If you run around in home automation circles, you know iControl (which powers Comcast/Xfinity, ADT Pulse, other providers), 4Home (acquired by Motorola Mobility, sold to Arris; powering Verizon), and maybe the former Xanboo (now AT&T, powering Digital Life with Cisco).
But you probably haven’t heard of MiOS, exhibiting in the Z-Wave pavilion at CES 2013. You’ll run smack into it as you enter South Hall 1.
It’s a sleeper of a home automation platform mostly known as the engine for the DIY system Vera from Mi Casa Verde – also at CES in the Z-Wave pavilion.
That system has quietly grown among the DIY community, and for that market it’s quite a good and very inexpensive system for basic security, lighting and energy management, with some fairly rich alternatives for other subsystems (better than Lowe’s Iris and no monthly fee).
Mi Casa Verde was initially meant to be a proof of concept for the MiOS platform, but now has an enthusiastic following and will continue to develop.
“Our strategy always has been to provide an OEM solution to use as the underlying platform,” says Lew Brown, who consults for MiOS and Mi Casa Verde.
I’ve been following MiOS for quite some time and learned about some major wins over the past year or so.
For example, Orange, a massive telecom provider in Europe, selected an OSGi-enabled platform from MiOS to power its forthcoming home automation initiative. (OSGi is an old Java solution that is making a comeback; Cisco is using it in the AT&T Digital Life solution.)
This is quite a big deal, as I imagine all the big players mentioned above bid on this project.
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Mi Casa Verde, powered by MiOS,
In addition to Orange, MiOS will be powering the Z-Wave integration for URC’s Total Control home automation and remote monitoring system.
Brown says MiOS also is behind new home automation gateways from Actiontec. Actiontec already provides the gateway hardware for Verizon’s home control and monitoring system (powered by 4Home) but came to Mios to drive a product to offer other service provider, according to Brown.
Honeywell, too, is relying on a MiOS engine, in this case for use in utility tries with PG&E, Brown says.
And remember this in-room controller for hospitality from Evolve? Powered by MiOS.
Two eldercare technology providers, Nonnatech and Full Circle America are using a MiOS engine as well.
Whereas MiOS’s other partners will deploy a system that looks very little like Mi Casa Verde, the two aging-in-place providers have a solution that looks something like the original, with hooks related to independent living and remote monitoring by care providers.
Meanwhile, the original MiOS product, Mi Casa Verde, is ramping up, becoming more “retailized” rather than just focusing on the more enthusiastic home automation user, Brown says.
Mi Casa gave me a demo of the “more user friendly Website,” which looks great, but anything is better than the current site.
The product will have more packaged options which might even sit nicely on retail shelves.
MORE CES COVERAGE HERE.
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