With the launch of the Ipod and now especially the Ipad, we will surely see a major increase in new homes being built with many smart technologies included.

The question is, which technology and manufacturer is the right one to choose? With established vendors like Crestron, Elan, Vantage, Control4, HAI, and many others, the choice is quite large, so how does one choose?

We at Mezuri Systems (www.mezurisystems.com) have long ago realized that playing on all levels is a very bad idea. It is impossible to keep up with all the vendors and their new products and as a result it is hard to offer our customers the right solutions.

Crestron is considered the pioneer in our industry and has been around the longest. Its product line is top-notch, very innovative and as a result very expensive.

Control4 is a very innovative (fairly) new vendor that has definitely reached critical market penetration and their products are IP based.

HAI is a manufacturer based in Louisiana and their product line is continually expanding. Their products work very well and are becoming serious alternatives to the more expensive systems from other manufacturers.

Many new companies enter the market with a big splash and then fizzle as spectacularly as they entered. I think back with a chuckle as I remember when at a trade show a new vendor had the biggest booth and made the most noise etc. I was having a discussion with another industry veteran and we had a bet as to how long the vendor would last. We both lost, since the vendor didn't survive the year...

To sum it up, it is important that your installation and integration company chooses a solid vendor and even more important that you choose a goo installation company.

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