ELAN Predicts 2014 Will Be The Year Control Comes Home

With new home sales surging and home control becoming an integral part of many homebuilders’ designs, ELAN Home Systems today predicted that 2014 will be the year that integrated entertainment and control becomes a staple of new home construction and remodeling. The forecast  by Core Brands Control Category Director Joe Lautner, who emphasized that there is finally a control solution perfect for every size home, from a one-bedroom apartment to a multi-million dollar estate.

“The goal of technology has always been to make people’s lives easier, and that guiding principle is finally coming home with simple integrated entertainment and control solutions from ELAN,” Lautner said. “The ELAN g! system is giving builders the chance to show new homebuyers that they understand their needs and can design homes with integrated systems that make daily life more convenient, whether it’s two rooms of audio and video in an 800 square foot apartment or connected lighting, climate, security, AV and irrigation systems in a 10,000 square foot home. By introducing a system that can be had for less than $2,000, we have created a value proposition that can win over even the most reluctant homebuyers.”


Award-winning builders Jim Blansfield of Danbury, Connecticut-based Blansfield Builders, Inc. and Josh Wynne of Sarasota, Florida-based Josh Wynne Construction agree with Lautner because they have both already found huge success by partnering with local integrators and using the ELAN® g! Entertainment and Control System to help close new home sales.

“I’m a believer in ‘the new normal’ way of thinking,” Blansfield said, “and with the affordable and expandable control solutions made possible by ELAN g!, home control is the new normal! In the past two years, I’ve closed several new homes by demoing the g! system for prospective clients. I have a g! system in my own home, so I’m the first person to say how easy it is to use, and my clients are consistently impressed that I include technology in my designs and recommendations, because many other builders minimize the importance of home technologies.

“Any builders who resist change and aren’t prepared to talk to clients about integrated home control solutions will hurt themselves in the long run. I even push owners doing remodels to install the ELAN g! system because it adds so much value to the home and brings it into the 21st century more so than new countertops or an open-concept floor plan could ever do.”


Since partnering with Danbury integration firm Structured Home Solutions, Blansfield has built 13 homes that include ELAN g! systems of varying size and complexity. Whether the new buyers were looking for enhanced security, HVAC scheduling, lighting, irrigation and pool controls, or super simple whole-home audio and video systems, every client received a custom solution tailored to their specific needs. From a business perspective, Blansfield knows that his knowledge, appreciation and passion for technology place him in an entirely different category from other builders.

Josh Wynne has had similar success integrating advanced home technologies with the ELAN g! system, and has teamed up with Sarasota integrator SmartHouse Integration to offer his new clients the best that modern home technology has to offer. Wynne is building four new LEED Platinum certified homes in 2013, each featuring the ELAN g! system to control core subsystems such as AV, HVAC, security, lighting, window shades, irrigation, garage doors, pool controls and surveillance cameras.

According to Wynne, “I’ve strived to make a basic home automation package standard for every new home I build. When smartphones came on the market a lot more people started to see how easily these advanced systems could integrate into their homes and help them live more simply and comfortably, and I’ve used that culture movement to benefit my business. Most of my projects are relatively big budget, around the $1 million mark, but there’s absolutely no reason that a $300,000 home shouldn’t include a multi-room audio system, an integrated HVAC or lighting system that saves money and energy, or a lighting system that saves money and energy, or a security and surveillance system that can be accessed remotely from any smartphone or tablet.”

Both builders agree that determining the buyers’ interests is key to selling advanced home control solutions, whether they love music and want multi-room audio or desire heightened peace of mind and would benefit from a mobile-accessible security and surveillance system. From there it’s a small leap to demo the entire ELAN g! system and highlight all the trappings that easy-to-use home control offers. Another thing they agree on is the need to use a reliable, qualified integrator to make the homeowner’s technological dreams a practical reality. That’s why they’ve each partnered with a top integration firm in their respective regions, and worked together to craft custom solutions that make every home the perfect living environment for the owners.

Hank "Moose" Alexander Returns to Niles as Western Regional Sales Manager

Niles®, The First Name In Custom Installation®, today announced the return of Hank “Moose” Alexander to the company to serve as its new Western Regional Sales Manager, reporting directly to Niles President Mike “Sparky” Detmer. Alexander assumes the position vacated by Kenneth Johnsen, who has been promoted to serve as The AVC Group’s International Training Manager.

“The return of Moose Alexander to our team speaks volumes about the many exciting things that are happening today at Niles,” Detmer said today. “I had a feeling that when Moose left us two years ago he would be back and that day has come — and his return could not have come at a better time. We are entering a dynamic new phase in the history of Niles, and Moose’s experience, talents and leadership skills are going to play a major role in our long term future success.”

