DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At a CEDIA launch event yesterday, Control4 Corporation (NASDAQ: CTRL), a leading global provider of connected home solutions, unveiled an array of comprehensive software capabilities, solutions, tools, and partnerships to enhance the ability of Control4® and Pakedge® Certified Dealers to deliver personalized smart home experiences, backed by industry-leading home automation and network performance.
Control4 CEDIA announcements include new integration partnerships, the release of Control4 OS 2.9 packed with new consumer enhancements and dealer tools, and the introduction of Bakpak® 4.0 — the cloud-based network and automation management solution. Control4 also unveiled their Amazon Alexa Smart Home Skill for voice-enabled whole-home automation, delivering hands-free control of a Control4 system.
“We are here at CEDIA to emphatically demonstrate our commitment to delivering the smart home through our channel partners with real-world tools, solutions, and programs that drive customer satisfaction and business success,” said Martin Plaehn, CEO of Control4. “Our approach to interoperability is being embraced by the world’s leading consumer electronics brands, our new software is all about homeowner personalization, and with Bakpak we are putting powerful network and automation management software solutions into the hands of all our dealers. There is no other company in our industry providing the same breadth and depth of solutions along with business support to deliver exceptional customer experience and dealer opportunity.”
Control4 is Central in the Connected Home
Control4
orchestrates connected devices throughout the home, supporting hundreds
of top brands and nearly 10,000 third-party products. At CEDIA, Control4
announced new integrations with Amazon, Comcast, Lutron, Qmotion, Somfy,
Sonos, and others, that make it easy for dealers to add their customers’
favorite products to their Control4 Smart Home. Control4 announced the
EA Series controllers are now Z-Wave certified via a new plug-in Z-Wave
module, and integrate with 13 newly-supported electrical outlets and
sensor modules for lighting, comfort, and security. Additionally,
Control4 unveiled a new partner program, “Connects with Control4,” that
makes it easy for manufacturers to promote their products as
Control4-ready. Today there are more than 185 companies shipping over
1,500 devices that include Control4 Simple Device Discover Protocol
(SDDP), which improves and streamlines integration with Control4 systems
— no other company in the industry has this level of commercial
interoperability. The program also enhances the installation process
through the award-winning mobile app for installers, Composer Express.
Now installers can ensure installation accuracy and save time by simply
scanning a “Connects with Control4” QR Code to automatically add the
correct device driver to a smart home project.
Bakpak 4.0 Network and Automation Management Tool
The
network within a connected home is a big business opportunity for
dealers, and Pakedge networking products have the performance,
robustness, intelligence, and management capabilities to deliver
reliable automation and network performance to homeowners.
Now available with no licensing or subscription fees, Bakpak 4.0 provides all 5,000 Control4 and Pakedge authorized dealers with the tools and cloud infrastructure to deliver the most robust and reliable home networks. Bakpak enables rapid response to issues, proactive management, and greater visibility of network and automation systems in connected homes across a dealers’ customer base. The new Bakpak apps for iOS and Android include context-aware, intelligent alerts, and the tools to remotely address network issues from anywhere. Bakpak is unique in that it manages both network and automation devices to ensure that the network is tuned to the automation that runs on top of it. Making Bakpak the system for all connected devices and new integrations with Control4 also adds the ability for dealers to monitor ZigBee and Z-Wave devices remotely. Bakpak 4.0 is easy to use, easy to scale, and now, with no licensing or subscription fees, it is the management platform for any connected home.
With tools including Bakpak, Composer Express, and cloud-based infrastructure, Control4 and Pakedge authorized dealers worldwide are able to scale their business and provide exceptional customer service.
Control4 OS 2.9 Available Today
Now available and shipping
on all Control4 EA series controllers is OS 2.9, which brings enhanced
personalization for homeowners and expanded integration tools for
dealers. With OS 2.9, Control4 rolls out an all-new blinds and shades
experience, including a more intuitive interface to make it easy to
control and automate window coverings throughout the home. Key to the
new experience is support for integrating leading window shade
manufacturers including Lutron, Qmotion, and Somfy. Additionally, with
OS 2.9, homeowners can now create their own “Wake Up” and “Sleep” scenes
including lighting, music, TV, and shades, right from their Control4
touch screens. Dealers can also customize the UI with Experience Drivers
and dynamic, graphical icons so that customer favorites, such as
fountain, fireplace, Mockupancy® scene experiences, can be placed within
the UI for quick access and personalization.
