Member Press Releases

Building owners often face a dilemma when considering replacing or updating their HVAC system.  Although operating an energy efficient system saves money for business and building owners in the long run, many are concerned by significant first cost.  Fortunately, there are strategies that may be initiated to fund energy efficiency projects by significantly lowering the business or building owner’s tax burden. Capital Review Group

DANVERS, Mass., Dec. 15, 2011 - Encelium's Polaris 3D^TM, a first software application of its kind in the lighting control industry, will be available to new and existing customers on December 15, announced Terry Mocherniak, director global business development for the LMS business unit. Polaris 3D is the next generation of lighting control software for Encelium's Energy Control System^TM (ECS). It is a web-based application that provides users with a single 360°, three-dimensional navigation in a multi-floor view of the entire facility's lighting energy use.

"Polaris 3D reflects ground-breaking technology and is exactly what customers today are looking for," Mocherniak said. "It gives users access to all of their facility's key data in a single three dimensional building snapshot, allowing them to easily optimize energy savings and improve occupant comfort and productivity." A product demo can be viewed at http://www.encelium.com/.

"Encelium will continue to offer the original Polaris 2 software application through to Spring 2012, and we will provide support for customers using the software through the end of 2012," Mocherniak added. "At the same time, the company will provide existing customers with upgrades to Polaris 3D at a discounted rate."

OSRAM SYLVANIA Encelium is a global leader in integrated energy management and lighting control systems for commercial buildings. The company's ECS has been proven to cut lighting energy expenditures by 50 to 75 percent and significantly reduce CO₂ emissions. It seamlessly integrates six energy management strategies including daylight harvesting, occupancy control, smart-time scheduling, task tuning, personal control and load shedding.

How Polaris 3D Works

Utilizing Microsoft's Silverlight technology, Polaris 3D will permit access to the system via a simple web browser, eliminating the need for software installation. This results in increased security, faster set-up and start times, and easier integration with other web-based building control systems. Polaris 3D provides users with a color gradient "weather map" type representation of lighting system data, such as lighting status (on/off), power density or energy consumption, light levels; occupancy status; load shedding status; and comparative energy trends.

"Users can quickly identify any lighting-related inefficiency trends in their facility," added Mocherniak. "In addition, Polaris 3D's ability to integrate with other building systems and have them ‘talk' to each other enables all systems to operate at a whole new level of energy efficiency."

The central software enables facility managers with drag and drop functionality to simply group floors, rooms or even desks into zones, which are then controlled as a unit. Users can instantly rearrange lighting layouts by moving a zone from one area to the other with just a click of their mouse. Polaris 3D also provides the ability to change light levels anywhere in a complex, modify default levels and set lighting time schedules.

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About Encelium

ViewSonic’s Industry-Leading PJD6 Series DLP® Projector Line Equipped with AMX Technology, Speeds Installation, Network Enabled

RICHARDSON, Texas – November 21, 2011 – AMX^®, the leading provider of solutions that simplify the implementation, maintenance, and use of technology to create effective environments, today announced ViewSonic as its newest InConcert Partner. Through the partnership, ViewSonic’s PJD6 Series DLP projectors, comprised of the PJD6253, PJD6223 and PJD6553w, are outfitted with AMX technology compatibility, making integration with AMX Controllers simple with little or no programming.

Specifically designed for both classroom and corporate environments, ViewSonic’s network-enabled PJD6 Series projectors can be deployed with AMX Controllers for campus-wide management with centralized control.

"We are very pleased to be a partner of the AMX InConcert Program,” said Roger Chien, projector product manager for ViewSonic. “It demonstrates ViewSonic's commitment to the education and enterprise markets as all our new projectors will be certified with AMX going forward. The new PJD6 DLP projector series offers many exclusive and valuable functions. This includes real-time monitoring and remote management for up to 250 networked projectors, along with versatile connectivity options.”

As a result of ViewSonic’s participation in the AMX InConcert Program, the PJD6 Series are the first of the company’s projectors to be AMX certified. The alliance creates many compelling benefits for the installer, one of which is the advantage of Device Discovery, streamlining implementation and configuration of the projectors on the network.

