Welcome to Our Smart Home Technology Blog

If you had mentioned smart boardroom AV systems or HD video conferencing just a couple of decades ago, people would have seen the prospect as too futuristic to ever happen. Collaborating with stakeholders across the globe? Communicating with remote teams thousands of miles from your Dallas, TX, office?

Now, however, these notions feel commonplace, as modern offices demand the best AV tools and an ever-faster internet connection to piece all the components together. As we head into the new decade, don’t neglect to update your boardroom to suit your video-conferencing needs. Keep reading to see why it’s so vital to your profitability, employee satisfaction and more.

SEE ALSO: Reduce Your Office Energy Costs by Switching to Smart Climate Control

The Future of Meetings

Automation and enhanced AV solutions speed up those once-daunting tasks, urging business owners to take more risks and optimize every meeting.

Meetings are no longer location-dependent, meaning owners can reduce expenses needed to fly contacts into their physical office. Similarly, you no longer must search for employees within 50 miles of the Dallas area: Find top talent from virtually anywhere. Not to mention, your in-house employees gain some flexibility to work from home if a need arises.

According to the US Energy Information Association, HVAC usage accounts for 23 percent of total energy consumption by businesses. That means heating, cooling, and ventilating your spaces is a significant overhead cost. And if you're not careful, you could end up wasting energy and driving up the price tag of your monthly energy bill. Here, we'll show you how integrated technology can help you manage climate control in your Dallas, TX, business.

See Also: STOP WASTING MONEY ON INEFFICIENT COMMERCIAL LIGHTING

Smart Automation

Automated technology can help you reduce the amount of energy your thermostat is using. A combination of smart sensors and energy management software will help you stay afloat of what’s happening throughout your commercial space. And if you notice an opportunity to save, you can easily make adjustments with a single touch.

Many businesses use occupancy sensors to help manage light. But integrated technology means multiple systems can work together to help you benefit. When a room is not in use, your system can adjust the thermostat to a pre-set degree so that it won't waste energy cooling. And when someone enters the room, it will automatically lower the temperature.

Energy monitoring is a great way to keep track of the spaces that use the most electricity. Power meter controllers and branch monitoring transformers can help you keep track of specified areas so you can adjust settings to reduce costs.

Almost everyone we know is grumbling about Daylight Savings Time and for good reason. It seems that the brief time period in which we enjoy sunlight has dwindled into a few hours, and many of us are feeling more sluggish as a result. Now that Texas has finally started showing signs of winter, your employees might feel a little cabin fever within your office walls, which interferes with brainstorming and creativity.

You can enjoy more of the illumination you and your employees need just by adding motorized shades to your Irving, TX, space, and you can even save money in the process. Keep reading to see how one solution can do both.

SEE MORE: How Lighting Control Makes Your Conference Room Smarter

Harvest Sunlight

We’ve all experienced the dreaded 3 p.m. lag, which often coincides with the time that we need to be the most productive. Liven up the post-lunch conference room meeting by brightening your surroundings! Human rhythms depend on bright daylight illumination to power us through the morning and afternoon. Motorized shades with photo sensors “read” the amount of daylight outside and automatically raise the blinds to optimize light intake. We can program your shades to rise and fall at preset times, based on circadian rhythm patterns.

...And Heat

Did you know that some of  that light coming through your office’s windows converts to energy? According to an Energy.gov study, up to 40% of a building's heating energy is lost through windows during heating seasons. Motorized shades effectively decrease your heating bills in two ways - by allowing more of the sunlight to come in and heat the house and by trapping cold air outside. Let’s look closer.

We’ve all been into that Dallas conference room that was less than impressive. Most of them shared some standard features: you could walk in and instantly notice the fluorescent light and antiquated furniture that heralded a bygone era of corporate life.

AV enthusiasts would notice deeper conference room design issues as soon as someone started using the room. We’ll reveal some pain points that signal an office that you can leave in the 2010s and some quick fixes that will make your Texas office future-ready. Keep reading!

SEE ALSO: Conference Room AV Upgrades You Will Want for Your Business

Clunky Speakers

Minimalism might not be everyone’s style, but if you see floor speakers everywhere, with no audio gear in the speakers or walls, we usually take it as a sign that your office is outdated. Speakers littering the floor indicate that you might not be achieving the surround-sound quality necessary to fully participate in video conference calls, for one thing. Also, audio clutter doesn’t look as attractive or professional and takes up too much real estate in smaller rooms.

