Legrand - Experts & Thought Leaders

Middle Atlantic Products, a brand of Legrand|AV, announced the Forum™ Lectern, the latest solution in the company's award-winning configurable AV furniture product line, Forum™ Collaboration Suite. Compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the electrically height-adjustable Forum Lectern is perfectly suited for higher education and training or presentation spaces. It offers customisation to fit any space, like logo panels, worksurface options, and colourways. Lectern design and relationships "Middle Atlantic's Forum suite of products provides the industry with furniture designed for the way people work, educate, and collaborate today and tomorrow," said Alyssa Adnani, Lead Product Manager, AV Furniture & Cable Management, Middle Atlantic. "The new Forum Lectern adds more breadth to the Forum suite and is built around our years of experience and expertise in lectern design and relationships with customers and end users. It continues Middle Atlantic's commitment to easy and reliable integration of the critical AV systems needed today while blending aesthetics for public spaces." Turret worksurface Turret worksurface includes a Presenter's Panel to mount touch screens, clock timers, microphones The Middle Atlantic Product's Forum Lectern is ADA-compliant and height-adjustable to meet the needs of any user in any learning or meeting space. It is available in 42-inch, 60-inch, and 72-inch widths and in four colourways: Wilsonart® Designer White, white powder coat, silver gray acoustic felt; Wilsonart® Asian Night, graphite powder coat, charcoal gray acoustic felt; Wilsonart® Biltmore Cherry, magnesium powder coat, charcoal gray acoustic felt; and Wilsonart® Kensington Maple, magnesium powder coat, silver gray acoustic felt.  The lectern matches the aesthetics of existing Forum products so that it can be installed in the same spaces for a cohesive design. It can be configured with a flat worksurface or Turret worksurface. The Turret worksurface includes a Presenter's Panel to mount touch screens, clock timers, microphones, and more. Worksurface power options An optional matching 12RU, 16RU or 20RU side rack and 6RU under-worksurface mounted rack The offering also includes worksurface power options from A. & H. Meyer—a Legrand Group brand—for power, data, and connectivity with power systems in the U.S., Canada, Britain, France, and Switzerland, as well as with Schuko plugs and outlets. There is an optional matching 12RU, 16RU or 20RU side rack and 6RU under-worksurface mounted rack for extra rackmount storage.  Finally, it is compatible with chief monitor arms and features a customisable logo panel option for branding the lectern with the school or organisation's logo. The Forum Lectern can be specified now through local sales contacts, with shipping in time for the summer build season. Hybrid collaboration and learning applications The Forum Collaboration Suite is an innovative furniture solution from Middle Atlantic that brings together the company's years of extensive research and continuous feedback from the integrator and commercial interiors community regarding hybrid collaboration and learning applications.  Forum is the winner of the Good Design and the International Design awards — two prestigious global design awards that highlight the product's ingenuity in aesthetics, modularity, and function. The solution comprises display stands and tables that can be configured in hundreds of ways.

mindful MATERIALS (mM) recently announced the official launch of three building industry groups, known as The Forums, and ASSA ABLOY is excited to participate. The Forums represent owners and over 80 individuals from more than 40 pioneering companies across the manufacturing, architecture, design, engineering, and construction industries. The three groups that were formed this year are the Owners Forum, the AEC Forum, and the Manufacturers Forum.  Cross collaboration initiative “The Forums are uniquely exciting as an industry initiative because they are designed for cross-collaboration,” says Amy Musanti, Director of Sustainable Building Solutions at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions, a catalyst member of the Manufacturers Forum. Amy Musanti adds, “Each Forum will produce individual accomplishments and resources for their sector, but together we’ll be able to solve larger challenges as part of the materials decision flow. It’s about breaking out of our silos to support collective action as an ecosystem.” Neutral, pre-competitive space These groups offer participants a neutral, pre-competitive space to navigate mutual challenges Other Manufacturers Forum members include Armstrong World Industries, CertainTeed, Construction Specialties, GAF, Humanscale, Kingspan, Legrand, MAPEI, Mecho, nCompass, Patcraft, Saint-Gobain, Shaw Contract, and Superior Essex. These groups offer participants a neutral, precompetitive space to navigate mutual challenges and help accelerate meaningful action by others in the industry.  Holistic materials leadership and learnings “These Forums are the building industry’s collective opportunity to leverage holistic materials leadership and learnings for the benefit of all,” says Steve Kooy, mindful MATERIALS (mM) Board Chair. Steve Kooy adds, “It’s time to stop redoing work and start aligning to have more impact. Together.”