“Teaming up with another leading IT-AV company like ViewSonic is a win for integrators and end users because it makes installation and network management of corporate and educational deployments so simple,” said Robert Choate, director of AMX InConcert Program. “AMX is sharply focused on delivering network-centric AV solutions for today’s converging technologies. This partnership as well as Rapid Project Maker, our new cloud-based configuration tool, demonstrate our resolve to simplify system configuration and programming.”

For more information on ViewSonic products, please visit ViewSonic.com.

For more information on network-centric AV solutions from AMX, contact your AMX dealer or go to www.amx.com.

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About ViewSonic
ViewSonic® Corporation is a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions. ViewSonic develops, markets and supports a broad range of innovative products, including tablets, LED TVs, computers, LED monitors, projectors, digital photo frames, digital signage displays, 3D devices and digital media players. For further information, please contact ViewSonic Corporation at 800.888.8583 or 909.444.8888; or visit ViewSonic.com.  

About AMX
AMX hardware and software solutions simplify the implementation, maintenance, and use of technology to create effective environments. With the increasing number of technologies and operating platforms at work and home, AMX solves the complexity of managing this technology with reliable, consistent and scalable systems. Our award-winning products span control and automation, system-wide switching and audio/video signal distribution, digital signage and technology management. They are implemented worldwide in conference rooms, homes, classrooms, network operation / command centers, hotels, entertainment venues, broadcast facilities, among others.

AMX was founded in 1982 and is a member of the Duchossois Group of Companies. For more information, visit www.amx.com.

AMX is a trademark of AMX, LLC registered in the U.S. and other countries. All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

Center for Community Configured with Encelium's Energy Control System^TM

TEANECK, N.J., Oct. 24, 2011 - The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) has honored the designers of University of Colorado Center for Community in Boulder, Colorado with a 2011 Illumination Award for Control Innovation. The 302,000-square-foot university property is configured with Encelium Technology's Energy Control System^TM (ECS). Encelium specializes in integrated lighting control systems for commercial buildings.

Respected as a technical authority on illumination, IES has a membership of nearly 8,000 professionals including architects, lighting and interior designers, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, and distributors as well as researchers and educators, among others. Its annual Illumination Awards recognize professionalism, ingenuity and originality in lighting design.

Recently, the Lighting Control Association (LCA) entered into a five-year agreement with IES to sponsor a new Award for Control Innovation to recognize projects such as the Center for Community that exemplify the effective use of lighting controls in nonresidential applications. Administered by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, LCA helped draft the award criteria and participated in the judging process.

"We are proud to be a part of this winning project," said Tony Marano, president and CEO of Encelium. "For us, recognition by our community of peers at IES and LCA is particularly gratifying."

ECS uses the collaborative power of addressable networking technology in conjunction with advanced control hardware and software. It is the only lighting control system on the market that seamlessly integrates and deploys six energy-management strategies on a facility-wide basis. Those include daylight harvesting, personal controls, occupancy controls, smart-time scheduling, task tuning, and variable load shedding. 

The University of Colorado's Center for Community includes a student center, central campus commissary, dining hall, bakery, and conference rooms for both meetings and special events. It also has a two-story underground parking structure.

In addition to educational facilities, ECS has been successfully installed in office buildings, retail centers, healthcare and public facilities, stadiums, industrial properties, and parking garages, among other property types. The intelligent lighting control solution typically meets or exceeds today's sustainable requirements for new construction or existing properties.

Known for its product innovation, Encelium recently introduced Polaris 3D^TM, the first software application of its kind that offers owners and managers a single 360°, three-dimensional navigation in a multi-floor view. This permits for faster and easier navigation to a desired control zone with the ability to see an entire facility or complex in a convenient 3D snapshot.

Headquartered in Teaneck, N.J., Encelium has more than 70 employees and operations in Canada and Europe. The company has experienced tremendous growth, posting nearly a 100-percent annual sales increase during the last two years.

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About Encelium Technologies

AMX’s Inspired Composer 5 Enables Multiple Users across an Enterprise to Create Content and More Effectively Share Messages; Locally or Globally

RICHARDSON, Texas – October 18, 2011 – AMX®, the leading provider of solutions that simplify the implementation, maintenance, and use of technology to create effective environments, today announced the immediate availability of the enterprise-scale digital-signage software Inspired Composer 5 – more than two months earlier than scheduled. Inspired Composer 5 answers the challenge large organizations face of ‘how’ to ensure a consistent look and adherence to brand guidelines when content from assorted departments, across the enterprise, is needed. Inspired Composer 5 allows multiple staffers to become contributors with intuitive content creation tools and guides them through a simple workflow management and approval process.

