Crestron, Rockleigh, N.J.,introduced its Crestron Connected^™ initiative, which provides the framework for a distributed cloud-based control system. Collaborating with leading manufacturers of commercial and home electronics products, Crestron is embedding its control platform intelligence in a wide selection of source equipment and display devices such as Blu-ray Disc^® players, flat panel HD TVs, and audio/video receivers. Products with Crestron Connected inside can be easily connected to any home or enterprise network using standard Ethernet cable. And seamlessly monitored, managed and controlled from any Web-enabled laptop computer or mobile device, such as an Apple^® iPod^®, iPad^® or Android^™ smartphone or tablet through Crestron Fusion RV^™ software, with no programming required.

Crestron Connected provides an easy to implement out-of-the-box solution. Simply open a secure webpage and every device on the network is instantly displayed. Crestron Fusion RV is then used to monitor, manage and control all electronic components in any room at any location around the globe. Integrators and IT managers can even get instant text or email notifications if, for example, a projector lamp fails or a device loses power.

“We need to evolve from a traditional hardwired, centralized control scheme to a distributed, cloud-based architecture,” said Fred Bargetzi, Crestron vice president of Technology. “Crestron Connected is an important first step toward enabling different products to talk together to create smarter homes and buildings. This new technology allows for easy, fast, and affordable implementation regardless of the size and complexity of your environment.”

Traditionally, control companies create a unique control module for every brand and product. A vast library of control modules is, therefore, required to create an integrated program, which is then uploaded to a central processor. All products are then hardwired back to the processor.

Crestron is taking the opposite approach. Now, to ensure stability and consistent interoperability between devices, Crestron is embedding its control intelligence in popular hardware and home electronics, eliminating the central processor and the need for hardwiring back to the headend.

“We're embedding the protocols in all the devices so that they establish a unified communication scheme,” Bargetzi says. “The advantage is that devices will no longer need to connect to the processor directly; everything connects to the cloud locally and communicates over the network.”

Devices that feature Crestron Connected inside can simply connect directly to the network from its Ethernet port. With plug-and-play and auto-discovery support, the need to program a central processor to translate all the different "languages" is effectively eliminated.

“For years everyone talked about interoperability, but that was never achieved because, in a competitive marketplace, every manufacturer implements the ‘standard’ differently.” explains Bargetzi. “With Crestron Connected we can achieve true interoperability among independently manufactured products using cloud-based processing. This is the direction our industry is going, and we're committed to leading the way.”

Learn more about Crestron Connected here.