The Voltimum Smart Solutions panel has been created to educate and inform electro-technicians about the IOT, smart solutions, connected devices, and any innovative technology that is impacting the electrical industry today and in the future.

The aim is to showcase the opportunities and effectively demonstrate how anyone in the electrical industry can benefit their business – including Electricians, Contractors, Home Entertainment Specialists, M&E consultants, and specifiers including end users.

In this podcast the panelist discuss about the meaning of "Smart Solutions".

Insight into moving towards the Internet of Senses...

This podcast is the fourth of five that feature highlights of the Voltimum roundtable. In this edition, the experts discuss about the use of the data coming from the Internet of Things.

This podcast is the third of five that feature highlights of the Voltimum roundtable. In this edition, the experts discuss aspects of connected devices being sold on the high street, and whether there are trading standards looking for any counterfeit devices.

Voltimum's Lighting Expert Panel discuss all issues LED lighting. The poor quality of low cost products, the importance of buying only from reputable manufacturers and suppliers, compliance with standards, compatibility with other equipment (especially dimmers and older control gear), product safety and testing, guarantees and education are the main issues to be concerned today. But how to avoid these? Listen to the podcast to find out...

This short podcast provides an overview of the current LED and fixture market and an insight into the future of LEDs. Highly focused on new LED technologies including the use of colour temperature and smart technology to improve the end user experience through scene setting and mood lighting in retail, commercial and domestic environments.

This podcast is the second of five that feature the highlights of the Voltimum roundtable. As the largest global community of electrical professionals, Voltimum has been talking extensively to its partners, as well as its community of over 400,000 installers and contractors, about the impact the Internet of Things (IoT) will have on businesses. The culmination of these discussions saw Voltimum host a roundtable with leaders from the electrical industry to discuss what needs to be done in preparation for the IoT revolution, in London last month.

The round table event was hosted by Alun Lewis, an IOT consultant and Voltimum contributor and attendees were Tony Greig CEO of Legrand, Tanuja Randery President of Schneider Electric UK and Irleand, Timon Rupp CEO of Innoventure, an Osram company, Kai Garrels Head of Standardisation and industry relations ABB, Gerry O’Donnell Head of stratgey and government affairs Philips, and Wolfgang Schickbauer the CEO of Voltimum.

This question was the Internet of Things - What happens when things go wrong? How important are standards and how well are they evolving? Differences to top-down, bottom-up approach? How are these being addressed by different bodies?

What is the Internet of Things (IoT)? One definition is that it is a network of physical objects (or ‘things’), each endowed with electronics, software, sensors and connectivity that will together enable it to achieve greater value and service by exchanging data with the manufacturer, operator and / or other connected devices.

To achieve this, every 'thing' - which could be an LED light source or luminaire, or thermostat, for example - must be uniquely identifiable through its embedded computing system, yet it must also be able to interoperate within the existing Internet infrastructure. Such devices already exist.

Typically, IoT covers many protocols, domains and applications, and should offer advanced connectivity of devices, systems, and services that goes beyond machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.

The interconnection of all such embedded devices will also help enable advanced applications such as smart grids. Not only that, with a huge increase in connected devices expected within a very few years, switched-on electrical contractors and installers should also be able to gain significant extra business from the IoT.