Hank Alexander is widely known as a complete sales professional with a 20-year track record of penetrating new markets, exceeding company goals and motivating, coaching and training sales teams to increase revenues and efficiencies. He is also recognized for his abilities in management, business development, marketing, product design and development, and inception and management of sale programs in the high-end commercial and residential custom consumer electronics field.

Alexander returns to Niles from Crestron, where he has served as Mountain States Regional Sales Manager since 2008. Prior to that he was the Western Regional Sales Manager for Niles from 2006 through 2008, where he was responsible for the supervision of seven rep firms, the retail launch of the ICS IntelliControl brand, and 20 percent year-over-year annual growth for three consecutive years.

Prior to his first tour at Niles, Alexander held sales management positions at ReQuest, Kenwood, Vann’s Electronic Billings Mt and Video Sat and Sound. He studied Business Management, Communications and Law at the University of Wyoming — Casper and the University of Arizona — Tempe.

ELAN TS10 10" In-Wall Touch Screen Awarded 2011 EXC!TE Award by Custom Retailer Magazine

ELAN Home Systems today was awarded a 2011 EXC!TE Award by CustomRetailer Magazine for its new TS10 10” in-wall touch screen interface for the ELAN g! Home Control System. The award will be presented to ELAN on Sept. 8 at the 2011 EXC!TE Awards Party at CEDIA Expo 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“The new TS10 Touch Screen provides dealers and consumers with the ultimate touch screen experience,” Lautner said today. “It combines a ‘touch and swipe’ design with a larger Active Matrix LCD screen for viewing television through the analog video feature, and larger easy-to-read icons for aging eyes. It’s ideal for watching television in the kitchen or the bathroom.”

CustomRetailer Magazine presents its annual EXC!TE Awards to the best products available to the industry. Each year, CustomRetailer invites nominations of products that stand out for being innovative, high-performing and solutions-oriented for the custom installation professional. Past winners stand out as particularly impressive, considering the unique challenges custom installers face every day on the job. The impact these products have had on the industry is felt in the installers' productivity, the dealers' profitability, the clients' satisfaction and the industry's vitality.

The new ELAN TS10 Touch Screen also features composite video for viewing TV sources or cameras, a 16:9 wide screen format, backlit hard buttons for commonly used functions, built-in speaker and microphone for messaging, simple IP connectivity for communication, non-volatile flash memory, quick & easy programming, compatible with all ELAN controllers, easy retrofit installation, optional backbox and preconstruction brackets (sold separately), and a screen saver mode that can display photo. The TS10 ships standard with a white frame, but it is also available in almond, light almond, ivory, and black.

Chicago-Based Systems Integrator Installs World's Largest ELAN g! Home Control System

Chicago-based systems integrator AudioVideo Specialists, LLC has just completed what is believed to be the world’s largest ELAN g! installation in a new 10,000 square foot suburban Chicago home. The homeowners wanted their new house to have all the bells and whistles modern technology could offer, but when they went in search of a home control system they came down with a serious case of sticker-shock. The first systems integrator they spoke with suggested a different control system and gave them a quote of $480,000!

When they went looking for a second opinion, builder Rich Bondarowicz, president of Smart Group, Ltd., recommended Dan Cochenour at AudioVideo Specialists, LLC. Cochenour knows that there is a lot to consider when installing a home control system of this magnitude, from superior functionality and third-party component support, to ease of use and competitive pricing. Using the ELAN g! Home Control System he was able to offer the homeowners a simple-to-use, robust IP-based complete home control solution for a lot less than his competitors.

“This is the largest residential installation we’ve ever done,” said Cochenour, “and it is a glowing showcase of the control muscle that the ELAN g! Home Control System offers. With a system as extensive as this, it’s important that it be easy for the homeowner to operate and adjust. Luckily, the ELAN g! system basically makes whole-home control as simple as adding a contact on your iPhone.”

When all was said and done, the project wound up being the largest ELAN g! installation to date. Every subsystem in the house is integrated with ELAN g! – whole-house audio, video, lighting, HVAC, security, surveillance, motorized window curtains and sheers, irrigation, and even the pool and spa controls. It even includes custom-programmed “Away” and “Home” modes that conveniently set every system in the house to a pre-determined configuration for optimum efficiency and comfort. The ELAN g! system can be accessed through the owner’s three iPhones and two iPads, as well as a multitude of ELAN control interfaces including 12 HR2 remotes, seven TS2 2” in-wall touchpads, two TS7 7” in-wall touch screens and a WT84 8.4” Wireless Tablet with table top cradle.

