Comments on: Marc Fleury starts an open-source home automation project

Can Marc Fleury compete with a better entrenched rival? Perhaps.

[mao995]

A better example than Apple/Ubuntu, at least for consumer adoption, might be the difference between TiVo and MythTV. Myth is a great idea, but way beyond the ability of ordinary people to acquire, install and use. Control4 is designed and built for consumers; unless OpenRemote can match it for simplicity, including acquiring the devices on which the software runs, Control4 will be tough to displace.

[kiwibuntu]

Why displace anyone? Why not grow the whole market and each take a slice? The main thing is to make the concept of home automation more mainstream. If there are enough businesses in the same broad market they can even collaborate on some things and compete on others. Go for it.

[marcf999]

Hey Matt, thanks for the coverage. Don't be so negative, as kiwibuntu points out this is a crowded field and there is room for everyone. In fact we are spending a bunch of time trying understand where we fit with respect to everyone. I have blogged a longer answer at www.openremote.org

[Matt Asay]

marc, how many different blogs do I have to follow to keep track of you!? :-) I'll take a look. And I'll continue to believe there's room for competition until i actually have home automation installed in my house and in those of my friends/family. Until I see it pervasive, it doesn't exist. Anyone that can make it "exist" will win. No one - including Control4 - has done that yet.

[katsnelson]

I think there is significant difference between Control4 and OpenRemote. Control4 may be based on Linux but their delivery channel is 100% through custom installers. There is nothign open abut it. You can't get any of their gear and install it yourself, never mind add value to it. Thisi si typical of the entire home automation industry which is so closed that it makes Microsoft Office look like open source.

OpenRemote targets DYI and professionals and allows for contributions from the community. I personally don't care if something runs on Linux. I do care about being able to get my hands on it, modify it if I want to and contribute if I have something that ads value and I am OK to share it without getting paid.