Home Technology Association Experiences Big Growth - January 2018

Home Technology Association Experiences Big Growth with HTA-Certified Dealers Now in 14 States Across 22 Markets

The HTA builds customer confidence and allows integration firms to leverage a rigorous certification standard to gain consumer trust and generate leads

Santa Monica, CA (January 2018) –The Home Technology Association (HTA) - the first independent organization to empower homeowners in technology purchases, recognize exceptional businesses, and offer a rigorous third-party certification process—announces a successful first year, with HTA Certified Dealers now in 14 states, representing 22 markets across the U.S., with more applications in process and to follow in Q1 2018. With a board of advisors featuring top names in home technology, the HTA has quickly earned the support of the custom integration industry as a whole.

“After just four months, the HTA has made tremendous strides in raising awareness and educating not just the custom integration industry but the design and build communities about the importance of company-wide certification. We are extremely grateful to our dealers, manufacturers, rep firms, our board of advisors, the custom integration community and the media for the continued support,” says HTA Director of Certification Josh Christian. “Our goal for 2018 is to continue this growth trajectory and continue to work together to make the HTA Certified logo the recognized mark of excellence in the CI industry.”

Dealers Embrace the Value of Multilevel Certifications
Custom integration professionals have long understood the value of individual certifications for their technicians. Integrators pursue CEDIA, ISF, HAA, CTS, Crestron, Savant, Control4 and other certifications to differentiate themselves, advance their careers, and elevate the companies that employ them.

HTA Certification, in conjunction with individual certification programs, shows that not only does an integration firm have a best-in-class team, but the company as a whole excels in its chosen market and has earned the respect of clients, manufacturers, and industry peers.

“We applied for our certification with HTA because the low barrier to entry in our industry has resulted in under-qualified integrators in the market. This has a history of creating poor client experiences and giving what we do a bad reputation,” says Matthew Johnson, VP/GM of Aurum. “HTA’s stamp of approval on Aurum tells our clients we have been vetted and proven ourselves to be a first-class organization capable of designing, installing and supporting a system we would be proud to have in our own homes.”

Dealers across the country are already using their HTA Certification credentials to differentiate their offerings. Through the HTA website, consumers can find integration firms that specialize in their type and size project. The Home Technology Association’s one-of-a-kind technology budget calculator helps consumers not only determine realistic budget ranges, it also points them to the integrators that excel with their technology needs.

Dealers are sharing their HTA credentials on their websites, truck wraps, proposals, and also with professionals from the design/build community to help them find the best home technology firms for their projects.
“The one thing we come up against, more often than not, is that the homeowner or their representative ‘has a guy’ they use for AV. HTA allows companies like ACS to counter that claim by pointing them to the website to show them that today's modern luxury homes require real technology, and not just AV,” says Thomas Clancy, Senior Vice President Residential Systems for Audio Command Systems. “It also allows us to show them that not all integrators are the same and the depth of experience, resources, and personnel that ACS has is vastly greater than ‘their guy’, and with our 41 years of experience, we are better qualified to facilitate their technology needs.” 

The Home Technology Association would like to congratulate the latest wave of dealers to pass certification:

About the Home Technology Association
The Home Technology Association (HTA) was formed to create a preeminent standard of excellence for the Custom Installation (CI) industry. HTA Certification is a rigorous to achieve standard that homeowners, builders, architects, and interior designers can rely on to find the very best residential technology integrators for their projects. Technology integrators who have passed a demanding 60+ point vetting process that focuses on solid customer service and aftercare support, and a positive business reputation will be HTA Certified and part of an elite group of dedicated, highly skilled firms. This stringent criteria was developed by industry veterans and refined by the HTA Board of Advisors, which includes top executives from Sony, Lutron, Crestron, Control4, Savant, and more.

The mission of the Home Technology Association is to raise the bar in the CI industry by giving exceptional integrators a prestigious third-party endorsement they can use to differentiate their offering and ultimately, win more projects. Not only does this drive more business to the integration community, but it also ensures consumers have consistently great technology experiences. The result will be a dramatic transformation of the reputation and overall presence of the integration community and those who serve it. Learn more by visiting HTACertified.org and by following the Home Technology Association (HTA) on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Houzz.

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Media Contact

For interviews, please contact Katye (McGregor) Bennett of KMB Communications, Inc. by phoning (425) 328-8640 or emailing katye@kmbcomm.com. 

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