Neptune Systems recently dropped a bombshell announcement on their new Official Neptune Systems Apex Community Group on Facebook, shedding some light on their current development schedule. There is some exciting news in the update and I’m here to break it down for you:

1. Voice control is coming to Apex

Neptune Systems is bringing voice control to apex Fusion, the company flagship controller’s online platform. If you are attending Reefapalooza 2018 in Orlando, stop at the Neptune Systems booth, where they will be showing a beta version of apex Fusion with Amazon Alexa support. Alexa will be the first to be introduced to Fusion, but support for other voice assistants is in the making. Voice control is the next big thing in aquarium automation and when you take into consideration the scale on which it can be implemented into the controller commands, it’s another milestone in the making for neptune Systems. Imagine being able to shut down your pumps for maintenance just by talking to your Echo or other eligible device instead of reaching for the phone or display to do the same task. That’s just a small sample of what can be done with this latest technology, and I am eager to see how well it will work in practice.

2.  Trident is coming soon

Trident, the company’s first automatic Alk, Ca, and Mg monitor introduced last year at MACNA 2017 in New Orleans (read my coverage of that announcement ) development is nearing completion and the first units may land in hands of Neptune Systems Insiders (beta testers) in as little as 2 to 3 months. Who knows, maybe we’ll see the final product at MACNA this year. Fingers crossed.

3. 2016 apex Base Unit gets released as a standalone product

People complained and neptune Systems listened. Finally, you will be able to upgrade your apex Classic and Jr. to the newest infrastructure by purchasing the base unit separately. The new apex “brain” is compatible with all Neptune Systems modules and accessories which includes both EB8 and EB4 from your old Apex. The base unit retails at $399.95, but you can get it at a lower introductory price of $349.95 ($50 off) until the end of April.

4. Support for Aquaillumination Hydra HD and Prime HD

A beta version of the apex Fusion support for AI fixtures is in the making and will be available in the coming weeks. No additional hardware is required to connect it to apex.

Stay tuned for more!