How the iPad Will Shatter Touchscreen Pricing
By Jason Knott
Vantage/Legrand believes the iPad will break "industry paradigms" for touchscreen pricing, software, and physical format.

Vantage/Legrand says the iPad will shatter existing pricing, software, and physical format of touchscreens.

"There will always be a place for dedicated touchscreens, but the iPad certainly breaks paradigms in the industry in terms of what it does vs. other existing touchpanels in the market," says Andrew Wale, Vantage/Legrand VP of marketing, who called home automation the iPad's "killer app."



"It's not inconceivable that the iPad will create the potential for some dealers to move away from dedicated touchscreens. But the big unanswered question is will there be available home control apps that work in an open, practical environment. It will be a challenge for dealers to find out what home control apps are available for the iPad."

"Even if the iPad has great success, there will continue to be multiple interfaces on the market: on-screen, mobile, hand-held remotes and even hard keypads are not going away," he adds. "[The] iPad is just another remote option interface for dealers to sell."

Price Pressure Will Occur
Wale believes the iPad will definitely lead to some price pressure on dedicated touchscreens. He advises integrators to emphasize that the value they bring to a client goes beyond the hardware.

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