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Industry Opinion: Do proprietary control protocols still have a future in home automation? (5/1/2012)

By Yasmin Hashmi, HiddenWires

There is an argument that in order for automation to be embraced more widely, its integration within the home must be made simpler. As an industry, should we be striving to adopt standards, and would this allow greater choice, more flexibility and greater acceptance all round? We asked a number of leading lights whether proprietary control protocols still have a future in home automation. Here are their replies:

Eric Smith, Co-founder and CTO, Control4

I have been in this industry for more than twenty years, and in that time I have seen no fewer than forty industry initiatives (I have personally participated in more than a dozen) to create a standard for home automation. At this point, I am unaware of any home automation standard that can solve all of the needs of the consumer. It is my prediction that proprietary control protocols will be around as long as there are manufacturers that want to differentiate their products, or, in other words, as long as the profit motive is in effect.

The big issue is that while standards do help the consumer, they can hurt manufacturers. Standards often commoditise the products that use those standards, so manufacturers either do not embrace a given standard, or they 'extend' the standard to enable their differentiated features. At Control4, we make sure that the consumer can use any device no matter which control protocol it uses. We have support for more than twenty industry standard control protocols, and thousands of proprietary control protocols.

www.control4.com

L Y Chiu, Director, Cytech Europe Ltd

Although standardised protocols are the future of home automation, proprietary protocols are still necessary for internal communication between components of a home automation or security system. Standard protocols do not have all the facilities necessary to support the features which a truly innovative product implements.

Products which are completely implemented using standard protocols by necessity are all very similar, with relatively minor differentiation. For example, a switch may be an expensive 'designer' type, or may be plainer and low-cost, or may incorporate LCD displays or sensors. Lighting relays and dimmers are specified with different load capacities, and for LEDs, halogens and other loads. In any case, switches and dimmers are good candidates for standardisation as their functions are well-defined. However a comprehensive home automation system which incorporates security, intercom, sensing and control that needs to comply to different regulatory demands, must go beyond the established protocols. The solution is a proprietary internal protocol with gateways to not one, but several different home automation protocols, for example KNX, C-Bus, ZigBee, Z-Wave and others, to give the widest choice to system integrators and end-users.

www.cytech.biz

Kevin Morrison, Managing Director and Vice President, AMX Europe

Our clients buy a control system for a variety of reasons, but one of the main ones, particularly in residential applications, is that they want a completely reliable solution. The core elements of our systems include some proprietary elements that allow us to safeguard communications and therefore the system operation. AMX systems are based on tried and tested solutions and as a result, prove very robust in the field - whether used to automate factories, control traffic systems, manage retail operations or operate a home cinema system. Because we take this approach we can provide detailed training, simple programming software and comprehensive diagnostic tools. All this gives predictable operation and stability over time. Of course all of our equipment communicates over industry standard infrastructure, allowing flexibility and keeping wiring costs down. We're aware, as well, that we need to integrate with a huge range of equipment, and that the pace of change in residential solutions is thanks in part to some of the open-protocol systems available, such as KNX. With this in mind, we offer our integrators gateways to these products, and work with hundreds of manufacturers to produce dedicated modules for their kit, whatever protocol it uses. Our customers tell us that this is the right balance - the core system they rely on every day is bulletproof, but they are able to modify and expand it over time, very cost-effectively, as we embrace the best from an open-standards world.

www.amxeurope.com

Scott Burgess, Managing Director, Ivory Egg

There is no doubt that proprietary control protocols have a place in home automation, but it will increasingly be the preserve of only the largest brands. Companies that can afford to develop enough products to cover a large proportion of the domestic automation ecosystem such as Apple, Google and Microsoft will be able to dictate their own terms and protocols. Even these businesses will increasingly need to offer at least some interaction via open standards such as uPnP or KNX.

It is simply too difficult for a single manufacturer to adequately cover all of the varying disciplines needed in a modern home. An open and standardised protocol not only allows manufacturers to concentrate on their primary skillset, it also opens up the market to many more niche products from smaller manufacturers, which in turn drives the success of the standardised protocol.

