The number of individuals and companies that can take on custom Crestron programming projects like the ones we do here at AVPA is relatively small. However, it’s an even smaller number of people and programming companies that will take on projects that involve existing Crestron systems.
There have been multiple times when someone from our team goes to a home or office building to quote a project that involves an existing Crestron system. Once we do an initial evaluation of the system, the client will tell us that another Crestron programmer or dealer told them that they needed to replace the entire system with all new hardware and start from scratch. They are always glad they called us for a second opinion when we tell them that we can upgrade or improve their existing system.
While sometimes entirely replacing an older Crestron system is necessary or the best course of action, it isn’t always. We’ve come across many existing Crestron systems that just needed a few tweaks to get them back up and running; or just one or two new pieces of hardware to give them all the functionality that the client is looking for.
It’s not that other Crestron programmers are being lazy by suggesting that a client start from scratch (although some may be). It’s more likely that the programmer doesn’t have experience with older Crestron hardware or know how to troubleshoot problems associated with it. It’s easier for the programmer to just start over with all new hardware and do their work using the latest technology that they’re familiar with. The problem is—this isn’t always the best option for the client. Starting from scratch is almost always more costly than just making changes to or updating an existing system.
At AVPA, we are happy to work on existing Crestron systems. We call these “take-over projects.” These are projects that we did not do the original programming on, but that we take over for clients who need changes and ongoing support. Sometimes, we are called on for these projects because the original programmer went out of business. Other times, the client just wants to use someone new, for whatever reason. We frequently do take-over projects for both commercial and residential clients.
We’ve been in the AV programming industry for more than two decades now, so we’ve worked with just about every generation of Crestron products. There’s very little that we haven’t come across in our many years in the industry, and we can successfully troubleshoot just about any issue that comes up.
Since the pandemic, we’ve done a record number of take-over projects at AVPA. Supply chain issues have made it difficult to get new hardware in a timely manner, so clients have been looking to use what they have in the meantime. In the last few years, we’ve been able to help many homeowners and businesses keep their systems functioning at a high level, despite hardware shortages.
If you’re looking for a Crestron programmer for a take-over project, make sure you use a Crestron Service Provider (CSP) like AVPA. CSPs have the training and certification necessary to complete these types of projects and provide ongoing Crestron support—even when older hardware is involved. With offices on both the east and west coasts, we can help you out, no matter where you are located in the United States. Contact us at AVPA to get a quote on your take-over project and get the most out of your existing Crestron system.
