Control4 develops smart home automation systems to control lighting, entertainment, security, energy, and other connected devices. The company's 2013 initial public offering was considered to be the 'first pure-play home automation IPO ever.' Control4 is based in Draper, Utah with offices in York, England; Shanghai, China; Bangalore, India and San Jose, CA.
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History
Founded in 2003 by Eric Smith, Will West and Mark Morgan, Control4 debuted at the CEDIA 2004 home technology trade show and released its first products later that year. The company received funding from Foundation Capital, Thomas Weisel Venture Partners, Signal Peak Ventures, Frazier Technology Ventures, and Cisco Systems prior to its August 2, 2013 IPO. Current CEO Martin Plaehn joined Control4 in September 2011.
Products and services
Control4's home automation systems have been likened to an operating system for the home. The company develops a branded line of products and services to control home lighting, multi-room audio, and HVAC systems that utilize communication protocols such as ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Z-Wave. Control4 also supports more than 8,000 devices from third-party manufacturers, including the Nest smart home thermostat, CoolMasterNet for seamless integration with VRF & Split HVACs, Sonos music system, and products from Sony and Sub-Zero. For example, with Control4, a homeowner could control "the ventilation in his garage, the music streaming to speakers in multiple rooms of his home, every light, the TV, the thermostat, even the Blu-Ray player in the guest house" from an iOS device.
In 2012, Control4 released its Simple Device Discovery Protocol (SDDP), which makes products embedded with the code automatically discoverable on a Control4 network. The company licenses the protocol, which is similar to Universal Plug and Play, to other vendors for their products (such as Sony Bravia TVs).
As of January 2015, over 100 developers supported SDDP in more than 500 devices, including Panasonic, Dish Network, Bose, TiVo, Epson, Harman Kardon, Denon, Pioneer, Sony, Sharp, and Yamaha.
As of February 2015, Control4 was selling its products through a network of 2,676 North American and 787 international authorized dealers in 88 countries.
Additionally, Control4 partners with national homebuilders, including Toll Brothers, to provide optional home automation packages to homebuyers.
Proprietary products
- Audio/Video - a line of audio and video distribution products for controlling entertainment throughout a home using a centralized source.
- Lighting - wireless, programmable lighting control systems, controlled by switches, dimmers, keypads and remote devices.
- HVAC - smart thermostats, compatible with most HVAC systems worldwide and remotely controllable.
- Touch screens - touch screens, handheld and stationary, that operate as dedicated interfaces for Control4 systems.
- Remote controls - Remote controls that enable control of an entire smart home system.
- Controllers - main device connecting and controlling the entire system.
- Sensors/Relays - motion and light sensors to automatically initiate actions within the system, like turning on the lights when you enter a room.
- Cameras - security cameras for video intercoms, or "door stations."
- Networking - following the acquisition of Pakedge in March '16
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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