The house is a media lover’s dream, featuring 11 LG flat panel HDTVs ranging from 32” to 60”, two of which are 3D TVs with LG 3D Blu-ray players and four pairs of 3D glasses each. Many of the TVs are custom-mounted less than an inch off the wall, giving the rooms a clean, uncluttered look. And when they need some fresh air, the family can watch TV year-round in their backyard on a 46” SunBright Outdoor LCD TV, viewable from the pool and spa. Through the ELAN g! system, every TV can access four DirecTV feeds with two DVRs, two networked Sony 400-disc Blu-ray changers and can view eight surveillance cameras located throughout the property.

To complement the ample video system, the house features a total of 54 speakers and seven subwoofers throughout 32 audio zones, including two surround systems, 12 outdoor speakers and two outdoor subwoofers. Each zone can play audio from a dual am/fm tuner, a three terabyte hard drive (enough space for 600,000 songs!), two iPort table-top iPod docking stations located in the kitchen and bar, Pandora internet radio, XM satellite radio, all of the video feeds and the home’s intercom system.

With the push of a button the family room transforms into a complete home theater as a Screen Innovations 106” motorized screen drops from the ceiling and a motorized theater curtain extends across the stairs to block sound from traveling out of the room. The 7.2 surround sound system with in-wall and in-ceiling ELAN and Sunfire speakers and an Optoma HD8600 projector rival the quality of full-scale commercial movie theaters, and trump them in convenience.

Managing a lighting system for a 10,000 square foot house can be challenge, but ELAN g! makes controlling the home’s 80 lighting zones a breeze. The owners can set automatic schedules for indoor and outdoor lighting and check which lights are on from any control interface. There are six motion sensors installed outside the bedrooms and elevator to automatically turn on the hallway lights when they are needed. With a whole-house Vantage lighting system, light switches are replaced by custom-engraved backlit keypads with pre-programmed lighting and entertainment modes. In most of the TV rooms, for instance, hitting the “Media” button on the Vantage keypad turns on the lights, entertainment system and automatically sets it to the correct source.

Security is one of the biggest concerns when living in a home of this size and value, which is why the owners have installed a full-fledged GE security system and surveillance cameras that are accessible and viewable on every TV, iPad and iPhone in the house. The system can also be viewed and controlled from anywhere in the world on an iPhone, iPad or PC using the ELAN g! software, providing the owners with peace of mind when away from home.

According to builder Rich Bondarowicz, the house requires less energy to maintain a comfortable climate than the owners’ former home that was half the size, thanks to ELAN g!’s smart energy monitoring, Energy Star HVAC systems and the inclusion of super-efficient foam insulation in every wall. The house has 18 climate zones controlled with Aprilaire and Tekmar thermostats, which are automated through the ELAN g! Home Control System.

Demonstrating the dedication and skill of Audio Video Specialists, LLC and the flexibility of the ELAN g! Home Control System, Cochenour centralized all the system components in a custom-built temperature-controlled four-rack cabinet. The cabinet features custom TZ locks that are controlled electronically by the g! system, as well as programming that turns on the fans when the cabinet rises above 85 degree Fahrenheit.

The system also includes several custom-programmed features:

• When the doorbell rings, every TV and speaker in use throughout the house pauses and displays the front door camera and intercom.
• The outdoor and landscape lighting turns on at dusk and off at dawn, based on the astronomical clock. If any of the home’s sump pumps or ejector pumps should fail, the ELAN g! Control System sends a text message to the homeowner and builder, allowing them to fix the problem before any damage is caused.
• If any of the equipment racks exceeds a set temperature limit, it will send a text message alert and shut down the AV system for protection.
• If the security alarm is triggered, the coach and porch lights will flash and the pathway lights will turn on until the system is disarmed.
• With an “Away” button, the owners can turn off all lights and AV zones with one touch as they walk out the door, and use the “Home” button to turn on pre-configured zones when they return.

Bondarowicz knows that he needs to keep up with building and technology trends to succeed in today’s homebuilding market, so he discusses home automation systems with all of his customers. “Some of my customers do ask about home automation systems, but I make sure to mention it to everyone, especially if they are unfamiliar with the technology,” he said. “And compared with the other home control systems out there, the ELAN g! system has become a favorite because it offers the best mix of a simple-to-use interface, all-encompassing capabilities and overall affordability.”

Available starting at $1860 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 room appliance. 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. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touch screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.