propose, that our industry is made up of some very intelligent people who have talents, experience and credentials that enable them to quickly research, learn about, figure out, install and program the plethura of new products and systems that come into our market(s) on an almost daily basis now.

Our industry needs to stand up for what we are, Systems Integrators. We are not just TV installers, A/V dealers, home theater specialist. I think we, as an industry, are much more and offer much more than that, and in fact are short-changing ourselves if we don't promote otherwise. We should promote the fact that we charge for design time, installation and programming, and that these are in-fact the exact things that differntiate us from our competition. We are not a big box store just selling products, we sell solutions, and to do so, takes experience, talent, education and more that we have all elected to put the time and efforts into learning.

So let's not shortchange our industry and begin to charge appropriately for what we should be, our time and talents, and not just try to make money on products we sell, and then wonder every few years why something we sold before that made us money, doesn't any more and what do we do now. Promote your company for what it is and offers, not what it sells, which we have little or no control over.

The Future of Our Industry

I was speaking with a friend in the industry tonight and discussing the future of our industry. I am a firm believer in our industry and feel we have much more to offer than "smart homes" or super A/V systems. I sit on the CEA's TechHome Division Board and have made my opinion known, that we need to not only expand into some emerging markets, but begin to shape them from the start.

In my opinion a "systems integrator" can and should be able to integrate anything into any system, and we have been for years. This would help broaden our industry into at least 3-4 more highly lucrative areas. Green or energy efficiency, Home Health Care, Building Management Systems and more. Let me explain.

I have voiced this opinion over the years and feel now is the time, we as an industry, need to come together and steer ourselves into the next iteration of existance. I have long stated that we are systems integrators, meaning we integrate systems - make things that don't normally talk together and work together work with eachother, without limitation. This doesn't have to be audio/video related. We've been doing A/V, lights, hvac, pools, networks, phone systems, sound and more for decades at least. We can make lights work off of photo sensors, we can make shutters close when the wind speed is above 30mph, we can do all kinds of things, but I think we may be missing our calling if we don't look at the bigger picture.

Since 2007 I have been saying our industry should be positioning itself for the upcoming energy efficiency or "Green" movement that is now upon us. If an integrator is doing home systems they currently control or can control almost all of the systems of a home that take electricity to power, therefore we can control how often and how much these devices or systems are used. We are ready to GREEN. My company has offered this for years. We try to off-set our imprint on a homes electrical cost, how much our rack of equipment consumes, with at least saving that much in energy on a monthly basis. So say our equipment consumes 20Kwh per month, then we would set the system to adjust lights and HVAC to save at least that much per month and usually more. In our typical clients home, we are able to save 15-20% on electric bills simply by adjusting what lights are on, when and lowering the dim level of these lights when on. In addition, we can very easily adjust the HVAC to not come on when no one is home, saving a great deal more. Thus, we are in the energy management business.

We have now designed our own in-house BMS (Building Management System) which can control almost any aspect of a building from access control and security to A/V, lights and hvac. Furthermore it ties all of these systems together which creates an extremely efficient, controllable and easy to use and maintain system to control a building's energy consumption, among other things. We looked at some existing BMS systems which focused mainly on HVAC systems and had little to do with actually managing a building, so we looked at what we could offer, based on the various systems we've installed in the past. It worked out to be relatively easy to create, easy to install, retrofittable and 2 years into it, profitable. Hence, we are in the BMS business.