Open protocols are unquestionably better for both consumers and high-end systems integrators; however room will always exist for innovative companies such as Apple to play by their own rules.

www.ivoryegg.co.uk

Phil Breitschadel, UK Sales Manager, Crestron

There's no denying tablets such as the iPad and the vast array of smartphones are amazing accessories and are proving popular for some people looking to control home devices. However, they simply are not a complete control solution and certainly not the death knell to proprietary control systems, whether that be wireless, remote, in-wall, dock-mounted or otherwise. Contrary to some opinions expressed in our industry, the success of tablets, especially the iPad, has actually been extremely positive for us. Touchscreen control has now been put into the hands of a vast new audience. This has created awareness, driven demand, sped up the sales cycle and expanded our markets in a huge way. Not only that, but it has enabled us to introduce clients to other areas of integration, such as adding on lighting control or security access control to a solution, that were previously out of the client's budget.

Apple has been a real catalyst to expanding our industry - the key part of this is awareness. People are now aware of the possibilities in terms of controlling their environment. Those that were not previously open to automation are now seeing it as an achievable resource, especially in the residential sector.

I think it is important to remember that these tablet accessories are just that: accessories. They are brilliant in their fashion, but a far cry from substituting a total control solution. Although we are embracing them at Crestron, developing control apps for both Apple and Android devices, they will never replace the fully-functioning and dedicated controllers completely. The primary reason for this is that our clients are still calling for them. They still require tailored controllers for the home and especially for their business needs. At Crestron, we have a wide range of control solutions which are now specifically developed for certain applications.

One large concern - especially in commercial and education environments, particularly with the iPad - is how to secure them from both theft and accidental damage, but overall, in our experience, the controls scene is thriving and, if anything, tablets, apps and smartphones have encouraged us and revitalised the market.

www.crestron.eu

Mal Fisher, Technical Manager at AWE

There is absolutely no doubt that proprietary control protocols still play a critical role in the home automation industry. At the moment, there is a sense that i-Control will replace these traditional systems, but I can't see this happening. Consumer demand makes the tablet an important complementary part of a system, and manufacturers should act accordingly. But I have recently come across a number of installations where the iPad is the only interface between the consumer and their lighting, heating, A/V and security systems. While some people think that this is the way forward, I personally cannot imagine a more dangerous set up.

It doesn't take a great deal of imagination to realise that i-Control can't be as seamless as a dedicated touchpanel. If something goes wrong in this type of installation, the installer cannot do anything to fix the problem - the customer will have wait until the app is updated. They can't exactly call Apple technical support for help. A hardware failure that turns their cinema into a useless room is bad. A system design failure like this, that could potentially render their house useless, is plainly irresponsible. This is where the professional control system proves its worth, as any problem that arises, can be immediately fixed, without any discomfort for the homeowner.

A control manufacturer recently told me that 'the hard-button remote is dead.' I couldn't stop laughing. The idea that someone actually desires to spend time swiping a touchscreen, and looking away from their TV just to change the channel once is patently foolish. Sure, when the customer has their friends over for dinner, the iPad will be centre-stage as they show off their cinema. But when the food is eaten, the wine has been drunk and the guests are gone, I guarantee they'll settle into their favourite armchairs, flick on the TV and reach for a hard-button remote.

www.awe-europe.com

Pete Baker, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Remote Technologies Inc. (RTI)

In this high-tech era, there is massive interest in accessing electronics via smartphones and tablet PCs. Mobile devices are so widely used today that offering this added convenience is a logical step for manufacturers and integrators alike. In fact, remote management is the functionality that influenced us in the development of our RTiPanel app, which complements our processors and touchpanels by providing users with convenient remote access to every aspect of their electronic systems from anywhere in the world.

It's true that there are some limitations to using a smartphone or tablet PC to access electronics, especially as a primary control device. Given their many and varied uses, such devices may not be readily available in the right room at the right time to control electronics and media. Other limitations include Wi-Fi dependence and lack of the form factor for comfortable, tactile navigation. Nevertheless, with a proper GUI and application, these devices can offer convenient control while the user is away. Likewise, when coupled with a supporting device to offer tactile control, mobile devices can offer some great benefits within the home or business. It's a powerful and very cool combination of technologies. Serving as a complement to the main control system, mobile devices are great in allowing users to check in on their security systems when on vacation, set the temperature at home to the perfect setting before their arrival, or turn off the lights if they left them on.

