Merten, which is celebrating its centenary year in 2006, has brought to the Middle East a range of products that will redefine luxury living in this part of the world.

The German manufacturer offers a range of solutions for intelligent buildings, ranging from switches and security programmes to building systems technology to markets extending from Berlin to Bangkok.
As part of a well-planned expansion programme to strengthen its presence in the Middle East market, the company has tied up with Bahrain-based Intercol to distribute its products and solutions in the kingdom.
ISO 9002-certified Intercol currently represents more than 200 multinationals – including Nestle, Philip Morris, Volvo-Penta, MTU, Motorola, Nokia, Shell, Federal Express, LIC, Western Union, Con Agra, Alcatel, Danone, among others – in Bahrain and the region, providing them with sales and marketing, distribution, post-sales customer support and technical back-up.
According to general manager K Sundararaman: “Intercol will be presenting Merten’s entire suite in the region that will include high-quality glass and metal switches and movement detectors, among others.”
The agency plans to begin the distribution of Merten’s EIB system (European Installation Bus), starting from this month (May).
Merten is also planning to set up a new office in Dubai over the next couple of months, which will undertake the distribution of the company’s products in one of the most buoyant markets in the region.
One of the most sought-after products in the hotel industry is Merten’s Instabus EIB system. “Instabus EIB is the ideal solution for those demanding especially high levels of security, comfort, flexibility, efficiency and expandability,” says export director Volker Schoch. “Building functions like light, air-conditioning, ventilation and temperature can all be controlled together. And this can be done with all the advantages of network solutions.
“If the smoke detector starts an alarm, lights in the entire building are switched on and the blinds are raised automatically. If movement detectors identify unwanted guests in your building, an SMS is sent to you wherever you are. In short: Instabus EIB is all about making buildings smarter,” he adds.
Merten’s systems can be used in the arrival, conference or sleeping areas of hotels and can also be used to give error messages. “For instance, hallway lighting could be programmed to show the way to the room at night. The air-conditioning and the room lamps can be controlled conveniently from bed. These are just a few examples of how Merten makes daily hotel life more comfortable, secure and efficient. This apart, the system can turn off the air-conditioner if the windows of the room are opened,” says Schoch.
The EIB system not only seeks to enhance customer comfort in hotels, but they also provide sizeable savings in energy costs, he adds.

Merten@home
Merten@home – an EIB system fro the home – is a hi-tech maid, which is modern, reliable, and user-friendly at the same time.
“Imagine you are fast asleep at home. A short circuit in the kitchen gives out smoke. The intelligent Merten smoke detectors would sound a loud and distinct alarm. The attractive Argus smoke detectors can be radio networked to sound all the smoke alarms installed at home. Not only that, the lights would switch on automatically; the blinds would roll up immediately to give you sufficient light to move about and take prompt action,” says Schoch.
“Secondly, Merten offers a number of intelligently-crafted control interfaces which can be used for convenient operations. For instance, turning on the ‘absence’ button from the ‘programme menu’ on the touch screen in the corridor can initiate a host of safety measures. The stove and iron go off, the windows get shut, the standby power devices get disconnected and the air-conditioners switch to low temperatures, thus saving energy considerably.
“That’s not all. By turning on the ‘monitor on’ button, merten@home continues to keep a watchful eye even when you fast asleep at night. All the doors and windows are ensured shut. Lights turn out. The air-conditioners switch to the optimum room temperature. And if, in the middle of the night your child wants to go to the toilet, the lights turn on to an eye-pleasing brightness. And turns off once your kid crawls back to bed.
Elaborating on the system, Sundararaman says: “The new user interface has intuitive operating features and allows all building functions (light, blinds, heating, air conditioning, electronic devices, video monitoring cameras etc) to be displayed, adjusted and controlled using various input media. This can be done via a PDA using wireless LAN or via the PC screen, via the integral wall touch screen and via the television. The menu is so conveniently structured that even users with no software experience can understand it straight away and can quickly find the applications or functions they need. For example, users can select systems to adjust or regulate by room (such as. all applications in the living room), by function or by programme (such as special settings for periods of absence).
“Whether you are in an Internet cafe on holiday and want to check your monitoring systems, messages and camera images at home, or in your own living room and want to display current energy consumption on your television - merten@home makes it possible in just a few steps. Just select the desired function from a menu on the PC or television. merten@home gives users global mobility. An integrated touchscreen at strategic points in the house and a user interface on the PDA add even more options to this multi-faceted program. And further applications can be added on at any time. Installation of an IC 1 EIB Internet Controller is a technical prerequisite for the use of merten@home.

Merten@office
The intelligent EIB building system technology works brilliantly at offices too. Right from the hallway lighting that go on upon entering; the air-conditioners that run only during working hours, the blinds that roll down to avoid direct sunlight and glare; and the intelligent conference room set-up where at the touch of a button the lights dim; the screen takes position, the projector turns on; the blinds close and the air-conditioners switch on – Merten intelligent building system technology saves energy; reduces cost; adds comfort and offers safety.
Founded in 1906, Merten employs over 600 professionals, in four factories, situated in Germany and Indonesia and has seven sales agencies in Germany and more than 30 agents worldwide.
The company boasts an impressive range of aesthetically designed switches, system electronics, security electronics, instabus EIBs  and connection technologies, more than 10 million of which are installed annually.
A strong research and development department at the company’s Germany office is said to have given it the sort of flexibility to deliver what the market needs.
“Our aim is to adapt our products to suit the local demands and not to impose our solutions or products. We believe in working together with the developers right from the inception of the project. During our first visit, we try to learn the requirements of our customers then we go back and get the required homework done and present a range of solutions that could best fit the client,” says Schoch.
The export arm of the company, which was set up four years ago, now has a 135-member team spread across the various markets across the globe.
Merten has been active in the Gulf for close to four years now, when it shifted its focus from the European markets to the fast-growing markets of the Middle East through setting up its first office at Riyadh. 
Speaking about the Middle East markets, Schoch says: “The markets in the region are dynamic and people are willing to invest in the latest technology in this part of the world and we have already completed more than 40 projects in the Middle East.”
Some of the projects that the company has been associated with in Dubai include the Park Hyatt, Mall of the Emirates, Uptown Mirdiff of Union Properties, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Creekside Apartments, Buhaliba Telecommunication Tower, Porsche Car Workshop, 23 buildings at the Jumeirah Towers, British School Dubai, Legend Plaza, and Dubai Yacht and Golf Club among others. This apart, the company has also completed several projects in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Schoch adds.