Why the iPad Won’t Make Dedicated Touchpanels Obsolete

Count AMX as another home automation manufacturer that sees the iPad as a “complementary alternative” for the industry.

“The introduction of the iPad is good news for the home automation market and we support its use to control AMX systems,” says Joe Andrulis, vice president of marketing at AMX.

“Any device that broadens interest in whole-home automation and simplifies users’ access to it presents a tremendous opportunity for the industry. We embrace it.”

Dedicated Touchpanels Still Important

Andrulis says the iPad will not make dedicated touchpanels obsolete, saying he expects “most customers will still want the functionality and convenience of a dedicated touchpanel.”

Andrulis points to AMX's Modero touchpanels. Those units are specifically engineered for control system integration, offering functions like advanced wireless security and various form factors.

AMX already has a home automation app for the iPhone and says "nothing new will be required” for an iPad app.

AMX has already taken on a bit of the Apple business model in the UI Resource Center on its Web site. The company has offered user interface apps for years, including G4 ComputerControl, i!-Weather, PictureFrame, TakeNote and widgets like Analog Clock, Calculator, Messenger, and Notes.

“Our approach remains to give our customers the solutions they want," Andrulis says. "AMX historically has been an advocate of open-standards based platforms allowing for simpler technology integration and greater user choice."

Touchscreen Margins Will 'Not Disappear'

So are the days of high-margin hardware gone? Vantage thinks so, but Andrulis says not necessarily. “High margins are generally associated with new or niche technologies, and margins decline as the technology matures and becomes widely adopted," he says. "It’s probably more proper to say high-margins will not disappear, but will move to new, novel products and technologies."

“It’s important to understand that touchpanels, and third-party devices, are interfaces, and are only one part of the whole-home automation solution," Andrulis says. "There is much more that determines the quality, value and customer’s appreciation of a home automation system, such as the controller, routers, customization, installation, cabling and more.”