Re: Laser Launch New C-Bus Website!

["Mark Harrison \(Yahoo!\)" <mph@xxxxxxx>]

Gareth,

The problem with launching a range of xAP products to SELL is one of CE
approval. Certification is not cheap, and the manufacturer needs to be
relatively assured of a certain volume of sales before launching in the
European market.

This is pretty much what happened to the xAP-PIR range last year. The
demonstration kit I had from Rocket Science (which I got free of charge -
thanks Rocket Science!!! ) was fine, and worked well, but the I understand
that the CE approval costings were too high to start selling. The main
barrier to acceptance was the need to re-wire houses, and this somewhat
limited the market to people prepared to do this (plus new builds)... hence
the volume predictions didn't work out to amortise the costs.

The costs of CE approval for a mains-voltage product are higher again,
since
there's the "Low Voltage" testing to do as well as the EMC
testing. (It's
worth noting that, in CE terms, mains is "low voltage" but 12v
stuff is
below the lower threshold of the CE's definition of "low voltage"
so doesn't
require LV testing!)

2004 is going to be an exciting year for home automation hardware in
Europe.

The top end is still being slugged out between Crestron, Lutron and AMX,
none of which are doing badly. Lutron racked up sales of $150million last
year, so people out there are buying high-end product.

The next level down, where C-Bus competes, is getting busier. There are
some
very interesting new products going to be launched later in the year...

Regards,

Mark

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gareth Cook" <g@uk.ibm.com>
To: <ukha_d@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 2:15 PM
Subject: Fw: [ukha_d] Laser Launch New C-Bus Website!


What about xAP - anyway that can be used as an alternative ? Connect a xAP
PCB behind a light switch, connect via CAT5 (or embedded wifi :-) and away
we go ??

Or am I talking nonsense....

G.

Gareth Cook
SWG EMEA North Account Manager
IBM SWG - BTE Office - Lotus Park, Staines, TW18 3AG
Office: +44 (0)1784 445166 - Mobile: +44 (0)7980 445166
AIM Chat : TheBoyG - MSN Chat : chat@garethcook.com
email: g@uk.ibm.com


----- Forwarded by Gareth Cook/UK/IBM on 23/01/2004 14:12 -----

Discussion
Main Topic

"Kenneth Watt" <kwatt@funkycool.co.uk>
Today 13:50

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Subject:
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RE: [ukha_d] Laser Launch New C-Bus Website!
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Category:



> This from the man with a £3,000 AV amp ;-)

LOL, my priorities are just different that's all. ;)

> Clearly C-Bus isn't aimed at the "bargain basement" end of
the market,
but
> that doesn't mean there isn't a place for it.

No I wasn't slagging off C-BUS at all Mark in any way, shape or form in
fact
I think I actually praised it. You are dead right that there is a place
for
it and I'd love to be able to put it in, I just can't afford to along with
everything else I want to do, sadly C-BUS takes a back seat for now to a
new
kitchen, double glazing, bathroom, doors and a conservatory that needs
replacing! Oh and anything else SWMBO can come up with before that little
lot's completed. :(

*IF* I had the cash I'd have C-BUS in a heartbeat, but I don't.

What I was alluding to is the slagging that X10 often gets in here for
being
too expensive, C-BUS and similar product only shows what great value for
money X10 actually is even if it isn't 100%.

K.


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