In a move to capitalize on the growth of the smart home category in Europe, and in Germany in particular, Control4 has altered its distribution model in Germany to work directly with home automation integrators in that fast growing region. To support the initiative, the company is adding in-country staff to handle all sales, technical support, and training activities. This development is in response to the strong growth potential in Germany and increasing inquiries from independent integration professionals wanting to become Control4 Authorized Dealers in the country.
“We are confident in and excited about the business landscape in Germany. The market opportunity for our solutions is supported by a very large, mobile-savvy and internet-connected population approximately 25% larger than the UK, producing a Gross Domestic Product approximately 44% larger,” explained Martin Plaehn, Chairman and CEO of Control4. “We believe our direct presence in Germany will provide expert support for local Control4 dealers and yield better end-consumer satisfaction and faster adoption by new customers.”
After making a similar change to the dealer-direct model in the UK in 2011, Control4 has facilitated and supported a growing number of authorized independent integrators, now more than 300 across that region, which have resulted in both average-dealer business growth and Control4’s regional growth each year since.
German integrators who become Control4 Authorized Dealers are able to order products online in Euros directly from Control4 and in most instances, to receive delivery within three business days. Authorized Dealers also have access to extensive libraries of product training materials, marketing collateral and tools, as well as regional technical support. Over the coming months, Control4 intends to offer a series of regional training programs across Germany for new integrators, and anticipates opening a Technical Training and Support Center in Germany by mid-summer 2015.
The news of Control4’s commitment to a direct presence in Germany coincides with the 2015 Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) to be held on February 10-12th at the Amsterdam RAI. With new German integrators being authorized each week, those attending ISE 2015 are encouraged to visit the Control4 booth located at 10-N114 to learn more about Control4 solutions and meet the team dedicated to sales and support in Germany. Additionally, Control4 announced that it will be hosting a reception for existing and prospective dealers at ISE on Wednesday, February 11th from 2:00 PM – 3:00PM in Room D506.
