.Net Micro framework

Leviton Manufacturing

Home Controls Manufacturer Uses .NET Micro Framework to Create Product Quickly

Situation

Leviton Manufacturing dates back to the dawn of the electrical era in 1906. Originally engaged in the fabrication of mantle tips for gas lighting, the company quickly saw the potential in the newly harnessed source of energy and converted to production of an electrical pull-chain lampholder. Today, Leviton offers more than 20,000 products and is a leader in the electrical industry, serving the industrial, commercial, OEM, and residential markets.

We've shown that you can reduce the time it takes to get your product to market with .NET Micro Framework. That really changes the game for embedded device designers and manufacturers.  John Leier Product Manager for Embedded Solutions Digi International

Consistent with its mission to apply the latest technologies to the development of new products that satisfy the needs of emerging markets, Leviton engineers and designers have been at the forefront of delivering trusted residential home automation products to installers, builders, and homeowners. The company's vision to provide consumers with powerful levels of control and customization for home lighting and appliance automation has led it to pioneer new technologies and expand the potential of "smart" controls for the home.

Leviton saw in the advent of the Z-Wave technology standard a means of offering its customers advanced, next-generation home automation that provides greater flexibility and convenience while moving beyond the limitations inherent in older, wire-based household power-line systems.

A New Protocol Changes the Game

Z-Wave, which was codified through an industry alliance in 2005, is a wireless radio frequency (RF)-based communications standard that makes remote control effective and practical for homes of any size. The protocol, which is embedded in a microprocessor chip and built into a module or device along with memory – flash memory, RAM, or both – transforms a stand-alone appliance into an intelligent networked device that can be controlled and monitored wirelessly. Z-Wave delivers high-quality networking at a fraction of the cost of other similar technologies by focusing on narrow bandwidth applications and negating the need for costly hardware by employing innovative software solutions.

The Z-Wave standard offers a combination of technical and practical advantages that render it superior to conventional home control systems. The benefits include a wide signal range, making remote-control functionality possible for even the largest homes; simple integration that makes it easy to expand the network; low power consumption for deployment in battery-operated devices; two-way communication for remote confirmation of device or systems status; and low cost, making full home automation more affordable than ever before. Moreover, because Z-Wave operates on a narrow band of radio frequencies that aren't affected by other wireless devices such as the very popular 2.4 and 5.8 Gigahertz cordless phones and increasingly prevalent home Wi-Fi networks (a, b, g and n standards), there is no interference like that typically encountered with power-line solutions such as UPB.

Historically, home control systems cost tens of thousands of dollars. Leviton saw an opportunity for innovation in the home automation industry through the cost efficiencies created by Z-Wave devices. Because it's wireless, Z-Wave technology can be installed in a new home that's under construction just as easily as it can be retrofitted to an existing home. However, even with all the lights and appliances in a home enabled on the new standard at substantially lower costs, there is still the need for a central controller, connecting the home to the Internet for remote access. Such controllers have been, until now, among the most expensive components of a home automation system.

Solution

Looking for a solution path to reach the goal of innovation in home automation on the Z-Wave standard, Leviton found that the Microsoft .NET Micro Framework provided the development environment best suited for its product development and integration needs. Lightweight embedded control technologies are central to the .NET Micro Framework because it combines the reliability and efficiency of .NET with the productivity of Microsoft Visual Studio®. The .NET Micro Framework extends the power and richness of .NET development into the realm of the smallest of devices, where there are typically constraints on cost, memory, processor capabilities, or battery power.

.NET Micro Framework just seemed like a better fit for a serious embedded device and provides a lower, mass-market, end-user price.  Chris Walker President and Chief Technical Officer ControlThink

"Among the factors that made the .NET Micro Framework attractive to us was Microsoft's position in the marketplace," says Ian Hendler, Director of Automation Products for Residential Technologies for Leviton. "Having a common set of libraries that developers can write to in the .NET Micro Framework was also very, very attractive."

Leviton judged the .NET Micro Framework as being able to offer several advantages over other platforms. These advantages include reduced hardware and licensing costs, direct hardware access at the managed code layer, and the simplicity and high up-time of the platform. "It just seemed like a better fit for a serious embedded device and enabled a lower, mass-market, end-user price," says Chris Walker, President and Chief Technical Officer of ControlThink, Leviton's software partner.  ControlThink was tasked with writing the required applications and providing additional, enhanced functionality based on its own IP.

According to Walker, Leviton would have incurred higher development costs if it used proprietary tool chains rather than the .NET Micro Framework. He also stated that "other development tools are not nearly as refined or efficient as the Microsoft tools." In addition, he saw the framework's ability to run on inexpensive processors as a significant additional benefit.

