Control4 Intercom Anywhere App

[Gary Leeds UK]

28 minutes ago, wnpublic said:

Nifty bits of doublespeak here, but it's not hard to see what's going on - no company would preannounce this app in September if the plan all along was to keep testing through February.  Undoubtedly some big issues keeping it from being ready for primetime.

I agree - but least they are testing it - better than they did with 2.10 - I think we beta tested that !!!!

[msgreenf]

35 minutes ago, wnpublic said:

Nifty bits of doublespeak here, but it's not hard to see what's going on - no company would preannounce this app in September if the plan all along was to keep testing through February.  Undoubtedly some big issues keeping it from being ready for primetime.

HOMEPOD...announced 3 years before delivery....so no company would do this, right? 

Home about Duke Nukem forever?

[wnpublic]

1 hour ago, msgreenf said:

HOMEPOD...announced 3 years before delivery....so no company would do this, right? 

Home about Duke Nukem forever?

Uh, ok. Good burn.  i guess i should have said... "no sensible company," "no well-run company", or "no company with a good reputation beyond a core of fanboys" would do this....

[msgreenf]

4 minutes ago, wnpublic said:

Uh, ok. Good burn.  i guess i should have said... "no sensible company," "no well-run company", or "no company with a good reputation beyond a core of fanboys" would do this....

I mean control4 said they were announcing a beta and not releasing right now away....Again this is why C4 generally never pre-announces anything. It generally, in today's world, never works out well

[Gary Leeds UK]

How every they had a not very exciting Software update and New Doorstation they need to sell 

So they let slip about the app - Great Marketing. 

To be honest Great Door Station - Well done 2N 

[RyanE]

19 hours ago, Gary Leeds UK said:

How every they had a not very exciting Software update and New Doorstation they need to sell 

I disagree about 2.10 not being a very exciting software update.

Just because a release doesn't have your most requested features doesn't mean it doesn't have someone else's.

RyanE

[Gary Leeds UK]

Ryan

I think most of us agree that nothing much happened with 2.10 apart from Streaming Audio and Triad Speakers (Which I like the sound of)

We also did most of the Beta with that update - So it came across as rushed - Also 2 updates afterwards, shows how unfinished it was. 

Feb was the big release date for CA1 and Intercom App (Intercom app hit Google Play on 1st Feb and was then pulled). 

2.10.1 - Was just Bug Fix on a rushed 2.10 

Starting to come across bit like Apple - Running out of Ideas - Lets hope not. 

The talk about the Intercom App, was good hype and great from Marketing point of View, shame it was not delivered. 

Sometimes you need to step back and take a long hard look, was 2.10 a exciting Update ?

 

[msgreenf]

my favorite feature in 2.10.1 is that Listen will no longer show up in rooms without listen configured! To me that is really exciting

[South Africa C4 user]

33 minutes ago, msgreenf said:

my favorite feature in 2.10.1 is that Listen will no longer show up in rooms without listen configured! To me that is really exciting

I missed that... hopefully they will do this for Lighting next!

[THawes]

33 minutes ago, msgreenf said:

my favorite feature in 2.10.1 is that Listen will no longer show up in rooms without listen configured! To me that is really exciting

This!

I think the additions of Spotify and SiriusXM in 2.10 were exciting, no? I suppose if you don't use either of those services then it wouldn't be. But for me, that means less I need in my own rack and a cleaner integration.

[msgreenf]

2 minutes ago, THawes said:

I think the additions of Spotify and SiriusXM in 2.10 were exciting, no? I suppose if you don't use either of those services then it wouldn't be. But for me, that means less I need in my own rack and a cleaner integration.

that was 2.10.0 , i was speaking to 2.10.1

[THawes]

1 minute ago, msgreenf said:

that was 2.10.0 , i was speaking to 2.10.1

Yep, I was responding to the earlier posts about 2.10 being boring.