“Lutron is very focused on creating a dynamic user experience both inside and outside the home,” said Ed Blair, Lutron Vice-President and General Manager. “Working with best-in-class brands like Control4 provides users with an enhanced experience for seamlessly integrating automated shades into the most important moments and scenes throughout the day, like waking up, going to bed, and family movie night, and makes it easier than ever for dealers to add shades to every project.”
New Multi-Dwelling Unit (MDU) Solutions
To enable Control4
dealers to capitalize on the growth in multi-dwelling developments in
cities around the world, Control4 rolled out a new MDU offering that
includes property-wide video intercom communications, better integration
with lobby door stations, integration with SIP-based phones, concierge
services integration, and a full line of smart-home solutions that can
be customized for individual residences. With features and functionality
that uniquely marry home automation for individual units with the
requirements of builders, property managers, and concierge services, the
Contro4 MDU solution offers Control4 dealers new opportunities for
business growth in the burgeoning construction market.
Amazon Alexa and Control4
With the launch of the new
Control4 Smart Home Skill for the Amazon Echo, Control4 adds yet another
convenient interface for the smart home, giving homeowners whole-home
automation through one of the most intuitive of interfaces — the voice.
With Amazon Alexa, Control4 homeowners can activate smart home scenes
with a simple voice command — from a “Movie Time” scene that dims the
lights, turns on the Blu-ray player, and turns on the surround sound, to
“Turn off House” that turns off all lights, lowers the thermostat, and
locks the doors. Control4 will be demonstrating its new Control4 Smart
Home Skill for the Amazon Echo in the Control4 booth 4116 and the Amazon
Alexa booth 2510.
Dealers and partners at CEDIA can visit Control4 and Pakedge for demonstrations of all that’s new at the show at booth numbers 4116 and 5346, respectively.
For more information on Control4 visit www.control4.com.
About Control4
Control4
[NASDAQ: CTRL] is a leading global provider of automation and networking
systems for homes and businesses, offering personalized control of
lighting, music, video, comfort, security, communications, and more into
a unified smart home system that enhances the daily lives of its
consumers. Control4 unlocks the potential of connected devices, making
networks more robust, entertainment systems easier to use, homes more
comfortable and energy efficient, and families more secure. Today, every
home and business needs automation horsepower and a high-performance
network to manage the increasing number of connected devices. The
Control4 platform interoperates with more than 9,900 third-party
consumer electronics products, ensuring an ever-expanding ecosystem of
devices will work together. Control4 is now available in 91 countries.
Leveraging a distribution channel that includes over 3,900 custom
integrators, retailers, and distributors authorized to sell the
full-line of Control4 products, with over 1,100 additional dealers and
distributors that are authorized to sell our Pakedge branded networking
solutions only, Control4 is delivering intelligent solutions for
consumers, major consumer electronics companies, hotels, and businesses
around the world.
Forward Looking Statements
This
press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning
of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding
Control4’s possible future products and financial outlook. All
statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this
press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements are made as of the date they were first issued, and were
based on the then-current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and
projections, as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management.
Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and
uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are
beyond Control4’s control. Control4’s actual results could differ
materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements
due to a number of factors, including but not limited to, risks detailed
in Control4’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as
other documents that may be filed by the company from time to time with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Past performance is not
necessarily indicative of future results. The forward-looking statements
included in this press release represent Control4’s views as of the date
of this press release. The company anticipates that subsequent events
and developments may cause its views to change. Control4 has no
intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise. These forward-looking statements should not
be relied upon as representing Control4’s views as of any date
subsequent to the date of this press release.
Copyright ©2016, Control4 Corporation. All rights reserved. Bakpak, Control4, the Control4 logo, Mockupancy and Pakedge are registered trademarks or trademarks of Control4 Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other names and brands may be claimed as the property of their respective owners. All specifications subject to change without notice.
