Nefit, part of Bosch, has conquered the Netherlands with the Nefit Easy. That the development did not go without a struggle, you can guess. For example, how do you allow a device with so much functionality to work on only 1 watt of power?
The case
If Wilfred Boesveld has a good idea, he will go for it. Only just 3 months working at Bosch, together with Henk Kalk, he came with a plan for a smart thermostat. Wilfred: “In 2011 it was an ambitious plan to make a smart thermostat. The management of Bosch was positive about the project but could not free manpower to run the project. That’s why we outsourced the complete development. Exactly there is where Inspiro came along.”
Collaborate
Wilfred continues: “The R&D team from Bosch has worked a lot with Inspiro. Together we have searched for solutions for problems. And indeed it was a challenge to run energy consumers like a Wi-Fi module and touchscreen at 1 watt.”
This has been made possible by using, among other things, Ultra Low Power Wi-Fi and High-tech power conversion & buffering. With Infrared Proximity detection, the touchscreen only lights up when someone is around. The Nefit Easy can be controlled remotely in real-time with an app via a very secure cloud solution.
With a smile on his face, Wilfred tells: “Occasionally there were lively discussions. But that’s fine. If both parties have the same goal, a discussion will only make the product better. We are very satisfied with Inspiro.”
The whole world smart
In the meantime it is 2021. How is the Nefit Easy doing? Wilfred: “Great! The development continues, the device is getting smarter & better. The Nefit Easy is already well established in the Netherlands. And in the meantime, the smart thermostat is also introduced internationally. For example in England, Germany, Belgium and even America they are sold.
Unfortunately I can not say too much, but there will certainly be more smart products in the future. And Inspiro, although in a different form, is certainly involved in the development!”
