The 2005 CEDIA Expo in Surfers Paradise is over. Held at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, the event was the platform for several vendors to launch new products into the convergence marketplace. Companies like Hills Industries chose the event to launch a complete new division, while Pioneer - while not winning any awards for their plasma range, which came as a big surprise to many - launched a brand new Microsoft Media Center platform, which will only be sold to custom integrators selling into the home automation market. A big hit at the show was the SmartHouse Reseller massage angels. Sponsored by Samsung and D-Link, the girls provided five-minute muscle relief to a queue of stressed-out vendors and attendees. Audio Marketing showed off the new integrated Focal iCub sub woofer which works across a wireless network and can be integrated to work with an iPod. This product, while exposed to the CE channel, is ideal for IT resellers selling into the home or office market. (See more on this product later).
Over at the Total Q stand there was a lot of action – apart from pretty women serving coffee and beer. Rob Saunders announced a competitor to the Clipsal Wireless lighting system. Starting as low as $250, which means a move into new distribution channels, the idea behind the new system is that one can replace an existing lighting and power switches with a product that seamlessly integrates home technologies into a lighting system.
