PRODUCT FEATURE | Connected living
Haier says its hOn app offers useful functions to make doing laundry easy and help reduce water and energy consumption
Home Connect joins this Neff N90 Integrated dishwasher to the smart home network
The Quantum Pro integrated cooking system (with hob to hood connectivity) by Falmec UK
Consumers are increasingly looking for the benefit in connected appliances, making sure the features add value and make their lives easier
Miele GB kitchens manager Tom Hopper
Franke’s new AQ Sense Monitor cooker hood with integrated 21.5” monitor
Matt Nimmons, managing director of CEDIA EMEA offers some advice for retailers looking
to get into the smart installation market…
The key for retailers developing a successful installation programme is training. Manufacturers offer myriad of resources to ensure businesses are up to speed on the product’s specs and capabilities, but the retailer has to be committed to freeing their staff up to take that training and find how it fits best within their business model. CEDIA offers foundational introductory education that aren’t product- focused, but skills-focused in areas like cabling and infrastructure, audio and video distribution, and networking. The expertise gained
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from this training provides an unmatched knowledge to deliver a professionally installed project. CEDIA has recently developed a new Cabling and Infrastructure Technician pathway that’s perfect as an introduction to the smart home installation world. It will provide the knowledge and skills that every technician should possess to work safely and effectively on a job site during the first years of their career, and is a perfect introduction for retailers, seeking to add smart home to the services they provide. The training for this pathway is a blend of in-person practical education and online remote learning, and is supported by a dedicated publication the Cabling and Infrastructure Technician book, which is a great resource.
highly desirable where appliances are concerned, and any functionality that helps appliances run more efficiently, or that can save the user time and money, such as fault-finding and diagnostics, also tend to do well. “Consumers are increasingly looking for the benefit in connected appliances, making sure the features add value and make their lives easier,” comments Miele GB kitchens manager Tom Hopper.
“Therefore, remote control and status updates are important, allowing users to check on their appliances or amend, stop and start programmes from outside the home. Take cooling for example, it’s great to get alerts if the door has been left open, or be able to turn on a super cool feature before you return from the big shop for quick cool down of groceries. This will help food last longer which ultimately reduces waste,” he adds. For Haier, connectivity is “not just about being up to date. It means giving real solutions to enhance daily tasks with appliances across Haier’s three brands – Haier, Hoover and Candy”. Products are designed with the aim of helping to modernise and improve people’s lives, health and wellbeing and these are the brand core values, the company says. For example, its hOn app helps users across the ranges of cooking, cooling and washing. For example, when users download the app, they get a free
laundry guide which offers a range of information, from checking the status of the washing machine remotely, real- time consumption data during washing cycles and tracking usage habits to improve efficiency.
Across the board, from cooling to
laundry to cooking, app remote control is increasing in prevalence and importance for its convenience and its ability to make our lives easier. Falmec UK CEO Sean Drumm notes: “In an era when time is our most precious commodity, the most beneficial connected products must be the practical ones that will free you up and save you valuable time and effort. “For example, the oven that tells you how long it takes to cook the roast beef and then lets you know when it is ready, or the integrated cooking system where the hob has a dialogue with the hood to ensure that the extraction speed is automatically adjusted according to the cooking power. These things will become the norm in my opinion.” However, connectivity is only part of the smart story. Novy country manager Owain Harrison adds that smart sensors can be used for a lot of different applications and are becoming increasingly popular in the home as they have the ability to make decisions on the basis of monitoring and measuring their immediate environment and reacting to it.” While appliances are the most obvious place one would expect to find smart technology in the kitchen, they’re not the only area where the tech can be found. Many worktop manufacturers are also getting in on the act with either wireless technology, built-in integrated charging zones or pop-up sockets. Konigstone’s marketing manager Joanne Bull comments: “In the past few years, we have seen a huge increase in homeowners incorporating a workstation into their kitchens, with channelling for cables and cut outs for pop up power sockets now being a regular consideration in our
· October 2022
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