[RyanE]

I'd have to look back at CEDIA notes to make sure I'm not missing some items, but Intercom Anywhere was just one of *many* new products and features released for CEDIA.  Off the top of my head:

• Triad speakers
• Triad One amplifier
• Pakedge WR-1
• DS2 mini
• When >> Then
• iHeartRadio and Spotify Connect music services
• Bugfixes and other updates

Looks to me like a fairly standard CEDIA update, with plenty of new features.

It is a bit different in that no 'major line' got a full refresh.  i.e. Lighting, Security, Comfort, Touchpanels/Controllers.

As far as releasing the Intercom Anywhere app, you can't have it both ways.  You really can't complain about Control4 not releasing something, and in the same breath complain that Control4 releases things before they're fully tested (i.e. 2.10).

Yes, with the hard deadline of CEDIA, too many issues were still problems in the 2.10 release.

Sorry about that.  We'll try and do better.

RyanE

[Gary Leeds UK]

Ryan, 

You are getting very defensive - Not complaining about the App - Accept that issue happen.

Yes was looking forward too it and purchased the DS2 and 3 T3 Touchscreens.

I working in Sales and understand Marketing - List above s great wow.

But the big Sales Pitch was the App and some one dropped the ball - Big Style  

[Shivam Paw]

Imo communication is key. C4 don’t really communicate with customers directly but I reckon if they did it’d help big time. Even just a post every few weeks or months briefly updating the customers on what’s actually going on would defo ease nerves. 

When bugs are reported a “we hear you and are working on fixing it” would go a long way and if something doesn’t go to plan (intercom anywhere app) then a “we ran into some issues so are going to delay the release a bit but hope to have it released by xxxxxxx” would be amazing. 

Idk about the others on here, but if stuff happens and the app gets delayed, I get it. I just don’t get why there’s so much secrecy on everything personally. 

[nevets23]

Imo communication is key. C4 don’t really communicate with customers directly but I reckon if they did it’d help big time. Even just a post every few weeks or months briefly updating the customers on what’s actually going on would defo ease nerves. 
When bugs are reported a “we hear you and are working on fixing it” would go a long way and if something doesn’t go to plan (intercom anywhere app) then a “we ran into some issues so are going to delay the release a bit but hope to have it released by xxxxxxx” would be amazing. 
Idk about the others on here, but if stuff happens and the app gets delayed, I get it. I just don’t get why there’s so much secrecy on everything personally. 

I completely agree. Communication is key and goes a long way to keeping people happy. As @shivam Paw pointed out, things happen....it’s ok, but it’s not a good idea to pre-announce a long overdue product and then ghost your customer base. At least that’s my two cents


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[eggzlot]

7 hours ago, nevets23 said:

I completely agree. Communication is key and goes a long way to keeping people happy. As @shivam Paw pointed out, things happen....it’s ok, but it’s not a good idea to pre-announce a long overdue product and then ghost your customer base. At least that’s my two cents


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Unless you frequent this forum you would not know about most of the announcements.  So my guess is 2-5% of the customer base knew about the intercom app annoucement.  This isn’t Apple at WWDC announcing something then not delivering (aka Apple home) for a long period of time.  

Is that a good or bad policy is up for debate but most c4 users are not represented on this forum. So I don’t see it as going ghost on your major customer base

[nevets23]

2 minutes ago, eggzlot said:

Unless you frequent this forum you would not know about most of the announcements.  So my guess is 2-5% of the customer base knew about the intercom app annoucement.  This isn’t Apple at WWDC announcing something then not delivering (aka Apple home) for a long period of time.  

Is that a good or bad policy is up for debate but most c4 users are not represented on this forum. So I don’t see it as going ghost on your major customer base

I agree that this forum is probably only a small percentage of the c4 customer base, however even if a person isn't on this forum, it doesn't mean that they didn't hear and/or see the announcement about the intercom app, and aren't wondering what is going with it. This is a hobby for me, so I participate in the forums and post things, etc., but I can tell you there are numerous other companies and products I follow closely that I have never posted about in any related forum....obviously it doesn't mean the companies and/or products haven't done things that I don't understand/agree with/like....I just didn't post about them, because it wasn't worth it to me. If C4 wants to underpromise and overdeliver, go for it, however when you pre-announce a product, regardless of what it is, but especially for one people have been requesting for quite some time, and let months and months go by without any update, I don't think it's unreasonable that some of your customers would be a little annoyed/frustrated and start to wonder what happened. With that being said, for a variety of reasons, I have a feeling the intercom app will be released fairly soon....I could be wrong, but hopefully not.

