The world of lighting has never exactly stood still, but in the past 15 years it has moved from incremental change to outright transformation. Few people have seen that transformation more closely than Mat Hanson, Group Business Development Director at Holders Technology. He joined the sector in 2009, right as LEDs and wireless control systems began reshaping everything. For a self-confessed tech geek, the timing was perfect.
“It wasn’t part of a master plan,” Mat admits. “But the acceleration of LED and RF technology created incredible opportunities. The pace of innovation was irresistible.”
Today, Mat’s role is as varied as it is global. One day he is helping sales teams in the UK, Germany, and New Zealand understand Holders’ latest solutions. The next, he is working with international partners to integrate Casambi into complex projects. What makes it fun, he says, is the variety, the freedom to explore new opportunities, and the satisfaction of helping customers move beyond products to real solutions.
And Holders certainly has history on its side. From selling drill bits for PCB manufacturing in the 1970s to delivering connected building platforms today, the company has thrived by balancing innovation with continuity. “We haven’t abandoned what works,” Mat says. “Fifty years later, we still sell to PCB manufacturers. That adaptability and resilience has kept us relevant.”
Clients seem to agree. “Having worked with global names like the BBC, Barclays, Microsoft and PWC – not just as past customers, but as ongoing maintenance clients, demonstrates the trust and credibility we bring to every project” says Mat.
Meet PIR+: The Sensor That Doesn’t Ghost You
Of course, no conversation with Mat would be complete without talking about Holders’ latest pride and joy: the PIR+ sensor. Or as some might call it, the sensor that finally puts an end to waving your arms in the office just to stop the lights going out.
Most traditional PIR sensors are really just motion detectors, Mat explains. Sit still too long, and suddenly you’re working in the dark. PIR+ redefines presence detection. It keeps the lights on while you are in the room, even if you are completely still, and switches them off the moment you leave. That means more comfort, less frustration, and significant energy savings.
In fact, PIR+ with Zonal Control goes a step further. In a standard office, one sensor typically controls whole banks of lights regardless of who is sitting where. With PIR+, the lighting can be tuned desk by desk. One person sits down and their zone lights up. Another arrives elsewhere and their corner comes alive too. No more wasted light, no more wasted energy. It is smarter, more efficient, and far more human.
And the applications go beyond offices. PIR+ can trigger low-level night lights in hotel rooms, activate boardroom presentation modes, and deliver people counting, heat mapping, and visitor flow data that help building owners optimise everything from HVAC to cleaning schedules. All GDPR-compliant, by the way — no cameras, just thermal data.
If you want the short version, PIR+ is a presence detector with brains, and possibly a sense of humour.
Always One Step Ahead
But as exciting as PIR+ is, it is only one step in a bigger journey. Mat has seen the industry leap from chokes to ballasts to wireless ecosystems. Today, it is AI-powered sensors and ambient IoT. Tomorrow? Who knows.
“When I entered the industry 16 years ago, we were still persuading clients to move from chokes to electronic ballasts,” he reflects. “Today, we’re talking about seamlessly integrated smart building platforms. The pace of innovation has been remarkable, and what excites me most is imagining where we’ll be another 16 years from now.”
If history is anything to go by, Holders will still be there, adapting, innovating, and probably finding ways to stop us all from doing Jumping Jacks in the office bathroom to get the lights on.
The post Because Waving to a Sensor Is Not a Lighting Strategy appeared first on Casambi.