Wealth & Finance July 2017

Wealth & Finance International 16 A Smart Move elecom pioneer Robert Madonna founded Savant after hav- ing sold his previous company, Excel Switching, to Lucent in 1999. Mr Madonna founded Savant after seeing the major drawbacks to existing home automation systems and he de- cided to create a better home automation system for the luxury market. Savant is now the premium whole home automation and audio video distribution system of choice for mansions, castles and yachts. In addition, Savant has expanded its product offering throughout the smart home market, providing sophisticated yet affordable solutions for home automation to builders and homeowners around the world. Caroline Britt is MD of Savant Systems Europe, and manages a team of experienced sales and technical staff to appoint, train & support custom installers who appreciate the numerous business and technical advan- tages of selling, installing and commissioning the well-regarded Savant brand in the UK and throughout Europe. Caroline explains how they ensure high levels of customer service are achieved and what kind of feedback they receive from those they serve. “To ensure that we achieve high levels of customer service for all our Savant accredited dealers, it is pivotal to our success that our staff are enthusiastic, knowledgeable and experts in all aspects of home auto- mation, not just Savant products. So, we are very pleased that our team can draw on many years of experience with residential audio, video and control, including all the latest and demanding developments in 4K/ UHD television and streaming audio. “Savant products are always highly praised by end users and our customers alike for their intuitive, easy to use and reliable nature. In particular, the ability for users to set their own ‘scenes’ without pro- gramming that sync up multiple disparate devices with a single button press or at a scheduled time is very appealing and uncommon among competing systems. For example, a user can simply create a scene (or even just capture the current room or home state) such as a ‘film night’ scene that dims the lights, closes the curtains, switches on the TV and surround sound and then starts your movie player. Of course, there are opportunities and challenges for the firm and the wider industry as we move into the future. Caroline elaborates on this point in her own words. “In the post Brexit vote world of 2017 and beyond, luxury home automation continues to be a vibrant market for Savant. There is also an expanding mid-market with significant numbers of new houses and MDUs (multiple dwelling units) being built for sale aimed at the millen- nial generation of home owner and tech savvy users that have come to expect the convenience, comfort, security and energy management of not only controlling all their audio and video entertainment systems but also to bask in the goodness of their home by automating their lights, shades, heating, cameras, and much more. “Looking at the wider picture, we are seeing an ever-increasing number of smart home devices, such as wireless speakers, thermostats, smart bulbs, voice recognition, etc. specifically aimed at the retail and DIY markets. Although many of these are excellent stand-alone products, they are typically IoT (Internet of Things) devices that are often ‘island solutions’, which do not integrate well with each other and are often beyond the skills of customers to install. “So, while there is a definite place for them, and they do provide users with a valuable introduction to what is possible, there is probably a larger volume of business to be had with more professional products that require a DIFM (Do It for Me) approach to design, installation and maintenance.” In closing, Caroline adds her insights into the pace of change in the sector and the level of technology that the firm offers considering this. “The pace of change in audio, video and home automation technology continues to accelerate and as more people become aware of the pos- sibilities, the greater the business opportunities become to satisfy their desires and needs. “While the love affair we all seem to have with our smartphones and tablets continues, and for many they remain an essential centrepiece for controlling the world around us, it’s becoming clear to some that reaching for such a device and navigating to an app, however good the user inter- face design might be, is not always the most convenient or familiar for use by all the family. So, there are still a lot of good reasons to have an easy to use remote control handset that has physical buttons which can be picked up and used quickly, perhaps without even needing to glance at it! “ “We are also at the dawn of the age of ubiquitous voice assistants with AI (artificial intelligence) that have already started to transform the way that people can choose to interact with their technology and environ- ment. Of course, voice control is not always going to be the most appro- priate in all situations. So, there will always be a need to complement it with at least a few well-placed physical touch screens or remote controls in the home, and smartphone apps for access anywhere away from it, to achieve the most efficient, convenient and capable of smart homes.” Company: Savant Systems LLC Name: Caroline Britt, MD Web Address: www.savanteurope.co.uk Address: 2 Lambourn Business Park, Lambourn Woodlands, Hungerford, RG17 7RY Telephone: 01488 649340 For more than a decade, Savant has built a successful business creating technology automation systems for the residential and commercial markets. MD of Savant Systems Europe Caroline Britt, MD spoke to us to provide background to the firm’s offerings in the smart home market. T 1706WF07