Electrical Contracting News (ECN) Home Automation & Intelligent Buildings March 2017 | Page 18

LEARS

LEARS

TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE

Once upon a time there was SCART , component video , VGA , RS232 and expensive audio-visual programmers . Then in 2017 that all changed , as Paul Kasler , director at LEARS , explains .
Simplified AV Cabling
First of all there is now ‘ HDBaseT ’, which means no more custom cable runs from each TV to the central AV rack – just a single Cat6 is now needed to deliver 4K video and true hi-res Dolby surround sound . That same Cat6 unbelievably also delivers control commands and even power . Some projectors , for instance , don ’ t even need a power lead , just a single Cat6 plugged into the back !
No programming required
Secondly , the revolutionary ‘ iRemoteControl App ’ became affordable to ‘ go getter ’ electricians eager to grab a piece of the AV installer marketplace . No longer do they need to go on a training course , open their laptop and learn an ‘ intuitive ’, ‘ drag and drop ’, ‘ GUI friendly ’, ‘ simple programming environment ’. Instead they can now spend under 10 minutes filling in a simple form confirming what device is connected to what and in 24 hours receive a customised remote control App by email for that specific client ’ s AV installation . In addition , there is no charge for up to three device changes in the first year , for instance , to add a new TV or 4K Blu-ray Player .
iRemoteControl - whole home control .
Zero client learning curve
All of this is of little importance if the client requires training on using the App . iRemoteControl promises a ‘ zero learning curve ’ for the client as it uniquely uses ‘ virtual remotes ’ that look exactly like the real remote that they already know how to operate . The graphics are drawn in beautiful high resolution and animated right down to each button press lighting up the LED on the virtual remote .
High margin , high value add-ons
The icing on the cake is the opportunity to add high margin , high value add-ons that are not available to purchase by end users , in particular HDMI switches . This hardware enables up to eight shared sources ( Sky , Virgin , DVD , AppleTV ) to be delivered to any combination of eight TVs throughout the house . A 4x4 or 8x8 Matrix costs between £ 1,000 and £ 3,000 with 30-35 per cent margin available to the installer and can be integrated with iRemoteControl with no programming effort .
Ongoing revenue opportunities iRemoteControl gives you the opportunity to charge £ 100 a year , doing nothing other than telling the client to refresh the App every quarter to update the inevitable favourite channel number changes of Sky , Virgin , BTView and FreeView . Also , adding additional licences for the client ’ s children is a 30-second exercise , generating hundreds of pounds of extra revenue . The process is done remotely , you don ’ t need to lift a finger !
New revenue from your old clients
How about revisiting your old clients – anyone with three or four remotes on the table – and upgrading them to iRemoteControl ?
iRemoteControl – simple control – just like the real remote .
Remote control lighting
How about offering an iPhone / iPad driven , remote control lighting system to upgrade your client ’ s existing lighting ? Rako , a British manufacturer , allows you to simply add a retrofit controller at the beginning of each circuit . iRemoteControl provides an easy Rako upgrade to its App – all you need to do is tell iRemoteControl the room number you want to associate with each Rako controlled room and it will update the App – ready to use the following day .
Your future
As you move more heavily into home automation you ’ ll find that the boutique builders that you once only did the electrics for can now be approached with a one stop shop , whole home solution – five to 10 times the value and margin of the traditional electrical project . Now it is your time to take advantage of the smart home .
For further information visit : www . iremotecontrol . tv
18 | March 2017 Home Automation & Intelligent Buildings Supplement