Home automation: How to make convenient solutions even more convenient

Consumer technology is always changing, innovating and evolving. This can be seen in the new yearly releases of smartphones, tablets and laptops; the improvement of the graphics in video games;

The ubiquity of the statement ‘there’s an app for that’ further illustrates how far technology has come in making our lives easier and more convenient. And in the last two years, when many of us have spent more time at home than ever before, this has made itself plain in perhaps no greater way than home automation technology.

A specialist in smart home living solutions for several years in New Zealand, FlinkTech knows the ins and outs of products like smart audio, home theatres, climate integration, alarm systems and more, and is a highly skilled AV integrator of the home automation manufacturer Crestron.

ArchiPro sat down with the company’s managing director Sachin Gupta, a veteran of the industry for over 22 years, as well as Justin Marechal, the Regional Sales Manager of Crestron New Zealand, to discuss the benefits of home automation systems, how high-tech homes have changed in the last decade or so, and what’s to come.

Sachin:

We’ve found that customers want their technology to become less cumbersome and more convenient. For example, a client could want a home theatre system, or a smart lighting system, an audio-visual integration — or maybe they just want to declutter their entertainment unit.

Through our partnership with Crestron, we can provide all these things through smart home design. We understand that many of our clients are not tech savvy, but they want to solve problems that they’re having with their entertainment systems.

For example, a home may be designed by some of the architects in New Zealand, but underneath a big, beautiful, slimline TV, there may be a shelf or entertainment unit with a mix of Sky boxes, Apple TV, audio systems — and with all of these come cables, which complicate things.

We find that a lot of clients don’t even want to clean or dust this area, because they’re afraid that if they detach a cable, they’ll need to call a maintenance company to fix it, and they may potentially be without any entertainment for a couple of days.

With our Crestron and FlinkTech partnership solutions offerings, we can integrate all of these applications, as well as audio — freeing up that cluttered space under the TV and creating an opportunity to beautify that area. With this integration, users can also transfer video feeds from one TV to another — meaning by the time someone leaves the bedroom where they were watching a football game, when they get to the dining room they can start where they left off.

We also eliminate the need for soundbars and hefty audio systems by installing smart home products such as speakers in the ceiling that deliver beautiful sound all throughout the house — which can be connected to TVs, phones and other wireless devices.

Justin:

The primary goal with our solutions is to simplify family living. Decluttering the house, accessing simple everyday solutions from your phone, tablet or dedicated touch panel — it's about making all those things come together in a much cleaner and easier way to manage.

Sachin:

A great example of this is the alarm system. 10 years ago, an alarm system was something that you armed when you left, and you disarmed when you came back home — and that was it.

But in 2022, it can encompass everything from lighting to audio to climate control. Since it’s the last thing you touch before leaving, when you arm the alarm, it can simultaneously automatically turn off all lights, make sure all the TVs are off, turn off the audio, draw curtains, turn off the towel rails — all from one interface, and just by arming the alarm system.

Where 10 years ago you would need to check every room before you left, those days are gone with the integration of technologies.

Justin:

And FlinkTech and Crestron have taken this integration a step further — where other smart homes may have many different apps controlling different functions in the house, the Crestron solutions are all accessed and controlled from a single place — meaning lights, security, audio, climate and more are all easily accessible from the one interface.

Sachin:

Here’s the thing about smart home living: every client has different desires and different requirements. Some want an entire integrated solution, while others are audiophiles who want the best home audio system possible.

We begin by consulting the client, figuring out exactly what they want. This is a mandatory preliminary meeting that can take anything from two to five hours. An audiophile customer, for example, could be picky about their bass, but don’t have room for a subwoofer. No problem, we can install a subwoofer in the ceiling.

Justin:

A lot of the time, customers know how to switch on a TV and use an app from their phone, and that’s about it — so they don’t actually know what they need to make their life easier, they just know they want it.

For every person, there's a custom design and requirement. So our job is to narrow this down, and to provide quality advice and inform them about what technology is available. They need to know exactly what they’re investing their money into, and they need to be assured that it’s money well spent.

We can give customers this assurance as well as real quality products and excellent service.

Learn more about FlinkTech’s home automation solutions.