A New Product Is Developed – Fast

Leviton worked with Microsoft, which provided the .NET Micro Framework, as well as with its hardware and software partners to develop the Vizia RF Foyer, the industry's first Z-Wave-compliant Ethernet gateway. The Vizia RF Foyer connects to an Internet-linked PC or laptop through the computer's Ethernet port and transmits signals to a Z-Wave home control network. Peer-to-peer mesh networks based on the .NET Micro Framework, the Vizia RF Foyer, and the Z-Wave protocol overcome the performance issues and high cost of earlier generations of wireless home control systems.

Each Vizia RF Foyer module is equipped with a two-way radio chip that it uses to communicate with modules, called nodes, in the network. Z-Wave command signals travel from node to node along the network to their final destination. If any form of interference blocks the signal along the way (for example, a wall or a large appliance such as a refrigerator), the signal is automatically rerouted through other nodes until it reaches its destination. The "self-healing" feature of the Z-Wave mesh network lends it unparalleled reliability.

An embedded application, such as the one in the Vizia RF Foyer, customarily takes approximately one year to develop. However, with the .NET Micro Framework, Leviton's software partner ControlThink was able to produce a working proof of concept in three days and, porting its existing .Net code base, completed the final application within three months.

There's real benefit to Leviton from all that .NET Micro Framework does today. But I'm confident that the Z-Wave technology and the Vizia RF Foyer product line will continue to expand.  Ian Hendler Director of Automation Products for Residential Technologies Leviton Manufacturing

"Since .NET Micro Framework is basically standard C# code for embedded devices, it was easy to use Visual Studio Rapid Application Development tools to craft a 'working prototype' very quickly," says Walker. "We have some great .NET skills in-house, so for us the tools and the platform are a perfect match."

Easy Integration of Hardware and Software

Leviton's hardware partner, Digi International, produced the processor for the Vizia RF Foyer. It also found the .NET Micro Framework hospitable to its work on the project. The Digi Ethernet module, with plug-and-play functionality and comprehensive development tools for custom applications, further simplified the design and manufacture of the Vizia RF Foyer. "What we brought to the project and the .NET Micro Framework really came together with the ControlThink application," says John Leier, Product Manager for Embedded Solutions for Digi. "Everything worked well and easily scaled up to the application for Leviton's new product. This project shows how you can really reduce the amount of time it takes to get your product to market with the .NET Micro Framework."

"Because the .NET Micro Framework is designed to be implemented with hardware solutions, it's an ideal system for us to use in the Vizia RF Foyer," says Grant Sullivan, Product Marketing Manager, Automation Products for Residential Technologies for Leviton. "This has been a little different kind of process for us. Given that Leviton is a manufacturing company, we tend to like to build our own products. But Z-Wave is still a new technology and we felt there was an opportunity to work with Microsoft and our partners to create a better home automation system. Both the process of collaborating to develop this product and the response we're getting to it have been very positive."

Benefits

The Vizia RF Foyer, which will reach the market in the third quarter of 2007, allows connectivity to a home automation system locally and remotely. It makes possible use of a PDA, smart phone or either home-based or office PC to command and control dimmers, switches and other Z-Wave-enabled appliances.
 
"This product speeds up the home automation system in comparison to power-line wire-based systems," says Walker. "You plug the Vizia RF Foyer into the wall and connect it into your router. Now your smart home is on the Internet and can be controlled both remotely via our secure ThinkConnect service and also from computers in the house that are on the network. This small, inexpensive device is reliable, has intelligence and makes everything run better – it's basically a low-cost, smart server for the home."

Homeowners can conserve energy during the day by turning on house lights and air conditioning using their cell phone as they approach their home in the evening; dim the lights as they watch a movie in their home theater; run a macro so that an hour after the kitchen lights are turned off, the exhaust fan over the stove automatically switches off; or signal their home to go into a preprogrammed "vacation mode," with lights going on and off in different parts of the house at various times, to make it look like its being lived in for increased security.

"The big advantage here is that I can control my home when I'm not there," says Walker. "I can be home when I'm not."

Roadmap for Future Innovation

The primary focus for the launch of the Vizia RF Foyer is lighting and appliance command and control, but it will eventually integrate with window shades, thermostats, door locks, security systems and touch screens that communicate on the Z-Wave standard.

This small, inexpensive device is reliable, has intelligence and makes everything run better – it's basically a low-cost, smart server for the home.  Chris Walker President and Chief Technical Officer ControlThink

Leviton is currently developing software around the Vizia RF Foyer to help builders, electricians, professional system integrators and home entertainment system installers deploy the Z-Wave technology faster and more efficiently. The Vizia RF Foyer is fully supported by ControlThink's Z-Wave PC SDK (for desktop and mobile .Net applications) and is a platform for unlimited customization. It's anticipated that this will lead to third-party development of products to work as plug-ins with the Vizia RF Foyer.

