All
it takes to go from an average “Joel” to a professional custom integrator with
a nearly six-figure job under your belt is determination, vision and about six
months — if, that is, you choose to work with the ELAN® g! Entertainment & Control
System. That’s precisely what Joel
Berrettini, a former world-traveling musician and 12-year professional IT
veteran, learned last May when he decided to change careers and start a new
custom installation company, IT and Media
Solutions.
From May through August 2011, he learned everything he could about
home control systems. He went to
trade shows and took classes for every system out there, from Crestron to
Control4, and after meeting representatives from each company, comparing the
costs and learning to actually use each system, he determined that ELAN g! was
the top choice for value, ease of use, ease of installation and dealer
support.
“I’ve
been working with high tech equipment most of my life, whether on the road as a
touring musician, in my recording studio or in my career as an IT
professional,” said Berrettini. “So I know that the easier something is to use
and the more attractive it looks, the more people will buy it, fall in love
with it and make it a part of their everyday lives. That’s what drew me to the
ELAN g! system. Not only does it
have the simplest user interface in the industry, which is very familiar for
anyone who’s ever used an iPhone or iPod, but the entire ELAN management team
was so supportive and helpful to get me started as an integrator that other
manufacturers just couldn’t even begin to compare.
“The
truth is nobody cares about the box!
It doesn’t matter to the end user which component is installed, it’s all
about the quality of living and the experience of using and interacting with
the technology! That’s why before
I ever pitched the ELAN system to a client, I personally installed a full-blown
system into my own home so I could
eat, sleep and breathe ELAN, and then speak truthfully about the ways it makes
life easier and can simplify how you control every system in your house,
restaurant, bar or office.”
Berrettini
has just completed his first installation, a nearly six-figure system for the Boneyard Pub & Grille’s new second
location in Sussex, Wisconsin, and it took him just seven weeks from start to
finish. Jim Jones, the pub’s
owner, recognized Berrettini’s passion for perfection before he even contracted
the job when Berrettini came up with a complete redesign of the TV system
layout for the whole restaurant. The new layout maximized the viewing areas and
ensured that every guest could see the TVs without having to move or turn
around, and it helped land him the contract.
According
to Jim Jones, “Joel was here everyday for nearly two months and he’s been
extremely supportive in helping me and my employees learn the best way to use
the system for every situation.
The ELAN g! system is an incredible improvement over what we have in the
original Boneyard Pub & Grille and it’s making the whole entertainment
aspect infinitely easier to manage, and therefore better for me and my
guests. All of the TVs come on
automatically at 6 a.m. when we open for breakfast, it’s easy to go through the
surveillance camera footage if I need to view an event, and I control
everything from one device. The
other location is more work and has bugs in the system, because it’s very hard
to get 16 DirecTV boxes to work and change channels using just the standard-issue
remote.
“If
it weren’t for Joel, I probably wouldn’t have used such high quality components
in the new private party room” Jones continued. “He set up a 106-inch screen
with an HD projector and a 3,000 Watt 5.1 surround stereo system, so I can host
all kind of events and parties and even movie screenings in the room. I have people fighting over the room
for the big game in February!
Joel’s knowledge, expertise, dedication, and faith in the ELAN g! system
really gave me everything I wanted in an entertainment and security system for
the restaurant.”
The restaurant has 32 Samsung LED TVs, ranging from 40 to 55 inches,
and the audio system uses two Niles SI-1230 amplifiers and an ELAN D12
amplifier to power 60 speakers, bringing hi-def audio and video to every guest
in every seat in the house. Berrettini didn’t stop at an audio/video system,
either. The restaurant’s
surveillance and security systems are fully integrated, and they plan to
incorporate the thermostats soon.
“The
truth is there are three types of people in the world,” said Berrettini. “Those
that make things happen, those that watch things happen, and those that say
‘umm, what happened?’ I make
things happen. I wanted to become
a custom integrator because it’s fun!
How many other careers let you literally change the way people live, and
see it happen right before your eyes?
The final reveal was my favorite part, when I walked Jim through the
restaurant and showed him how everything worked together, and how the TVs and
speakers would automatically turn on and all be set to the right stations.”
Berrettini has gone the extra mile at every turn, even helping
program the restaurant’s electronic outdoor sign and spending nights and
weekends on site to make sure that any issues could be addressed quickly and
the employees could learn to use the system in a real-world environment. It’s
amazing what a little motivation can do, and Berrettini is living, breathing
proof that anyone who seriously wants to become a custom integrator can do so with
the support of the ELAN management and the ELAN g! system.
Available starting at $2,000 for a single-room,
four sub-system control solution, the ELAN g! Series Control System can be
expanded quickly and cost-effectively to enable whole-home control of every
system. ELAN g! provides users
with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite
devices, including TVs, touch screens, touchpads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. And
the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from
across the room—or across the globe.
The ELAN g! System has been awarded a 2011
Residential Systems Magazine RESI Award, a 2011 Custom Retailer Magazine
EXCITE! Award, a 2011 CE Pro Magazine BEST Award, a Platinum Level 2011 CEA
Mark of Excellence Award by the Consumer Electronics Association and a 2011 Gold Level Electronic House Magazine Product
of the Year Award.
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