Name: This 55-Year-Old Company Made an App for Your Apple Watch
Uploaded: 2016-03-08
Duration: 3 min 45 s
Description: It’s famous for inventing the first dimmer light switch

Michael, you're in charge of a company that's been around for 55 years. It's gone from supplying the electrical industry to now being part of the Smart Home market, a very high- tech area to be in. What would you say was the key to making this major transformation? We really have been in this technology world for a long, long time so if you would... Fast forward to 1995, 1996, we developed the first wireless technology that could be in a home. Where you could control your lights from anywhere in the home, or anywhere in a building. Fast forward then, ten years later, a smartphone comes out, tablets Natural to be out of control. Things from outside of the space. So, really it was a natural transition in our organization. Its quite remarkable that your company is now considered a consumer electronics company which is Yes. Very high tech. You're partnering with companies like Apple, and Google, and AT & T. Yes. So, it's one thing that you survived, but what do you think it was that allowed you to stay on the cutting edge? So, Apple actually called me directly. And they wanted to know did we want to participate with them in developing an app or an application that would live on their new Apple Watch. And the reason they told us that they were interested in us, is one we made what they believe was the best technology. But we also had beautiful user interfaces on our apps that they thought that would blend in very nicely. So we were one of the first companies to develop an app to control your lights from the Apple Watch. And that's one of the reasons. But again, I think these companies come to us, or we develop relationships with them. It could be we approach them, or they approach us. Because we make reliable technology that always works And we stay on top of what's going on in the world of lighting. We hear so much about disruption and disruptors. I mean certainly technology is reshaping businesses in your industry with the internet of things and everything that's going on with all of that. What is the biggest challenge? For Lutron. There's almost a new lamp coming on the market, a revision every two to three months. So we have to continue to upgrade our hardware and software and get in that mindset to stay on top of the technology. Hopefully proactively with the lamp manufacturers, but sometimes it's a reactive mechanism and we have to be very adept and very quick to get through that. How do you feel about disruption? Is it a good thing? You have to look at these things as opportunities, spin it around a little bit. Don't look at the problem, look at the potential benefit. So, we're always looking at this, and I'd like to say that we're pretty good in not keeping our head in the sand, and sticking to the way things were. Trying to anticipate where things are going. With so much innovation going on around you, what are you learning? From this companies that are starting up and from the new upcoming entrepreneurs. I thing speed. I think we have to figure out ways to get faster and faster and faster to market. Can you ever picture that Lutron would do merger or make a big acquisition? something that your company has not done In it's whole history. If we do do it knowing that it might take your company to a new level of innovation? Absolutely. I mean that's something I would never say never, we have grown organically to this date over a 55 year period but there's no question about it. We would look at that, if we believe there is technology or if we believe there is a market. That can gain access to that would again enhance ourselves within our principles. That's something we would certainly consider. [ BLANK AUDIO ]

It’s famous for inventing the first dimmer light switch

This 55-Year-Old Company Made an App for Your Apple Watch

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It’s famous for inventing the first dimmer light switch.