Some 600 Savant dealers attended the company’s largest Integrator Summit, feeling energized after four months of relative silence from the home automation company.
Savant, a leading home-automation provider in the custom-installation channel, has been relatively quiet since founder Bob Madonna returned as CEO last September.
Madonna replaced William Lynch, who was CEO for two years, charged with bringing a DIY product (the Savant Remote) to the retail market.
Shortly after Madonna’s return, Savant laid off a large number of employees – estimates range from 80 to 120, or half the company – and “recommitted” itself to the custom channel.
This week, Savant rallied some 600 dealers in Denver to present its vision for the coming years.
Apparently, dealers like what they’re hearing.
“The Summit is very exciting,” one dealer told CE Pro, explaining that attendees were asked to keep tight-lipped about the event.
Richard Glikes, chairman of the buying group Azione Unlimited, told us: “Very exciting product road map. Home run conference. Everyone pumped up!!!”
Glikes is not one to exaggerate such things.
Savant has not maintained its Twitter feed or Facebook page since October 2016, and CE Pro has been unable able to speak in depth with the company since CEDIA, but whatever they’ve been doing apparently is resonating with dealers at the Summit.
The reviews have been nothing short of enthusiastic.
We do know from a vague press release issued yesterday that Savant has these “groundbreaking advances” in store:
- Continued development of scalable, affordably-priced control systems for the DIFM (do-it-for-me) market.
- A 4K video-over-IP solution featuring the “highest resolution switch on the market.”
- A return to the touchscreen, which Savant mostly discontinued several years ago; the company promises “new and exciting interpretations of the touchscreen for an array of applications.”
- “Further development and application of voice control technology, climate and lighting control solutions.”
In addition, Savant promises advances in service and support, “leveraging the Savant cloud and an enhanced capability for integrators to monitor, diagnose and upgrade existing platforms without the expense of rolling a truck and technicians into the field.”
Stay tuned for more details.