Wires Galore

Similar to our gripe with multiple floor speakers, visible wiring everywhere diminishes an otherwise sophisticated, modern office aesthetic. We can streamline all your A/V components into a rack that we conceal somewhere like a closet. No more tripping over cables on your way to the screen or trying to figure where to plug in a cable to start using audio or video.

Have you started planning for the holidays yet? We all feel the added time pressure involved in buying gifts for everyone on our lists, booking our flights, preparing food to take to potlucks and the various demands of the season.

When you’re traveling and relaxing with family, we don’t want you to waste a moment worrying about your Dallas, TX, home’s safety. Curious to find out how a comprehensive home security system steps in and mitigates risks while you’re away? Keep reading!

SEE ALSO: 3 Benefits You Can Expect From a Professional Smart Home Installation

Risk #1 - Porch Piracy

FedEx says that, according to a recent industry study, 75% of Americans are concerned about porch piracy today. During the holidays, we have even more reason to worry, as millions of us order online. Many of your packages will arrive sometime when you’re far away, sitting on your stoop for days.

The integrated boardroom AV system in your Dallas, TX business should function efficiently and deliver the results you want. Whether you’re using multiple systems simultaneously or you’re operating individual controls, you need a user interface that’s simple to navigate and user-friendly. With the latest update to its Mercury software, Crestron aims to streamline its already-simple user interface with more intuitive navigation features. Plus, new updates also include integration with Microsoft Teams. To learn more, keep reading.

SEE ALSO: 5 Must-Have Technologies for Your Boardroom Automation System

Mercury UI Updates

The latest updates are intended to make it easier for users to find what they need. More information is available on the home screen, including room schedule, status, and availability. With a glance, users will know precisely how and when the room is being used.

Other updates include integration with AirMedia 2.0 for more straightforward wireless presentations, which simplifies presentations on your boardroom AV system. The software automatically detects the user's browser for instant wireless sharing.

The firmware comes pre-loaded onto all current Crestron Mercury products and is available as an automatic update on existing systems.

We’re pretty sure you can recall some conference room blunders that you’ve witnessed, or maybe even something that happened to you. Maybe you fumbled with the AV controls well into your presentation time or asked your client to repeat the words you missed during a particularly high-stakes meeting. Of course, the common scenarios we talk about in this blog are uncomfortable, providing adequate reasons to fix the culprit. We only wished that the problem ended there.

In a business setting, too many communication breakdowns, AV issues or scheduling problems don’t just mar your reputation: They could also cause you to lose out on valuable business partnerships. We’ll talk today about how thorough conference room design mitigates a host of mishaps, so keep reading!

SEE ALSO: 3 Ways Interactive Whiteboards Boost Employee Engagement

You Feel Extra Pre-Presentation Frustration

Many of us have endured an anxious moment right before a presentation. Coupled with the expected nerves, perhaps you didn’t get enough time to prepare, which compounds your stress.

The pressure increases if you don’t know your way around the AV equipment. Imagine you’re already late and fumbling with switches just to turn your screen on and finally start speaking. Instead, you could press one button from your Crestron control pad and let automation organize your meeting for you. We can’t arrange a perfect PowerPoint, but we can set the scene for your presentation success.

Whether you’re building a new home or renovating, we’re sure you’ve seen the deluge of DIY products that keep popping up everywhere. Maybe you’ve investigated some of these big-box products yourself and weighed the pros and cons of going it alone versus enlisting expert help. We suggest leaving those packaged “solutions” on the shelf.

Instead, we at DeVance Electronic Lifestyle highly recommend a pro smart home automation installation for several reasons, three of which we’ll cover today. Curious to see why? We’ll reveal more in this article.

SEE ALSO: Interior Design Trends for the Smart Home

Everything’s Customized

Before we start your installation project, we sit down with you and discuss any individual preferences you might have. That conversation feels open ended and leads us to dozens of possibilities informing everything from your design preferences to your family’s control needs.

In previous blogs, we’ve discussed how lighting automation can save a significant sum each month, especially when you incorporate some low-voltage wiring and occupancy sensors. For example, today’s shift to LED lighting has slashed energy costs nearly in half.

This month, we’ll focus more on employees and how lighting ties into their job satisfaction and performance. When surveyed by the American Society of Interior Design, most employees voiced dissatisfaction with their office’s lighting. Corporate lighting is often static and fluorescent, but there is an alternative. We’ve found that human-centric lighting, like the Lutron solutions we’ll describe here, improves morale and productivity, assets which can, in turn, affect your Dallas, TX, business’s bottom line. Keep reading to learn how lighting could provide a health benefit to your staff.

