Tomorrow morning, I am headed off to CES 2012 in Las Vegas.  I've been going to the show for many, many years, starting back with my very first job out of college in 1976 (yes, I know that was a really long time ago.)

Way back then, I worked for a company that was owned by Jack Tramiel, the founder of Commodore, who went on to buy the Atari brand name, and other related ventures.  Way back then, I had a really cool job as a copywriter, authoring mail order ads for products that were breaking new ground that the company I worked for sold.  

Contemporary Marketing is no longer in business, but was a mail order outfit owned by Tramiel that was used as an outlet to primarily sell Commodore branded calculators (remember this was 1976).

We were also working on the launch of the new Commodore Pet and other Commodore branded products. 

Fast forward to today (or tomorrow when I leave) I'll be doing two things:  I'm covering the G.hn standard for my other site, Everywire.com.  I am also looking for a broader trend that I am trying to get my hands around the very (but maybe not so obvious) notion of the consumerization of IT.

B.Y.O.D.?

B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your Own Device)  is not a new fangled term for drinking in a different form, or bringing your own alchohol to save money on drinks.  B.Y.O.D. is the term for Bring Your Own Device.  

Now, if you are running your own business, or a solo entrepreneur, this is no big deal.  But what happens when you work for a company, with an IT department, with equipment that is given to you, that has security policies in place and on and on.   You might be showing up to work with better, far more powerful,  and cooler toys that what have been budgeted to your department.  Or maybe you were given a corporate Blackberry, and you'd rather work with your iPhone, the iPad you got for Christmas, or your children's Mac that you bought them.

Showing Up To Work A Whole Lot Smarter

Gizmos, gadgets, computers, tablets and smart phones aside, the fact of the matter, is that we're all coming to work a whole lot smarter, and far more technologically savvy than we were even a few years ago.

 You might work for an awesome company, but also have a personal brand in your own right, or produce content, or  keep a blog about a hobby, a side business or a business you hope to build on your own and go independent.

I don't have an answer to this, and still trying to define what this means.  I do know that these powerful devices we are bringing into the workplace is impacting how, and the way we work.

During the recent Digital Home Summit, AT&T's Vernon Reed, Lead Member - Technical Staff at AT&T Labs in Austin was one of the keynote speakers.  After his talk, he shared his insights on G.hn with me.  What's interesting to note is one of the driving forces behind G.hn was the desire to move towards a customer self-instal using all three media with a common set of silicon that will enable more self-installation of more devices on the home network.  If you want to learn more about the G.hn standard, come on over to my other site Everywire.com.

During the CES Show, I was posting content for Everywire.com, a site that focuses on the wired home network and the new G.hn standard.

In looking to connect the dots with the wired home network and what could be with Z-Wave, the industry standard for wireless remote control that allows users to create a wireless, two-way mesh network within a single family home, condo or apartment. This network allows complete control of a large number of compatible devices throughout the home from a single remote control, wall panel, or Internet interface.

What makes Z-Wave special is that it operates as a mesh network (i.e. with no central controller).  So instead of relying only on line-of-sight communications like other technologies, Z-Wave is able can work around this obstacle by routing commands through other devices in the network when required.

Let's say you're in an upstairs bedroom at night when you remember you left a light on in the kitchen. All you have to do is press the button on the controller to turn off the light, but the signal is blocked by the refrigerator. In other systems, this situation would require you to move to a different area in the house and try again, or even turn off the light physically if the obstacle is big enough.

With a Z-Wave network, if the signal is blocked the first time the signal will notify the controller that it did not complete the connection and the network will immediately seek an alternative path.

It may go to a hallway light, then the thermostat, then a dimmer switch in the dining room before ultimately reaching the kitchen. It will try as many times as is necessary, or until all possibilities are exhausted. Once the operation is complete, you receive an indication on the controller telling you the action has occurred. 

Extended Range

Not only does this mesh network help you get around obstacles. It also helps you extend the range of your Z-Wave system by relaying the signal along multiple devices. Homes that don?t work with other types of home controls due to size or construction can finally be controlled easily via Z-Wave. Current tests show a Z-Wave network can cover even mansions with over 10.000 of square feet.

Geek Out!

If you want to check out some Z-Wave based products, here's a sampling of what's available and what could be in your home at Home Depot or Lowe's.

Anyone Z-Waving now?  

If you have any Z-Wave-based products in your home, I'd love to hear from you.  Leave a comment

If you are a speaker or industry analyst attending Parks Associates' Smart Energy Summit, I'd love to meet and interview you for my other blog, Everywire.com, which covers the G.hn standard.

Just reach out via email:  alan at weinkrantz dot com.   I'll be in Austin on Tuesday, January 25th for the "Gateways into the Home" session and look forward to hearing insights from speakers including:

Chano Gomez, Director of Business Development, Lantiq North America, Inc. representing HomeGrid Forum

Bill Scheffler, Senior Director of North American Business Development, Z-Wave Alliance

 Kenneth Wacks, Member, GridWise Architecture Council, U.S. Department of Energy

David Waskevich, Market Development Engineer, STMicroelectronics, Inc.

John Weil, Manager, Enablement, Freescale Semiconductor representing IPSO Alliance

MODERATOR

Bill Ablondi, Director of Home Systems Research, Parks Associates

Behind all the glitz and glamor and fun of the gizmos and gadgets during CES 2011, there's a big, fundamental shift that you are going to see in the year to come with new products that are going to transform your wired home network on the new industry standard, G.hn.

Learn more about G.hn on my Everywire.com and at the HomeGrid Forum site.