I recently caught up with Joe Roberts, RTI CEO, to talk about “resimercial”, RTI’s commercial solutions, and RTiQ, the intelligent remote monitoring platform! Part 2. (Part 1 here.)
Maureen Jenson: Since CEDIA 2019 and carried to ISE 2020, RTI’s theme has been “resimercial.” Can you expand on this concept? How are you continuing to support the residential market, while making strides in the commercial space?
Joe Roberts: Our roots run deep in residential applications. RTI is a rare brand that can scale from a small single room control system all the way into a super luxury estate with unparalleled customization. We will continue to invest in our residential footprint.
On the commercial side we evolved from merely providing residential AV control to businesses to a deliberate and focused approach with solutions geared exclusively for commercial applications. We are supporting these solutions with the RTI control platform, commercial driver integrations, and distinct RTI hardware. We currently provide unique solutions for boardrooms, collaboration rooms, huddle spaces, plus lobbies, sports bars and other hospitality applications. And of course with both residential and commercial, we provide dealer training and support with our dealer experience team. Finally, we focus on product development in the areas where the RTI line will deliver the best experience for the dealer and the end-user.
MJ: Tell us a bit more about RTI’s commercial solutions.
JR: A great example is the 8×2 All-In-One Presentation Switcher with an embedded RTI Control Processor, with video scaling and switching, audio mixing, control and KVM functionality—obviously a commercial solution. The VXP-82 enables presentations in two rooms simultaneously, likely an important benefit in the “new” work environment. And back to COVID-19, we’re looking closely at what the new office environment will look like and envisioning opportunities for video distribution so we can keep our social distance as needed at work.
MJ: You’ve had a history of customer focus and so has RTI. What are the latest developments on improving the User Experience with RTI’s User Interfaces?
JR: At ISE we debuted the U3 weather-resistant remote control. It’s ideal for hot tubs, pools, bathrooms, decks, and other environments that are too harsh for standard remotes. Its display is easy to read in bright light, with an electronic paper display similar to those found on e-book devices. As more of our lifestyle moves outdoors, we see a big opportunity in delivering a remote that can stand up to the task.
Moving inside, we introduced two new touchpanels in 2019, as well as our new flagship T4x remote. It’s an exceptionally elegant small form-factor, with a big capacitive touchscreen and enabling complete personalization. Of course, we have new initiatives in the works but it’s too early for me to talk in detail.
MJ: Now more than ever, RMM is hugely important. Tell us how RTiQ, your intelligent remote monitoring platform is doing since its launch.
JR: We launched RTIQ in 2018 and it is absolutely delivering on its promise of helping dealers create better experiences for their customers. Uptime is essential in delighting a customer, and with real-time notifications and a quick-reference dashboard, RTIQ helps a dealer address issues and restore service without the client ever knowing there was a problem. Obviously, remote monitoring and troubleshooting reduces truck rolls, which is more important than ever.
MJ: Where do you see RTI post pandemic? What are the goals for the rest of 2020?
JR: At RTI our mission is clear: to delight our customers with exceptional service, innovative solutions, and great partner programs. Obviously, it will be hard to identify the point when the pandemic is “over” – the recovery curve will look a little different in every market. We’ll be there to support our dealers and distributors throughout 2020 and beyond as they create great experiences for their customers. Our product development is full speed ahead and we’re looking forward to some new launches later in the year. I’ve been with RTI for less than four months and am truly excited about the industry we’re in, the opportunities we have and the focus and dedication of the RTI team that is turning these opportunities into realities.