SEE ALSO: How Lighting Control Makes Your Conference Room Smarter

Lighting, With People in Mind

Human bodies crave varying lighting brightness and tone during different times of day, corresponding to the sun’s rise and fall. The problem? We spend about 90% of our days inside. As a result, we’re shut off from the illumination that we need to power through our tasks throughout the day, sleep well at night; then wake up and repeat. How can you break the vicious cycle and get your employees’ health back on track?

Why Timing Matters

Often, employees talk about office lighting in terms of feeling “unnatural,” even if they’re not sure why. Corporate lighting’s tone and brilliance usually doesn’t correspond to the time of day. Your staff might notice these affects as mood problems at first, including irritability and sluggishness.

The US Department of Energy estimates that by the year 2030, LED lights could save up to $15 billion in energy costs across the country. In other words, if you haven't upgraded your commercial lighting system with LED fixtures yet, your business is probably wasting money. So why wouldn't you want to lower energy costs in your Frisco, TX business by giving your system an updated boost? In this blog, we'll show you how smart building technology, lighting control, and low-voltage fixtures efficiently reduce energy costs. Keep reading for more.

SEE ALSO: How Lighting Control Makes Your Conference Room Smarter

Save up to 60% with Smart Lighting

Integrated lighting control is an easy way to start saving money immediately. According to Lutron, an automated system can save up to 60 percent of the energy used in a non-automated or manual system. In fact, depending on your lighting strategy, you may even save in other areas, like HVAC cooling.

With an integrated lighting control system, you can schedule lights to adjust their levels based on the time of day and peak operating hours. Strategic scheduling can save up to 20 percent on lighting usage alone.

Occupancy sensors minimize the need to turn lights on and off throughout the day. When users enter or leave a room, the system will automatically respond. Efficient sensors can save up to 60 percent of a room’s lighting usage.

If you’ve been in the business world for a while, we’re sure you’ve experienced the wonders of video conferencing firsthand. Remote employees depend on it for a connection to in-office teams, and clients and prospects rely on webcams when doing business with you.

Are you using the platform and technology that fulfills your attendees’ various needs? In this article, we’ll explore some key differentiators between two of the most popular systems, Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Plus, we’ll show you how you can take full advantage of Crestron Flex – the next generation of boardroom technology products from the business automation leader. Curious to see what we might recommend for you? Read on to which one you need to start using in your Dallas, TX, office.

SEE ALSO: 3 Commercial Audio-Video Trends That Hospitality Business Owners Should Know

Microsoft Teams

If you’re a devout Microsoft user, we think you’ll enjoy the flawless integration with programs like Outlook that will let you find and share emails and group chats in lightning speed. You can start a discussion, via chat or video, right from the Teams platform, or host a meeting that takes only seconds to create. Users enjoy the platform’s intelligence, which allows them to find resources -- from transcriptions of recorded texts to relevant, searchable chats and files -- to bring to any discussion.

Microsoft Teams is free to download, with partial functionality and no commitments. For a more robust experience, Teams is available as part of Office 365 Business Premium for $12.50 per user, per month, or Office 365 Enterprise E3 for $20 per user, per month, which unlocks the full range of features.

Have you been considering a whole-house audio installation for your Frisco, TX, home? Maybe you’ve worked with us before for a single-room setup, or you are starting anew with a fresh construction that you want to enhance with a robust, wired installation.

We’ll show you why DeVance Electronic Lifestyle serves as your premier resource for all things audio, and we’ll show you why you should trust us for every sonic experience.

SEE ALSO: 3 Creative Ways to Use Your New Audio Distribution System

A Brief Day in the Life with Whole House Audio

Have you ever imagined how life would be different if you could wander through your house and experience high-quality audio in every room? We’re about to give you a brief tour of a perfect day after your DeVance whole-home audio installation, so keep reading.

It’s 9 a.m. on a Saturday, and you’re just waking up. Your bedroom speakers play your favorite dance playlist. As you walk down to the kitchen to grab your first cup of coffee, you can keep your energetic music going.

Given the surge in commercial automation and audio-video technology, today’s customer arrives with heightened expectations. Tech-drenched hospitality centers, including hotels, pubs and restaurants, grow more commonplace and accessible, and your guests will expect more businesses to raise the bar. It’s unfortunate but true: If the hotel down the road from your Frisco, TX, location offers voice control, your prospective guest might choose to go there instead.