If I am right C4, do not say anything.....

 

[Cyknight]

4 hours ago, nevets23 said:

pre-announce a product, regardless of what it is, but especially for one people have been requesting for quite some time, and let months and months go by without any update

It still goes back that they only announced they were working on it with no direct timeframe for release, that announcement still stands.

 

I was extremely surprised they even said as much, and didn't think it was a good idea. Guess I was right because it always causes these exact two issues:

-People complain about something that doesn't exist.

-Dealers sell stuff they can't because it doesn't exists.

 

Just assume it doesn't exist. You'll be much happier

[RyanE]

I'm not getting defensive, it's just that I was *AT* CEDIA, and know what Control4 was showing, and Intercom Anywhere was not a large portion of the things we were showing, and we were explicitly told to say there was no planned release date for Intercom Anywhere.  It was more along the lines of "Now that I've shown you all of the stuff you can get *today*, here's something we're working on".

Control4 probably shouldn't have announced it, and yes, it's taking longer than was hoped to deliver.

Here's your status update: Still in progress, it'll be released when it's ready.

RyanE

 

[eggzlot]

9 hours ago, nevets23 said:

I agree that this forum is probably only a small percentage of the c4 customer base, however even if a person isn't on this forum, it doesn't mean that they didn't hear and/or see the announcement about the intercom app, and aren't wondering what is going with it. 

Where would someone read about this who is not on the forums?  Maybe cepro but if someone religiously reads that site they likely are on this forum.  Again I have to believe 95% of c4 users are clueless as to this upcoming feature.  Engadget, CNET, Gizmodo or whatever do not really cover most C4 news.  It’s not in the business section of national newspapers.  This isn’t Apple releasing the next iPhone.  

C4s delay maybe alienated the few on here who wanted this feature but not sure about a ton of unknowing customers

on the flip side I wish c4 was more public about stuff direct with end users but it’s their business model so we play in their sandbox or go elsewhere   

 

 

[Shivam Paw]

2 hours ago, eggzlot said:

Where would someone read about this who is not on the forums?  Maybe cepro but if someone religiously reads that site they likely are on this forum.  Again I have to believe 95% of c4 users are clueless as to this upcoming feature.  Engadget, CNET, Gizmodo or whatever do not really cover most C4 news.  It’s not in the business section of national newspapers.  This isn’t Apple releasing the next iPhone.  

C4s delay maybe alienated the few on here who wanted this feature but not sure about a ton of unknowing customers

on the flip side I wish c4 was more public about stuff direct with end users but it’s their business model so we play in their sandbox or go elsewhere   

 

 

Dealers will have told customers. 

Control4 blog: https://www.control4.com/press_releases/2017/09/07/control4-releases-expanded-4sight-services-and-new-os-2-10

C4 Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/control4/status/905572374397018113?lang=en

CNET mentioned it: https://www.cnet.com/news/control4-debuts-deep-user-controls-for-the-high-end-smart-home/

And if you’re subscribed for latest product updates I’m pretty sure it will have been mentioned there. So I’m guessing that’s a lot of the customer base now covered. 

[Gary Leeds UK]

My dealer called me about it and also Introduced the ds2 mini to me at the same time.

 

[eggzlot]

29 minutes ago, Gary Leeds UK said:

My dealer called me about it and also Introduced the ds2 mini to me at the same time.

 

Dealer should explain its a potential release.  If he guaranteed you a feature that isn’t delivered he would be at risk for you to ask for your money back

I get c4 updates and didn’t get something re: the intercom app

[Gary Leeds UK]

To be fair to my dealer he did explain in was in Beta.

He did a good sales job, that's what he is there to do and I do believe him when he said it was due out at Amsterdam.

I`m in no Rush - The DS2 Mini is a great bit of kit and me and wife love playing with Intercom on the T3.