Smarthome Hires TigerDirect Executive to Lead Home Automation Category: Bruce Matthews Joins Smarthome as Vice President of Marketing to

IRVINE, Calif. (BusinessWire EON) February 13, 2007 -- "Smarthome has the opportunity to do for home automation, www.smarthome.com/index.html (http://www.smarthome.com/index.html), what TigerDirect, www.tigerdirect.com (http://www.tigerdirect.com), did for personal computers," said Matthews. "Home automation is a nascent category that is about to explode, much as personal computers did in the early 1990s when consumers and businesses started buying and upgrading their computers via a direct channel. I see a similar opportunity for consumers and businesses who want to buy home automation products direct."

"The challenge for all players in home automation is raising awareness for the category," said Rajeev Kapur, president of SmartLabs. "We hired Bruce because he has proven he can build relationships with top vendors like Best Buy, Home Depot and others to move the market."

In his new role, Matthews will help create marketing and sales messaging for Smarthome's multiple channels, develop company branding for all marketing communications, build strong relationships with top vendors to help them drive sales, negotiate legal agreements relating to Web business initiatives, and oversee improvements to the company's Web site.

"The customer is the key to raising awareness and dominating the home automation category," said Matthews. "As industry leaders, we must listen to our customers and work to meet their needs. Customers are our most important asset, www.internetretailer.com/article.asp (http://www.internetretailer.com/article.asp?id=20962)."

Matthews' experience includes a variety of sales and marketing positions. He joined TigerDirect in 1990 as a sales representative and was quickly promoted to corporate sales manager. He then served as product manager and catalog manager before turning to business development. Prior to joining TigerDirect, he was an account executive at QSA Technology.

About SmartLabs, Inc., www.smartlabsinc.com (http://www.smartlabsinc.com)

Founded in 1992, SmartLabs, Inc., is an integrated technology company in the home automation and control industry and the only one of its kind to offer technology, product development and a distribution channel for selling to dealers and installers and direct to consumers. SmartLabs is organized into three divisions: SmartLabs Technology, the pioneering architects of INSTEON wireless home control technology; SmartLabs Design, which designs and develops private-label home control products; and Smarthome Direct, which sells its own as well as third-party products to consumers at Smarthome.com, "the Amazon.com of home automation" (Newsweek, 2004), and via the Smarthome catalog. More information about SmartLabs is available at www.smartlabsinc.com. SmartLabs is headquartered in Irvine, Calif.

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