CEDIA Expo is the premier event for the custom integration channel to come together. For home technology providers and installers, CEDIA provides an opportunity to discover new products, engage with peers, and gain valuable knowledge through the show floor and manufacturer trainings. At Josh.ai, we have enjoyed educating our industry while showcasing innovative products and updates since our first time exhibiting in Dallas in 2016.
With CEDIA Expo returning to Dallas in 2022 it is only fitting to take a look back at how much Josh has grown since our first show six years ago.
CEDIA 2016
When Josh debuted at CEDIA Expo in 2016, we had a much smaller team and did not have any hardware products yet. The Josh software, J++, ran off of an Apple Mac Mini server and clients needed to enable an Alexa skill in order to use hands-free voice control.
Although the booth consisted of only two tables in Innovation Alley, our team stood out from the crowd giving demos with the Josh App and providing a glimpse of the future for the smart home.
CEDIA 2017
CEDIA 2017 in San Diego was a breakthrough event for the Josh team. Our first hardware product, Josh Micro, was unveiled and went on to win the Best New Product award. Our CEO, Alex Capecelatro, also won the Young Professional of the Year award. Needless to say, all of the industry’s excitement and recognition set the bar for Josh going forward.
In addition to cementing the company’s presence with Josh Micro, Josh also announced multiple game-changing partnerships in 2017 to set the foundation for our best-in-class ecosystem of partners. Josh proudly highlighted support for world-class brands such as Lutron, Sonos, Sony, and more. These integrations expedited Josh’s exponential growth and have helped build the brand into what it is today.
CEDIA 2018
CEDIA 2018 was a tremendous encore and another massive success for Josh. The newly designed Josh App 3.0 was announced, enabling users with the first home control interface that actively utilized machine learning based on user-specific living patterns. A contextual dashboard offered suggestions based on the time of day, usage data, and general recommendations.
Josh introduced native support for distributed audio and video systems, setting a new standard for voice integration in the smart home. The purpose-built features and capabilities resulted in a range of new partnerships, including robust integrations with Crestron SIMPL, Crestron Pyng (now Home), and Control4. Support for these industry-leading control platforms led to a massive boost in Josh dealers across the country, doubling our dealer base from CEDIA 2017 to CEDIA 2018.
CEDIA 2019
CEDIA 2019 in Denver presented a great opportunity to not only go bigger on the show floor but to host dealers at our headquarters in nearby Cherry Creek for more focused conversations as well. Many unique integrations, like Ketra lighting and Xfinity TV control, drove excitement towards the Josh booth. However, the biggest impact Josh made was taking a stand against the monetization of user data and becoming the leading privacy-focused AI with features built to protect our clients.
2019 was the first time where the Josh team curated a live hands-free voice demo in an enclosed experience room at the booth. For many attendees, it was their first chance to experience the Josh magic in action.
CEDIA 2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CEDIA Expo 2020 was held virtually. However, the Josh team made sure the show went on and unveiled a multitude of new updates including Fiji OS.
Fiji OS represented a complete redesign of Josh.ai’s configuration portal with homeowner utilization and friendly customization tools in mind. The new platform implemented user roles and permissions structures for granular privacy settings, IR configuration of set-top boxes for channel access and navigation of non-native video sources, an intuitive new portal layout, and a Natural Language Scene Editor that transformed how systems were programmed.
In addition to the virtual showing at CEDIA, we held our first ever Keynote event in 2020 and that is where the real magic happened. The smart home was reimagined with the launch of Josh Nano and Josh Core, a product ecosystem that completely integrates voice automation with connected living spaces. Josh Nano was introduced as the world’s first Architectural Microphone and Josh Core as the whole home processor, doubling down on local processing to ensure that every client’s data is private and secure.
CEDIA 2021
Following the Josh.ai Keynote event in 2020, CEDIA 2021 was focused on optimizing the Josh Nano and Core ecosystem. New partnerships and features, like a whole-home intercom, were built to increase the utilization of voice throughout the channel’s most advanced properties. CEDIA 2021 was also where Lutron introduced its Josh-ready wallplate for Josh Nano, the first integrated voice keypad solution for the design-build community.
CEDIA 2022
After a multi-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Josh is excited to be back and exhibiting this September. Come by our booth for a live Josh demo, to learn more about our latest OS and App updates, and catch up with our team. We cannot wait to see our partners in Dallas and would like to invite all attendees to join our smart home revolution!
Join us at Booth #14045
Book a 1-on-1 appointment with a member of the Josh team HERE.
If you have yet to register, you can do so HERE and use our free code: EXIV840446
To learn more about what is coming for CEDIA 2022 and beyond, sign up for our newsletter HERE and follow us on social media at @joshdotai
This article was written by Max Fiore, a Josh.ai Business Development team member. Originally from Connecticut, Max graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, Leeds School of Business with a degree in Business Administration emphasizing in Marketing.
Josh.ai is an artificial intelligence agent for your home. If you’re interested in learning more, visit us at josh.ai.
