TheWire

I wrote this article for a magazine last summer. Based on the feedback I received, readers found this article helpful in visualizing how the latest technology can be seamlessly and invisibly integrated into the most classic home decor.

I’m usually the partner that is in the office, creating a website, calling on architects or trying to unravel the mystery of social media in an effort to spread awareness of our ever expanding technological offerings.  Sadly, I don’t often see the end result of the hours of design, engineering, programming and installation performed by our talented crew. So, on a recent (and rare) sunny day I took the opportunity to visit a residential lake side project that we are bringing to completion.  And despite the fact that I now have lake envy, I am thrilled on many levels that I took the time to see this marvelous home and the brilliant work of our team.

Imagine 15,000 square feet of lake side living, unobtrusively nestled in the moss and ferns and barely noticeable to the passing kayak. Despite the size, the home is nostalgic and inviting, like a child hood summer camp, complete with a soaring stone fireplace, 10 foot dining hall table, even boys and girls bunk ‘houses’.  And, proudly, our team played a significant role creating this feeling of comfort while preserving the wistful charm. 

These gracious clients invested many dollars in the technology of comfort, convenience, functionality and entertainment and entrusted us to keep it all out of site. Every bedroom has a flat panel TV hidden behind the doors of a cabinet designed to support and hide all of the wiring and peripheral components.  Every room offers multiple sources of music and volume control easily accessed from a low profile touch panel control, not a wire in sight. The reclaimed chestnut rafters, soft wool upholstery and well loved board games are unaware of the 60” plasma TV, only visible when it rises on a motorized lift from the custom cabinet where it hides.  No guest will ever fumble for a light switch as each room has labeled lighting control key pads which are programmed with preset lighting scenes specific to the space.  And though this is a lake side retreat, the homeowners are afforded all of the conveniences of wired and wireless internet, cell phone coverage, iPod docking and video gaming.

We installed 3 1/2 miles of structured cable, hooked up hundreds of electronic components and spent countless hours programming to the client’s specific needs.  But apart from enjoying all the fun and convenience you would hardly know we were ever there.  Thank you, job well done!

Most contractors enjoy relative clarity with regard to their business name and the work they provide.  After all, it is pretty easy to figure out  what you’ll be getting when you call  DJ’s Drywall, Perry’s Plumbing  or Fiona’s Framing.  But who are Ira’s Integrators?

A few years ago, electronic systems contractors adopted the term ‘integrator’ as an industry classification.  Although the professionals working in  this industry appreciate the comprehensiveness of the term ’integrator’,  consumers and industry partners are still coming to understand the breadth of services provided by these electronic systems professionals. 

So, what the heck is an integrator and when would you need to hire one?

Integrators provide the design, engineering and installation of  low voltage electronics.  Integrators are the experts responsible for all of the wiring infrastructure and equipment to support the comfort, convenience and entertainment elements of the home.

Comfort:  lighting systems, surveillance, motorized window shading, HVAC management

Convenience: telephone, cable, satellite,  internet, secure wireless networking, intercom, programmable remotes

Entertainment: home theater, media rooms, video displays, distributed audio, surround sound, outdoor music…

Most importantly integrators marry these individual disciplines together through thoughtful engineering and control devices which enable  the homeowner to access and operate all of these home enhancing technologies with ease and reliablility. 

In a non-integrated home, you might have an electrician installing computer and phone wires, a security contractor installing cameras and in-wall speakers and an HVAC contractor putting in programmable thermostats. Great! No, not really.

• Who will design and install the home computer network, ensuring the system is properly sized and wired to interface with the security system, music controls and thermostats?
• Who will make sure that the thermostats can communicate with the security system when you leave so that heat gets turned down?
• Who has calculated the gains and losses on your television wiring and sized the proper amplifier and downstream hubs to ensure optimized TV picture, free of snow, lines and pixilation?
• Who will provide the specifications to your cabinet make to be sure that all of your components will fit, have easy access and remain properly ventilated?
• Did any one mention the important benefit on energy management by using lighting control systems and motorized window treatments that can harvest natural sunlight?
• Who makes sure all of these devices are lined up properly on the wall, intuitive to use and properly coordinated?
• Who will make sure you have enough wire, infrastructure and product mix to accomodate future electronics needs?
• Who of these contractors has formal training and certifications in designing, engineering and implementing multi-discipline systems?

These are the roles of the integrator. Who to call? Ask your builder, designer or architect who they have come to trust on their projects.