WTRS Executive Interview

Interview with Raoul Wijgergangs, VP U.S. Business Development & Steve Troyer, VP Marketing at Zensys.

Feb 13, 2006

1. Can you tell us a bit about your background?

Raoul: Before I joined Zensys almost 2 years ago, my background was at Philips Electronics where I've been for the last 5 years of my career within Philips very much involved in the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology side, developing those into very large propositions of Philips Electronics including the joint venture which Philips closed with Acton of Taiwan (Arcadian). My background is focused on knowing how to build standards in the wireless connectivity field.
Steve: I am originally from the Chicago area and graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts and UC Berkeley where I earned an MBA. I have been involved in the networking industry for most of my career having worked for leading companies including Cisco, 3Com and Juniper Networks largely in product management, marketing and sales channel management positions. In my last major role at Cisco, I had the opportunity to help define Cisco’s strategy to profitably participate in the consumer home networking market, which ultimately led to the acquisition of Linksys. I was active in the integration team and also founded and the product marketing team at Linksys. The consumer networking business was very enjoyable. The technology moves fast and there are many challenges but at the end of the day it is easy to tell your parents about what you and your company’s products can do for the average person. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead Zensys marketing and help the next phase of growth in a similar emerging market.

2. Who is Zensys?

Raoul: The company Zensys is really the face behind the Z-Wave technology. The Z-Wave technology is probably the most important part to describe here. Where Z-Wave technology basically stands for seamless interoperability for control devices that are targeted at the home space. Control devices, obviously, in applications such as lighting, security systems, access control, window coverings, smoke detectors, thermostat, climate control, and so on. There is also home control in terms of entertainment control. That is a new piece that we have been adding to our business for the last 12 to 6 months, and have been fairly successful. Also there are now remote controls available on the market, that have the Z-Wave technology in them, that allow you to control your TV while your components, your DVD player or your set top box, are hidden away in a closet or a little cabinet and you control it via Z-Wave. In that cabinet you have a Z-Wave to IR converter so you can use all the equipment that you have today. You don't need to change anything. A very important path that I would like to underline is the migration from home controls into, now, entertainment control. Zensys' mission really is to make Z-Wave the Wi-Fi of home control. If you see the industry momentum and following that we have, I think we are well on our way to accomplishing that goal.

3. Who are your most important OEM partners?

Raoul: Companies that build light control products have always been, and will always remain very instrumental for our company. These include Leviton, Cooper, Intermatic, and ACT. They have been bringing out products as early as the summer of 2003 and have been good supporters of the Z-Wave technology. In addition to those, I think fairly recently what has become very important is the real retail play with Z-Wave. And there I would like to mention companies like Monster, Logitech, UEI, and Sirius Radio, that have taken the Z-Wave technology and given it the twist of entertainment control. And the piece that is very, very recent and looks incredibly promising is now to say, you have home control within the home, you have entertainment control within the home, how about utilizing these systems within your home, but now also while you are away. This ties into the piece with Cisco/Linksys coming into the picture.

This interview ran in our Feb 13, 2006 newsletter issue.