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), formerly known as the Zigbee Alliance, an organisation of hundreds of companies creating, maintaining, and delivering open, global standards for the Internet of Things (IoT), announces Matter – the interoperable, secure connectivity standard for the future of the smart home. The proliferation of connected objects continues to change the way one lives, works and plays. From homes to offices, factories to hospitals, connected objects enable one to experience the environments in cohesive, interactive ways. Yet, for too long, disconnected platforms and disparate development paths have caused confusion for consumers and complicated processes for developers and innovators. Promoting new standard Smart objects should be reliable, secure, and work together – this is the shared vision behind Project Connected Home over IP (CHIP), now known as the new standard, Matter. Amazon, Apple, Comcast, Google, SmartThings, and the Connectivity Standards Alliance came together in 2019 to develop and promote this new standard, joined by fellow Alliance board member companies IKEA, Legrand, NXP Semiconductors, Resideo, Schneider Electric, Signify, Silicon Labs, Somfy and Wulian. Matter is the unified IP-based connectivity protocol built on proven technologies Now, there are more than 180 Member organisations of all sizes, across a range of business categories, and over 1,700 Member individuals participating in bringing the Matter specification, reference implementations, testing tools and certification programs to life. Matter is the unified IP-based connectivity protocol built on proven technologies, helping connect and build reliable, secure IoT ecosystems. Truly connected world This new technology and royalty-free connectivity standard enable communications among a wide range of smart devices. Matter is also a seal of approval, assuring that any object built on this standard is reliable by nature, secure by design, and compatible at scale. “We create marks of trust, and Matter is an important milestone for users in our long history of delivering unifying, secure, reliable and trustworthy standards for the IoT,” said Tobin Richardson, President and CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance. “I’m very excited to unveil Matter as a foundational element in delivering a truly connected world.” Matter makes it easier for device manufacturers to build devices, and to ensure they are compatible with smart home and voice services such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s HomeKit with Siri, Google’s Assistant, SmartThings, and others.” Simplifying connected experiences The first specification release of the Matter protocol will run on existing networking technologies such as Ethernet (802.3), Wi-Fi (802.11), and Thread (802.15.4) and for ease of commissioning, Bluetooth Low Energy. Other key attributes include: Simplicity – Easy to purchase and use. Simplifying connected experiences. Interoperability – Devices from multiple brands work natively together. Providing greater compatibility. Reliability – Consistent and responsive local connectivity. Security – Maintaining secure connections. Robust and streamlined for developers and users. Flexibility – Matter makes it easy for users to set up and control their devices with multiple ecosystems simultaneously. Simple setup code Retailers get reduced complexity in-store to create a more simplified purchasing experience Breakthrough connectivity is built on Matter, providing greater benefit and value for developers, and those who live or work in a smart home or business. Consumers get an increased choice, compatibility, and more control of their experience. Developers get lower development and operational cost via a single SKU and more time for innovation. Retailers get reduced complexity in-store to create a more simplified purchasing experience, leading to fewer returns for compatibility issues. With Matter, consumers and businesses can choose the brands they want in their smart home or commercial building and be confident they will work seamlessly. Homeowners, and especially those living in a smart home with multiple devices like smart locks, thermostats or smart speakers, can easily add new devices with a Matter mark using a simple setup code to connect their home as one. Single-vendor stacks Businesses, particularly those that rely on connectivity, can count on one network to keep their operations running smoothly. Key for developers is that Matter isn’t only a specification – it also offers an open-source reference implementation in parallel. This drives tangible benefits for developers including: faster time to market, reduced reliance on single-vendor stacks, improved quality since they can access multiple use cases to test against, and increased security with full transparency into the community’s ability to identify and commit patches. Products with the Matter mark connect securely with more devices, more reliably than ever Products with the Matter mark connect securely with more devices, more reliably than ever. The Matter mark will serve as a seal of approval, taking the guesswork out of the purchasing process and allowing businesses and consumers alike to choose from a wider array of brands to create secure and connected homes and buildings. Promise of convergence The new symbol and wordmark of Matter