Apple Tipped To Enter TV & Home Automation Market

[C4Canuck]

http://www.channelnews.com.au/Automation/Industry/N7E9K5N6

Apple Tipped To Enter TV & Home Automation Market

By David Richards | Tuesday | 12/07/2011

With speculation mounting that Apple is set to enter the home automation market with a suite of new software, CEDIA members and professional home

installers could be the big beneficiaries say analysts while Companies like Crestron, AMX and Control4 will suffer.

UBS analyst Maynard Um said that the move into home automation could expand the capitalisation of Apple who is currently witnessing a softening in demand for their iPhones.

Speculation has also emerged that Apple is working with Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers to launch an Apple TV range that will deliver IP content direct from the Apple

iTunes store.

These say observers could emerge in mid-2012 when Intel is tipped to launch a new processor designed specifically for use in TV's. The processor will deliver the power and

processing capability needed to deliver content and web based applications to a TV screen.

If an Apple TV is launched it will be a major blow to Sony and to Google who are banking on several vendors picking up their Google TV offering which is currently undergoing a

major makeover after falling at the first hurdle when launched last year in partnership with Sony and Logitech.

The concept of Apple delivering content to a TV, iPad and iPhone coupled with software that allows consumers to manage devices, music and video, lighting and wireless audi0 makes sense claims Um.

In a recent note to investors, Um urges Apple to look to new opportunities for growth, which in the past has been fuelled by "taking a bite out of handset and PC companies".

Home automation would be one of those growth areas, along with Apple TVs and professional installation he said.

Um claims that Apple will train a squad of Genius Bar road warriors called the Genius Squad to install TV's and connected devices.

Apple has already spoken to some sound partners about the concept of distributed audio over a wireless network in the home. They have also looked at what is needed to deliver integration for lighting and energy management systems claim several sources.

Um suggests that Apple don't create a DIY or standalone home automation system, but rather something that would be part of the Apple ecosystem.

"We say this must follow on to a Genius Squad service as the installation of home automation products is likely to be too complicated for the average (and possibly even the above-average) consumer to install."

Already Companies like Push Controls are delivery Apple based home automation software that controls home entertainment systems, lighting while delivering environmental control benefits.

With the addition of IP Cameras, users can control their security with the Push Control software with information delivered to an iPad or iPhone anywhere in the world.

[thecodeman]

"Um suggests that Apple don't create a DIY or standalone home automation system"

I'm interested, but not losing sleep at this point. It's vaporware, but based on that sentence will be *less* DIY friendly than Control4's offering with Composer Home Edition.

Is this really any different than an official version of Savant?

I can see the Apple television and integration with iTunes/etc but apple loves to control everything in its walled garden. I can't imagine this is truly something that they will want to get into at this point. Time will tell.

[RyanE]

You should really source the *original* article, as this is no doubt a copy-text article "written" by David Richards:

http://juliejacobson.blogspot.com/search/label/David%20Richards

He typically takes articles from CE Pro and re-publishes them without attribution, and lately, changing headlines and re-writing them a bit.

Here's the CE Pro article:

http://www.ce-pro.com/article/analyst_home_automation_could_boost_apple_stock/

RyanE

[RyanE]

Oh, and I suppose I should add my opinion as well.

Apples recent moves can be interpreted in many ways, and until Apple officially enters the market, and has something to sell, there's not much reason to be interested *or* concerned.

Apple makes great products, if they made Home Automation products, they'd probably be great as well, but I wouldn't even count on ComposerHE-level of end user installation as mentioned above, and who is to say what their pricing would be.

RyanE

[JV]

"We say this must follow on to a Genius Squad service as the installation of home automation products is likely to be too complicated for the average (and possibly even the above-average) consumer to install."

What a load of crap..

What's the Genius Squad? Is it suppose to be like the Geek Squad? Now there's some above-average fellows...

And this is from CE Pro the link is posted above

...CE Pro has generally maintained that any mass-market adoption of home automation must include professional installation. While we believe that simpler solutions for home control do enable less specialized technicians to enter the market (en masse, as in the case of ADT Pulse, Comcast/Xfinity, Vivint, Geek Squad, Verizon and others), we don't believe DIY solutions will fuel mass-market home automation anytime soon...

