Choking on Complexity: What The Fifth Element Taught Us About Smart Tech

Even the most sophisticated tech can't save your from the cherry pit

At Ameritechs, we believe the best technology is the kind you don’t have to think about.

In today’s world of smart apps, voice assistants, and endless automation options, it’s easy to believe that more tech equals better living. And we’ll be honest—we love programming advanced systems. Custom scenes, automation logic, smart integrations? That’s our jam.

But over the years, we’ve realized something: our clients don’t care about bells and whistles if it makes the system hard to use.

What they really want is a clean, simple experience that just works—without a learning curve, without frustration, and without needing to call for help every time they want to change the volume.

Why We Prioritize Simplicity

We’re not against automation—we love it when it’s done right. But we’re always thinking about the person using the system every day.

It reminds me of a scene in The Fifth Element. Gary Oldman’s character starts choking on a cherry pit and panics—he’s got all these high-tech gadgets around him, buttons to push, blinking lights going off—but none of it helps. What he really needs is something simple: a slap on the back.

That’s how we see over-complicated tech. All the automation in the world won’t help if it’s not practical when you need it.

What Simplicity Looks Like

• Surveillance that opens with one click—not a maze of logins

• Audio systems that play music with a button press—not a voice command that might not work

• WiFi that works everywhere, without needing you to reboot routers weekly

We take pride in building systems your family, staff, or guests can actually use—without needing a tech background.

Why It Matters

1. Fewer Breakdowns Simple systems = fewer things to go wrong.

2. Everyone Can Use It No need to explain things five times. It just works.

3. Less Stress, More Enjoyment You should enjoy your tech—not feel like you need tech support every other day.

A Real-Life Example

We once met a family with a fully “smart” home—voice controls, custom lighting scenes, the whole deal. But they hated it. They said, “We use about 10% of what we paid for—because the rest is too complicated.”

We simplified everything: streamlined the apps, programmed universal remotes, consolidated controls.

A week later, the dad told us,

“This is the first time our house feels like it’s working for us, not the other way around.”

Bottom Line: Smart Should Be Simple

We’ll always love building powerful, feature-rich systems. But we care more about making sure they’re a joy to use.

Because when tech gets in the way of your life—or business—it’s missing the point.

At Ameritechs, we make it smart. But more importantly, we make it simple.

Want to simplify your system?Let’s talk. We’ll help you get what you really need—without the cherry pit panic.