See Ya at CEDIA

Security professionals set to benefit from 2008 EXPO

• By Megan Weadock
• Aug 01, 2008

Integration isn’t just another industry buzzword. It’s an entire movement that can be seen all around us in plenty of ways.

These days, security and custom electronic design and installation go hand in hand. Customers are becoming more tech-savvy than ever, and they are demanding more simplicity and userfriendliness from their technology. This is especially true at home, where consumers want even the most disparate systems— from lighting and entertainment to smoke detection and perimeter security—to work together and simplify their lives.

“As customers become increasingly aware of technology and its potential, they tend to expect more in the way of integration—subsystems working together for a more efficient home,” said Jeff Gardner, CEDIA director of technical training. “In a properly integrated home, when a smoke detector places the security system in an alarm state, for example, not only does the system call the monitoring service, it also tells the lighting system to flash the exterior lights to help guide emergency vehicles to the home and disables the air handlers to prevent smoke from being moved throughout the house. This kind of integration and automation makes the total system more than just the sum of its parts.”

Be There
Get your foot in the door of the integration movement at the CEDIA EXPO Sept. 3-7 in Denver. The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association is an international group of companies that specialize in planning and installing home electronic systems, including home networking, home automation, communication systems, media rooms, single or multiroom entertainment systems and integrated wholehouse subsystems that control lighting, security and HVAC.

CEDIA was formed in 1989 and has since grown to include more than 3,500 contractors, manufacturers and other businesses. The CEDIA EXPO is the No. 1 show in the residential electronic systems industry, with about 600 exhibitors and hundreds of helpful classes. Previous years’ shows have topped 28,000 attendees, which is proof of how successful this market is poised to be right now.

Gardner has recognized the growing value of the EXPO in recent years.

“As the lines between low-voltage disciplines become less well-defined, many security contractors are finding new avenues for growth in the custom A/V and automation industry,” he said. “And there is no better place to see the technology, meet the manufacturers or find quality education than CEDIA EXPO. A few days at EXPO is like a one-stop shop for anyone seeking to expand their offerings and enhance their bottom line.”

And don’t be surprised if custom electronics professionals are just as eager to learn from you as you are from them.

“Security is, in fact, one of many lowvoltage subsystems our members deal with, either by actually designing and installing the system or interfacing with a system installed by others,” Gardner added. “In either case, there is a great deal of added value and convenience for the homeowner when all systems are integrated into a single, simple-to-use system.”

Learn the Ropes
If you’re unsure where to start in the residential custom electronics world, CEDIA University may be a good fit. The classes range from Core Curriculum classes, which include key topics such as Introduction to Entrepreneurship, Business Metrics and Business Leadership, up to the top-tier classes, which cover more specific and advanced issues and include a Business Survivability Panel and Marketing for Residential System Integrators course. If integration is your goal, clearly this is the place to start.

“Every college in CEDIA University offers something of value to the security professional,” Gardner said. “The design and technician courses provide training in the disciplines many security companies are expanding into, such as multiroom audio, home theater, and HDTV distribution and control. However, equally valuable are the courses in customer relations, project management and business. These classes take the fundamentals of a profitable business model and apply them directly to the low-voltage industry— especially in a small-business setting.”

This year, CEDIA education is bringing several new courses and seminars into the mix, offering 14 classes free to members and introducing a new Learning Lab concept that offers real hands-on activities linked to some of the most popular Electronic Systems Technician courses. These courses are provided by ADI, a well-known company in the security industry that is pioneering the security/ custom electronics field.

Get Started
Custom home electronics, much like security, is always changing. Now, in addition to the rapidly changing realm of content and delivery (high-definition, digital TV, IPTV, cable, satellite, etc.) there is a growing dependence on the home’s computer network to handle different tasks. And more than ever, Gardner said, a working knowledge of Ethernet and IP is becoming absolutely necessary to keep up with low-voltage technology and system control.

Clearly, security and custom home electronic design are the wave of the future—but now is the time to catch it. And CEDIA is the perfect place to start learning the trade and looking ahead.

For more information on attending the 2008 CEDIA EXPO, visit www.cedia.org.

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