Developed for use with the Inspired XPert digital signage player (IS-XPT-2000 and IS-200) from AMX, Inspired Composer 5 delivers on-the-spot editing, publishing and delivery of content, including real-time Internet content like weather, stock tickers, and news, to every display across a deployment. This next generation of the popular Inspired Composer Software line has a revamped user interface for more intuitive navigation allowing novice users to easily find key functions and actions.

“Organizations are discovering that digital signage is a valuable tool to generate customer awareness and keep internal staff informed,” said AMX Chief Technology Officer Robert Noble. “The challenge though is that managing and delivering content, especially across large deployments, can be resource intensive. Inspired Composer 5 removes that challenge and lets organizations truly leverage the benefits of digital signage.”

Inspired Composer 5 is available in a Desktop version (IS-COMP5-DESK) for installation on local PCs in deployments requiring only one or two content contributors. It is also available in a Sever version (IS-COMP5-SERV) for installation on an enterprise server, giving any PC on the network the ability to manage the digital signage system. New features of the software include workflow tools that assist users through common tasks such as message and playlist design. To facilitate review and publishing, a system summary screen shows the status of the system and any pending message approvals. Other key features of the new software include publishing feedback and Active Directory authentication.

For more advanced content creation options, AMX offers professionally developed, ready-made templates that let users create layered, custom messages consisting of video, images, animation, online content, newsfeeds and advertisements.

And, for those who prefer to outsource their content creation, AMX offers an experienced team of graphics designers who can work directly with users to develop a set of custom templates.

Teaming Inspired Composer 5 with the 1080p Inspired XPert player delivers engaging, HD multimedia content – across a building, a campus or around the world.

To learn more about Inspired Composer 5 software, visit amx.com.

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About AMX
AMX hardware and software solutions simplify the implementation, maintenance, and use of technology to create effective environments. With the increasing number of technologies and operating platforms at work and home, AMX solves the complexity of managing this technology with reliable, consistent and scalable systems. Our award-winning products span control and automation, system-wide switching and audio/video signal distribution, digital signage and technology management. They are implemented worldwide in conference rooms, homes, classrooms, network operation / command centers, hotels, entertainment venues, broadcast facilities, among others. 

AMX was founded in 1982 and is a member of the Duchossois Group of Companies. For more information, visit www.amx.com

AMX is a trademark of AMX, LLC registered in the U.S. and other countries. All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

International Brand and Resources Position Teaneck Firm for Growth

TEANECK, N.J./TORONTO, ONTARIO, Oct. 10, 2011 - OSRAM AG, the world's second-largest lighting company, yesterday entered into contract to gain a 100% interest in Teaneck-based Encelium Technologies, announced Tony Marano, Encelium's president and chief executive officer. The 10-year-old firm has emerged as a leading technology manufacturer specializing in advanced lighting control and energy management systems for commercial and industrial buildings.

OSRAM, a subsidiary of Siemens AG, Germany's largest engineering company, previously held a 15 percent stake in Encelium. After closing, Encelium will become part of the OSRAM Lighting Management System division.

"This transaction provides further validation of Encelium's position as a leader in lighting energy management systems," Marano noted. "The result will strengthen our already well-established sales force, distribution and go-to-market strategy. We look forward to continuing to work with our customers and channel partners to leverage the Osram relationship to grow our business on a global scale."

"With the OSRAM brand and its resources behind us, we are now embarking on the next chapter for our company - one that surely will include increased adoption of Encelium lighting controls in the commercial marketplace," Marano added. "Our organization now is well positioned to help ECS evolve into the industry's dominant lighting control technology."

Encelium's ECS currently is used in more than 40 million square feet of commercial space. In addition to its Teaneck headquarters, the firm has more than 70 employees and operations in Canada and Europe.

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About Encelium Technologies

Benefits of hybrid AC-DC power architectures in occupied spaces, data centers, outdoor applications on display

SAN RAMON, CALIF. (Oct. 3, 2011) – The EMerge Alliance - an open industry association leading the rapid adoption of safe direct-current (DC) power distribution standards for commercial buildings – today announced it will be demonstrating several new DC power applications at Greenbuild booth # 4739S in Toronto, Oct. 4-7, 2011.