tell its story of connectivity. The name was selected for its foundational nature. Matter is a building block for life, and now also for the IoT. The three arrow forms meeting in the Matter symbol communicate the brand promise of convergence and connectivity in its most distilled visual form. Its geometric construction and triangular nature express security and utility. The badge on the product and packaging, with the Matter symbol and wordmark, notes that a product is Matter certified. The two-colour visual identity has been simplified to represent Day and Night with gradients evocative of dynamic connections between products. The new Matter brandmark was developed in partnership with Interbrand, one of the brand consultancies. Connected home technologies With Matter, smart home devices built on technologies like Wi-Fi will be more interoperable" “Today, millions of customers around the world rely on Alexa as their favorite way to control more than 140,000 Alexa-compatible smart home products, and we are committed to continuing to make smart home connections easier for customers,” said David Shearer, Vice President, Amazon Smart Home. “With Matter, smart home devices built on technologies like Wi-Fi will be more interoperable, making them simpler for manufacturers to develop and certify, and delivering more value for customers.” “As we focus on delivering the best connected experiences to our customers, Matter represents an important step forward in the global effort to make connected home technologies easier to use and more secure, with a high degree of interoperability. We’ve been honoured to work with our industry peers on Matter from the beginning and are excited to be part of its role in shaping the future of IoT,” said Jim Kitchen, Vice President Product, Connected Home and IoT Devices, Comcast. Multi-brand interoperability “Matter will be a leap forward in interoperability. It also demonstrates the power of the collaborative and open-source process within the Alliance that embraces the full IoT value chain and yields results. We are convinced that Matter is a great opportunity, therefore Legrand supports the project since the beginning notably by involving engineers and by participating in test events,” said Bruno Vulcano, R&D Manager at Legrand and Chair of the Board at the Connectivity Standards Alliance. We are convinced that Matter is a great opportunity, therefore Legrand supports the project" “Signify, the world leader in lighting and a long-term leader in the Alliance, is excited to be a driving force in the creation and adoption of Matter. We believe this multi-brand interoperability in the smart home will catalyse the benefit and value of smart lighting worldwide via both Philips Hue and WiZ smart lighting,” said George Yianni, Head of Technology Philips Hue, on behalf of Signify. Developing revolutionary protocol “We believe that a universal standard in connectivity is critical for the industry and Matter is the key that will fully unlock the connected home for consumers. We are proud to lend our historical expertise in IoT and be part of the pioneering team to develop this revolutionary protocol,” said Samantha Osborne, Vice President of Marketing and Business Operations at SmartThings. “Over the past year we’ve doubled down on our technology to enhance our ecosystem to not only welcome future Matter products, but to ensure that they work seamlessly with the thousands of products already within our ecosystem.” Providing diverse options Tuya is dedicated to providing diverse options to power our IoT developer ecosystem" “As an open IoT development platform provider, Tuya is dedicated to providing diverse options to power our IoT developer ecosystem. Matter is important to us and our developers because it enables even easier interoperability between brands and simplifies connections between people and our connected objects. When we can securely and easily connect everything, the possibilities of what we can do with those connections are limitless,” said Alex Yang, Co-Founder and COO, Tuya Smart. In early May, the feature-complete base specification was approved by the Matter Working Group. Reaching this milestone gives Members a definition of the major features to build out the open-source implementation and test the specification. Tracking first devices With this, the project is currently on track to see first devices through certification in late 2021, depending on manufacturer go-to-market plans. Devices targeted for launch include lighting and electrical (e.g., light bulbs, luminaires, controls, plugs, outlets), HVAC controls (e.g., thermostats, AC units), access controls (e.g., door locks, garage doors), safety and security (e.g., sensors, detectors, security systems), window coverings/shades, TVs, access points, bridges and others. Members poised to be early adopters of Matter include: Amazon, ASSA ABLOY, Comcast, Espressif Systems, Eve Systems, Google, Grundfos Holding A/S, Huawei, Infineon Technologies, LEEDARSON, Legrand, Nanoleaf, Nordic Semiconductor, NXP Semiconductors, Qorvo, Resideo, Schlage, Schneider Electric, Signify, Silicon Labs, SmartThings, Somfy, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, Tuya Smart, ubisys, Wulian, and Zumtobel Group. Companies interested in accessing the specification and building devices with Matter can join the Connectivity Standards Alliance.