Control4: The Leading Provider of Personalized Automation and Control Solutions

It’s a smart world! We have smart devices like smartphones, smart wearable gadgets like smartwatches, smart lighting systems, smart sensors and so on. We’re living in smart homes and smart cities that have created a smart world! In fact, the concept of smart homes has revolutionized the way families function inside their homes. The smart home technology, also known as home automation delivers homeowners security, comfort, convenience, and energy efficiency.

The key factor to a smart home is being able to control these smart devices, most often through a smart home app on their smart device. As part of the IoT era, smart home systems seamlessly integrate and share the homeowner’s data, which further automates actions based on their preferences. Control4 is a leading provider of personalized automation and control solutions that allow the user to control virtually any device in a home or business, automatically.

The Transformative Journey

It all began in the year 2003 with a strong mission to deliver an elegant and cost-effective way for homeowners to control and automate lighting, music, video, security, and energy in a single room or throughout the entire home. Today, Control4 works with home and business owners with its certified custom integrators to deliver the transformative benefits of the smart and connected home. This includes convenience, peace of mind and an efficient environment that’s comfortable and safe.

“At Control4, we believe life’s better when everything works together,” explains the Chairman and CEO of Control4, Martin Plaehn. There are nearly 11,000 third-party consumer electronics devices that Control4 interoperates with. And that’s a number that’s constantly on the rise. The company teams up with the biggest brands that deliver consumer electronics, appliances, energy, lighting and home security. “Control4 leads the industry in interoperability, ensuring an ever-expanding eco-system of devices will work together in the home or business,” he adds.

Apart from partnering, Control4 is also the lead when it comes to distribution. The smart home provider leverages a distribution channel that includes over 5,500 custom integrators, retailers, and distributors in 100 countries. Each of them is given authority and permission to sell Control4’s products. It is headquartered in Salt Lake City and has offices spread across the globe, including offices in York, England; Shanghai, China; Bangalore, India; Belgrade, Serbia; Melbourne, Australia; Huntington Beach and San Jose, California.

One-stop for Smart Homes

If you’re looking to gear up your home to a smart one, Control4 is the place to go. The company manufactures everything required for the smart home wired or wireless automation products. That’s not all. It also caters to home and business owners with its software and hardware products that can enable various home devices like home theater and television, multi-room music, lighting, temperature, and security. The software can also control through a range of in-home and over-the-web remote control technology.

Its other products include wireless dimmers and switches, speakers, multi-tuners, multi-channel amplifiers, audio matrix switches, video switchers, and home entertainment and control systems. It’s also the era of wireless devices today. And so, Control4 offers wireless thermostats, touch screens, keypads, controllers, contact/relay extenders, and system remote controls.

The company sells its products through dealers in the United States, Canada, and internationally as well. Users can also find Control4’s products through custom integrators, distributors, and retail outlets. The company has a solution for everyone, including homeowners, consumer electronics companies, hotels, businesses, and utility sector.

The Wall of Fame

Recognizing its immense contribution towards developing smart homes and smart business places, Control4 has received hoards of awards. Recently, Control4 Triad Designer Series speakers won Loudspeaker of the Year at the 2018 Smart Building Awards, where the awards were decided by an independent panel of judges.

It has also won the 2018 Dealerscope Impact Awards for its Audio Products. All thanks to the Control4 Triad One Streaming Amplifier that has equipped dealers with a new, simple way of providing multi-room audio. The single-zone, high-resolution streaming amplifier is designed to deliver studio-quality audio to any room in the home, from virtually any source in the home.

Also, Control4 was given the 2017 Best Award Winners at Cedia by CE Pro. Control4 was recognized for its most noteworthy new products and technologies of 2017 by CE Pro. It announced 2017’s BEST (Best Electronics Systems Technologies) Awards and awarded Control4.

Greet the Pathfinder

Martin Plaehn is the Chairman and CEO of Control4. He joined Control4 in 2011 as a seasoned business and technology executive delivering industry-leading products, driving landscape-changing business and technology strategies, and improving operating excellence for growth. Martin brings to Control4 a passion for product innovation, exceptional customer experience, and operating discipline.

Prior to joining Control4, Martin held both executive management and CEO positions. Martin served two tenures at RealNetworks. From 1999 through 2004, Martin served as EVP of Technology Products and Services, and then led Real’s Casual Games Division in 2005. Martin served as CEO at Bungee Labs from 2006 to late-2008, securing its follow-on venture financings. Previously, Martin led product development for Alias Wavefront, creating the foundation for Maya, today’s leading professional animation system.

Martin started his career as computer graphics software developer. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of California, San Diego, studied Computer Science at San Diego State University, and graduated from UCSD's Executive Business Program for Scientists and Engineers.

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