Welcome to Our Smart Home Technology Blog

In 1959, Joel Spira invented the rotary dimmer switch, Lutron’s initial claim to fame. Lutron’s popularity soared through consequent decades as they created customized lighting automation systems, motorized shades and controls for homes and businesses, perfecting their product offering along the way. Now one of the most significant names in the smart home industry, they’re innovating LED lighting, tunable lighting and motorized shades for Dallas, TX, offices like yours.

But with the other automated lighting systems out there, why do we consistently choose Lutron for business applications? You’ll discover a few of those reasons below!

SEE ALSO: Is Your Conference Room Design Ready for the Next Decade?

Streamlined Connection

Lutron uses custom repeaters that employ radio frequency technology to communicate, ensuring the smoothest connection and minimal network interference. This system, called Clear Connect RF, means that you never have to compromise the bandwidth needs of your AV system with your lighting and shading requirements, which pays off if you’re controlling many devices throughout a large, tech-heavy office. And whether you have two lights or two hundred, you can control dimming and color temperature, monitor energy usage or power down your whole office from anywhere by using your Lutron app.

Human-Centric Setup

Static lighting - illumination that doesn’t change temperature or brightness throughout the day - occupies most commercial centers: The American Society of Interior Design reports that 68 percent of employees complain about the lighting in their offices. We can blame this trend on the ubiquitous fluorescent light that raises many staff complaints - ranging from unshakable midday lethargy to early-morning jitters.

We recommend Lutron’s lighting control for businesses aiming to implement the lighting that humans need to thrive. Its brilliance and tone shift imperceptibly throughout the day but impact our productivity, alertness and well-being in noticeable ways. You might notice that your staff seems more focused and alert, even during that late-afternoon meeting.

Have meetings in your Dallas, TX, office been less productive or engaging than you would hope recently? Your audio might be to blame: Sound issues are one of the most distracting issues you can face while video conferencing, but we have a few solutions to try. Keep reading to see how to mitigate audio setbacks and engage your staff with the help from the DeVance Electronic Lifestyle team.

SEE ALSO: Winterize Your Office With Motorized Shades!

Maximize Your Microphones

You want everyone on the call to hear your message, loudly and clearly, but you’ve probably experienced poorly installed incoming audio that sounds garbled, quiet or staticky. Figuring out exactly where to place your microphones often requires a professional audio-video integrator’s skills, so that’s where we come in.

Have you ever asked someone to speak up in the conference call, only to get louder volume with more distortion? When we perform video conferencing equipment installations, we place microphones close to the people speaking so that sound quality doesn’t depend on volume. Digital sound processors, or DSPs, can distinguish between people speaking and noise, while automatic gain control can fine-tune your sound so that your microphone balances both your louder and softer-spoken participants.

Also consider whether omnidirectional or directional microphones work best for you. Many people think omnidirectional microphones at first because they pick up sounds from multiple directions: This effect captures audio from people speaking all around the room. However, omnidirectional mics pick up ambient noise, too.  Directional microphones target the meeting participant close by, and many microphones include DSP processing capabilities to clarify incoming and outgoing audio alike.

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.

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.

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.