Attract more guests, and keep returning customers safe and entertained, whether you own a hotel, restaurant, bar or resort. We’ll share a few of the top commercial audio and video and automation trends and how you can apply them to your hospitality business with the expert help of DeVance Electronic Lifestyle. Curious? Keep reading.

SEE ALSO: Boost Sales and Work Smarter With Digital Signage

Big, Immersive Entertainment

As video displays get more and more expansive and even cover entire walls, hospitality-sector managers should think bigger when it comes to entertainment. Whether you’re preparing your new bar for a busy SEC season or building a more competitive resort property with poolside TVs, don’t dismiss the power of video walls and massive displays. They’ll keep guests entertained and therefore more likely to say “Yes!” to a second round or dessert, increasing your profits. Size isn’t the only consideration: Ensure you have enough displays dispersed around the property to entertain a diverse fan base.

Every vertical within hospitality will also benefit from audio. Spas rely on music to help relax their guests while they enjoy a massage or facial service. Hotels need the right ambiance to greet lobby customers. Restaurants require masterful sound dispersion and volume control so diners can hear the music and their conversations.

When we talk about multi-room audio, also known as audio distribution, we often mention the most popular, common way to enjoy it – through streaming services like TIDAL, Deezer, Pandora and a host of others. Fortunately, our choice partners for home automation systems, Crestron, RTI and Control4, are compatible with multiple streaming applications, letting you find countless tracks to play anywhere in your home. While our clients love their music-streaming services, we’ve discovered more ways to engage with your favorite media, using home automation, high-end speakers, audio receivers and, of course, a customized installation.

Did you know that you can think beyond digital content and take full advantage of your home audio-video system in more creative ways? Keep reading to learn what we’d love to help you explore firsthand in your Highland Park, TX, home

SEE ALSO: What Is Whole-House Audio Video?

Turntables

Old equipment, meet new technology. If you miss the long-gone days of listening to music from retro devices, we think you'll be delighted that these once-antique music players are making a comeback.

Did you know that more than half of people identify as visual learners? Those people, likely many of your staff members, want to see and interact with pictures when they process important company information.

Are your presentations speaking to them? At DeVance Electronic Lifestyle, we recommend giving people tools that facilitate open, impactful communication. Engage your staff and empower them to participate with conference room equipment. If you want to combine the perks of visual tools with hands-on application, there’s no better place to start than interactive whiteboards. Keep reading to see why we find these devices beneficial for engaging employees and building stronger teams right from your Irving, TX, conference room.

SEE ALSO: Conference Room AV Upgrades You’ll Want for Your Business

Work the Room

As a manager or business owner, we’re sure you’re familiar with this scenario: You’re presenting and trying to get everyone engaged, but instead you see blank stares around the conference room. Spare yourself this embarrassment by breaking the ice with interactive whiteboards that ensure feedback from even the most reluctant or introverted employees.

When you’re planning a conference room and considering all the commercial audio video details, you’ll likely first think about the most noticeable elements you need -- like your display and speaker technology.

In our many years of experience installing automated boardrooms, we have found that often, the smaller, less flashy components make or break the meetings. Keep reading to better understand what we mean, and which three factors you should no longer ignore!

SEE ALSO: Boost Sales and Work Harder With Digital Signage

Room Scheduling Software

Many hiccups can arise during a meeting scheduling process. It’s not uncommon, for example, for someone to set up a video conference but forgets to send the link to your calendar. A software glitch can allow a room to get double-booked.

Designating a place and time for a simple meeting should never be painstaking. Crestron’s Fusion room scheduling software connects everyone in your office to an easy-to-use scheduling platform. Employees can see which rooms are available on touch screens throughout the office, and press a few buttons to book a meeting, set a space and invite attendees. For your convenience, Fusion syncs with standard email tools, like Outlook and Google.

We are firmly in the age of the smart home. From motorized shades and smart thermostats to lighting control and high-end home cinemas, there’s no shortage of devices aimed at automating and simplifying some part of your life. The trouble is, these devices aren’t always the easiest to use and don’t always cooperate with each other.

What’s the solution? In short: voice control. By uniting your various smart devices in one network overseen by your smart speaker, you get greater control over the technology in your home. Smart speakers are also very convenient to use, even in comparison to a universal touchpad remote.