Another key improvement expected in future product releases is increased speed across the network.

"There's real benefit to Leviton from all that .NET Micro Framework does today. But I'm confident that the Z-Wave technology and the Vizia RF Foyer product line will continue to expand.
Ian Hendler, Director of Automation Products for Residential Technologies, Leviton Manufacturing
Faster, Better, and More Economical
Speed is a central theme of the Vizia RF Foyer story. "We've shown that you can reduce the time it takes to get your product to market with the .NET Micro Framework," says Leier. "That really changes the game for embedded device designers and developers. Now they can very quickly and very easily add wired and wireless networking to their products."

"We want to go to the mass market," says Hendler, "so the .NET Micro Framework was the most cost-effective platform for us to adopt. It also delivers the ability to innovate on and is easy to find developers to program on – and our customers are already comfortable working in the .NET world. The price point is excellent and the value proposition in terms of features and flexibility is great. And based on our testing, it's very reliable."

"There's real benefit to Leviton, our customers, and to consumers from all that .NET Micro Framework does today. But I'm very confident that the Z-Wave technology and the Vizia RF Foyer product line will continue to develop and expand in terms of its capabilities and functionality by using the .NET Micro Framework."

"I see this as a platform for growth for Leviton, beyond just this one product. There are other applications we can use it in; this is a residential technology, but there are applications it can perhaps be used for in light commercial or small business. So we see .NET Micro Framework as a very good platform to invest in, because you get a good ROI immediately and you have good potential for future ROI."

The .NET Micro Framework grew out of the Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) initiative at Microsoft. This framework is a natural extension of Microsoft offerings for creating embedded systems and provides an easy-to-use solution for this type of development.

Though it is used on very small devices, the.NET Micro Framework provides a managed code environment that brings a high degree of efficiency and reliability to the realm of embedded software

Because the .NET Micro Framework is designed to be implemented with hardware solutions, it's an ideal system for us to use in the Vizia RF Foyer.  Grant Sullivan Product Marketing Manager, Automation Products for Residential Technologies Leviton Manufacturing

development. You can find more information about this framework at
www.msdn.microsoft.com/embedded/netmf

For More Information

For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:
http://www.microsoft.com/

For more information about Leviton Manufacturing products and services, call (718) 229-4040 or visit the Web site at:
http://www.leviton.com/

For more information about ControlThink products and services, call (888) 90THINK  or visit the Web site at:
http://www.controlthink.com/

For more information about Digi International products and services, call (877) 912-3444 or visit the Web site at:
http://www.digi.com/

Copyright © 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
Microsoft, .NET, and Visual Studio are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Document published March 2007

Small Caps de valor

Quais características uma small cap precisa ter para valer a sua aposta?

Por: Roberto Altenhofen Pires Pereira
23/07/09 - 11h08
InfoMoney

SÃO PAULO - Sem dúvida, a maneira mais rápida de se ganhar no mercado de ações é através de uma aposta certeira em algum "mico" do mercado. Isto porque é lei básica que quanto maior a possibilidade de retorno, maior o risco embutido naquela aplicação. Mas há alguns fatores que uma small cap precisa ter para valer a aposta, pois, como dito, aplicar no tal mico implica correr riscos, muitas vezes, grandes demais.

Não é todo o dia que aparece um novo Google no mercado. Por outro lado, a avaliação de alguns critérios, além de limitar o risco, pode indicar a small cap com melhores chances de bom desempenho. As cifras são atrativas. Depois de estrear em agosto na Nasdaq por volta de US$ 108, a ação da agora gigante da internet atualmente é cotada a US$ 430.

No Brasil, os casos são inúmeros. Um bom exemplo é a trajetória de ações como Plascar, Forjas Taurus ou Haga nos últimos anos, que chegaram a relacionar ganhos estratosféricos. Por outro lado, casos como o da Agrenco, cujos papéis despencaram de R$ 10,4 para R$ 0,11 em menos de um ano, alertam para os riscos.

Como definir um mico
Para definir se determinada small cap se trata ou não de um "mico", primeiro é preciso entender o conceito do jargão. Para os analistas, mico é aquela ação que ignora tendências, costuma ir contra o movimento predominante no mercado, descolando-se de seus fundamentos (ou da falta deles).

Com base neste conceito, uma boa pedida é avaliar o beta do ativo. O indicador nada mais é que uma maneira de determinar como uma ação reage a uma oscilação do mercado como um todo. Um beta de 1 indica que o ativo sendo analisado tende a reagir de acordo com o mercado. Por exemplo, caso o Ibovespa suba 2%, um ativo com beta 1 tende a acumular ganho de 2%. Já um beta superior a 1 indica que o ativo deve reagir com maior intensidade, enquanto beta entre 0 e 1 aponta para um ativo com volatilidade inferior ao mercado.

