The pandemic has profoundly changed the way many of us think about how we live and work. Health, safety and sustainability – powerful concepts reflected at the Smart Building conference at ISE 2022 – are pushing the global smart building market to $ 265.37 billion by 2028. Through the combination of the smart sensor technology and the expertise of integrators, building owners and managers can create smart systems that allow their buildings to be increasingly intuitive, adaptable and responsive.

Connected homes

At home, specific devices like surveillance cameras and smart bulbs help spend more than $ 100 billion on smart home solutions by the end of 2021, according to Strategy Analytics.

“Consumer demand for connected home systems and services is increasing day by day and accelerating due to the global pandemic,” says Matt Nimmons, MD, CEDIA EMEA. “Over the past eighteen months, we’ve seen a real expansion in the trend for technologies to make working from home, or as some call it, living at work easier. Many CEDIA members have worked with developers to provide robust and secure Wi-Fi connected spaces that can double as a home office, with the high quality audio and video performance to match.

As such, the home is now a multifunctional space that offers a place of comfort, rest and relaxation as well as a secure and practical home office, a learning environment, a cinema, a games room and a room. of fitness.

“The biggest developments are not so much about new smart technologies as their deployment,” says Stuart Tickle, managing director of custom integration distribution company AWE. “Now that people are spending more time at home, things previously considered luxury have become more common. “

He cites smart security cameras to keep an eye out for kids playing in the garden and convenient control of energy-efficient lighting and heating. Lighting control systems integrated into the larger home automation system can provide further benefits in terms of ease of use, setting the “scene” and even providing human-centered lighting.

“There is no sign that this trend is stopping with growth expected to continue through 2022,” he adds. “We are living in a rare time when supply exceeds demand, so integrators also have long working pipelines planned. “

In turn, this demand has spurred investment “in technology that can provide the services, comfort and convenience that people now feel they need,” advises Peter Broome, director of UK smart lighting control manufacturer Rako. “Owners turned to integrators to help them make the technology experience as easy to use, reliable and enjoyable as possible. “

Well-tech

Health and well-being will remain at the center of attention as the end of 2021 approaches. Whether it’s through lights that synchronize with an owner’s circadian rhythm to help them sleep better, or a better night’s sleep. Proper air filtration that relieves allergies, “Well-tech” creates new ways for people to achieve desired health results.

“Well-tech is one of the fastest growing technology trends in the residential market, and integrators are best equipped to implement these products in the home,” said Ian Bryant, senior director of strategic partnerships from CEDIA. “Well-tech fits perfectly into the consultative model adopted by many players in the IT industry as they move from ‘selling technology’ to improving and improving life. customers in their homes. “

Giles Sutton, interim CEO of CEDIA, even calls these technological solutions “really disruptive … and they are no longer just for early adopters or the ultra-rich.”

There are calls for integrators to develop their relationships with allied trades – lighting designers, HVAC installers, plumbers – to become a “general contractor” or coordinator of a holistic wellness solution.

Walt Zerbe, Senior Director of Technology and Standards, CEDIA explains, “Integrators need to spend more time on the discovery side to really understand what the customer’s needs are – who the family are, what each has. need, does anyone work or learn from home – and more and more study is needed to prescribe a wellness solution for every client. It’s very personalized. There is no doubt that wellness is a giant opportunity that integrators can capitalize on.

Media management solutions

The increase in the time people spent watching TV and videos online in 2020 has led to an increase in demand for dedicated cinemas or multimedia rooms with larger screens and enhanced sound. Likewise, our collective home time generates a demand for cabling that enables outdoor lighting and entertainment systems, in turn helping people to be sociable with garden spaces for wellness and mental health.

The convenience and sanitary nature of voice control further drives the demand for smart devices. “In particular, the growth of dedicated control systems that bring all of these devices together and allow customers to easily navigate and operate through a single platform through multiple control methods, automated, voice and button,” says Tickle.

In this context, remote monitoring and management (RMM) has become more critical than ever for integrators. RMM is one of the key industry developments in recent times and is increasingly becoming a necessity for smart home installation companies today, said Mark Reynolds, Senior Director, EMEA, Snap One.

To put this in context, Snap One’s OvrC remote management platform currently has over 1.5 million registered devices in approximately 350,000 locations with over 15,000 resellers.

“Being able to access the right tools (control, notifications and monitoring) and having these fundamental resources available in the convenience of one location only improves the experience before and after installation,” says Reynolds. . In addition to saving the cost of a site visit, the ability to troubleshoot technical issues remotely, often without even needing to visit the site, is a bonus during a pandemic. “Over the past year and a half, more and more clients have rightly wanted to minimize any intrusion by tradespeople into their homes,” he says.

There is an opportunity here for vendors and integrators who can combine media management alongside network, audio and video cores. “With so many different content providers, most of us have trouble accessing the content we want to watch easily,” says Zerbe. “So the next big wave is going to bring in someone who can manage your media for you and make it easy to use. “

Technologies for professional life

The seismic shift for many organizations from onsite work to remote work has been imposed, but the return to work is unlikely to be a simple reversal of this trend. Rather, businesses are looking for long-term ways to use their buildings smarter.

“To combat meeting fatigue, more and more companies are providing dedicated meeting devices that can be used in the home office,” says Stijn Ooms, Director of AV Product Strategy and Digital Workplace at Crestron . “Businesses need to make sure that IT can keep track of everything and is able to keep products functional and up-to-date no matter what and where. This can be done through the cloud.

Frost & Sullivan reported that before COVID-19, of the nearly 90 million meeting rooms worldwide, only 7.8% were compatible with video. This is changing rapidly: hybrid work is becoming more and more dominant. Adding video conferencing and collaboration technology to every space, big or small, is now a requirement.

“If businesses want to retain their workforce and keep them productive, it’s essential that they feel equal and connected, whether they’re in the office or at home,” says Ooms. “The right technology, like smart video and audio, can help. “

According to Gartner, 47% of companies plan to increase their investments in the Internet of Things (IoT). These organizations use smart technology to optimize everything from occupancy to energy consumption, improving sustainability and well-being and ultimately reducing costs.

ISE 2022

The Smart Building Conference (SBC) produced by ISE is the must-see pan-European conference for professionals working in the smart buildings industry. It will be held on January 31, the day before the opening of the ISE, at the Fira de Barcelona. Covering business, residential and office opportunities, SBC 2022 will explore how the new developing technology landscape is facilitating the deployment of smart technology in buildings.

In the ISE exhibition space itself, visitors will find many sources of inspiration in the residential and smart buildings area of ​​Hall 2. You will find systems for designing lighting that responds to changing levels. of ambient light during the day as well as the latest developments in connectivity standards, unified communications (UC) and technologies to enhance the visual impact of speakers and much more.

Mike Blackman, Managing Director of Integrated Systems Events, explains, “As a physical in-person event, we are in a unique place to bring all elements of the industry together under one roof and we look forward to seeing you all. . In the preparation for Barcelona, ​​we have worked hard to ensure that ISE 2022 provides a safe, enjoyable and very useful experience for the industry to showcase innovation, taking inspiration from some of the brightest in the industry. We look forward to seeing you there. ”Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2022 will take place at Fira de Barcelona, ​​Gran Vía, from February 1-4, 2022.

Please click here to register for free.