Insteon (company)

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This article is about Insteon the home connection technology company. For Insteon technology, see Insteon.
Insteon
TypePrivate
FoundedIrvine, California (2005)
Headquarters1621 Alton Parkway
Irvine, California 92606
United States
Key people
Joe Dada, Founder
ProductsProprietary dual-band home automation and lighting control systems using radio frequency (RF) and powerline technology
ParentSmartlabs, Inc.
Websitewww.insteon.com

Insteon is an Irvine, CA-based developer of home automation (aka domotics) hardware and software. The technology, also called Insteon,[1] allows light switches, lights, thermostats, motion sensors, and other electrical devices to interoperate through power lines, radio frequency (RF) communications, or both.[2] The company produced over 200 products featuring the technology.[3] Insteon is a subsidiary of Smartlabs, Inc., also based in Irvine, CA.

History[]

Insteon was founded in 2005 in Irvine, CA by CEO Joe Dada.[3] Dada had previously founded Smarthome in 1992, a home automation product catalog company, and operator of the Smarthome.com e-commerce site. In the late 1990s, Dada acquired two product engineering firms which undertook extensive product development efforts to create networking technology based on both power-line and RF communications. In 2004, the company filed for patent protection for the resultant technology,[4] called Insteon, and it was released in 2005. In 2012, the company released the first network-controlled light bulb using Insteon-enabled technology, and at that point Dada spun Insteon off from Smarthome.[3][5]

Technology[]

Main article: Insteon

Insteon technology uses a dual-mesh networking topology[6] in which all devices are peers and each device independently transmits, receives, and repeats messages.[7][8]

Products[]

Insteon produced over 200 products using its technology, including LED bulbs, wall switches, wall keypads, sensors, thermostats, plug in modules and embedded devices, along with central controllers for system management.[9]

Insteon markets two different central controllers: its own brand, called the Insteon Hub, and a newer HomeKit-enabled Insteon Hub Pro designed for Apple HomeKit compatibility.[10] In 2012, the company introduced the first network-controlled LED light bulb.[11]

References[]

  1. ^ "INSTEON - Trademark Details". Justia.com. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  2. ^ "How to Control Your Home with your Cell Phone". Popular Mechanics. October 1, 2009. Archived from the original on February 17, 2010. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c "Wired Innovation Insights". Wired.com. 2014-06-12. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
  4. ^ "Network of intelligent devices communicating via powerline and radio frequency US 8081649 B2". US Patent Office. 2004-12-15. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
  5. ^ "Insteon Partners With Nest". Orange County Business Journal. January 6, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  6. ^ "Refresh!: Insteon Technology". Electronic Design. Penton Media, Inc. April 5, 2006. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
  7. ^ "What is Insteon?". Retrieved 2007-06-25.
  8. ^ "Can we talk? Internet of Things vendors face a communications 'mess'". Computer World. IDG. April 18, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  9. ^ "New Insteon Hub Makes 200+ Products HomeKit Compatible". smarthome.reviewed.com. 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
  10. ^ "Insteon HomeKit Enabled Hub Reviewed". SmallNetBuilder.com. July 14, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  11. ^ Molly Oswaks, "Here it Is: The World's First Remote-Controlled (LED) Light Bulb", Gizmodo, June 20, 2012

External links[]

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