Convergent Technologies, who were last year dropped by US automation company Control 4 in controversial circumstances, has re-entered the Australian market after snaring the rights to European automation company Teletask.The new automation brand will be launched at the 2011 CEDIA Expo which opens today in Sydney at Daring Harbour.
Teletask who has been in the automation business for 26 years delivers a multitude of control capabilities using stylish European wall touch panels as well as via an iPad and iPhone applications.
According to Nick Libertone, Teletask delivers a wider range of capabilities because they have been in the automation business longer than Control 4.
“We are able to deliver control for a lot more devices and service than whatever we could with Control 4. We have drivers for curtains, blinds and shutters as well as heating, cooling and ventilation systems,” he said.
When asked how he intended to recruit resellers and installers in what is becoming a crowded automation market, Libertone said: “We are going to be very selective. We only want to deal with premium installers who can deliver the high end of the automation market. We have a stylish range of European fittings that deliver easy to use function’s to a range of touch plates, unlike most other competitors in the market. We have drivers for AV, TV communication including door control as well as for watering systems”.
The entry level cost of the new Teletask system starts at $15K.
Libertone said that one of the standout features of the new system is simplicity. “This is an extremely elegant automation system that is easy on the eyes and highly functional. Teletask already operate in more than 20 countries. They have been in business 24 years and what we are getting is not only their experiences but the ability to control a lot more than what my competitors are able to deliver”.
At the time, Stephen Miller, the executive director of CEDIA Asia Pacific, said: “As soon as I heard the news I wanted to call Control4 and give them a piece of my mind but I was stopped by the USA. Control4’s decision does not make sense. CEDIA members and non CEDIA members are not happy because everyone recognises the work that Nick Libertone and the team at Convergent Technologies has done to build the Control4 brand in Australia”.
