Sunday, September 13, 2009

Control4 2.0 is Coming! And it's Hot!

Just back from the CEDIA show in Atlanta and all I can say is WOW! Control4 showed a sneak preview of the upcoming 2.0 software that should make it's release before the end of the year and it is going to be hot!

The Control4 booth was really buzzing this year! The setup was a little different than CES, but they certainly got their message across. The interface is getting a face lift. The 5 year old product is making a change to the interface which will give the homeowners more control and capabilities then ever.

Software version 2.0 brings a whole new operating system to Control4 and incorporates Zigbee Pro into their system. With the new interface, Control4 will now offer a software applications page (a-la Apple) whic will enable consumers to download "apps" written by developers. Some apps may be free, some may have a cost, but the consumer will have the ability to download these apps to their system directly from their touchscreen. The apps could be anything from news related to weather and even traffic apps (see photo for samples). As said above, they will be developed by dealers and other third party developers.

Another major milestone announced at CEDIA was that Control4 will now interface with Z-Wave, the "other" home automation interface technology. This gives Control a significant advantage over other products (not naming names!) in that it opens the door to several additional third party vendors that were only available to Z-Wave customers. It expands their relationships and interoperability with several other manufacturers giving more choices to consumers and installers. We are extremely excited about the upcoming software release from Control4 and will keep everyone posted once it becomes available to the consumer.