We hear a lot of talk these days about the Internet of Things or IOT for short. What is it? A general description is a wireless networking technology that allows individual devices to efficiently communicate with each other. The implications are extraordinary and already visible in popular IOT technologies available, such as, Crestron’s Infinet or the Z Wave platform leverage by companies like Alarm.com. In practical terms, a central system viewed through a Smart phone or Touch panel easily controls your entire household or business. You can change temperature, raise blinds, control garages, screens or even monitor your refrigerator. In keeping with the decade old trends of technologies transferring rapidly from consumer to business, the Internet of Things craze has followed suit.
With the proliferation of cloud applications and consumer acceptance of wireless, the IOT is taking off. In the advanced world of audio visual installation, the race is on to incorporate and leverage this new technology into the previously cumbersome control space. With market leaders like Crestron leading the way, we see the days of spending thousands of dollars controlling rs-232 and infrared ports to turn devices on and off, come to an end. That’s the good news. Here is the bad. Somewhere in a dark room in Russia, some teenager is desperately working on hacking all of these technologies. Not a problem if he hijacks your Epson Projector, but a real pain in the you know what if he just opened your garage.
Contact us if you’d like some advice about selecting equipment, staying on budget, avoiding pitfalls, and generally getting good advice to help you nail your project.