The Alliance will unveil the first multi-level DC power demonstration ever to illustrate the hybrid AC-DC power concept for a building. According to EMerge Alliance Chairman Brian Patterson, attendees will be able to see a wide range of DC power applications that are available today, and those that will be available tomorrow and into the future.

“Our vision, which aligns perfectly with the core premise of Greenbuild, is to foster more sustainable buildings by bringing hybrid AC-DC power architectures and DC microgrids to occupied spaces, data centers, building services and outdoor applications,” said Patterson. “This year, our booth brings those pieces together, giving everyone a sneak-peak at the DC-powered buildings of the future.”

The display at booth #4739S will feature a DC ceiling cloud demo and DC-powered desktop concepts. It also will highlight a data center application that provides a side-by-side look at the benefits of using DC versus AC to power an Intel server by minimizing the typical conversion losses that waste energy. It also will include a display showing how DC power can be incorporated outside buildings with on-site solar panels and electric vehicle charging.

DC power generated from on-site sources that directly support DC loads can dramatically improve energy efficiency, reduce energy costs and reduce environmental impact. 

Since its launch at Greenbuild in 2008, the Alliance has built a membership of more than 80 organizations and released nearly 40 EMerge Alliance Registered products.    

Newest members include Sun Edison at the General level, ictinus consulting GmbH at the Corresponding level, and Egret Consulting Group, Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy, Project Frog and System Integration at the Supporting level.

Also joining the Alliance to support the DC power standards movement are the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) at the Liaison level and Don Talka, senior vice president and chief engineer at Underwriters Laboratories (UL), on the Advisory Council.  With an increasing number of organizations across the world developing codes and standards for working with DC power, the Alliance’s open collaboration with likeminded groups is a key strategic move to lead the way toward the adoption of safe DC power distribution in buildings.

A total of 16 EMerge Alliance members will be exhibiting in Toronto, including:

·         Acuity Brands, Inc. - 1819N

·         Armstrong Ceiling Systems -1030N

·         BACnet International - 6922S

·         Cooper Lighting - 6640S, 4843S

·         Crestron Electronics, Inc. - 1639N

·         EnOcean Alliance, Inc. - 6336S

·         GE Lighting - 4928S

·         Herman Miller Corporation - 4334S

·         Hubbell Building  Automation - 6731S

·         JLC-Tech LLC - 941N

·         Johnson Controls - 425N

·         Leviton Manufacturing Company - 6910S

·         OSRAM SYLVANIA - 1511N – with an EMerge Alliance Occupied Space Standard display

·         Philips Lighting - 634N

·         Turner Construction - 1725N

·         Verve Living Systems - 3346S

The Alliance, along with Emerson Network Power and Starline DC Solutions, will also be exhibiting at the IDGA Data Center Consolidation Summit next week in Washington, DC.  Representatives of all three organizations, as well as Intel and Duke Energy, will be discussing DC power distribution and its potential to significantly improve energy efficiency and reliability in data centers in a panel session titled, "Promoting the Use of Green IT by Reducing Energy and Real Estate," on Tuesday, Oct. 4. 

About the EMerge Alliance

The EMerge Alliance is an open industry association leading the rapid adoption of safe DC power distribution in commercial buildings through the development of EMerge Alliance standards. These innovative application standards integrate interior infrastructures, power, controls and devices in a common microgrid platform to facilitate the hybrid use of AC and DC power throughout buildings for unprecedented design and space flexibility, greater energy efficiency and improved sustainability. Additional work is currently underway on higher voltage DC application standards for data centers. The nonprofit Alliance is accepting new members at various levels. For more information, please visit www.EMergeAlliance.org.

Contact:
Christi Chesner for EMerge Alliance
214-635-3023
media@EMergeAlliance.org

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AMX Begins Shipping RMS Enterprise, Software Connects

AV Assets on Unprecedented Scale

Innovative Software One of AMX’s New Breed of AV Solutions;

Enterprise Interoperability over IP Network

RICHARDSON, Texas – September 29, 2011 – AMX^®, the leading provider of solutions that simplify the implementation, maintenance, and use of technology to create effective environments, today announced the immediate availability of its enterprise AV management and monitoring solution, Resource Management Suite^® (RMS) Enterprise^™. RMS Enterprise, a scalable client-server based software for IT and AV managers, integrates and controls an organization’s diverse AV assets, lighting, HVAC, security and more and puts them on an IP network for interoperability and centralized management.