So, do proprietary control protocols still have a future in home automation? Absolutely. They remain the single most important element in any home automation system - without intuitive and convenient control the entire (home automation) system will be nothing more than a miserable user experience for homeowners, thus affecting overall quality of life!

www.rticorp.com

Jay McLellan, President & CEO, HAI

Yes, proprietary control protocols do still have a future in home automation, along with standards-based protocols. Manufacturers such as HAI need proprietary protocols for communication between their own devices and 'close partner' devices to ensure a high level of performance, interoperability and competitiveness. This is especially true when security is involved.

We want to eliminate the chances of other devices corrupting the core operation of our system. Usually, a proprietary protocol travels over a standard one, such as IP, Wi-Fi, RS-485 or RS-232. HAI's controllers then use standard protocols to communicate with third-party devices, smart phone apps and even its own standards-based products, such as ZigBee switches, locks and thermostats.

www.homeauto.com

Stuart Fuller, Senior Development Manager, e-Home AUTOMATION

Proprietary control protocols have a future in home automation so long as they are maintained and continually improved. It is also important for the owners of these control protocols to ensure that they allow a high level of interoperability with other automation hardware. One of the most challenging aspects of home automation systems is the integration of the disparate technologies with one another, which is often exacerbated by patchy documentation or incomplete protocols.

Many of the newer generation of home automation companies opt for their own custom protocols, but provide additional hardware for integrating with other industry standard control protocols. This allows them to offer a solution that is the best of both worlds - they have the ability to rapidly add features and improve their own protocols, whilst being able to control existing systems.

www.e-homeautomation.com

Erik Calissendorff, Founder, Plejd

The home automation market hasn't changed much in the past twenty years, but is now facing the first of a series of rapid advancements. It is my belief that to be able to handle this changing landscape we need to change the way we think about home automation from the ground up.

The intelligence in our electronic devices is increasing rapidly, and only our imagination will be the limit in terms of future home automation. To make the most of this exciting future we need more standardised control protocols, making it easier for us to communicate with our electronic devices and also easier for them to communicate with each other without complex programming.

www.plejd.com

David Webster, Chief Technology Officer, RGB Communications

Home automation systems have always had to deal with the proprietary control protocols of the various and disparate devices that are needed to be controlled, but in addition, have usually used their own proprietary protocols to communicate with their user interfaces and sub-systems.

Of late we have seen the adoption of tablets as user interfaces and while these use open communication standards such as IP and Wi-Fi, the proliferation of proprietary apps, as an alternative to the use of standard web browsers, indicates that many control system manufacturers still see advantages in doing things their own way. The commercial reasons for doing so are clear enough – customer lock-in for example, but advanced features, compatibility, quality and reliability are important concerns too.

As far as controlled devices are concerned, there has been little appetite by manufacturers to invest in control protocol development, as this feature may only impact on a tiny percentage of their total product sales. However, the consumer market continues to evolve limited-scope standards such HDMI CEC, and for the latest generation of IP connected devices such as smart TVs, Blu-ray players, etc, offers apps for everything.

All this is leading to the consumer expecting ever more control at very low cost and complexity, which in reality, is often not the integrated and simple experience they actually need.

It is clear that home automation and A/V devices are all getting much more powerful yet still need to be integrated with all the other sub-systems in a home. So the main task of the control system remains the same; to co-ordinate the sub-systems. Similar to how the conductor of an orchestra can co-ordinate the musicians to play nicely together.

The control task of dealing with ever more two-way protocols that use lots of data is becoming more complex and this in turn requires more powerful processing than your grandparents' control system needed. Fortunately, using the power of modern computers makes this possible and for control system manufacturers to implement fast and flexible control protocols, for example those based on XML, that are being used by increasing number of devices.

So, to answer the question: yes, proprietary control protocols will continue to have a place in home automation, especially at the leading edge of what can be done, while open consumer standards will also need to be embraced.

www.rgbcomms.co.uk

Yasmin Hashmi is the Editor of HiddenWires magazine. Additional comments on this issue can be found at the HiddenWires LinkedIn Group where you can also participate in the discussion.