This is BS as well. I guess I better get the Genius Squad to install the next HA system for my dumb*ss. What nonsense. IT'S ALL ABOUT MARKETING!!! Control4 should be a DIY solution. CE Pro has it ass backwards. As long as consumers are forced to use professional installation and lose complete control over there own systems there will be no mass-market adoption.

edited to add this:

It's funny how some admittedly biased 'pros' only see it as 100% one way or the other. According to them, you can't have it both ways. For this reason, I'm convinced it's all about gaining dealer loyalty with exclusive rights. They should just admit it - IT'S ALL ABOUT MARKETING! Here's a manufacturer that admits to it, see post #28

http://www.c4forums.com/viewtopic.php?id=9165&p=2

At least he's honest about it.

Instead, we here excuses from manufacturers that adopt this form of distribution about how technically difficult their systems are to install, setup, or program. I'm sorry, I might not be smart enough to install your product but I am smart enough to recognize BS when I see it.

[RyanE]

You're entitled to your opinion. Everyone's got one, just like some specific body part I won't name here...

DIY would certainly work very well for some segment of the population (most of those who participate here, for example), but it doesn't automatically follow that a DIY HA solution would work for 'mass-market'. Although CE Pro is for the 'Pro' audience, and may be a bit 'Pro'-biased, I think their years of experience might just give Julie's comment and opinion a bit more weight than yours, at least in my eyes.

RyanE

[AJ_]

Most likely, it will only play music and movies from iTunes and/or apple TV... in which case, it will suck! Also, I don't expect it to be cheaper than any of the existing options.

[RyanE]

Woo! I called it!!!

http://juliejacobson.blogspot.com/2011/07/ce-pro-plagiarizer-gets-it-wrong-again.html

RyanE

[ILoveC4]

Woo! I called it!!!

http://juliejacobson.blogspot.com/2011/07/ce-pro-plagiarizer-gets-it-wrong-again.html

RyanE

LOL

[rayk32]

Could be viable, but given Apple's need charge high prices and psychotic control over everything they touch, it will interesting to see this happen. They already have a lot in place to do it. Mac Minis and iMacs as controllers, iPads, iPhones and iPods as remotes, AppleTVs as audio and video distribution endpoints. They just need to write the software and develop interfaces for lighting, HVAC control ... etc. The key is that they are already in a lot of homes, a highly recognized name and known for their focus on quality products. I guess they could also buy Savant, since they've already laid a lot of the groundwork.

[3fingerbrown]

Apple already has all of the superior technology to do this. The iPad is the best touch screen out there and it immediately trounced Control4's portable touchscreen. What I have a hard time visualizing is the "genius squad" army that it would take to design, install, and support a home auto system. Think of how many dealers install control4, do you think Apple would hire and maintain a similar sized army to install home auto systems? Doubtful to me. Do you think they would lend their brand name and credibility to 3rd party "authorized dealers" to install and support the systems? Also doubtful.

Apple has tons of cash to do R&D on this topic so its not surprising they are looking into it. They have all the technology its just the labor that presents the problem. My guess is that they slowly enter this market by developing home automation products that they can mass-market but need no custom installation. Apple HDTV screens, a Mac mini that actually works as an HTPC, etc. But I don't expect the genius bar to be making house calls to integrate your pool cover and install whole-home audio systems.

[AtticMonkey]

"We say this must follow on to a Genius Squad service as the installation of home automation products is likely to be too complicated for the average (and possibly even the above-average) consumer to install."

What a load of crap..

What's the Genius Squad? Is it suppose to be like the Geek Squad? Now there's some above-average fellows...

And this is from CE Pro the link is posted above

...CE Pro has generally maintained that any mass-market adoption of home automation must include professional installation. While we believe that simpler solutions for home control do enable less specialized technicians to enter the market (en masse' date=' as in the case of ADT Pulse, Comcast/Xfinity, Vivint, Geek Squad, Verizon and others), we don't believe DIY solutions will fuel mass-market home automation anytime soon...[/quote']

This is BS as well. I guess I better get the Genius Squad to install the next HA system for my dumb*ss. What nonsense. IT'S ALL ABOUT MARKETING!!! Control4 should be a DIY solution. CE Pro has it ass backwards. As long as consumers are forced to use professional installation and lose complete control over there own systems there will be no mass-market adoption.

edited to add this:

It's funny how some admittedly biased 'pros' only see it as 100% one way or the other. According to them, you can't have it both ways. For this reason, I'm convinced it's all about gaining dealer loyalty with exclusive rights. They should just admit it - IT'S ALL ABOUT MARKETING! Here's a manufacturer that admits to it, see post #28

http://www.c4forums.com/viewtopic.php?id=9165&p=2

At least he's honest about it.

