SW Designer Profile: fi Smart Homes

Electronic technicians, James and Brent, would like a dollar for every time someone told them that wires aren't needed in a new home because wireless can do the job.

"We keep coming across the same misconception from builders and consumers that everything is wireless - that you don't need cables", says James Stewart, General Manager of fi Smart Homes. "Our experience has always been that all good wireless technology depends on a wired backbone. While Wi-Fi can be used for some applications, such as transmitting data between computers, they cannot transfer anywhere near the same amount of information as a wire."

The Business Development Manager for fi Smart Homes, Brent Chapman, has convinced home owners, builders and developers alike about the importance of Smart Wiring and how it acts as the skeleton on which technology can be introduced to the home.

Fi's showroom in Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast provides a hands-on demonstration of many of these technologies, including access control, automation, home theatre, distributed audio, intercom and lighting control. Consumers can have a go using touch screens and remotes to operate a variety of products including those that come out of the ceiling on motorised droppers and flip up out of cabinets.

With the increasing integration of consumer electronics and the Internet, there is a growing need for homes to be plugged into a Smart Wired data network. This year electronics manufacturer, Panasonic, incorporated an Ethernet port into its TV panel, allowing viewers to watch TV one minute and click onto YouTube the next. It seems no longer is your TV point just a coaxial cable, it now needs a data point for the quick and reliable transfer of data.

In the end what most consumers want is for technology to simplify their lives and this is what Smart Wired designers like James and Brent strive to achieve. "We sit down with clients at our showroom in Noosa or at our design centre in Kawana to discuss their plans and pull together a concept for what they are trying to achieve", says Brent.

In fact one of the strong selling points for fi Smart Homes is that rather than outsourcing work, they do everything in-house, from the design and installation to the support and service. As well as possessing all the relevant industry accreditations, many staff members have formal qualifications in electronics. Brent for example is an electronics technician by trade and has been in the industry for over 25 years, working in fields like underground communications networks, stage production and satellite installation.

"Everyone's wish is for technology to be easy to use, so we try to make the user interface as simple as possible," says James. "We do a handover on every project so the customer is happy with what they have bought. If people are not comfortable using the technology, they are not going to like it in their home."

Contact
fi Smart Homes is a Telstra Velocity preferred supplier.
You can contact Brent, James and the fi Smart Homes team on ph: 07 5455 6300
www.fismarthomes.com.au