Savant: iPad Will Redefine Home Automation

Since Apple unveiled its iPad, custom electronics professionals have had questions.

Will the 9.7-inch screen tablet impact home automation?

Will it benefit Savant, an Apple Proprietary Solutions Provider, which already leverages Apple’s popularity with its Rosie control app?

Savant’s responses: yes and yes.

“When we look back on this two years from now, we’re going to say this was a watershed event, not just for Savant but for the industry in general,” says Savant president Jim Carroll.

“The days of making margins on expensive touchpanels are winding down,” according to Carroll. He says consumers will see the iPad as having “the same or similar touch hardware” to other control offerings.

"This is a fundamentally different business model that we all have to adapt to," Carroll says. "I think Savant is in position No. 1 in terms of how we can apply it, how we can use it and how it fits into our total solution relative to the legacy guys.”

Forget Hardware

Carroll draws parallels to how computer and video products have been commoditized.

“We sell a lot of hardware. We sell it to support our software — but it’s really about the software features and capabilities,” he says.

Carroll predicts the iPad, which will range between $499 and $829, will become the relatively inexpensive hardware platform for home control software.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said most existing iPhone apps work with the iPad. Carroll confirms that Savant’s Rosie home control app works on the iPad.

Savant, however, will soon launch a new app certified specifically for the iPad. “We can’t give a lot of specifics,” Carroll says. “We’re going to do some pretty cool things and take advantage of the additional real estate.”

Carroll sees home automation becoming more affordable.

“The days of living strictly off hardware margins are numbered. If anyone thinks they can hold onto that model, they’re going to be extinct — a dinosaur," he says. "The majority of our dealers understand that. They look to us for help to figure out what their business model needs to be moving forward.”

Carroll realizes that many CE pros will be reluctant to adjust their business models so dramatically, but he emphasizes that it’s essential.

“There are some guys out there saying, ‘I’m just going to hold my breath and try to get through this and it’s going to be OK,’" he says. "I think they’re on their way out of business. Honestly. This is the new business model.”

iPad’s Limitations

Apple’s iPad, which is slated to begin shipping toward the end of March, has its limitations. CE Pro readers have registered several concerns, including:

• Lack of Flash support
• Lack of USB ports
• 16-, 32- and 64-GB of storage isn’t enough

“Think about the iPhone when it first came out,” Carroll says. “They were saying the same things. There’s not enough memory. I can’t put my whole library on it. The network size, the speed, the connectivity — all those things have grown exponentially since the release of the phone. You’re going to see the same thing [with the iPad].”

Carroll contends that Apple is adept at “understanding what customers really need beyond what they’re asking for,” and the iPad is another example. “It’s not a netbook, a phone or a wireless tablet," he says. "They’ve created a new category.”

Savant couldn’t be happier about its relationship with Apple and the introduction of the iPad. “I don’t know if our two businesses could be any more complementary," Carroll says. "Are we happy about [the iPad]? Absolutely. Has it driven our end user Web referrals through the roof? Absolutely. It’s huge.”

Carroll expects dealers to flock to Apple-friendly Savant as the iPad establishes a foothold among consumers. “Many dealers who have been on the fence in terms of whether or not they’re going to offer a Savant platform have been running toward us. It’s been a significant uplift in our business.”