Smart home startup, Rithum (formerly known as Violet), has announced its third-generation smart home control device, replacing an existing light switch which is also a thermostat.
Rithum Switch is a full control system, offering installers a scalable and cost-effective solution for their customers that provides control of the essentials, aimed at unlocking the underserved mid-market.
VC-backed, Rithum have introduced the sleek touch panel to shake up the mid-market residential industry. While it was initially designed for residential applications, the company has also seen wide interest from hospitality, hotels and other commercial environments.
Rithum Switch is designed to give installers a cost-effective and rapidly deployed control solution to allow them to focus on delivering better solutions for their clients, such as budget on light fixtures of AV instead of a bulky control system.
Replacing an existing light switch or lighting keypad, the Rithum Switch offers control of third-party systems including Sonos, BluOS, Rako, Fibaro and HDAnywhere amongst others.
This new iteration of the product now includes an ambient light and proximity sensor as well as a temperature sensor to allow it to act as a thermostat straight out of the box. The Rithum Switch is smart, with no Rithum processor required, just the system it is controlling.
Currently, Rithum has just one hardware product but a whole suite of plugins that facilitate the various integrations. Some plugins are ‘premium’ and some of the are ‘pro’, with the latter only available via installers. This plugin system means that the product is adaptable to each project in the relevant sector without carrying the price tag of a full control system.
“We think there is a great power in having a product that can be repurposed for different sectors and segments using software enhancements,” said Ryan Ovens, founder and CEO of Rithum. “Rather than have 101 hardware SKUs or multiple brands, we are focusing on getting as much as possible out of a few well-designed hardware products and providing our customers the means to monetise software enhancements alongside their own services.
“As a past integrator myself, Rithum Switch would have allowed me to focus on what really mattered to my clients, like better speakers, and also capture more projects from customers that were a price-bracket or two below a full control system.”
Rithum Switch is now available to pre-order for UK and European customers. Rithum will also be showcasing the device at ISE in Barcelona from 31 January - 3 February 2023.