Reliable and Seamless

Voice control and simplifying the user experience were top priorities for home control companies exhibiting at CEDIA Expo 2019, the annual trade show for home technology professionals held this past fall in Denver. As more devices in the home are connected, it falls on control systems to make communications between those devices reliable and seamless, and voice is emerging as a top enabler.

Voice control is “increasingly important to users,” said Bill Hensley, senior director, marketing at Nortek Security & Control. The company has integrated microphones into its ELAN Intelligent Touch Panels that integrate with Alexa and will soon integrate with Google Assistant. ELAN views voice control “as a way to have a more intuitive, fluent, and personalized control experience,” he said.

While it’s growing in popularity, voice control doesn’t replace other user interfaces, Hensley assured. Control is no longer a one-size-fits-all proposition, Hensley said. Choosing the right method of interaction depends on use case, user preference, and the room.

“For example,”