European Custom Installer

System Integration for the Connected Home

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A Sneak Peak into IFA 2019

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The IFA Global Press Conference provides a preview of the largest technology show in the world, pointing out connectivity, AI and voice control as the big trends driving innovation in both CE and home appliances this year and beyond.

ifa 2019The Berlin trade show already has a first pair of keynote speakers-- Huawei CEO Richard Yu and Qualcomm president Christiano Amon-- together with a first Global Audio Partner in Sennheiser. The famed audio maker has been an IFA presence for the past 69, and it plans to support key IFA events with professional audio gear and support journalists with equipment and technical support. The IFA Next innovation hub gets a first Global Innovation Partner with the land of the rising sun, Japan.

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Top 8 for ECI's 2018

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2018The year coming to a close is a time for both celebration and contemplation, especially when the year was as tumultuous as that known as 2018. In our case we ponder about the year in residential installation, so join us as we take a look at what we believe were the biggest stories.

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Big Numbers for ISE 2018!

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The numbers from ISE 2018 are in and, as expected, they are big-- so much so the 15th edition of the show was the biggest yet, attracting 80923 visitors over its 4-day duration, a 10.3% increase over 2017.

ISE 2018 openingInterestingly, almost 20000 visitors attended on the last day of the show, while 30% of total attendees were visiting ISE for the first time. As for the show itself, the 2018 edition featured 15 halls filling 53000 square metres of floor space. Occupying the halls were 1296 exhibitors, of which 294 were first timers, and Integrated Systems Events says floor space confirmed for ISE 2019 already stands at 103% of the total booked for ISE 2018.

“It’s been a great show that has delivered on all fronts. I’m delighted to report that visitor numbers and exhibitor satisfaction have both been very high," Integrated Systems Events managing director Mike Blackman says. "On behalf of ISE, I’d like to thank all our attendees, exhibitors, partners and our co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA. This combination has made ISE what it is today and ensures that we are able to build on our successes year on year.”

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The Top ECI Stories for 2017

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2017As 2017 comes to a close it is as good a time as any to take a look back at the times in custom install that have been, from smart speakers going mainstream to any number of company acquisitions and mergers.

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ISE Details Attendee Stats

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Integrated Systems Events reports over 40% of ISE 2017 attendees were first timers, with 15662 exhibitor personnel contributing to a total visitor count on 73413 and 22713 visiting for the first time.

ISE 2017The "Official Facts and Figures" report, based on data collected from registrations and post-show questionnaires, breaks down show visitor demographics. For instance, the show hosted 1192 exhibitors from 79 countries, and over 30% of visitors were system integrators, with distributors and manufacturers making 16.8% and 14.9% respectively.

Technology consultants account for 8.7% of the total, and end customers make 7.8%. Interestingly, 34.2% of attendees have interests spanning both commercial and residential sectors, while 10.8% were purely interested in seeing residential solutions. The remaining 55% were interested solely in the commercial sector.

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Alexa, The Killer App

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GUEST EDITORIAL

by Shelly Palmer, CEO, The Palmer Group

Shelly Palmer is CEO of The Palmer Group

The superstar of CES 2017 was not a car, or a robot, or even a TV; it was Alexa Voice Service (AVS), the software that allows you to control compatible devices with your voice. Various reports estimated there were 700–1,100 Alexa-controllable products at the show. I can’t verify the number, but “and it works with Alexa” was the running gag at CES. The familiar Amazon/Alexa logo seemed to be everywhere.

Why Alexa Is “The” Killer App

The 1960s vision of living in George and Jane Jetson’s house has not been realized at scale. While it is possible to build a smart home where everything from the window shades to the television to the HVAC are self-aware and work in a perfectly balanced AI-controlled, automated way, in practice, it’s just too hard to accomplish. Devices really don’t talk to other devices, at least not in meaningful ways. This is especially true if you try to mix devices from different manufacturers. The IoT industry has been waiting for a killer app, an app like Apple Homekit or Google Home, but neither of those has delivered on the promise of a “grand unified smart home universe.”

Enter Alexa … the Killer App for IoT. If we learned anything at CES this year, we learned that anything that can be connected to Alexa will be connected to Alexa. Which truly changes everything!

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Star Achitect to Open ISE 2017: Ole Scheeren

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Ole Scheeren

“Ole Scheeren is the man who makes the impossible possible in architecture. He is a man who turns structural calculations into magic, who can seemingly make skyscrapers disappear into thin air and who created a movie theater that floats in the Indian Ocean. His wave of success has already carried him far. And when he has his way, this will only be the beginning.” Der Spiegel

One of the world’s pop stars of architecture, Ole Scheeren is a German architect and principal of Buro Ole Scheeren with offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Berlin, and Bangkok. He is chief designer and leading the company’s creative vision and strategic development.

And what a creative vision that is… for example, one project, MahaNakhon, is-- at 314 meters-- Bangkok’s tallest tower. Housing the Ritz-Carlton Residences, the building features a pixelated ribbon that swirls around the exterior, peeling back its surface layer to expose an inner layer (also creating balconies with sweeping views of the city).

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