Composed and eloquent, Quenton Miao has seen it all. From the dot-com bubble to the burgeoning IoT trend, D-Link’s Vice President of Global Marketing said he has been with the company over the last decade through thick and thin.
Composed and eloquent, Quenton Miao has seen it all. From the dot-com bubble to the burgeoning IoT trend,
D-Link’s Vice President of Global Marketing said he has been with the company over the last decade through thick and thin. Even though every business has its ups and downs, Miao said the networking giant has always managed to overcome its obstacles with flying colors. Today, as the smart home frenzy becomes increasingly popular, he sees this as an opportunity to drive the business into a new frontier. And since D-Link has gone on to become a designer, developer, and manufacturer of networking solutions for both the consumers and business markets, it’s fair to say that the company has a lot to offer to the connected home front.
“As networking specialists, it was a sensible decision to venture into the smart home three years ago,” Miao said.
Today, D-Link has grown to become an exciting global brand offering the most up-to-date networking solutions. Whether it’s to suit the needs of the home consumer, business or service provider, the company is leading the way in offering comprehensive networking and security solutions worldwide. In the first half of 2014, D-Link made its first foray into the connected home market with the launch of its Wi-Fi-enabled smart plug, wireless motion sensor, and the aptly named “D-Link Cloud,”–a revolutionary series of remote manageable products comprising of the D-Link cloud router, cloud camera, and cloud storage products. The mydlink Home App, which works in the premises of the cloud service, was also officially announced.
As part of D-Link’s Connected Home Initiative, the company has all the ingredients to build a compelling smart home offering, he reaffirmed.
Enter the second phase
“We are actually entering the second phase of D-Link’s Connected Home Initiative,” he said.
According to the global marketing VP, following hardware devices and software Apps, the networking giant is strengthening the solution by introducing a cloud NVR (Network Video Recording of IP camera footage) solution. The company will offer a Private Cloud solution for users who prefer to manage their cloud storage locally on their D-Link router, and a Public Cloud solution for users who would rather pay for the storage used as they go and not worry about storage hardware maintenance.
“In the long-run, D-Link will provide both a free Private Cloud solution and a Public Cloud solution that will only charge users who need extra storage space,” Miao said, adding that D-Link is offering both the Private and Public cloud services to give users more options on how they want to store and access camera footage.
The idea to build a Private cloud was built upon the capability of D-Link routers to support remote access and streaming of an USB hard drive that’s connected to the router. The new functionality of a Private Cloud is a unique concept and natural feature progression for D-Link’s wireless routers.
“Our private cloud service leverages the functionality of D-Link routers such as the DIR-890L AC3200 ULTRA Wi-Fi Router by allowing you to easily connect, control and access a network remotely or locally alike via a smart phone or device.”
With the evolution of D-Link’s routers for the cloud era, users will benefit by not only enjoying a more flexible home security system, but also by being able to choose how they store and manage camera footage. It’s a strategy that falls neatly in line with D-Link’s “Get Your Home Talking” initiative, the companies’ take of the connected home front.
“Get your home talking”
D-Link’s Connected Home platform provides a proven, reliable and scalable platform that works across a wide range of devices for a complete home security and automation solution, citing Miao in an interview with SMAhome.
The smart home software platform can connect to a wide variety of D-Link’s cloud computing devices including IP cameras, wireless routers, motion/water sensors, gateways, smart plugs, sirens, and many more. These devices talk and react to each other to monitor and control homes and businesses. “Our Connected Home products work together to get your home talking and safe,” added Miao.
The networking giant recently announced two home security kits—the DCH-101KT HD Edition and the DCH-301KT HD Pan and Tilt Edition. They are designed to help homeowners take a DIY approach to their security systems. Each kit combines three of D-Link’s most popular smart home products – a Wi-Fi Camera, Wi-Fi Smart Plug and Wi-Fi Motion Sensor–offering combinations of ways to secure, connect and automate the home. The kits also offer free cloud video recording, enabling users to automatically capture footage based on motion sensor triggers—a handy feature for travelers wishing to monitor their homes while away.
“All of the products included in the DIY Security Kits work with the free mydlink Home App for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets so users can control the devices all from one screen.”
All of the newly announced devices will “talk to each other” to deliver a smarter, simpler alternative to traditional home security solutions.
Differentiation & strength
As mentioned, D-Link’s strategy for its second phase of Connected Home Initiative will primarily be based on a new D-Link Public and Private Cloud NVR solution and the “Get Your Home Talking” initiative, according to Miao, adding that it is the networking giant’s differentiation and strength against competitors.
While the smart home arena continues to expand at an unprecedented pace, players on the field will have to look for new ways to stay afloat in a pool of competitive talents. D-Link is planning to introduce All-In-One Solution of routers and controllers designed to make connected home management and security easier for homeowners. D-Link’s solution can also be added to third party routers by way of a D-Link Connected Home controller, which will similarly allow connections with third party made connected home devices. For the moment, D-Link is churning out slews of connected devices compatible with either Z-Wave or Wi-Fi frequencies with plans to include ZigBee as well, he added.
“D-Link will adopt any protocol or standard because we are open to all possibilities, let it be Z-Wave, ZigBee or Bluetooth. The ability to adapt and customize are some of our key strengths.”
Telcos and operators
Today, significant trends have emerged to help drive smart home adoption. These include a higher aging population that demands new services in the home, increased popularity of mobile devices, and the dramatic increase in streaming media. On top of these, there is a strong push by a wide range of leading players, including telecom operators and utility service providers for new revenue generating services.
Adoption-wise, thanks to their broad reach and a wide customer base, telecom operators play a leading role in terms of household penetration of smart home solutions. D-Link plans to work with Telcos by offering connected home and cloud NVR solutions to their millions of subscribers.
“We are definitely looking to market our connected home solution to telecommunication companies and operators,” Miao said.
The global marketing head affirmed that there is much potential in the European telecom side as well as in the USA.
“Telcos are also eager to enter the connected home market. They are similar to retailers in the sense that they have retail stores that sell mobile phones and accessories, but they also offer home security and other service packages. Their services also help promote network routers, smart home hubs, sensors and cameras.”
Telecom operators are a significant asset by playing a central part in the customer relationship role as a trusted provider of networking products and services. The values of Telcos that could be leveraged include a robust sale and support network and their strong network management capabilities.
Future developments
While the smart home popularity continues to grow, there is more interest in energy-saving solutions. The roll-out of smart utility meters have greatly increased the opportunities for home energy management. To exploit these opportunities, a growing number of new Home Energy Management (HEM) products and companies have emerged over the past decade, ranging from basic energy displays to home control systems and smart phone mobile apps.
D-Link is also looking to tap into energy management solutions, including smart thermostats for more efficient energy usage.
“We are open to all opportunities, whether it’s in the field of energy management, home automation or security solutions,” Miao concluded. All the while, the networking giant’s ongoing plan has been to create an open system that works with both Apple’s HomeKit and Google’s Nest ecosystems.
“What does it mean to be a solution provider? Our DNA is the brand. Being a brand means we have to look at the big picture and work on solutions while adapting every step of the way to make people’s lives easier.”