Almost imperceptibly, the smart home is becoming a reality. It’s a fully-fledged sector – not just a niche market anymore and Aqualisa has recognised and is responding to the emerging demands of a marketplace it believes will be increasingly driven by the benefits of smart technology in the bathroom.
Becoming more mainstream, smart products are popping up in even the most conservative homes across the UK. BSRIA reports that the value of the UK’s smart home solutions market, which includes installation, servicing and maintenance work, has grown by more than three times in value over the last five years. With a current market valuation of £400m, the association cited demand for HVAC and control products as key factors behind the anticipated market growth.
The research concludes: “In countries like the UK, anyone connected with the residential housing market needs to be aware of the implications of the smart home revolution. Consumers may not necessarily be expecting a fully configured smart home, but they are likely to want a home that is flexible enough for them to make it as smart as they want it to be without undue cost or effort.”
Specifically relating to the UK shower equipment market, AMA research suggests that despite a challenging economic climate, longer term prospects are more positive. The report reinforces the digital growth forecast by saying that ‘flexibility, durability, and ease of use will be key influences in a shift towards higher value products. For example, while the digital shower category is set to grow at a steady rate, the greater use of smart technology in the home is now expected to create a new Smart category that has the potential to grow at an even faster rate . This growth will come from both new shower installations and bathroom refurbishments, when a shower upgrade is part of the package.
57% of UK homes now own some sort of smart device. Clearly, smart tech is no longer just for gadget lovers. Homeowners are beginning to realise that technical updates are making homes cheaper and more efficient to run than ever before. Even those who have traditionally been reluctant to invest in technology in the home are starting to spend their money on smart products if it clearly makes sense from a financial or common-sense point of view. Smart technology can reduce energy consumption, save money and offer unprecedented levels of security and convenience. It’s really happening and companies in these sectors – like Aqualisa – are responding with innovative solutions that just a few years ago might have seemed at best fanciful.
In this context and based on its long established leadership in digital technology, Aqualisa’s best-selling Quartz digital shower has been succeeded by the new Smart Quartz Collection – a genuinely smart shower range, that brings internet connectivity and control via an App, through the Aqualisa Smart Valve, the brains behind intelligent showering. Quartz digital, which was ground-breaking innovation in 2001, has now evolved into the Smart Quartz Collection, that fully establishes showering as an integral part of the smart home.
Importantly, the new collection remains easy to install and ultra-reliable – so this is still a true ‘fit and forget’ range of showers. As with all Aqualisa showering products, it’s designed for the end user, but equally for the installer who will love working with these products for their ease of location and simple pipework connections. Aqualisa Quartz has built its reputation with installers on quality and reliability and the new Aqualisa Smart Quartz Collection evolution enhances that reputation still further. It offers the best of both worlds for installers and their customers alike and is set to become the latest instalment in the company’s impressive success story.
No longer confined to ‘techy enthusiasts’, we know that more and more consumers are looking for smart devices to make their lives easier, to facilitate busier lifestyles, to meet increasingly complex needs – helping mobility, for example. Technology gives them more personalised experiences and of course, vitally, can save them money.
The new Smart Quartz Collection from Aqualisa offers a new generation of showers to increasingly demanding customers who are looking for the very highest standards of design and functionality. Indeed, the product story for Quartz over the last 20 years has been all about style while its high performance and reputation for reliability have never been bettered. Now comes the next development stage which sees smart technology take the iconic Quartz name once more to the forefront of modern showering.
Establishing Wi-Fi connection, app technology and voice activation as integral to the showering experience – all things that come as standard with the new Smart Quartz Collection from Aqualisa – is the next big step for showering in the UK.
App technology allows homeowners to control their Smart shower via WIFI, connecting through residential WIFI networks to the Aqualisa Smart Valve (ASV) using safe and secure best practice for IoT/Connected devices. It utilises the simplest on-boarding techniques possible to establish secure and robust connection with the ASV via WIFI. It also integrates into established smart home eco-systems via voice control – using Alexa. So, the new Smart Quartz Collection delivers the usual quality Aqualisa showering experience homeowners are used to – but with enhanced smart features that take that showering experience to new levels.
These benefits include precise temperature and a powerful showering experience whatever water supplies it is connected to. Shower profiles can be pre-set for each member of the family to ensure they can each, consistently, get into a shower they enjoy. They can start their shower remotely from anywhere in or away from the home via WIFI, confident that the shower is at the perfect temperature and ready to step into. A clearly visible LED display indicates when the shower is ready – so there’s no need to lean in and test the water.
The new Smart Quartz Collection puts showering at the cutting edge of home automation – but the sophisticated technology remains simple to use for homeowners, who just want their desired shower experience at a single touch. With connectivity comes efficiency and with the intuitive and practical Aqualisa app, you can monitor the duration, water usage and cost of your shower from your smart phone, to optimise performance, if you choose.
It’s a new shower range that will surpass the expectations of installers, specifiers and end users, with its innovative added value features and benefits – affirmation that Aqualisa continues to lead the way in showering innovation.
Head to www.aqualisa.co.uk for more details of the new Aqualisa Smart Quartz Collection.
