I recently sat down with Casey Levy-Tulloch Business Development at Josh.ai to talk about the company’s 4th quarter marketing plans, the Sonance partnership, and the full CEDIA EXPO Josh.ai schedule! Part 2 (Part 1 here.)
MJ: Tell us more about your marketing plans going into the 4th quarter of 2019 and into 2020?
CLT: Our marketing approach will be two-fold in that we want to provide our current dealers with the resources they need to confidently approach new and existing clients, while continuing to grow our installer network in a controlled way. We have carved out our niche and see tremendous opportunity in the custom residential channel as consumers are becoming more educated about the benefits of the smart home. Focusing on user privacy and shaping Josh’s features around our dealers’ feedback illustrates our commitment to the industry’s high standards.
Beyond residential applications, there are opportunities for voice control in the commercial and hospitality spaces that we are looking into as compelling frontiers as well.
MJ: You also have an exciting new partnership with Sonance?
CLT: We are extremely excited to announce our partnership with Sonance! Our alignment enables the convenience of Josh.ai’s natural voice control and privacy-focused approach to home automation to seamlessly fit into any architectural aesthetic. In addition to new integrations with Sonance amps, Josh and TRUFIG have partnered for a new in-wall mount for Josh Micro.
Sonance:
As part of the Josh.ai Distributed AV workflow, Sonance DSP Amplifiers will auto-populate the Josh.ai web portal for configuration. Integrators are then able to assign multiple input sources across all of their DSP Amplifiers for music control throughout the home. Clients will be able to freely use voice commands to request their desired content, like “OK Josh, listen to In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins in the kitchen and smooth jazz in the dining room.” Josh.ai handles music search through all of its available streaming services on Sonos or Heos devices as the audio sources, turns on the Sonance DSP Amplifier, activates the channels that are identified as the kitchen and dining room zones, and sets the mood!
Alternately, a single streaming media player can be connected to a multi-channel DSP Amplifier and share that music stream with multiple zones around the home. Josh.ai also has the ability to manage Sonance DSP Amplifier volume commands and grouped output zones. This rich feature-set offers integrators unlimited flexibility when implementing systems and giving clients the freedom to listen to whatever they want wherever they’d like. For example, users can say “OK Josh, play Queen in the living room, foyer, and back patio and turn it to 40 percent.” Josh.ai will not only handle the search and routing of the music, but directly adjust the volume on the DSP Amplifier as well.
TRUFIG:
Josh.ai and TRUFIG have worked closely to develop a refined flush mounting system for Josh Micro. The in-wall solution is comprised of a platform and facia designed with award winning TRUFIG mounting technology to leave a clean, nearly invisible finish. Gypsum and solid surface applications are supported for installation flexibility in any environment. Integrators will now be able to add the multi-faceted voice and touch functionality Josh.ai brings to a smart home environment while ensuring that the technology blends into the aesthetic of their clients homes.
MJ: What will your presence be like at CEDIA EXPO 2019 in Denver?
CLT: The Josh.ai presence for CEDIA 2019 will be bigger and better than ever! Feel free to reach out to our team at [email protected] to schedule a time to come by our booth (#4319) and, for the first time, see a live voice demo!
Our headquarters is in the Cherry Creek neighborhood of Denver, which is about a 10 to 15 minute Uber ride from the Convention Center. We will be hosting in-depth sessions on Josh programming, key integrations, and offering tours Thursday through Saturday.
You will see co-marketing displays and live demos in quite a few of our partner booths as well. We are currently finalizing these various activations, along with coordinating our team’s schedules to accommodate speaking engagements for partner trainings.
Here is the information for the Josh.ai training sessions:
Josh Manufacturer Training:
Josh.ai – Integrating Voice Control for Luxury Projects
– Learn about the the evolution of the voice interface, how to install voice technology and how to sell Josh while maximizing revenues.
– Wednesday, September 11th
– 3:00-4:00pm | Room 4C | 0.75 CEU Credits
CEDIA Training:
Integrating Custom Voice Control for the Whole Home
– Learn about available voice control options, the capabilities and limitations.
– Wednesday, September 11th
– 10:30am-12:00pm | Room 110 | 1.5 CEU Credits
CEDIA Panel:
Smart Home for Good
– Learn about the technology benefits at every stage of life and the latest smart home products trends from the first days of life to elder care.
– Thursday, September 12th
– 1:00-2:00pm | Room 712
CEDIA Tech Talk:
Designing with Tech
– Learn how partnerships can make a difference in improving the quality of life for everyone with the LIPI (Living In Place Institute) certified team.
– Saturday, September 14th
– 11:30am-12:00pm | Smart Stage