Rexel, an innovative solutions provider in the connected devices market
With smart homes, energy monitoring and connected devices, the Internet of Things (IoT) encompasses a wide range of uses and sectors, most notably in relation to the energy transition. The growth in green solutions, energy storage, self-generation and management of energy and new modes of transport has become a major opportunity in the field of smart buildings, networks and infrastructure, and one into which Rexel has invested heavily.
Looking above and beyond the installation of electrical equipment, raising awareness among its own clients about how to better manage their energy use has become a key challenge for Rexel. The Group works with its installers to drive the adoption of energy efficiency among end users, by providing energy audit tools as well as digital applications, that can be accessed from a tablet or smartphone, and which allow the end-user to monitor and manage their energy consumption using simple tools and information.
Christian Roche, IoT Business Unit Director at Rexel France, talks about Energeasy Connect, the smart home solution developed by Rexel :
What’s happening with the market in connected devices today?
Even though this market has not yet reached full maturity, we are experiencing strong growth across our connected products and services offering. Energeasy Connect is our dedicated solution in the smart home sector and one which has greatly benefited from this growth thanks to the changes taking place in the new build market. Real estate developers as well as single-family home builders today, are systematically including “smart home” solutions in all their new constructions. In addition to being able to manage their smart home, end-users want access to a range of complementary services and for the installer it is about meeting this clearly expressed customer need. This allows them to offer a higher use value and greater comfort at a lower cost when compared to the overall investment. Our priority is to ensure the Energeasy Connect ecosystem is incorporated into the building design to guarantee that all the devices are connected as per the installer’s value proposition and the service level agreed with the end-user. With its modular offering directly integrated into the electrical board, Energeasy Connect has positioned itself as the go-to product in its market. The home improvement market has also been able to take advantage of the opportunities arising from the advances made in connected devices, which are either natively compatible with Energeasy Connect or use gateways which enable the use of existing equipment. Today, we have the tools to render existing electrical installations ‘connected’, without the need for any disruptive work and at a relatively low cost.
What are the key selling points of Energeasy Connect in the market?
Energeasy Connect is a universal solution for managing a smart home. It is an interoperable smart home controller with the ability to automate 18 everyday operations in the home: from basic uses such as opening and closing doors and windows, and managing the heating and lighting, to operating the alarm, video surveillance or automated gates. In fact, Energeasy Connect is able to integrate new products into its offering as and when they come on the market. Today, 35 of our supplier partners and more than 1, 500 products make up our smart home offering.
How are you assisting your customers in the face of this simultaneous evolution in both the market and its products?
The electrical installer profession is changing radically. In response to this change, we are strengthening the technical and commercial support we offer our installers and putting in place information sessions to help them. More specifically, we have created a training program dedicated to Energeasy Connect, which allows installers who want to build on their expertise in this field to do so. The program is available to both installers who have never used the Energeasy Connect controller and those who have, but who are unfamiliar with the full service offering and all of the related functions available to them.
In March 2021, we also added a new tool to the offer aimed at professionals in the field of connected device installations. The EConnect PRO app allows installers to create, improve, manage and maintain all their Energeasy Connect installations. In particular, the app allows them to keep tabs on the controllers they have already installed and in doing so, propose valued-added services around monitoring and maintenance to their end users.