A sessão de análise fundamentalista da InfoMoney conta com cálculos dos betas de diversas ações. Outra alternativa é o endereço eletrônico da própria BM&F Bovespa, que traz sua medida de volatilidade para os ativos listados na bolsa brasileira.

Duas questões
Duas questões sugerem atenção com as pequenas no momento. A primeira aponta diretamente para a crise. Quando os mercados começaram a despencar no ano passado, boa dose da avalanche partiu do estrangeiro, que retirou suas aplicações nos mercados emergentes para cobrir perdas lá fora. Os ativos mais líquidos, mais fáceis de serem liquidados, sofreram bastante.

Por outro lado, a melhora da bolsa este ano demonstra que boa parte do fôlego estrangeiro foi para as blue chips, para a retomada das posições liquidadas no ano passado. Cresce o número de analistas que apostam nas ações atrasadas daqui para frente. Boa parte deles destaca alguma small cap.

A maior propensão do mercado a movimentos de fusão e aquisição também atrai. O tiro certeiro pode estar em uma companhia atraente para seus pares setoriais e cujos ativos estejam acessíveis para o momento.

Liquidez
Como o risco é maior, a atenção precisa ser dobrada na escolha. Primeiro de tudo, é preciso considerar a liquidez. Alguns ativos passam dias sem qualquer negócio. Mesmo valorizados, podem frear uma oportunidade de venda porque não há no mercado quem queira comprar. Esta questão amplia o debate para outro campo: os famosos fóruns.

Um conselho trivial, mas que não pode passar em branco. Exatamente pelo fato de não haver grande volume de negócios com determinada small cap, qualquer ferramenta que a coloque no holofote pode render um giro a mais. Muitas vezes, a "bola da vez" sugerida nos fóruns nada mais é que a tentativa de algum acionista promover a venda de determinada ação. Portanto, é necessário ler as tais recomendações sempre com muito cuidado. O post em questão pode vir de um analista pouco competente ou mesmo mal intencionado.

Sinal de brusca oscilação
O volume de negócios também é indicativo de que algo pode estar por vir. Geralmente, os analistas destacam que quando o giro daquele ativo começa a apresentar alteração abrupta, é sinal de que oscilações abruptas estão por vir. O que não define se será para cima ou para baixo.

Neste caso, a melhor opção é se concentrar nos fundamentos. Em alguns casos, é difícil encontrar informações precisas a respeito dos balanços destas empresas, mas como se tratam de companhias abertas, seus números devem estar disponíveis no site da CVM (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários). No entanto, há os casos de companhias inadimplentes de resultados; que exigem ainda mais cuidado com a ação.

Além disso, há de se cuidar para distinguir mero ruído especulativo com sinal efetivo de um Fato Relevante iminente. Nem todo aumento de volume tem por trás uma notícia importante a ser anunciada.

Indicadores importantes
Entre algumas variáveis importantes para se conhecer a empresa, primeiro é preciso atenção com resultados "ajustados", que podem embutir fatores exógenos e mascarar a realidade dos números.

Dentre alguns indicadores recomendados, destaque para o retorno sobre o patrimônio líquido, que nada mais é que o lucro líquido da companhia dividido por seu patrimônio líquido, ou seja, o dinheiro que sócios e acionistas colocaram na empresa. O resultado indica quanto de retorno a companhia costuma oferecer por cada real aplicado nela.

Outra boa fonte de atenção é dívida líquida sobre Ebitda - geração operacional de caixa -, que pode indicar o grau de liquidez da companhia. Basicamente, aponta quanto tempo é necessário para a empresa honrar suas dívidas. Quando a conta chega em uma relação de duas vezes e meia do Ebitda, as agências de classificação de risco costumam acender o alerta com a companhia.

Aos aventureiros
Bons fundamentos, além de limitar o risco, podem determinar a busca de uma rival de maior porte pela aquisição daquela small cap. Para esta avaliação, uma boa medida pode ser a margem Ebitda - geração de caixa sobre a receita líquida -, ou seja, quanto de suas receitas que a empresa consegue transformar em caixa, um indicativo de eficiência.

Para quem não se sentir confortável em arriscar de forma direta, sempre há a opção dos fundos em small caps, para investir nas pequenas pelas mãos de um gestor mais gabaritado no assunto. Aos que preferirem se aventurar sozinhos, muito cuidado; ganhos sedutores muitas vezes escondem risco de perdas irreparáveis.