Le LaaS sera-t-il le nouveau SaaS?
The last 5 years have seen the generalisation of SaaS (Software as a Service) models, fuelled by the ever-increasing bandwidth of digital networks and decreasing storage costs in the cloud. No initial investment, no risk of obsolescence, flexibility to add or remove users, services, or options easily, and the assurance of having a permanently up-to-date system have guaranteed the popularity of this model.
The lighting industry is currently seeing a similar shift, borne likewise out of a seismic technology shift. The cost of LED lighting equipment has decreased by 94% since 2008, while the light output per Watt is at least 5 times better than that of incandescent lighting. LEDs used to be that little red dot that told you your TV was in sleep mode. Now they might make up the actual screen of your TV, and possibly provide most of the lighting in your home.
The attraction of LED lighting compared to incandescent or fluorescent lighting is simple : great longevity, low energy consumption, and fantastic colour rendering. Up to now the only hurdle to its widespread adoption was initial investment. Tearing down the complete lighting set-up in a supermarket or factory to replace it with LED systems can easily represent hundreds of thousands of euros of investment.