By installing RMS Enterprise integrators can offer building managers an advanced tool to manage the wide array of audiovisual assets throughout enterprise-scale deployments. At the same time its capabilities maximize a building’s performance and reduce operation costs. With a customizable, widget-based dashboard, RMS Enterprise visually graphs out matters such as lamp life of projectors, asset / location status and power consumption giving users unified control of large commercial environments via computer screens, smart phones or touch panels.

For a single facility, or multiple facilities on a global scale, RMS Enterprise is capable of web farm deployment on multiple servers with fail-over redundancy to ensure uptime. The innovative software encompasses integration of LDAP, auditing and more.

“RMS Enterprise is coming through at a time when building managers realize that resources are being wasted, but, until now – have had no ‘realistic’ way to capture the usage information from all these systems and have them on one actionable platform,” said AMX Chief Technology Officer Robert Noble. “With RMS Enterprise users can capture granular information about their building’s myriad AV devices, as well as energy consumption – and then do something about it.”

RMS Enterprise was shaped from AMX’s strategy to enable efficient, simplified management of diverse AV components installed at distances across an enterprise. Through IT-centric hardware and software solutions, which are scalable and based on open standards, AMX has forged a new breed of solutions such as the Enova^® DGX 16 and 32 Digital Media Switchers and Enova DVX-3150HD Presentation Switchers that provide the backbone for implementing smart building integration – connecting systems, devices, control signals, and digital and analog audio and video signals on an IP network.  

The Enova DGX Digital Media Switchers enable enterprises to add AV and control to meeting rooms throughout a building and provide centralized management of the AV assets.  Instead of placing a costly rack of equipment in each meeting room, the Enova DGX, with its built-in controller, functions as a complete integrated solution that manages and distributes analog and digital audio and video including HDMI/HDCP, control, and Ethernet. In other words, it can serve as a central platform for an entire facility allowing up to 32 source devices to be shared with up to 32 rooms. By adding RMS Enterprise, IT and AV managers can centrally monitor and manage all of their AV equipment over the network, reducing energy costs with capabilities like scheduled shut-down of equipment and lights when a room is not in use.

For installations that require a control solution for individual conference rooms, while still networked for centralized control, the Enova DVX-3150HD is an all-in-one conference room solution in a compact 3U box. The Enova DVX is a controller, AV matrix switcher, scaler, analog-to-digital signal converter, twisted pair transmitter and amplifier with built-in professional grade audio processing. Designed to simplify system design and provide a future-proof solution, the DVX-3150HD's multi-format video inputs support analog and digital signals including HDMI with HDCP sources – in the same connector.

With the Enova DGX Digital Media Switchers and Enova DVX-3150HD integrators have solutions that are easily repeatable, solve HDCP distribution challenges and are as simple as analog. This means quicker installs.

Of important note concerning school installations, this spring, in conjunction with the 2012 version of AMX SchoolView, AMX is implementing the AMX Innovation Grant. Through the AMX Innovation Grant schools purchasing AMX SchoolView will receive RMS Enterprise for free. The grant will provide schools the opportunity to report on their energy savings utilizing RMS Enterprise. For more information on the grant please contact education@amx.com.

Availability of RMS Enterprise is initially limited to the U.S. market with International availability later this year.  To learn more about RMS Enterprise, the Enova DGX Digital Media Switchers, Enova DVX-3150HD or Schoolview from AMX visit www.amx.com.

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About AMX
AMX hardware and software solutions simplify the implementation, maintenance, and use of technology to create effective environments. With the increasing number of technologies and operating platforms at work and home, AMX solves the complexity of managing this technology with reliable, consistent and scalable systems. Our award-winning products span control and automation, system-wide switching and audio/video signal distribution, digital signage and technology management. They are implemented worldwide in conference rooms, homes, classrooms, network operation / command centers, hotels, entertainment venues, broadcast facilities, among others. 

AMX was founded in 1982 and is a member of the Duchossois Group of Companies. For more information, visit www.amx.com

AMX, Enova and Resource Management Suite are trademarks of AMX, LLC registered in the U.S. and other countries. RMS Enterprise is a trademark of AMX, LLC. All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.