Any Insteon News From EHX?

[upstatemike]

Anybody attending EHX who can report on what Insteon stuff is being announced/displayed? Anybody attend the training class?

Smarthome, Inc.: INSTEON Factory Training INSTEON 101
Smarthome, Inc.:
Tracks: Manufacturer Training
Date/Time: Friday, March 09, 2007
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Location: 108A

Description:

INSTEON Lighting Control Training Level 1: This class is for the dealer / installer that is new to INSTEON, the leading Home Control Networking Technology.


After completion of this class, you will have a general knowledge of how to use and install a basic INSTEON lighting control network.

 

[gregjsmith]

According to a thread in the smarthome forums, they didn't show for the class.

 

[BLH]

Also reported that they had no booth of dispaly items. Besides the no show class training.

 

[Digger]

they didn't show for the class.

Not only is that unprofessional ............ its rude in my opinion. If they could not make it they should have at least got the word out so people did not waste their time.

Did you guys use the 10 minute rule and dissappear like in college or did you hang out waiting for them???

 

[Herdfan]

That doesn't bode well for the future of Insteon.

 

[gregjsmith]

I'm not sure it meant anything yet. The instructor could have just missed their flight or something. Sure isn't a lot of info coming out of smartlabs/smarthome lately, which is the real Bad Thing.

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

All I know is that Smarthome didn't have a booth.

 

[Steve]

Well, supposedly what actually happened is Smarthome came to the training room the class was scheduled in and 'moved' to another one. The problem is they left with around 15 people right at the scheduled time and left no note so many people who came even a minute late (and there are ALOT of stragglers) were left thinking they were a no show. IMHO, it is pretty bad to move rooms and not even leave a note behind.

There was alot of buzz (pun intended) about UPB. For anyone on the fence about a PLC protocol, watch for coming announcements from PCS and SAI. Lets just say all complaints I have heard about re: UPB have been addressed.

 

[WayneW]

Did you guys use the 10 minute rule and dissappear like in college or did you hang out waiting for them???

I used the ten minute rule. Granted, I arrived at the meeting room at 3:03, but there was no evidence of an instructor or a move. The EHX schedule outside the room still indicated that a class should be occurring there.

My understanding is that to offer a "manufacturer training" (free) class at EHX, you must be an exhibitor. Since SmartHome was not an active exhibitor and we have no idea if they paid for a booth they never used, the possibility exists that the class was canceled by EHX since SmartHome possibly no longer qualified to offer the class.

For the record, this was a free class, so no one was ripped off by this cancellation. And if you have any experience with Insteon, you probably already know 98% of the class (other than possibly new product announcements).

 

[fitzpatri8]

A moderator posted the following in the Smarthome Forum:

Hi:

I just spoke to Steve Lee, the SmartLabs National trainer who ran the classes at EHX and here is what he told me:
1. EHX mistakenly did not list the INSTEON trainings on some of their schedules and when it was listed, listed the wrong room
2. As soon as Steve realized this he put up correction flyers in SmartLab's Partner Booths - ELK and Lifeware
3. He arranged for someone to be stationed at the incorrect room who was present there both before the training started as well as for at least 15-20 minutes after it started. She was escorting everyone up to the correct room
4. The training had a phenomenal turn-out
5. SmartLabs elected to have their presence be in the Demo Alley where there was a room set-up for hands-on product experience

Since I wasn't there, I may have missed a few things that happenned but I believe this is a pretty close time-line of what took place.

Hopefully this clears up any misunderstandings about INSTEON's presence and the training room mishap. We are sorry that folks missed the training and hope you can see us at the training. (The Dealer training schedule can be found using this link:http://www.smarthomepro.com/trainingschedule2.html

Clearly the event didn't go as smoothly as planned.

 

[WayneW]

1. EHX mistakenly did not list the INSTEON trainings on some of their schedules and when it was listed, listed the wrong room
2. As soon as Steve realized this he put up correction flyers in SmartLab's Partner Booths - ELK and Lifeware
3. He arranged for someone to be stationed at the incorrect room who was present there both before the training started as well as for at least 15-20 minutes after it started. She was escorting everyone up to the correct room
4. The training had a phenomenal turn-out
5. SmartLabs elected to have their presence be in the Demo Alley where there was a room set-up for hands-on product experience

1) I don't know of anyplace that the class was not listed, but that error would be hard to spot. The schedule I used listed a room number. That room had an EHX daily schedule sign that listed the Insteon class at 3 PM. There was nothing else happening in that room at the time, so there was no double booking of the room.
If EHX made a mistake, why wasn't it listed in the show booth moves, addition & corrections sheet?
2) I doubt it occurred to many people to look for Insteon class schedule changes at Elk or LifeWare booths. It certainly didn't occur to me and I didn't notice any such signs before the class. SmartHome only has two partners at EHX?
3) I was at the class room at 3:03 for approximately 10 minutes and no escort was seen. Maybe it was a 12 minute round trip to the new class location.
4) Sorry I missed it, I really tried. Can "phenomenal" be converted to a hard attendance number?
5) That is a very strange decision for SmartHome to move to Demo Alley. There are no other lighting control companies or distributors in Demo Alley. SmartHome is not listed in the exhibitor guide, so it was very hard for people to find SmartHome.

 

[hotwire]

There was alot of buzz (pun intended) about UPB. For anyone on the fence about a PLC protocol, watch for coming announcements from PCS and SAI. Lets just say all complaints I have heard about re: UPB have been addressed.

Thanks Steve. Can you tell us what you saw from PCS and SAI?

Kenny

 

[WayneW]

SAI didn't have a booth. Any UPB announcements should go in a new thread.

 

[WayneW]

Over at http://www.techmall.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1342&whichpage=2 SmartLabsMike stated "New products were not announced as the show was focused towards dealer training."

IMHO, if they had anything to announce, they would have, regardless of their "focus on training". And how do you "focus on training" when you only offer one publicly announced training class and many people cannot find your booth or your class? I know there were Insteon installers that visited at least part of Demo Alley and never found the SmartHome alley.

 

[Michael McSharry]

I did not get around too much at the show, but from the flow of questions and discussions coming my way Insteon was a no-interest item by the professionals. Zwave was mentioned a few times. Zigbee ala Control4 had some interest too.

PCS is trying to get support for the West EXH in bringing the various UPB players together to demonstate breadth of application. mcsSprinklers and the Rain8 talk UPB so that it why they came to talk to me. Smarthome was circulating trying to make relationships. I did not notice Smartlabs on the circuit.

When I talked about UPB, WiFi etc., it did not peak any response, but a universal topic was Crestron or AMX compatibilty followed next by HAI. Elk was discussed as a good engineering company, but name recognition and time in the industry had more people interested in HAI.

There were three of four vacuum cleaner companies showing their wares, but iRobot was not one of them. Tried and true technology and value-added markup items is where the majority of those roaming the floor had interest. The technology buzz sells better at comdex than ehx.