More than three-fourths (77 percent, exactly) of security installation companies are either installing or planning to install distributed audio and video in the next 24 months, according to the 2012 CEDIA EXPO attendee survey. If you are not dipping into additional installations in the home, then you may be left in the dust — and if you are trying to break into this side of the industry, then you may find yourself with many questions. Either way, there is no better way to lay the foundation for excellent installations than with training from industry experts.

What you may want to do first is determine what your skill set is. If you are already familiar with running cables and other fundamentals, then it may be time to tackle the harder topics. CEDIA’s Advanced Networking & Systems Integration Boot Camp is full of advanced training that you need if you are going to be working beyond security systems in the home. A fully automated home has many parts and they all depend on one another to deliver that “connected home” experience. Here is what you need to know to take on CEDIA’s Advanced Networking & Systems Integration Boot Camp.

•          Start Pre-Training Before You Attend. Maybe the name gives it away but CEDIA’s Advanced Networking and Systems Integration Boot Camp is “advanced.” It will be assumed that all students attending the boot camp have home networking knowledge, and the pace of the class cannot be slowed to accommodate questions about these fundamentals. The good news is that attendees can take advantage of online courses available at discounted rates to get them up to speed on all things networking. Visit cedia.net/SIbootcamp to learn more.

•          Get the Full Picture. Rather than focusing on the individual pieces of the puzzle, this boot camp is designed to give an unbiased, hands-on, and full-picture view to networking and systems integration.

It spans five days, with the first portion focused on the networking, the second on programming, and the final day testing your knowledge with the opportunity to take the Residential Networking Specialist Credential exam. With a focus on installing, configuring, and programming multiple residential electronics subsystems into a unified home automation platform (all using a mobile device as both an entertainment source and system controller), this class is for technicians who are serious about gaining these advanced skills.

•          You Can Earn the CEDIA Residential Networking Specialist Credential. Fees for taking the Residential Networking Specialist Exam are included in your Boot Camp registration. A CEDIA Residential Networking Specialist is an individual who has mastery of the fundamentals of designing, installing and configuring a network in the home. This credential is the only one of its kind and will help set you apart as a home network specialist within the industry. Advanced Networking & System Integration Boot Camp can help prepare you to take this exam.

•          Show Me the Money. Showing a continuous growth in revenue for the past five years, systems control and integration has become a mainstay in the residential electronic systems industry. That is why it is not just smart, but absolutely necessary for home technology professionals to get trained on implementing networking and systems integration into their projects.

•          Know Your Skills. If you’re not ready for advanced training, that’s OK. Better to know your skills than to get lost trying to keep up. CEDIA offers two other boot camps that could be right up your alley. Basic Residential Boot Camp is a three-day session covering the true residential fundamentals. Home Theater Boot Camp is a step up from basic. This training, which is also three days, teaches the skills necessary to properly install, set up and calibrate a typical home theater or media room system.

Visit cedia.net to learn about Boot Camp.

 Contributed by the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association.  To learn more about CEDIA membership visit www.cedia.org/join.