Canadian Electrical Wholesaler
Published by Kerrwil Publications Limited with the support of Electro-Federation Canada (EFC)
Southwire

Message From The Editor

Lessons from the past for future challenges

It's hard not to think about science fiction when you see the themes of this issue. We are fortunate to live at the heart of these technological changes, and the industry leader we present to you in this issue reminds us of how important it is to be open and receptive to change. Indeed, a few days after his retirement, John Sencich agreed to share with us his vision of the industry from yesterday to today and the challenges ahead. John was a mentor to key people in our industry. For me, he was a loyal reader and advisor. Thank you. Good reading!

Line Goyette, Managing Editor
linegoyette@kerrwil.com  
Tools For The Trade

Changing Scene

Rexel

Opinion

Amazon's Achilles Heel

By Rick McCarten
Electrofed Amazon relies on one thing: people visiting their website who know what they want. If additional services are required to make the purchase, the Internet sales fail to meet customers' needs. That may sound small, but it is not. Henry Ford once said that if you asked the customer what they wanted at the turn of the 19th century, they would have said a faster horse, not an inexpensive automobile. Now, if Amazon had been around at that time, it would not have taken them long to get "Models As" up on their website, but there would have been a period when customers needed instruction, servicing and repair. This is a sweet spot that Amazon or any online retailer will have trouble occupying. Read More

Peers & Profiles

Quiet Strength: Two Words that Best Describe John Sencich

By Line Goyette
Electrofed I've known John Sencich since CEW began publishing. He agreed from the outset to be part of the newsletter's Editorial Board. His contribution was regular and sustained. Always present to answer my technical questions, and refer me to the right person for additional information as needed. Always available despite his role as senior leader of an influential company. I asked him before he left to give us his thoughts on the industry and the direction in which we are heading. Read More

Marketing

Making Sense of the Rapidly Changing IoT Lighting Market, Part 2

By David Gordon
Channel Marketing Group The recently released Bluetooth Mesh standard was developed with lighting as a target application, but many commercial lighting manufacturers are currently developing or supporting their own proprietary or existing Zigbee mesh ecosystem until Bluetooth Mesh is field proven. Zigbee is an open standard, and with more than one hundred million devices deployed, in theory sensors, switches, and lights can interconnect independent of fixture manufacturer. Bluetooth also has compatibility built-in, but researchers have raised concerns that Bluetooth Mesh's communication algorithm, combined with heavy sensor integrated luminaires, could generate extreme heat and so much data that it overloads a network. Read More

New Technology

Artificial Intelligence Gets Smarter

By Heather Clancy
GreenBizz Stephen Hawking fears it. Elon Musk begrudges it. Mark Zuckerberg embraces it. There is no shortage of smart people willing to offer their sometimes dire, sometimes optimistic opinions about how humankind's future will be reshaped by computers and software using some sort of artificial intelligence (AI). If there's one thing upon which the naysayers and yeasayers agree, it's that AI is already more real than many people realize. A whopping 70% of the companies surveyed this year by Forrester Research plan to use some form of AI by the end of this year. Read More

Cybersecurity

Protecting Connected Devices Against Cyber Attack

By CSA Group
Canadian Standard Association The rise of cyber related attacks on Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) infrastructure has made it increasingly vital to have cybersecurity protocols in place to support functional safety and safety-related solutions in commercial or residential buildings and industrial processes. Read More

The Internet of Things

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Cybersecurity and Manufacturing

By CSA Group
Canadian Standard Association Industrialized nations are being influenced by transformative forces creating what many are calling "The 4th Industrial Revolution," also referred to as Industry 4.0, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Smart Manufacturing. Companies all over the world are investing in this digital industrial future in an effort to establish themselves as a leader in IIoT enabled productivity. Indeed, these heavy investments—in developments such as analytics software, machine learning capability, and 3D printing—can help ensure industry can set new expectations for the speed and cost of manufacturing. Read More

Economy

GDP Rose 0.4% in November

Statistique Canada Real gross domestic product increased 0.4% in November, with widespread growth across industries as 17 of 20 industrial sectors increased. Goods-producing industries rose 0.8% after declining 0.5% in October. November's gain was mainly due to increases in the manufacturing and mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction sectors, partly as a result of restoration in production capacity. Meanwhile, services-producing industries rose 0.3%, led by the real estate and rental and leasing, wholesale, and retail trade sectors. Read More

Economy

Value of December Building Permits Rebounds 4.8%

Statistique Canada Canadian municipalities issued $8.1 billion in building permits in December, up 4.8% following a 7.3% decline in November. The increase stemmed from higher construction intentions in the residential sector. Across Canada, all components climbed in 2017, up 10.4% from the previous year, led by the multi-family dwelling component. Construction intentions for single-family homes led the rise in December. Municipalities issued $2.8 billion (8.9%) in permits for single-family dwellings, the largest month-over-month increase in 2017. Read More

Economy

Electrical Wholesale Median Salary by Job

Statistique Canada Among electrical wholesale employees, branch managers and outside sales representatives lead in average salaries. Read More

Published by Kerrwil Publications Limited with the support of Electro-Federation Canada (EFC)
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