Crestron Goes Plug-and-Play with Cloud-Based Connected Initiative

Want a little Crestron with that HDTV? That’s the plan — and it seems pretty big. Today, Crestron unveiled the Crestron Connected initiative, the framework for a distributed cloud-based control system.

The idea is that Crestron will work with home electronics manufacturers, licensing Crestron’s Fusion RV software for use in those company’s products. In other words, Crestron could soon be in that HDTV, as well as Blu-ray players and AV receivers. If the product has Crestron Connected inside, it can be easily added to any home network, using a standard Ethernet cable. It’s plug and play, people!

Besides easy connectivity, Crestron Connected products can also be monitored, managed and controlled from web-enabled computers, smartphones and tablets, such as the iPad, iPhone, and others. That makes it easy to access, as well as monitor. So if something (please no) does go wrong with your system, your integrator can be notified via text or email.

“We need to evolve from a traditional hardwired, centralized control scheme to a distributed, cloud-based architecture,” said Fred Bargetzi, Crestron’s VP of technology. “Crestron Connected is an important first step toward enabling different products to talk together to create smarter homes and buildings. This new technology allows for easy, fast, and affordable implementation regardless of the size and complexity of your environment.

“For years everyone talked about interoperability, but that was never achieved because, in a competitive marketplace, every manufacturer implements the ‘standard’ differently,” explains Bargetzi. “With Crestron Connected we can achieve true interoperability among independently manufactured products using cloud-based processing. This is the direction our industry is going, and we’re committed to leading the way.”

Right now, Crestron has yet to announce the companies it will be working with on the Crestron Connected initiative, as well as when we will see products.