The book includes insights from the following experts:

7 Experts on Designing Commercially Successful Smart Home Devices was generously sponsored by STMICROELECTRONICS AND MOUSER ELECTRONICS.

Demand for smart technologies in commercial buildings and high-end homes is spurring the
creation of new intelligent control systems for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; lighting;
security; facilities management; and more. These technologies promise greater control automation
and optimized energy consumption.

But there’s a catch.

To succeed, smart controls require more thoughtful design engineering than traditional controls
because they are more complex. In addition, their success depends on pleasing a greater variety of
users during their life.

What kind of planning goes into a successful smart building product? With the generous support of
Mouser and ST, we decided to find out by asking seven experts the following question:

When engineering an Internet of Things control system for smart buildings, what are the biggest
challenges to designing a commercially successful product, and what advice can you offer to
help engineers overcome these challenges?

These essays reveal the many factors engineers must consider, including ease of use, component
selection, upgradability, and product security. Furthermore, smart technology is in its infancy, which
means that there is little standardization in approaches to these challenges.

It is our hope that the diversity of perspectives we have brought together on this question will guide
you to create better, more successful smart technology designs.