Ross Wilkins

With the postponement of tradeshows and events due to the effects of COVID-19, Vanderbilt and ComNet have taken their high quality, innovative solutions online, directly to their customer base. Through an Online Events and Training resource, you can stay connected with the brands’ top resources and products, as well as join upcoming product webinars hosted by their in-house experts. With a majority of the world currently working from home, businesses must respond to this changing landscape. As such, Vanderbilt and ComNet have turned to online resources to share new product demonstrations and other company news. One cornerstone of the ACRE brands approach was the launch of their Online Events and Training resource page. Ross Wilks, Head of Marketing Communications at Vanderbilt, credits this online resource as the anchor to their communicative success with customers at present. “Through weekly webinars delivered by our in-house experts, Vanderbilt and ComNet have embraced more virtual opportunities to continuously communicate to our customers regarding our latest and most relevant products,” he says. “To date, our webinars have covered a wide range of industry topics such as Why Physical Security and Cloud go together, and The most recent developments in card cloning and reader hacking. Attendance to these online events has proved popular and effective in keeping communication with our customer base open and engaging.” Each webinar ends with a Q&A section, as well as follow-up articles on the most asked questions, plus recordings of the webinars being made available to attendees. As such, the webinar approach has proven a receptive approach for Vanderbilt and ComNet. The Online Events and Training resource acts as a one-stop-shop for all virtual information. Overall, the page outlines the brands’ value-added resources for customers, including the ability to request a remote product demonstration, the availability of free online training, 24/7 access to the Vanderbilt webshop, plus the aforementioned weekly webinars. Vanderbilt and ComNet’s business mantra is built on a foundation of customer-focused core values such as empowerment, collaboration, and high performance and Wilks credits this mentality with their ability to keep information flowing to their base during the present pandemic. “The ACRE brands moved early to kick-start online webinars and ramp up awareness of their already existing online training and shopping options. Now more than ever, it is important to keep customers up to date on the latest offerings,” Wilks explains. “Our commitment has always been to make their customer’s security journey the best possible experience, and that is what this Online Events and Learning page primarily focuses on,” he concludes.

Comelit has worked closely with its Gold Partner, MRFS Group at Inspired Living’s flagship Impact House development, to ensure residents in upgraded apartments can experience seamless smart home automation in one all-encompassing solution. Set in Croydon London, Impact House has undergone an extensive program of redevelopment from a largely vacant office building to create 197 contemporary one and two-bedroom micro-flats and 39 larger one, two and three-bedroom apartments, including four exclusive, larger duplex layouts. Comelit smart home automation solutions Comelit’s specialist SimpleHome system incorporates home automation, without compromising style Designed for modern, luxurious urban living, MRFS Group, who has worked closely with award winning Inspired Living on a number of projects from a security perspective, introduced Comelit’s specialist SimpleHome system to the top level apartments at Impact House to incorporate home automation, without compromising style. Adam Tokarski of Inspired Living, said “Impact House has been transformed into a light filled landmark setting for contemporary apartment living. Finished with high specifications throughout, we were keen to ensure the ground-breaking larger and duplex apartments offered the height of luxury.” Smart security Adam adds, “We turned to MRFS Group to advice on an integrated design to present new residents with smart security and home automation. On recommending Comelit’s SimpleHome we initially saw for ourselves its ability to control heating and lighting via the stylish door entry system and supporting app capability. Its flexible design allowed us to work with MRFS to create a bespoke solution for Impact House that was simple to use and finished in a sleek design.” Simplehome smart home automation system Simplehome is Comelit’s smart home automation system, which operates with door entry in one user-friendly integrated solution, providing homeowners with full control of their lighting, heating and ventilation. With an ability to program schedules for up to seven days, Simplehome can be operated remotely using Comelit’s dedicated app, available via smartphone or tablet and connecting to a home router. Ross Wilkins, MRFS Group Director of Projects and Integration added, “When it came to door entry and incorporation of home automation to the 39 top-end apartments, systems had to be considered in line with the change of purpose to the building and how to coordinate installation with minimal cabling requirements." Door entry monitor Using the door entry monitor as a master control unit for Simplehome reduces the wall clutter within each apartment" He adds, “Using the door entry monitor as a master control unit for Simplehome significantly reduced the wall clutter within each apartment. This combined with Simplehome’s control equipment being din rail mountable and very space efficient appealed to Inspired Living, as it allowed maximum footprint to each apartment.” Chris Carroll, Comelit Business Development Manager concluded “Technology continues to play a significant role in our daily life and increasingly driving the demand towards home automation. This is where inspirational developers such as Inspired Living, with the support of our Gold Partner, MRFS Group, are leading the way by integrating facilities such as SimpleHome in apartment offerings." Easy installation He adds, “The professional installation, especially in redevelopment programs such as Impact House, ensures homes can instantly benefit from the convenience and home control factors, without compromising on security or finishing design.”

