In America, the CEA, the association behind CES, launched their inaugural Demo Suites (partner of CEA Line Shows) included as part of the first-ever CE Week held in New York City.

Their panel discussion on custom integration included Entropic Communications, Access Networks; Audio Video Systems and Channel Master.

What did this American panel have to say about the custom install business? The conversation was too US-oriented to include all the comments... but below are the highlights of those topics now at the top of the US-mindset:

• The panelists agreed iPad has been a game-changer in the custom install market because of its control-panel capabilities. While custom installers expect Apple's tour de force will help them sell more integration projects (it's network-dependent), they worry that the traditional touch-panel market went out the same door that iPad entered.

• Panelists also agreed "green" tech is not yet a consumer demand--and more importantly, they can see no way to monetize the technology.

• Security is a demand and panelists saw the cloud as a two-faced friend. They believe consumer will be able to control security more directly from their TVs, but are worried that the big telecom operators will wrestle control from the CI industry.

• The use of coax cables (MoCA) came up in several ways, with security (compared to wireless) as one important benefit.

• Client satisfaction, being on call 24/7, the best service... is considered the most important part of custom integration.

• A new part of customer satisfaction in USA is providing technology to keep mature individuals happy and in their homes as long as possible. The aging-in-place market (versus health care providers and old age homes) is a natural for CI, said the panel. New products mentioned included: blood pressure cuffs, connected monitors, etc...

• As a whole the panel sees cloud as a change that will provide more tools to use in building the infrastructure to keep homeowners connected to information and bigger bandwidth internet.