Patrick McLaughlin
Amp Inc.`s (Harrisburg, PA) OnQ Home Wiring System received the 1998 Mark of Excellence Award for Interoperable Products from the Home Automation Association (haa--Washington, DC) during the group`s recent conference in Orlando, FL. The haa`s first-ever Mark of Excellence Awards program recognizes the finest achievements and innovations in home-automation products.
Chosen from five competing entries, amp`s OnQ system was selected on a number of merits, including its innovation, distinctive benefits, documentation, and flexibility. amp`s OnQ technology was honored for its ability to produce various home subsystems and integrate them into a single, unified home-automation system.
"amp has been instrumental in the promotion and advancement of the home-automation and wiring industry, and haa`s program is designed to recognize the best of these innovators," says Duane Paulson, the haa Awards chairman. "The OnQ technology optimally blends lighting, entertainment, security, hvac [heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning], and telecommunications into an easy-to-use system that affords enhanced energy efficiency, convenience, and safety for the home."
A panel of judges was selected from the haa to represent various home-automation technologies and professions. The haa membership includes manufacturers, distributors, dealers, installers, and service providers of home-automation products.
"The haa has established itself as a quality membership by fueling industry growth and meeting increasing demands of a new and dynamic market," says Doug Fiske, manager of building systems with amp. "This haa membership has assisted in the success of our OnQ Home Wiring and Home Management Systems product line, and amp is honored to be recognized as an industry leader by such a respected organization."
The OnQ Home Wiring System provides a structured approach to low-voltage wiring for new homes. amp says that for a few hundred dollars more than traditional telephone and television wiring, OnQ provides flexibility and expandability, allowing installations of today`s technology while permitting growth to meet future needs.
Starting with home-run Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair cabling for telecommunications and data and Series 6Q quad-shielded RG-6 coaxial cable for video distribution, the OnQ system relies on discrete modules to control each facet of a home`s communications wiring. Just as a breaker box allows isolation of a circuit for repair or maintenance, the modules in an OnQ service center allow individual systems to be upgraded as technology, homeowner needs, or budgets change.
The OnQ Home Wiring System is sold through amp dealers and distributors. For more information, call (800) 321-2343 or visit the product`s Web site at www.amponq.com.