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Tuesday December
28, 2004
Home automation system to go out to endusers
By CHARLES F. MOREIRA
SUBANG JAYA: Inix Technologies Sdn Bhd’s homegrown Secure Smith
intelligent home automation and security system will be commercially
available to endusers from next February onwards.
The system will be made available to the Malaysian public through
Inix's network of dealers, business development manager Ralph Yew
told In.Tech recently.
Inix currently has 28 dealers in the Klang Valley, Johor Baru,
Penang, Sabah and Sarawak. These dealers will install Secure Smith
in customers’ homes and provide aftersales service.
So far, Secure Smith has only been available to property
developers in Malaysia and neighbouring countries; a boxed, DIY
(Do-It-Yourself) version was made available to endusers in developed
countries -- including Australia, Britain and New Zealand -- through
distributors.
Inix officials said this was because of the more prevalent DIY
culture in those countries.
The company also plans to launch its Inix Central Monitoring
System (ICMS) in the first quarter of next year, and to provide it
on a complementary basis to property developers who buy Secure
Smith.
The system alerts property development projects' security guards
in case of break-ins into homes under their care.
Inix developed the hardware and software behind ICMS around
August last year and is currently testing its prototype in 400 homes
in the Proton City integrated automotive manufacturing, residential,
commercial and educational complex being developed in Tanjung Malim,
Perak.
Earlier this month, Inix added contactless proximity cardreaders
(such as those used with Touch 'n' Go cards) to Secure Smith’s
portfolio, thus enabling the company to offer its solution to
offices and small businesses as well.
“Besides enabling Secure Smith to support access control in
offices and small-to-medium industries and enterprises, these
cardreaders also let it serve as a simple staff attendance recording
system," said Yew.
"When combined with surveillance cameras, this can help deter
fraudulent activities like someone clocking in for a colleague,
since it also records the face of the person clocking in,” he
claimed.
Inix said it earned over RM5mil in revenue in 2003 and expects to
earn around RM10mil this year.
The company was incorporated in 2003. Not long after, the Finance
Ministry's investment arm Malaysian Venture Capital Bhd (Mavcap)
invested an undisclosed sum in Inix to help it grow.
Inix bought back Mavcap’s stake in July.
More information on Inix and Secure Smith is available at
www.inix.com.my, or call
(603) 5632-2222.
Note: US$1 = RM3.80
For more on Inix, go
here |
