As the consumer adoption rate of the iPad surpasses 3 million, Paul Skelton looks at the role the device will play in the custom installation sector.

Since its launch in April, the Apple iPad has drawn a lot of criticism from users and the media alike; many have compared it to a giant iPhone, without the convenience of fitting in your pocket or the capability of making phone calls.

Others have complained that it is somewhat of a lacking tablet computer; it isn’t a word processor, nor does have an in-built camera or USB connectivity.

So what’s the point?

As it did with the iPod, AppleTV and most notably the iPhone, Apple has managed to tap into a burgeoning market and make it its own.

As a result, from the custom installer’s perspective, whether you are pro-Apple or not, the iPad has the potential to open your company to new clients and projects.

The iPad’s high-res multi-touch display lets users physically interact with applications and content. It is just 13.4mm thick and weighs just 0.68kg – thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook.

The iPad’s 24.6cm (9.7 inches), LED-backlit display features IPS technology to deliver crisp, clear images and consistent colour with an ultra-wide 178º viewing angle.

Further, the iPad comes in two versions – one with WiFi and the other with both WiFi and 3G. The iPad includes the latest 802.11n WiFi, and the 3G versions support speeds up to 7.2Mbps on HSDPA networks.

But the main drawcard should be that your clients already know how to use it.

“The iPad is changing the expectations of our client base and therefore ignoring it is not an option,” says WA-based, Clipsal PointOne installer Avarnti’s Clare Ward. “By embracing this and other new technologies that are directly available to consumers, we can provide solutions that comprehensively meet our clients’ needs while educating them about these technologies’ limitations.

“Currently there is a lot of hype surrounding the iPad, but not yet much substance. However, the potential is there. Overall I expect its effect to be positive as we are forced to examine the value proposition and services we provide to clients.”

Clare explains that, at this stage, the iPad has “too many technical limitations that we believe need to be resolved before it can act as a standalone solution worthy of external promotion.”

“But we do believe that as this and related technologies and applications improve there will be greater reason to integrate them into all areas of the business.

“Overall, the iPad will have a positive impact as it exposes clients to technology at their fingertips, which changes technology acceptance in the home, which cannot be underestimated as a driver. Market penetration and affordability for consumers has a direct influence on consumer adoption, and there is no doubt that Apple is a master at market penetration in our sector!”

So sure of the impact the device is destined to have on the market, Clare suggests installers could take the McDonald’s approach to sales by asking: “Would you like an iPad with that?”

“We don’t believe that in its current form it is a competitor to high-end touch panels, however I hope it will put pressure on them to address their own functional and aesthetic limitations! Rather, we believe it will fill a gap for greater market penetration and hybrid solutions where its greatest assets in portability, battery life, wireless surfing and home monitoring come to the fore.

“But a fundamental issue in ‘readiness’ remains, with clients accustomed to existing touch panel displays being ready immediately without the ‘on-swipe-code-app-play’ approach currently required to get your iPad app ready for use. Then there is the one function at a time issue…

“Every integrator and installer will need to assess the iPad for their customer base as differing markets will have different reactions and different needs. For our client base (iPhone carrying professionals) the Apple world is a standard.”

WA-based Surround Sounds director Mark Jeisman believes the iPad will be particularly suited to installations that require enhanced ease-of-use.

“We currently have a client that is hard of sight. We are undertaking a full refit of their home with a Sonos music system, and the iPad running the Sonos controller software at 2x zoom satisfies easier operation of the system,” he says. “It is also a solution for those who have five thumbs!”

“Most of all, the iPad helps people use and understand touch screens. We’ve been trying to do that for years.
“I also think it will enhance the acceptance of further technology in the home as, in reality, it offers a multifunctional device that can be complimented by other integrated systems in the home. Imagine showing a client how easy it is to put IP security cameras up on their iPad – all of a sudden there is a requirement for IP cameras and their associated installation. It is certainly an added profit proposition for the integrator.

“But, if nothing else, I hope the iPad forces the prices of some touch screens down in cost. I think that would be a natural progression as many touch panels are too expensive and becoming hard for even us to justify, given the build cost these days.”
Mark says the most concerning part of the iPad’s increasing popularity in the home is the number of “cheaply put together apps that are so-called ‘home automation systems’.”

“Several years ago we saw an attempt by Microsoft and its ‘home’ program, which we in the automation industry knew was a disaster waiting to happen before it was even released. With the iPad, however, one benefit is that certain programs allow installers the opportunity to custom program the application, which offers a glimmer of hope in reclaiming some lost profit on the sale of a traditional touch panel.”

Len Wallis of Sydney-based Len Wallis Audio agrees: “The drawback of the iPad is that it is a no-profit product for us. But the upside is that it has the potential to make what we sell (and make a profit on) much simpler to use.
“As a result, we will be promoting the iPad as part of the product list in bigger-picture solutions; rather than as a standalone product.”

Len believes the potential of the iPad is still largely underestimated by much of the industry.
“There is no doubt that it is a great device, as a controller, and it’s incredibly cheap compared to many of the alternatives. Plus you have the bonus of the ‘controller’ doubling as so many other things at the same time.”

He says it is interesting to watch the way different industry players have approached the device, with companies like Creston adopting and embracing the product, and other companies trying to ignore it altogether.

Victorian installer Ian Corless, from Zentec, says the iPad will serve a purpose in making home automation appear more accessible to the wider population: “When your client buys an affordable control system that costs $600-$700 then their mental perception of lighting control isn’t something that costs $20,000, so it will open some avenues of opportunity, particularly for those that deal with systems like Control4.

“But this won’t be a case of supporting Bill Gates’ vision when he promised the world that he would deliver, via Microsoft, home automation systems that were so simple and so affordable that home automation installers would become redundant by next year. While people will tolerate a program on their PC that will cease operating spontaneously, they will not tolerate their heater not coming on, their lights not working or their garage doors not opening, and that consumer mindset drives a lot of the choices we make in our business to choose products that are a bit more expensive but very reliable.

“Due to its price, however, if an iPad fails you can just throw it out and replace it, which is a lot cheaper than trying to fix it. You can certainly afford to throw a few iPads out before you spend any significant money.”

Len says: “Undoubtedly the iPad is going to take some of the dollars away from our traditional offerings (touch screen panels, etc), but in the long run it will make what we offer, be it as simple as a Sonos system right through to a fully blown Creston installation, so much more accessible to the public that it will create a considerable increase in demand for automation, or even simple streaming and media products like Sonos, Sooloos or Olive.

“In our store, it will sit alongside many of the current products that we are selling. We do not believe that it will take the place of the primary touch panels in the home; it simply does not have the smarts to do so. However, it will take the place of many of the smaller secondary, particularly handheld, panels that we now sell.

“For an installer, the only reason not to offer the iPad is if you are trying to protect their revenue or margin (the iPad is a low cost sale, with a very low margin). But the main reason why you should offer is it simply because if you don’t, your competitor will.”

Contact
Avanti www.avarnti.com
Len Wallis Audio www.lenwallisaudio.com
Surround Sounds www.surroundsounds.com.au
Zentec www.zentec.com.au