Enabling the Smart Home

Consumers are surrounded by intelligent devices in their homes. Unfortunately, the utility
of these digital devices is limited by their inability to interact with the user and the
environment. Most are intelligent, stand-alone devices but lack the ability to
communicate and interact with devices from other manufacturers. The smart home must
evolve beyond todays islands of intelligence into an intelligent network. Consumers
have moved beyond mere smart devices and now demand solutions that offer increased
energy management, additional security, and that improve the way they live, work, and
play. Furthermore, they want to improve convenience, safety, and quality of life.
The tools and technology are available today to support the global consumer mass market
for digital home products. It is up to manufacturers and service providers to adopt open,
standards-based technology that enable the mass market. The industry is moving away
from closed, proprietary products into an era of interoperable solutions that embrace
consumer demands.

Creating the Mass Market: Requirements

For companies developing smart home applications, selecting the best solution can be a
challenge. However, there are several key requirements that, when delivered, hold the
promise of enabling the mass market for smart homes and provide a guideline to
companies wishing to enter the market.

Support for multiple communication channels, including no new wires

Simplicity for installation, use, adding capabilities, and replacement
An open standards-based architecture providing confidence and stability
Robust and reliable solutions that are field-proven
Affordability of hardware and software components
Scalability from one or two devices to thousands
Industry support from multiple suppliers of complimentary products

No New Wires
The idea of no new wires is extremely attractive. After all, who wants to pay the added
expense of pulling wire to connect devices in the home? Wireless has fostered irrational
exuberance among industry pundits, manufacturers, and even consumers, yet few
companies truly understand its challenges. Wireless sounds attractive. Take a batterypowered device and stick it to a wall without any wires. Unfortunately, life isnt so
simple. Finding the right location for a wireless device to communicate and interact with
other wireless devices can be a challenge. Physical barriers, such as walls, can hinder
communication as can the introduction of other wireless devices in the same frequency.
Battery life is also a key issue. Since wireless products are relatively new, many people
have not discovered the hidden burden of replacing batteries in months, not years.

One important element of the promise of no new wires involves using a solution
commonly found in every home power cabling or power mains. There is a common
misbelieve that power line communications is expensive and unreliable. This could not
be further from reality. In fact, power line communications has come a long way since
the days of X-10, the pioneer of power line communications devices introduced over 20
years ago.
Rather than rely on unproven wireless technologies, suppliers should be more concerned
about delivering reliable, cost-effective solutions that can utilize the communication wire
installed in every home today power wiring. Many people immediately discount mains
signaling or powerline communications as expensive and unreliable. In fact, it can deliver
99.7% reliability in a home or building at a cost equal to or less than wireless.
Companies prefer the LONWORKS platform from Echelon because it can support
multiple communication channels, including structured wiring, twisted pair, power mains,
coax, optical fiber, and wireless. Developers and service providers need to consider
several key points when seeking a smart home networking solution including: Is it an
industry standard? Can it support multiple communication channels? Is it proven and
reliable? Is it cost effective? Is it easy to use? Can I use it with other products? Who
stands behind it?
Keep It Simple
Consumers demand simplicity in installation, operation, and organization. Any massmarket home automation play lacking these features is destined to be a non-starter.
Simply, enabling the consumer mass market requires simplicity. Echelon worked with
leading manufacturers of appliances to develop next generation installation solutions. The
result of this work appears in the innovative Interoperable Self Installation (ISI) library
that allows manufacturers create products that install by themselves and recognize
products consumers add and automatically incorporate them into the network even
those from other manufacturers. Simple items, such as appliances, can be set up to install
themselves with other intelligent devices. More interactive environments can use a selfinstallation process to logically connect and create scenes with other networked devices.
Finally, in a complex environment with professional installers, a software tool could be
used to create larger networks installed by professionals.
An open standards-based architecture
Enabling the consumer mass market will require adoption of an open standards-based
architecture that can support connectivity to products offered by numerous suppliers. The
protocol created by Echelon has been adopted by numerous standards organizations
worldwide, including ANSI, CEA and IEEE in the United States; CEN in Europe, and
GB in China. As an industry standard, developers have the added confidence that the
protocol has been scrutinized and approved by standards organizations. The protocol is
extremely well documented and administered by standards bodies, not a single company.

