KNX: why we build on the open standard
Whoever buys a "smart" home today often buys a dependency: one brand, one app, one cloud – and a single provider who understands the system. We have chosen the other path: KNX, the open worldwide standard for building automation.
What KNX actually is
KNX is not a product but a manufacturer-independent standard: hundreds of manufacturers worldwide build devices – switches, sensors, actuators, panels – that speak the same language. A green bus cable connects them, and the logic lives decentrally in the devices themselves. If one component fails, the rest keeps running; no cloud is required for operation.
The difference shows after years, not weeks
In the first week, every system feels smart. The difference comes later:
- Freedom of manufacturer: The switch can be from ekinex, the actuator from another manufacturer, the sensor from a third – all one system. If a brand disappears from the market, you replace the device, not the installation.
- Freedom of installer: Any KNX-certified integrator can maintain and extend the installation. You are at nobody's mercy – not even ours.
- Longevity: KNX installations from the 1990s still run today and can be extended with current devices. Which app from the 1990s still runs today?
- Freedom of design: Because many manufacturers serve the same standard, the architecture decides what is visible – not the system supplier. This is exactly where ekinex plays to its strength.
And the cost?
Yes, in a new build a KNX installation initially costs more than conventional electrics or an entry-level wireless system. Calculated over the lifetime of a building, the picture reverses: no system migrations, no island solutions that need replacing, extension instead of rebuilding the installation. What matters is sound planning – it determines where the bus is truly needed and where it isn't.
Where wireless and cloud still have their place
Open also means: pragmatic. In existing buildings we complement KNX with wireless components where chasing walls would be disproportionate. And services such as voice control or remote access can be connected – as an optional layer on top of a system that works without them. That is the core of our stance: the building belongs to the owner, not to the manufacturer.