On the Radar
Last updated February 19, 2007 08:00 PST
Q&A with Reza Raji, president and CEO of iControl - Part 1
iControl Networks offers an internet service that "allows
people to stay connected with the things they spend the
most money on and they love the most, which is their property
and their families," says Reza Raji, president and
CEO of iControl.
This mass market offering is intended to let anyone who's
interested in home control get up and running with the service
quickly - with little investment in dollars and time. Considering
that Parks Associates projects adoption of self-monitoring
systems to more than triple in the next three to four years,
it's no wonder companies are developing applications that
can tie a home control system together. ZWW spoke to Raji
about the latest version of its - a browser-based Z-Wave
enabled home monitoring service - and why the company chose
to develop on the Z-Wave platform.
What is included in the service iControl provides?
There are three parts to the product: a collection of off-the-shelf
devices. We support different technologies, including Z-Wave.
The end user can purchase these products (at retail outlets
or online) and install them. The second piece is a residential
gateway, which marries these third-party devices. It's a
low-cost gateway to our backend services. The third piece
is the hosted service that allows people to monitor, control,
and manage all these devices from anywhere, through a cell
phone, PDA, or web browser.
All these technologies are integrated together seamlessly.
It's very easy to set up, get it up and running, and to
use it. There's no requirement to install software. If you
can use a browser, you're good to go.
What hardware do you need to install?
You'll need to install the wireless devices and wireless
technologies. Any collection of safety, security, and comfort
devices such as wireless cameras for video and still images,
motion sensors, door window sensors, water, thermostats.
There are dozens of devices available that you can use with
iControl's service. All third-party products can be controlled
with this service.
Why did iControl incorporate Z-Wave enabled service
into its existing product line?
Essentially, iControl is all about the service. These devices
are the enabling components that make the service come to
life. So the test for us in terms of what device technologies
we choose to support is that the technology needs to be
adopted by the mass market. Z-Wave met that criterion with
flying colors because you can actually go and buy products
at retail outlets. They're priced for the mass market and
they're easy to install. It's field proven technology that's
being adopted by more than 150 companies and you can get
products for it at a mass market level.
If you look at Zigbee and Z-Wave, they're similar, but
they don't compete. Z-Wave is focused on the home automation
market. We are technology agnostic, but we want to go with
standards that are already established and proven and we
see Z-Wave as having a leg up on the competition.
We approach it from a benefit standpoint not a feature
standpoint. We see it as a way for people to stay connected
with the things they love the most. It's a way for them
to be home when they're not and have a different way of
being aware of what's happening in their lives. They can
know what time the kids came home from school or what's
happening with their vacation homes. Even small businesses
can manage and monitor what's going on at the store. You
don't have to go in and check. You can get e-mail updates
with messages as well as images.
What is the killer app that will drive home control
products?
It's going to be a service. It's the service that's required
that will take this out of the realm of the techies and
the professionally installed systems. iControl allows different
devices to work together and lets users configure that system
easily with a couple of clicks of the mouse. The analogy
I use is PVR (or programmable video recorders). These were
available for a long time, but what made it become a mass
market consumer application were services that brought together
a portal, a box, and a service. That's what iControl has
done for the automation world. It brings together the devices,
the gateway, and the portal service all together in a seamless
fashion. You need that to make this mass market ready.
How can readers purchase the iControl service?
Products and the service are available online at iControl.
The standard starter kit goes for $399 for and it's $14.95
per month for the service. The starter kits provide everything
you need. That includes the gateway iControl box, camera,
and four or five security devices. From there you can upgrade
and add products such as different motion sensors and other
devices. These are all wireless devices and easy to install.
By the end of February, these products will also be available
on Amazon.
The aim is to do this without a custom installer. It's
designed to be a DIY system. You can get up and running
within 30 minutes. Part of the magic is making the system
that's easy to install and use.
Does Z-Wave have longevity?
It's got serious momentum at the moment. Established players
are adopting it like Leviton, Cooper Lighting, and Intermatic.
They wouldn't be making that decision lightly. It takes
players like that to adopt a standard like this for it to
take off and really become a de facto standard. We feel
confident that it's going in the right direction.