Instead, we here excuses from manufacturers that adopt this form of distribution about how technically difficult their systems are to install, setup, or program. I'm sorry, I might not be smart enough to install your product but I am smart enough to recognize BS when I see it.

I agree 100% about the Genius Squad bit. With that said, there are plenty of C4 consumers that struggle to fully grasp the system and how it works, what it can do etc. No chance they could DIY it. A huge reason for a C4 system or HA system in general can be to help out people who don't do well with electronics. Most people still aren't all that "techy" .

[EagleMoon]

I'm late to this discussion, but I'm going to chime in: I don't believe it -- it definitely goes against the "do one thing and do it well" philosophy. HA isn't remotely close to being just "one thing". And every installation is mostly custom, regardless of whether it's DIY or dealer-installed.

I think Apple makes great products; I own lots of it. I'd like to see it, but I just don't see this happening.

This, however, may be the stupidest thing I've read in some time:

any mass-market adoption of home automation must include professional installation

That actually the problem. Mass-market adoption will only occur when HA doesn't require professional installation. It needs to be a simple as setting up a basic home wireless router. Today, it's more like configuring an Aruba AP and controller network. (Sorry, inside joke from prior life.)

Edit: Technically, I guess CE Pro didn't write that directly; it's just a third-party statement of their position.

[henniae]

... Today, it's more like configuring an Aruba AP and controller network. (Sorry, inside joke from prior life.)...

These are nice AP. Their controller is great too.

[EagleMoon]

... Today' date=' it's more like configuring an Aruba AP and controller network. (Sorry, inside joke from prior life.)...[/quote']

These are nice AP. Their controller is great too.

I knew somebody would get it.

Slick system but not trivial to configure. The automatic VPN tunneling by a remote AP to its controller is very nice. I accepted a project last September that was supposed to be just three Juniper routers. Too late to get out of it, I learned it also included a bunch of Aruba gear which I'd never touched before. I was not a happy camper about being blindsided.

[RyanE]

Everyone is late to this discussion. The thread is a month and 10 days old, and Apple hasn't announced anything, have they?

Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Either way, doesn't really affect what Control4's strategy is.

RyanE

[EagleMoon]

Everyone is late to this discussion. The thread is a month and 10 days old, and Apple hasn't announced anything, have they?

Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Either way, doesn't really affect what Control4's strategy is.

RyanE

Ryan, since you start with my comment about being late to the discussion, I assume you are responding to my post even though you didn't quote it. So, I'm going to answer your question: no, Apple hasn't announced anything. And as I said, I don't expect them to do so. All of their products have a very narrow focus. I don't see any way for the broad category of home automation to fit into that strategy.

Also, your comment about Control4 strategy seems as if you thought I was commenting on that. But maybe that was referring to earlier posts, I'm not sure. So to be clear, no words in my post had anything to do with Control4 business strategy.

My comment about the stupidity of thinking that professional installation is necessary for HA to become mass-market products is NOT a comment on Control4 business strategy. It's perfectly reasonable that a high-end niche could exist within a broader mass-market category. High-end audio is a perfect example of such a niche.

Just wanted to make sure I didn't leave some confusion there.

[RyanE]

I appreciate the clarity in your reply.

I was *only* commenting on the fact that there have been a lot of posts lately replying to threads that are (in some cases, not this one) over a year old.

RyanE

[EagleMoon]

I was *only* commenting on the fact that there have been a lot of posts lately replying to threads that are (in some cases, not this one) over a year old.

Yep, I see that happening on lots of message boards. I think it's usually because someone is searching for a topic, a pertinent old thread comes up in the search results, and the searcher resurrects it rather than starting new. (Or sometimes we're just careless.) Here, at least, I always use the "Show new posts..." feature and this thread had just been resurrected.

Anyway, I thought I detected some annoyance in your reply and wanted to be sure I wasn't the cause through lack of clarity in my earlier post.