Finally, well, not finally, but on todays list (as there are, I am sure, a plethura of other ideas, products and things that we can integrate and control), we can look at the emerging Home Health Care market. First off, this is an emerging and fast growing industry and demographic. Baby boomers will make up the first of those starting to utilize some sort of home health care system. Ideas I have seen working or those I have heard discussed range from systems to remind someone to take thier pills each day, to toilets that analyze your urine to systems that monitor your health via sensors on your body that read back to Bluetooth or other receivers. Our industry is based on reading information from sensors and other input devices, then formatting that information for easy review or to send on to someone else. This is simply a different application of things we've been doing for, again, decades. So, various sensors are placed in the house, on the person, etc, and this information feeds back to receivers around the house, which then formats that data to send on to a doctor or remind the owner to do something. That's home health care in a nutshell. There are a ton of additional ideas and active models for this including home health monitoring, communicating the data collected to the appropriate facility (Dr, Hospital, EMR, etc.). As you can see, our industry is better positioned than any other to meet the many technical needs these systems will require.

I think it is time we actively and aggresively stear this industry into its next phase of growth and not stifle our members growth by self limiting simply by waiting idly by, while things happen around us. We've had great success at being proactive in guiding our industry for the past 15 years or so and our focus has tightened as the industry required. Now it's time to think outside the box, look at what is evolving around us and immerse ourselves into learning to integrate these new sub-systems and products and for our manufacturers to begin producing products that help our integrators and industry not only enter these new markets, but begin to dominate them.

I feel American ingenuity is alive and well, but it is time for us to re-establish our technological prowess and lead the world in these emerging areas. The alternative could be we are watching someone else dominate any one of these huge markets, which is probably not a good thing. Energy and Health, think about it.

2010 CES (Part 2)

Well, turns out this years CES Show was actually larger, by a few thousand, than last. Last years reported attendance was around 113,000, while this year is sporting around 120,000 attendeees. In addition there were 2500 companies exhibiting and launching 20,000 new products and a record setting 330 new exhibitors. Pretty amazing for a down year.

In my opinion, this shows that the CE industry in general is expecting an economic turn-around.

From the show floor, a few more technologies seem to be the talk of the show, and this year, they are larger more broad based technologies. We'll start with Googles new Android OS. With the release of the new Nexus One, we see one of the first real competitors to the iPhone and it's large base of applications. The new OS offers a lot of similarities to the iPhones, in addition, it has the possibility of being adopted by and have as many applications as the iPhone. I hate to compare everything to the iPhone, but as far as unique and customizable phones, there's nothign else to compare too, other than a small laptop. Looks nice, seems cool, we'll have to wait and see what happens.

Another new technology in final development is Microsoft's Natal add-on for it's XBox 360. This device will allows users to interact with the Xbox, without any remote controls and is supposed to function in a similar way as the Wii and it's remotes do, but without using any remote or needing to touch anything at all. It reports to read your bodies movements and respond accordingly.

On top of that, there were many releases of new electronic book readers and netbooks, which were extremely popular last year. In addition, the thin TVs are really starting to show their own. We've sold several of the new thin LED TVs (about 1.2" thick)with super fast refresh rates that look really great and are ultra-thin and ultra-light. This years models will prove to be even slimmer, ones at the show were 0.3" thick from Samsung, which is a thin as a pencil. Another new feature in many TVs our company has been installing commercially is the built-in internet access or even computers. Many of the Samsung TVs with a built-in PC (designated by an "i" in thier model #) are designed specically for and around digital signage. This makes putting up a basic digital sign for the average small business, cost little more than the TV itself and some software. For more advanced digital signage, you will most likely need something more robust. The PC feature can also be used for an obvious number of other features and functions. Some TVs even have the ability to pause and rewind TV shows, similar to a DVR might.

Klipsch speakers, who's products we have installed and sold for years, have come out with a new speaker/LED light kit combo. We have not tested this unit yet, but it seems to have promise. It utlizes a 10W LED bulb, and puts out the same light as a 65W incandescent bulb. Pretty neat little item that fits in existing light cans. You can see more about the CES show and it's high-lights at our website or check our FaceBook page (Fultech on FB) or our Twitter page (Fultech) which are both linked to CES and CEA pages and blogs. Until next years show....
Seriously, we'll be back sooner to update you on the latest and greatest in new technologies.