CE Pro November 2022 - 20

Networking+Home Control
company with a Nortek
Air Division (that included
the brands of Broan and
NuTone), an HVAC division
and a medical device
division, among others.
The low-voltage side of the
business included a portfolio
of security-based brands
(2GIG, Linear, GoControl)
that was grouped under the
Nortek Security & Control
umbrella, along another
umbrella group under the
Core Brands portfolio (Elan,
SpeakerCraft, Xantech,
Panamax, Proficient and
Gefen) company to Melrose
Industries.
Melrose subsequently
in 2017 dissolved the Core
Brands group and folded all
the brands into the Nortek
Security & Control (NSC)
umbrella. In April 2021,
Melrose sold off Broan and
NuTone, then in September
2021 Melrose sold the Nortek
Security & Control brands to
Nice for $285 million.
Nice was founded in
1993 and now has 3,000
employees across 22
countries, with 14 factories
and 15 technology centers
around the world. Back in
2005, it was listed on the
Italian stock exchange but
reverted back to a privately
owned company in 2019,
with founder Lauro Buoro
as the major owner. Indeed,
Nice S.p.A. is no stranger to
the smart home space. The
company was established in
the founder's garage making
automation equipment. The
Oderzo-based company acquired
Abode in 2018, one
of the leading DIY home security
system providers, and
later in 2018 acquired Fibaro
for $73 million, makers of
Z-Wave sensors.
Nice North America:
Smart Home & Building
Automation is the new
official name. Its 600
employees will be based in
Carlsbad, Calif., where the
company just completed a
new experience center that
showcases its broad array
of products that includes
garage door openers, shading
systems, controls, audio,
security, access control, gate
operators and PERS.
" It's a new chapter, " says
Nice North America CEO
Edoardo Malfè speaking
with CE Pro. " It was meant
to be. When we decided to
be a key player in the smart
home space, we could not
stay out of the U.S. "
Longhin says all the Nice's
acquisitions over the years
have been made to enrich
knowledge, culture, competence,
diversity and technology
for the company, not
necessarily to gain market
share. He says the new consolidated
Nice brand name
will allow the company to
better leverage the mixing
boundaries of the security,
residential and commercial
markets. The new website is
www.niceforyou.com.
For integrators who have
built some of the local
presence around brands
like Elan and SpeakerCraft,
Nice will be assisting them
to transition their marketing
materials and vehicle
designs. The company is
also emphasizing the continued
development of its
Nice U training programs
built for continuing education,
development of new
dealers, and for integrators
looking to expand into new
markets such as commercial.
The education will be
" gamified " with recognition,
swag and free products for
technicians.
Chief product officer Paul
Williams says MDUs, health
and wellness, smart energy,
and AI will be the key
trends driving the development
of new products.
He also says Nice will focus
on being a design-centric
company.
Savant Bolsters Essentials SaaS Subscription Features
SAVANT IS ADDING several new features to its Savant Essentials
Software as a Service (SaaS) subscription business model,
including homeowner management tools, a software-based
Intercom service, enhanced private voice control, and smart
networking. The company's subscription model was introduced
late 2021, bringing tremendous value to the homeowner as well
as opportunity to custom integration professionals, Savant says.
The base subscription, Savant Essentials, delivers access
to the latest smart home features and advanced integrations,
plus enhanced support, and serviceability with the
Savant Home Back-Up & Restore feature.
Savant Home Back-Up & Restore: Available now, the
Home Back-Up & Restore feature is part of a Savant Essentials
subscription and leverages secure cloud-based capability
to store key parameters and settings of the smart home
so that vital client personalization features can be restored
20 | CE Pro November 2022
when hardware is updated.
Savant Home Manager: Available now, Home Manager
delivers the first web UI smart home dashboard designed for
the Savant homeowner. With Home Manager, homeowners
now have access to key system status visibility, online user
management capabilities, quick-view camera recordings, active
cloud integration status, and access to product tutorial
and frequently asked questions.
Home Manager is designed to help integrators educate
new homeowners about their system capabilities, as well as
deliver advanced system visibility and management tools.
Savant Intercom Service, Enhanced Secure Voice Control,
and Smart Networking: Available in early 2023, the Intercom
Service delivers room-to-room communication throughout
the home without the need for dedicated intercom server
hardware.
cepro.com
http://www.niceforyou.com http://www.cepro.com
CE Pro November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CE Pro November 2022
