IE
November’s issue of Glass Times will carry its first ever dedicated supplement on smart technology – a clear indication I think of just how far this industry has come in its attitudes towards these products. I’ve submitted an article for the supplement giving my view of the market and I’ll be interested to read the opinions of others.
It might have seemed unlikely before the FIT Show that there would be sufficient interest or advertising support to justify a stand-alone supplement, but the enthusiasm we saw there for everything smart related, and the amazing market response we’ve seen since to products including our own Avia smart lock shows that the industry has finally recognised the scale of this opportunity.
At the recent Glazing Summit held in Birmingham, smart windows and doors were voted as the ‘next big thing’ by 76% of the 400 of so delegates who attended, and in Scandinavia, where Mila’s sister company Mila Denmark operates, smart locks already have 20% of the market.
There are already lots of different solutions available and currently in development of course and, while none of us yet knows just how this market will develop in the UK, I think Mila is in the fortunate position as an independent distributor that we can scour the market and identify the products which we think best fit the needs of this market right now.
Fabricators and installers we’ve spoken to may be wowed by the hi-tech solutions which link windows and doors to integrated security applications but what they tell us they really want in 2019 is a way into this sector which will deliver a hassle free return.
That’s what we feel we are already offering with our retrofittable Avia smart lock but, in such a fast moving market, we know that we can’t afford to stand still in terms of our offering.
We are already looking at adding further products to our range which will complement Avia and suit the needs of the UK as the market matures and develops. I’m confident we will have something further to announce in the coming months.
The product development team here would really like to hear from customers about where they think the smart market is going and which sorts of products they would like to see added to the Mila range. Feel free to email us at: blog@mila.co.uk
Richard
