On CE - For Dealers, Distributors and OEMs of Consumer Electronics throughout EMEA

You may never see an Intel-branded energy management system but Intel wants its technology (sold under other brands) to create a new era of home energy control. And that makes sense....

Think INTEL INSIDE as Intel shows protypes of a home energy management system (HEMS), Home Dashboard energy monitor, Smart TV technology, and sensors that can be placed throughout the home to detect status and problems.

Intel’s HEMS will use ZigBee’s Smart Energy Profile 2.0 IP-based protocol and will send signals over ZigBee, WiFi and Powerline.

The “Home Dashboard” itself, shown here, is an on-wall display panel where users can access their home’s energy use info and perform other functions, such as video messaging with a built-in camera.

Intel’s sensors plug into outlets at each end of the house and look for fluctuations in the line voltage—even temperature and humidity sensors, too.

Intel’s Smart TV technology can network with HEMS and display energy information as you sit back on the sofa.

Intel will first approach utilities with smart grid plans, service providers such as ADT and telcos that plan to sell low-cost energy monitoring services to their customers. But imagine Intel’s best friends in hardware include retail brands…from Microsoft peripherals to Apple to mega-retailers Best Buy and Wal-Mart.

Go Intel HEMS

Tech Data buys Triade Holding, a Netherlands-based distributor for consumer electronics, mobility and IT products that sells in Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands. Triade held Rosemeier Electronics in Denmark and HON, Quote and Battrex in the Benelux countries.

Simultaneously, Brightstar Europe (JV between Brightstar and Tech Data) will buy Triade’s Mobile Communications Co. unit. The deals should close in Q3.

In the 12 months through January 31, Triade sold about $1.2 billion (35% of sales from consumer electronics, 39% from mobility products and 26% from IT products). Over the same period, Tech Data had revenue of $22.1 billion. Tech Data says the “enterprise value” of the deal is about $189 million (with assumed debt), with 45% relating to mobility.

Are broadliners buying again? Tech Data recently announced it will acquire certain assets of Portuguese distributor DLI (€124 million of revenue in 2009). Earlier this year Tech Data bought Communication Distribution Group BV (CDG), a value added distributor in the virtualization market in the Netherlands.

Unexpectedly, this broadliner is snapping up distie assets while deals are good because of the recession. That could means opportunity for other EMEA distributors to exit or sell, especially as Tech Data’s opening of the acquisition wallet may inspire countermoves from Ingram Micro or other top tier disties.

Go Tech Data Buying

Visa Europe launches a contact-less payment system in Turkey. Customers of Akbank with a Blackberry enabled by a microSD card can now pay for goods.

Using NFC technology in a microSD called the In2Pay, the In2Pay card can still act as a storage expansion as well, so users do not give up memory to make use of the service.

Visa will expand this micro-SD programme to include HTC, Samsung, LG, Nokia and Motorola phones in the near future while it waits for NFC handsets to gain in the market.

Go VISA EUROPE and microSD

The whole of New York's Fifth Avenue Apple store would fit inside the main area of the new Apple Store at Covent Garden – that doesn't even include the area for the world's largest Genius Bar in the new London store.

Located about a mile from the flagship Regent Street store, Apple took an 1877 building at One Covent Garden Piazza and restored it.

The interior is made from stone, brick and English Oak to create a relaxing environment flooded with natural light and with a central courtyard big enough to hold a few hundred people (for the next iTunes festival, and in-store appearances by celebs).

Finicky Apple reportedly removed a set of brick arches piece-by-piece and then rebuilt the arches– just because they wanted to lower the arches by 4 inches.

Shot on iPhone4 with a special SteadyCam rig, this video tour is impressive for two reasons.

First, it shows the powerful emotional response that Apple generates from customers. It’s an Apple feeding frenzy with a packed store filled in with technophiliacs.

Second it’s impressive because it was filmed using a customized SteadyCam that turns the iPhone4 into an acceptable videocamera recorder.

Some firsts for this Apple location:

• 300 staff... more than any other Apple Store in the world.
• The Apple debut of its new Pro Labs training programme.
• A new Briefing Room to help small businesses.
• First to stock store-specific goods, starting with MacBook and iPhone cases branded with the Covent Garden name and design.

Watchthe new Apple Store in Convent Garden