New technology is always in some sense a little frightening and permeated with uncertainty, whether real or perceived. The very nature of it makes us cautious and reluctant to accept it. We then in turn, take smaller steps and fewer risks. While sometimes these new technologies give us cause to pause, it also offers us the greatest opportunities for growth.
Wireless, in our automated HVAC world, evokes a range of emotions and opinions from total avoidance to complete incorporation. Some have tried it and failed and wouldn’t touch it again, while others have used it and look for opportunities to use it again. Apart from any personal experiences with wireless, the wireless market and demand is only going to grow.
When we discuss the future we generally shrug our shoulders and give up on any notion that we can know what’s coming, but that’s not actually true. We can see, with a surprising amount of accuracy, what’s ahead for us. We can, to some degree, see the future!
Daniel Burris in his book, Flash Foresight, discusses two type of changes; cyclical and linear. Cyclical change oscillates or varies with time. Linear change is a change that occurs and never reverses itself. The demand for school work will change as schools open and close. That’s cyclical. However, the evolution of wireless will never reverse itself. It’s only going to get easier to use, have a longer range, work with more applications and have a greater demand. That’s linear change.
Wireless technology has changed our lives, from the earlier days of remote controls and the internet, to our smart phones. Wireless technology allows us to be mobile, connected and accessible all at the same time…it’s a liberator. That same technology we use for our personal lives is changing the building automation industry as well. End users are demanding cost effective solutions to monitor and control their systems with flexibility and mobility.
As wireless technologies continue to grow, the availability of wireless products is increasing and the costs of wireless solutions continually go down. The benefits of wireless solutions are outweighing wired solutions at an increasing rate. At some point it will become more economical to install a wireless solution than it is to install a wired solution.
Andy Lin, Kele’s Product Manager for Wireless & Network Solutions has observed, ”Wireless is the future conduit for building automation and we are knocking on the door of hyper growth.” If you are thinking like Kele is thinking, you will want to be ready to capture as much of that market as you can. That’s why we are preparing now.
We are actively searching for more wireless sensors and products from more suppliers that can be incorporated into the building automation industry. We have a product manager dedicated to this effort and a staff to support and grow this line of products. Wireless can be challenging to apply that’s why Kele is focusing to make it easy for you to grow with us. Check out our network and wireless section at Kele.com on a regular basis for exciting new products and solutions for your applications.
For more information on this exciting area of our HVAC world contact Andy at andy.lin@kele.com; or, if you have comments about this article, you can contact me as well; don.adams@kele.com.
