[Link: gizmodo.com]

Is this good or bad for the industry (i.e. you and I)?

I say bad. It cheapens what I do and some customers will mentally align what we do with some system available at Lowes for $300.

A small part of me thinks its good for a broader acceptance of home control. I guess only time will tell.

It wont sell and we wont discuss in 3 months or less.

You can't make this stuff up lol..........

The main problem with existing home automation systems is that there is no agreed-upon standard. Most every company in the market employs a proprietary command system atop either a zigbee, z-wave, or wi-fi connection, none of which can interconnect. That means unless you want to build and program your own Arduino controllers, you're going to be stuck with buying a whole bunch of disseparate, niche systems—one to your smart doorknob/deadlock, another for your home security system, another for your smart garage door, and so on. Lowes announced today that it's rolling out a new all-in-one home security and automation system, dubbed the Iris, that will be able to integrate with and control any home automation device that runs on at least one of the three industry standards.

So basically what lowes is telling us is that they have identified the problem (that we have all known for 2 decades) and they have come up with a solution...so long as the device can be controlled. There are no standards so we are going to change the game and make a device that can control things so long as they follow an industry standard!

Um...so its revolutionary technology that sort of does what we do right now?

Its a new/limited X10. Its what guys like us buy to tinker with before we learn about better products.

Both Lowe's and Home Depot keep trying these sort of things, and it always ends up the same way.

Heavy returns, lot of complaints, loss of revenue.



A short list of sales attempts that failed:

1. TVs.

2. Intercoms.

3. Central Vacuums.

4. Security Systems.

I've studied it since last year ... have no confidence that it will succeed.

You're right it won't. This is the same thing just different I have seen over the years.

Cgav, The industries I have been in the past have all seen the low price threat.

Free cell phones in the late 80's. I sold the heck out of the $500-1000.00 phones. Free phones are still around today but look at the iPhones that cost $200-$500.00. Selling like crazy.

Free ADT security system? My average system price I sell is $1800.00.

HTIB for $199.00 at Costco? My average small 5.1 system is $2,000.00.

Craigslist or ServiceMagic customer wants TV hang below $100.00? My average from their demographic is $400.00.

Weed out the bottom feeders and find your quality client. They are hard to find unless you know the right vehicle to market to them. Once you find the right marketing tools to reach out to your core customer. To most of us on RC the core customer is the one who asks "what's the catch? I know their is no such thing as a free ______ (security system, cell phone, etc.,). Tell me why I should buy from you?".

Lowes and ADT do free advertising for me. I don't have to bring up home automation, now, my clients do...

+1
I'm not concerned; and I live in BFE New Mexico

Will it work with Insteon and UPB switches?

Did you mean "will it work?"?

yes

+1

But on the positive side it will plant the seed of home automation in the minds of many...

I have a good friend who owns a Heat and Air company. He said at a recent training they did, the trainer asked why the heat and air industry is giving away business to the audio video installer. He said network thermostats and automation should be done by the heat and air companies. My friend called me to talk about it and wanted to get my opinion. I told him we should probably start installing Heat and Air since we already do the thermostats. He said, I see your point.

Interesting to me to hear what people are being told about us in other trades. Onq does the same thing for electricians.

I'm going to quote you on this someday!

The other trades find out how much a lighting system costs, or the automation of the hvac costs and think we have found the golden goose. They all think our industry is the secret to the big money. And they already resent us because most of us can't do our part without them and we make their part more complicated because they have to do something different. But usually it only takes one try for them with countless hours lost trying to make something work before they learn their lesson.