You may curious about voice control platforms like Amazon Alexa. But how much do you know about what they can do? Not to worry; in today’s blog, we’ll show you how voice control can be an invaluable addition to the smart home control system for your Frisco, TX, living space.

SEE ALSO: 4 Tips for a Superior Media Room Installation

SIMPLE CONTROL THROUGHOUT YOUR HOME

A primary goal when installing a home automation system is to streamline how you manage your various devices. This way, they can all be managed from a central interface. One remote is undoubtedly better than multiple remotes, but voice control makes smart home control even simpler.

We live in a world saturated with advertisements everywhere we go. While this can be frustrating and overwhelming for consumers, businesses face a different problem: Getting your products and services noticed in a crowded media landscape. You need every tool at your disposal to cut through the noise and bring customers to your business.

Digital ads are a powerful technology for business owners regardless of size or industry. The ability to create more compelling displays with a more specific focus in less time is invaluable as a marketing tool, and that’s what digital signage offers. If you want to know more, here’s a list of ways this smart building control system is beneficial for businesses in the Irving, TX, region.

SEE ALSO: 5 Must-Have Technologies for Your Boardroom Automation System

GET THE WORD OUT FASTER

Designing, manufacturing and setting up traditional print displays is a time-consuming process. The information may be out of date by the time your signage is ready to go, or you may want to highlight different products and services. Digital signage makes switching the content of your displays simple and easy. With a few clicks or button presses, you can upload a new photo or video to the screen, and the process takes seconds instead of hours.

A WIDE ARRAY OF ADS

One significant advantage of digital signage is the wider variety of content you can display on them. Printed marketing materials give your words and images, but electronic displays allow to show videos, slideshows and more, as well as include an audio component. A video display with music is much more attractive to potential customers than a static image, and you can include a lot more information in the ad.

If there’s one space in your business that absolutely needs to shine, it’s your conference room. As a central location for meetings, presentations and more, your conference space needs powerful technology that works whenever you need it. This includes everything from your A/V system to your lights.

Yes, your lights. The lighting in your conference room impacts your productivity, energy efficiency and more. Commercial automation systems can lead to significant improvements in all these areas. Here’s why you should install conference room lighting control in your Irving, TX, business.

SEE ALSO: 5 Must-Have Technologies for Your Boardroom Automation System

LESS WASTE, GREATER CONTROL

Commercial lighting control not only reduces the amount of energy your business uses, but also helps you use that energy more efficiently. Automated lighting control uses motion sensors and other devices to make sure only occupied rooms – including your conference room – are using power. Lights and other electronics being used in empty rooms is one of the major inefficiencies businesses face, but it’s easy to address with lighting control.

Another way to improve efficiency is to use preset schedules. By setting your lights or certain fixtures turn on or off automatically at certain hours, you’ll conserve energy by not leaving lights on overnight unnecessarily. Over time these small gains add up to significant savings.

No matter how large or complex the project, a media room is a significant investment for any homeowner. Top-notch A/V equipment costs thousands of dollars, and there’s the time and effort required to design the room and install the various components. If you want a media room in your Dallas, TX, home, you want the best home theater systems and other features you can afford. Here are four guidelines to follow as you begin your media room project.

SEE ALSO: Does Your Home Have the Proper Wiring for Smart Tech?

USE A 4K DISPLAY

4K video content is much more readily available than in years past, and the price of 4K projectors and TVs has dropped significantly. With these facts in mind, a 4K display of some type is the logical choice for your home theater. We work with only the best brands to meet your display needs.

To give you the best possible viewing experience, it’s important to choose a display that’s the right size for your room. One tried-and-true guideline is that the distance between the screen and the viewer should be 1.5 to 3 times the size of the screen. In practical terms, this means that if you have about 10 feet (120 inches) between your display and the audience, you shouldn’t buy a display bigger than 6-7 feet (72-84 inches).

SURROUND SOUND IS CRUCIAL

Obviously, image quality is important when it comes to your media room, but quality sound matters just as much. To ensure you get quality sound, you’ll want surround sound for your space. At the very least, a 5.1 speaker setup is crucial. This speaker setup includes 5 main speaker channels (front, left, center, and two other channels placed somewhere behind or to the side) and one subwoofer to amplify the bass channel. These speakers can be placed on stands throughout the room, mounted in the walls or ceilings, or stand freely on the floor; go with the options that best suits your home’s aesthetic.