Maximum Reliability

Of course, one of the most important factors in any automation system that traverses open water is reliability. “Reliability is always a core value for any product or solution when we start the development process,” says Kerkhof. In fact, many systems that Crestron applies to deployments on land are developed with marine standards in mind first and foremost. “If a solution can tolerate everything that the marine environment throws at it, it can certainly handle home, hospitality, or business applications.” Couple that with our rigorous testing regimen, and clients and crew can trust that the stuff will simply work. “We have a reputation for this — and we carefully maintain that reputation,” says Kerkhof. That also means nurturing partnerships. “Onboard networks are third-party solutions, so we work hand-in-hand with those manufacturers to ensure our standards are met,” he adds.

That commitment to quality requires quite a bit of vigilance — especially since a bevy of new and advancing technologies are poised to make the experience of yacht automation even more robust. “We know that our solutions will have to evolve to accommodate the growing demand for 8K video. Multi-channel audio is a growth segment and ensuring that anyone can hear exactly what they desire — at any time, anywhere in the world — is a must aboard a superyacht. “The other area of growing demand is tunable lighting,” says Kerkhof. “Human-centric and circadian lighting systems are technologies that appear to have a positive impact on health and well-being, and I see them being adopted more and more in this market — after all, these clients demand the latest and greatest technologies.”