 IFSEC will feature a dedicated Smart Security Zone highlighting developments & technology inSmart Buildings and Home Automation Comelit UK will be returning to IFSEC International 2016 on stand G900. This year, the company will be showcasing a new range of home automation-compatible monitors, CCTV products, internal video and audio monitors and external door entry panels. Building further on last year’s successful launch of Comelit’s intelligent home automation system, SimpleHome, staff will be demonstrating the latest functions now available, together with Comelit’s full range of professional door entry, access control and surveillance solutions. IFSEC International, Europe’s largest security exhibition with over 600 exhibitors, will be held from 21st-23rd June at London’s Excel Centre. The show will also feature a dedicated Smart Security Zone highlighting the latest developments, technology and products in the Smart Buildings and Home Automation sectors. As part of this feature area, a member of Comelit’s specification team will be presenting a seminar on this ever-growing market. A New Benchmark For High-End Door Entry Monitors Comelit will be demonstrating its new Maxi IP door entry monitor, which features a 7” panoramic 16:9 touchscreen with touch activation and swipe technology. Available on Comelit’s 2-wire and ViP system, this latest addition sets a new benchmark for high-end door entry monitors, with functions including multi-room audio distribution, energy consumption monitoring, CCTV integration and the ability to receive messages or alerts from the concierge. Also on display will be the Icona Manager monitor, which combines Comelit’s ViP door entry functions with the latest in home automation. The slim-line, surface or flush-mounted unit features a 4.3” touchscreen display, with gesture recognition for easy menu navigation. "We’re ready to demonstrate toproperty developers, consultants,security installers, integrators andhome automation/AV specialiststhe numerous end-user benefitsSimpleHome has to offer" Although its core function is video door entry, this dedicated home automation system is able to control everything from heating and lighting to blind control and music distribution. Intelligent monitoring of electrical consumption including the ability to turn power sockets on and off is also possible using Icona Manager. All functions on the monitor can be accessed remotely using a Web Interface. For added convenience, door entry calls can also be received on Smartphones or tablet devices via the Comelit app available on Android and iOS operating systems. Door Entry Systems Evolve Into The Smart Home As security technology continues to become increasingly connected, Home Automation and Smart Buildings offer security installers and systems integrators exciting new opportunities for developing and growing their businesses. Ross Wilkins, part of Comelit’s Specification team, will be a speaker at IFSEC’s Smart Theatre on Wednesday 22nd June, 1pm-1.30pm. His presentation, entitled “Simplifying the Smart Home”, will be a discussion on the evolution of door entry systems into the smart home, including the value of IP, along with the benefit of easy-to use integration of Lighting, HVAC, Energy Monitoring, Audio Distribution, Security and Multi-Lingual Support. Francesca Boeris, Managing Director at Comelit UK, said, “We’re delighted to be exhibiting at IFSEC again after such a successful event in 2015. Last year we had a really positive launch of SimpleHome, our home automation system. This year, with numerous reference sites under our belt, including luxury apartments and assisted-living complexes where SimpleHome has been installed, we’re ready to demonstrate to property developers, consultants, security installers, integrators and home automation/AV specialists the numerous end-user benefits the system has to offer.” Francesca continues, “We’re looking forward to seeing our existing customers, as well as meeting new contacts who will undoubtedly be interested in our products and the opportunities they offer.” Read more on Home Automation opportunities for security Manufacturers here