Home Smart 100 2011 The EcoSwitch (SMART 100)

The EcoSwitch (SMART 100)

May 5, 2011

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The following SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity. More about the SMART 100.

The EcoSwitch

This innovation initially came to life when…

…I discovered how difficult it was to reach my powerpoint to turn off wasted standby power.

WHAT & HOW

The purpose of this innovation is to…

…enable everyone to save wasted standby power or simply to gain switching access to one’s powerpoints. And to provide a visual reminder for those of use who are forgetful.

It does this by…

…simply interposing between your existing powerboard and the powerpoint (e.g. for “hubs of appliances” with similar patterns of use) or directly between “stand-alone” appliances and their powerpoint.

PURPOSE & BENEFITS

This innovation improves on what came before because…

…it’s lowest-cost, simple to understand, easy to use and reliable. Other solutions require programming, batteries and/or reprogramming, remain on standby themselves, have radio-frequency conflict issues, have trigger thresholds, are often wattage limited, have a risk of electronic noise, and cost lots more.

Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…

…being simple to employ and use, and versatile: equally useful for groups (hubs) of appliances as it is for single (stand-alone) appliances. Unlike other solutions, your fire risk is substantially reduced.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

In the past, this problem was solved by…

…clambering amongst the clutter of live cords to reach the powerpoint (if possible). Then came switched powerboards, which were ugly to reach (if one remembered to) and meant the redundancy (and often disposal) of one’s existing (often expensive) powerboard.

Its predecessors/competitors include…

Doing nothing
Switched powerboards
Remote control powerboards
Remote control plug adaptors (tend to fall out of the socket and don’t allow furniture to go back to the wall)
Master/slave powerboards

TARGET MARKET

It is made for…

…able-bodied people, forgetful people, disabled people, the elderly — anyone at all with a powerpoint. Forgetting offices, schools, government and industry for a moment, there are eight million households in Australia alone. Assume an average of three per household.

DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY

It is available for sale through…

…our website (end-users), resellers and retailers. Other purchasing reasons include for gift-giving (perhaps to attract new customers e.g. by solar installers, or to boost existing customer relationships) and for fund-raising (better than chocolates!).

Our marketing strategy is to…

…win competitions like this.

Also direct selling, email campaigns (ours and others), shows, PR, giveaways, targeted advertising…whatever gives us bang for our buck.

Strategic alliances.

SUPPORTING IMAGES

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