Markets /markets Customer Profiles /markets/customerProfiles/default.asp Hermes Stephanou Home /markets/customerProfiles/StephanouHome/default.asp Hermes Stephanou Home Limassol, Cyprus WholeHome /markets/customerProfiles/StephanouHome/imgs/image_AtlantisBar.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/StephanouHome/imgs/image_AtlantisBath.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/StephanouHome/imgs/image_AtlantisBedroom.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/StephanouHome/imgs/image_AtlantisHomeModero.jpg The home of Hermes Stephanou, managing director of Francoudi & Stephanou, rests between the timeless vistas of the sea and mountains in Limassol, Cyprus. If those beautiful areas represent a public paradise, the interior of Stephanou’s home, technologically speaking, might well be considered a private one. That is because what Stephanou calls his Atlantis, with more than 6,000 square feet of living space, is thoroughly equipped with an AMX® system for centralized control of his whole home. “Having limitless possibilities is what I love about AMX. We can always program more features, add components or upgrade. I’m planning even more integration in the future.” A Controlled Perspective Stephanou worked closely with AMX dealer Tiegra Ltd., based in Cyprus, on the design and functionality of the system. To meet Stephanou’s varied needs, Tiegra installed three AMX NetLinx® Integrated Controllers – two NI-4000 and one NI-3000 – three 17-inch AMX Modero® Widescreen Touch Panels, three 8.4-inch Modero ViewPoint (MVP) Touch Panels, one seven-inch Modero Touch Panel and one 10.4-inch AMX AxLink Touch Panel. According to Maxim Kostyukov, AMX-certified programmer and designer, Tiegra, “The Atlantis project presented some challenges because of its extensive integration of multiple sub-systems; however, we were able to overcome all of them because the AMX system is so flexible.” The AMX control system simplifies operation of the home’s audio/video, security, climate control, and lighting systems. To maximize ease of use for Stephanou and his family, the graphical user interface is the same on all eight AMX touch panels. “The touch panel interface is so easy, my thirteen year old quickly figured out how to use it, and my five year old is not far behind,” Stephanou joked. Secure All Around One of the most important capabilities of the AMX system to Stephanou is its extensive integration of the home’s security system, which includes interior sensors, audio and closed-circuit video. When guests arrive at the home’s controlled access gate, the family and its hired help can see and talk with their guests, and even “buzz” them in, using any of their AMX touch panels. “AMX allows us to control a very complicated security system very easily, which gives me added peace of mind, because I know that I’ve done all I can to protect the people I love most,” said Stephanou. Video Innovation In addition to security, the AMX system controls and distributes a variety of cutting-edge audio and video technologies throughout the home. For example, the master bedroom boasts four Plasma screens, which can each broadcast four separate programs. So, while relaxing in bed, Stephanou and his wife can view 16 different channels at once, using their Modero Touch Panel to select and display each program. For an uninterrupted media experience, they can even use their touch panel to display broadcast or video content on the retractable screen in the master bathroom. As for the home’s main theatre, pre-programmed automation prepares the room for viewing. All Stephanou needs to do is touch a button on the Modero Touch Panel, and the AMX system adjusts the lights, turns off the room’s lighting motion sensor, powers on the projector, switches the maid’s paging system to quiet mode and even closes the room’s external shutters – but only if the system senses that it is daylight. Endless Possibilities Having long worked in the technology industry, Stephanou appreciates the capabilities that his AMX control system offers. “Limitless possibilities is what I love about AMX – my control system can truly enable whatever functionality I may want as my needs change in the future.” Indeed, Stephanou’s Atlantis has become an ever-adaptable electronics paradise.