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Field Proven Solution

Lets face it, consumers are finicky. If a product does not work as promised, consumers
will not hesitate to return it for a full refund. Retail return rates trickle through the system
from the retailer to the wholesaler, the distributor, and ultimately the manufacturer.
Rather than rely on an unproven technology it is important to adopt solutions that are
both proven and reliable. Echelon offers a robust platform for manufacturers to build
reliable products that work all of the time, rather than most of the time. The companys
fourth generation power line chip set has been installed in over 27 million electricity
meters throughout Italy. It is important to note that Echelon supports communication over
numerous wired options including twisted pair, coax, and optical fiber.
Affordability Increases Market Reach
Consumers, for the most, part are extremely cost conscious. No matter the level of the
cool factor of a particular product, consumers will always weigh the cost benefits of the
product before making a purchase decision. Echelon offers a complete platform of
products to enable the rapid development of products to speed time to market. The
companys chipset offerings are competitively priced with both wired and wireless
solutions available today. It is important to look beyond the hype of given technologies
and make an apples to apples comparison. Echelon has a proven history of driving down
development and implementation costs of its products and solutions.
Scalability Supports Market Reality
Homes come in all shapes and sizes. What works for one home, may not be appropriate
for another. Some consumers may want one or two intelligent devices in their homes,
while others may require several hundred. Echelons solution provides a completely
scalable architecture that can support a virtually unlimited number of intelligent devices.
Industry Ecosystem
Echelon has a proven history of creating successful ecosystems to enable market
development. There are thousands of companies around the world using its platform for
intelligent, networked devices and systems. Echelon intends to leverage its successful
track record in energy, building automation and home control to create a homogeneous
ecosystem of suppliers, service providers and installers committed to creating the
consumer mass market for control networking.

Introducing the Digital Home Alliance

Echelon recognizes that consumers are not concerned about technology. In order to foster
the mass market for smart homes the industry must deliver practical, yet affordable
solutions to consumers needs. Products must be intuitive so that anyone in the household
can not only use them, but feel comfortable interacting with them. This means that new
interfaces must be provided that are extensible to the consumer, allowing unparalleled
customization and personalization.
The essential technology is available today to enable the mass market for digital home
products and solutions. There are countless companies offering or developing products
for this market today based on Echelons proven, cost effective solutions. Now is the time

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to utilize standards based solutions that can connect disparate consumer products using
the power wiring already installed in every home. In order to facilitate market growth and
acceptance, Echelon is launching a global initiative called the Digital Home Alliance.
The Digital Home Alliance (DHA) is a global
program consisting of leading manufacturers,
service providers, and integrators committed to
delivering open, interoperable solutions to the
digital home. DHA members share a common
vision whereby consumers can purchase costeffective, reliable, off-the-shelf products
delivering a positive user experience.
The only way to truly build the digital home market is by eliminating the fear of
technology by consumers. Digital Home Alliance members can participate in a large
ecosystem of complimentary networked home control products, focusing attention on
their unique value proposition to consumers, rather than the underlying technology or
protocol.
Digital Home Alliance Goals
The primary goals of the DHA Alliance are as follows:
Establish home control in terms of value to consumer
Deemphasize technology, protocol and complexity from consumers
Establish a global network of industry leaders offering complimentary products
and services
Enable consumers to embrace advanced network products and new applications
Help members reach more customers
The Benefits of Membership
Members of the Digital Home Alliance will have access to a number of tangible and
intangible benefits, including:
Industry Ecosystem Members will be able to leverage a global community of
suppliers, service providers and installers who share a common interest in the
Digital Home marketplace.
Marketing Programs Members can participate in a myriad of marketing
programs designed to give maximum exposure for their products and services.
Product Discounts Members receive special pricing on Echelon products as an
incentive to join the program and promote the Digital Home to consumers.
Consumer Awareness Members can pool resources in order to stretch their
marketing budgets further by leveraging the purchasing power of a larger group.
Market Expansion Members can focus on their products and services, while
leveraging the Digital Home Brand to reach new markets and consumers.
Web Portal Members can utilize a dedicated web portal
(www.digitalhome.com) showcasing products, services and solutions available to
consumers.
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Joining the Digital Home Alliance

Suppliers, installers and service providers sharing Echelons vision and commitment to
the mass market for home control products are encouraged to join the Digital Home
Alliance. Companies joining the Digital Home Alliance must sign an agreement
stipulating their intention to develop or install products incorporating one or more
Echelon products:
PL or FT Smart Transceivers
ISI library
LonBridge or OSGI bundle
Switched leg technology
Lamp and Appliance Modules
The agreement includes guidelines for using the Digital Home logo on products,
marketing materials and product packaging to reinforce consumer confidence that
products are reliable, interoperable and affordable.

Conclusion
Echelon offers the best solution to enable the global mass market for digital home
products. Although Echelon is best known as a supplier of commercial and industrial
solutions for control networking, the companys products are used by many companies as
the foundation for their intelligent consumer products. Because it works so well as the
ingredient in solutions facilitating reliable two-way communications, it goes largely
unheralded. Because its embedded in so many companies core product offerings, it goes
largely unaccredited. Because its not wireless, it lacks the hype of trendiness.
The Echelon platform is ideally suited for enabling smart home products because it
simply works - everywhere. It is the only technology solution supported by leading
standards authorities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. In fact, it is the only home
control networking standard in the United States, where it is known as ANSI/CEA 709.1.
Echelon believes that the market for smart home products and solutions is emerging
rapidly worldwide and there are already countless companies offering or developing
products for this market today based on Echelons proven, cost effective solutions. Now
is the time to utilize standards based solutions that can connect disparate consumer
products using the power wiring already installed in every home. Echelon is launching
the Digital Home Alliance to enable market growth and acceptance by consumers
worldwide.
For more information on the Digital Home Alliance, please contact Barry Haaser, Senior
Business Director, LONWORKS Infrastructure Business at +1 408 790 3147 or
bhaaser@echelon.com.

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