The latest innovation by Niro Granite – the I-Space technology.
With the rapid development of technology, we can now order our food using an iPad at the restaurant. Have you ever wondered if you could even choose your floor tiles via the computer?
Now you can, with Niro Granite’s new system, called I-Space. I-Space claims to be the first ever virtual tile showroom that guarantees a better visualisation of the product. With just a click on the desired tile, end users are able to view the tiles superimposed on various types of rooms, as selected from the programme’s stock of images.
“Compared to the traditional buying method, the I-Space technology offers unrestricted imagination… You can choose the colour you like and once you’ve selected, we can show you the sample which you can later bring back home. This is in line with our tagline ‘Empowers you to choose’,” said Niro Granite managing director Bong Kuan Shin.
The virtual showroom
“We are the first tile company to set up our showroom in a shopping mall,” said Bong of this 800 sq ft showroom which opened last September in Midvalley Megamall Kuala Lumpur.
The 800 sq ft I-Space store in MidValley.
“The common method of buying tiles has always been in a shop or at an industrial area because it requires a vast amount of space to display the tiles and mock ups. However, we did extensive research which took about a year and came up with the idea to set up a showroom at a shopping mall. Many people spend time at the mall – be it shopping or dining, and we wanted to be where the people are,” explained Bong.
He continued, “The idea was to display our products using digital technology. Instead of having physical mock ups that take up space, we display them in high definition desktops and we provide many pictures of different areas of the house. Oh, and do not worry – the photos come in different design styles – from classical to modern contemporary designs.”“The sales are improving every month. I believe the public has come to realise that buying tiles this way is better and more convenient. With I-Space, you can also estimate the number of tiles and cost required for buying them.”
Trained sales professionals are at hand to assist buyers.
Stylish showroom: I-Space showroom also comes with a private room at the back (left) for those who prefer privacy and comfort when choosing their desired tiles.
Niro Granite managing director Bong Kuan Shin.
Future plans
“It began approximately 35 years ago in Switzerland. We are proud to be the first European tile factory that ventured into Asia, with our first factory being located in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia. Currently we have manufacturing plants in Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Vietnam,” said Bong.
When asked about his future plans, Bong replied that he hopes to open more I-Space showrooms in other shopping malls.
“I believe this is a new trend. The younger generation are now very tech-savvy , therefore we need to be one step ahead and prepared for the future. We will still have our traditional showrooms for the older generation,” said Bong.
I-Space is also available as an iOS app (search “Niro Granite” in the App Store). “This app is very interesting – all you have to do is snap a photo of your living room and you can use your fingers to rub off the old tiles and choose the new tiles from our wide selection and apply onto the photo,” said Bong.
StarProperty.my tried out the app, and found the selection of tiles to choose from was only 15. Also, because the selection cursor is pretty large, edges of surfaces selected are inexact. With some practice however, the app allows you to try out different shades of colour for the flooring in your room.
One of the sales personnel (left) introducing the features of the i-Space technology. Another sales personnel (right) demonstrated how to use the app to “rub off” the existing tiles to be replaced with new tiles.
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