Control4

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Control4
Public
Traded as NASDAQ: CTRL
Industry Home Automation
Founded 2003
Founders Eric Smith, Will West, Mark Morgan
Headquarters Salt Lake City, Utah
Key people
 Martin Plaehn, CEO; Mark Novakovich, CFO
Number of employees
 400
Website control4.com

Control4 develops smart home automation systems to control lighting, entertainment, security, energy, and other connected devices.[1] The company's 2013 initial public offering was considered to be the 'first pure-play home automation IPO ever.'[2] Control4 is based in Salt Lake City, Utah with offices in York, England; Shanghai, China; Bangalore, India and San Jose, CA.[3]

History

Founded in 2003 by Eric Smith, Will West and Mark Morgan, Control4 debuted at the CEDIA 2004 home technology trade show and released its first products later that year.[4] The company received funding from Foundation Capital, Thomas Weisel Venture Partners, Signal Peak Ventures, Frazier Technology Ventures, and Cisco Systems[5] prior to its August 2, 2013 IPO.[2][5] Current CEO Martin Plaehn joined Control4 in September 2011.[6]

Products and services

Control4’s home automation systems have been likened to an operating system for the home.[7][8] The company develops a branded line of products and services to control home lighting, multi-room audio, and HVAC systems that utilize communication protocols such as ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Z-Wave.[9] Control4 also supports more than 8,000 devices[10] from third-party manufacturers, including the Nest smart home thermostat, [11] CoolMasterNet for seamless integration with VRF & Split HVACs,[12] Sonos music system,[13] and products from Sony[14] and Sub-Zero.[15] For example, with Control4, a homeowner could control “the ventilation in his garage, the music streaming to speakers in multiple rooms of his home, every light, the TV, the thermostat, even the Blu-Ray player in the guest house” from an iOS device.[16]

In 2012, Control4 released its Simple Device Discovery Protocol (SDDP), which makes products embedded with the code automatically discoverable on a Control4 network.[9] The company licenses the protocol, which is similar to Universal Plug and Play,[17] to other vendors for their products (such as Sony Bravia TVs).[14]

As of January 2015, over 100 developers supported SDDP in more than 500 devices, including Panasonic, Dish Network, Bose, TiVo, Epson, Harman Kardon, Denon, Pioneer, Sony, Sharp, and Yamaha.[9][18]

As of February 2015, Control4 was selling its products through a network of 2,676 North American and 787 international authorized dealers in 88 countries.[19][20]

Additionally, Control4 partners with national homebuilders, including Toll Brothers, to provide optional home automation packages to homebuyers.[21]

Proprietary products

  • Audio/Video - a line of audio and video distribution products for controlling entertainment throughout a home using a centralized source.[22]
  • Lighting - wireless, programmable lighting control systems, controlled by switches, dimmers, keypads and remote devices.[23]
  • HVAC - smart thermostats, compatible with most HVAC systems worldwide and remotely controllable.[24]
  • Touch screens - touch screens, handheld and stationary, that operate as dedicated interfaces for Control4 systems.[25]
  • Remote controls - Remote controls that enable control of an entire smart home system.[26]
  • Controllers - main device connecting and controlling the entire system.[27]
  • Sensors/Relays - motion and light sensors to automatically initiate actions within the system, like turning on the lights when you enter a room.[28]
  • Cameras - security cameras for video intercoms, or “door stations.”[29]

References

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  16. ↑ https://lilin.zendesk.com/entries/58683848-SDDP-Simple-Device-Discovery-Protocol
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  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  1. Official website
  2. Wilkinson, Darryl (February 2006). "Control4 Media Controller System". Home Theater Magazine.
  3. Sciacca, John (February/March 2006). "Control4 Whole-House Music Server/Automation System". Sound & Vision Magazine.
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