Erik Budding on technology in the home. 'Smart living is normal now, will be the standard in a year'

Smart home solutions have become an integral part of our daily lives. Everyone with a smartphone uses the connectivity it provides to a greater or lesser extent not only with the outside world, but also with the world inside the home. Whereas years ago the shading industry led the way with smart home solutions, followed by the energy suppliers, now the focus is on how much can be controlled and monitored in the home from a single app. At BREL HOME, Erik Budding and Reinoud Arts notice that the demand for smart motors has become a standard demand. Technologically, the focus is now on further developing functionality and ease of operation. Z&R speaks with the gentlemen about the world of tomorrow. 

Individualization and independence are keywords

"Individualization and independence have become important aspects for consumers," Budding opens the conversation. "You can see that broadly: a consumer wants to be able to control products, including blinds and shutters, with their smartphone or tablet, with the desire to pre-program functions becoming ever greater. At BREL, for this reason, we pay a lot of attention to making the operations required for this simple. This is of course reflected in our app, but life can also be made easier for the installer. Just look at the new WiFi motors we have introduced. They are a good example. Doing more with fewer intermediate stations and fewer operations is the motto for these motors." 

"Our battery motors with solar panels are a great example of creating independence," adds Reinoud Arts. "Assembly and commissioning can all be done from the facade. No drilling into the wall or frame, just hang the product and adjust it. Looking further at independence, a plus of BREL HOME is that it is 'open source'. While our smart home solutions are only operable by the owner of the system, they are by no means solutions that are closed in terms of connectivity. We see our smart home solutions - think for example of our bi-directional wireless motors - increasingly being integrated into third-party smart home systems. Experience shows that there are now a number of leading brands in smart home solutions that work seamlessly with our products. This really helps the consumer. After all, they have the desire to enjoy fully integrated smart home functionality throughout the home." 

Collaboration with Fibaro

Cherry fresh news is the cooperation between BREL HOME and the well-known smart home brand Fibaro. "Fibaro is well known in the smart home solutions market and therefore has a very extensive range of possibilities," Erik Budding explains. "In fact, you can control everything in the house that has a plug on it with Fibaro. When we sat down with them to see where there was common ground between our companies, we quickly discovered that we could complement each other in a nice way. Since then, the partnership has been a reality and we are currently looking at things that can be integrated back and forth. The house of tomorrow? You control that 100% with your smartphone, your tablet or your voice. Already the most normal thing in the world today, if you ask me it will just be the standard next year!"