Bticino
Italian electrical-installation brand supplying low-voltage power distribution, wiring devices, home automation, intercom and building-control systems.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Bticino is an Italian electrical-equipment company and brand focused on low-voltage systems for homes, workplaces and production facilities. Its portfolio covers wiring devices such as switches, sockets and decorative plates; electrical distribution and protection equipment; intercom and video-intercom systems; and connected controls for lighting, sound, climate and security. The company is particularly associated with combining electrical engineering with architectural and interior design, treating switches and control plates as visible elements of a room rather than merely concealed installation components. The business began in 1936 when the Bassani brothers—Arnaldo, Luigi and Ermanno—established Ticino Electric Switches to manufacture small metal goods for several applications. In the postwar period, rising construction activity and the reconstruction of Italian housing encouraged a stronger focus on electrical components used inside buildings. The company adopted the name Bassani S.p.A. in 1948 and developed a reputation in the Italian market through product families such as Domino and Sicura. During the 1960s, it promoted modular installation concepts and helped popularize the rectangular flush-mounted electrical box that became a standard format in many installations. Bticino’s product development has repeatedly combined technical change with visual design. The Magic series, introduced in 1961, used a modular approach for sockets and switches. In 1965, the company developed and patented a residual-current protection device using a differential transformer, responding to growing concern about accidental contact with energized conductors. Later product families expanded the role of the switch and wall plate through coordinated finishes, modular controls and multifunctional devices. The Series Living, launched in 1985, and later Livinglight and related lines reinforced the brand’s position in design-oriented residential equipment. The company adopted the Bassani Ticino name in 1974 and joined the French Legrand group in 1989. Following the transaction, it became known as BTicino and operated as part of Legrand’s international portfolio of electrical and digital-building infrastructure brands. Its development work also moved into home automation. In 2001, Bticino introduced MyHome, a domotics platform based on SCS bus technology. OpenWebNet, made available in 2006, enabled interaction with domotic installations through suitable gateways and helped connect Bticino systems with broader automation and control environments. The Axolute range later integrated video intercom with residential electrical installation, while Axolute Nighter and Whice continued the brand’s emphasis on simplified, design-led equipment. Bticino operates in Italy and internationally through Legrand’s worldwide commercial network, with offices and market activity across Europe, Latin America, Asia and the United States. Italian facilities have supported design, production, testing, logistics and commercial functions, including locations associated with domotics, video intercoms, plates, industrial devices and residual-current protection. The brand serves residential, commercial and industrial construction markets, positioning itself around the intersection of dependable low-voltage infrastructure, ease of installation, coordinated aesthetics and increasingly connected building control.
History
Bticino’s origins date to 1936, when Arnaldo, Luigi and Ermanno Bassani founded Ticino Electric Switches. The initial business manufactured small metal goods for different uses. After the Second World War, the company shifted toward electrical components for buildings as reconstruction and housing demand expanded. In 1948 it became Bassani S.p.A. and increasingly concentrated on products installed inside homes. The company gained recognition in Italy during the 1950s with product series including Domino and Sicura. In the 1960s it developed modular installation products and contributed to the adoption of rectangular flush-mounted boxes. The Magic series, introduced in 1961, was an early example of modular sockets with switches. Safety became a growing concern as electrical installations spread more widely, and in 1965 the company developed and patented a residual-current device incorporating a differential transformer. In 1974 the business adopted the Bassani Ticino name. Its product strategy increasingly treated switches, sockets and surrounding plates as designed components of an interior. The Series Living, introduced in 1985, and later Livinglight and Living International ranges offered multifunctional controls and coordinated visual treatments. This design orientation became a defining characteristic of the brand. In 1989 Bassani Ticino joined Legrand, the French electrical and digital-building infrastructure group, and changed its name to BTicino. Under Legrand ownership, it retained a strong Italian identity while gaining access to an international group structure and wider markets. Bticino continued to develop both conventional electrical equipment and connected building systems. The company entered home automation with MyHome in 2001. The system used SCS bus technology to coordinate functions in domestic environments. OpenWebNet, released in 2006, provided a protocol through which suitable gateways could interact with domotic installations. The Axolute range, introduced in 2005, integrated video intercom with the residential electrical installation, and Axolute Nighter and Whice, introduced in 2008, extended the emphasis on minimalist appearance and simplified control equipment. Bticino’s operations include product design, engineering, manufacturing, testing, logistics, marketing and sales. Italian sites have been associated with headquarters and administrative activity in Varese, domotics and video-intercom development in Erba, central warehousing in Ospedaletto Lodigiano, decorative plates in Bodio, and industrial and residual-current devices in Azzano San Paolo and Torre del Greco. The company also operates internationally through markets and offices connected to Legrand, including Europe, Latin America, Asia and the United States. Its current scope spans energy distribution, communication, lighting and other environmental controls, sound, climate, security and home automation.
- 2008
Axolute Nighter and Whice are introduced
[1]The ranges extend Bticino’s approach to simplified, aesthetically integrated electrical equipment.
- 2006
OpenWebNet becomes available
[1]The protocol supports gateway-based interaction with Bticino domotic systems.
- 2005
Axolute integrates video intercom and residential controls
[1]The Axolute series brings video-intercom functionality into the domestic electrical installation.
- 2001
MyHome domotics system launches
[1]Bticino introduces a home-automation system based on SCS bus technology.
- 1996
Livinglight and Living International follow
[1]New ranges continue the development of multifunctional and coordinated residential controls.
- 1989
Legrand acquires Bassani Ticino
[1]Bassani Ticino joins Legrand and changes its name to BTicino.
- 1985
Series Living launches
[1]The Series Living range introduces multifunctional controls and strengthens the company’s design-led residential positioning.
- 1974
Bassani Ticino name is adopted
[1]The company changes its name to Bassani Ticino as it expands its electrical-equipment identity.
- 1965
Residual-current protection is patented
[1]The company develops and patents a residual-current device using a differential transformer.
- 1961
Magic modular series is introduced
[1]The Magic series provides a modular approach to power sockets and switches.
Products and positioning
Design-oriented, technology-led electrical infrastructure for residential, commercial and industrial buildings, combining installation reliability with visible architectural and interior-design appeal.
Wiring devices and smart controls
Living Now
A contemporary Bticino range centered on switches, sockets, plates and connected controls. It represents the brand’s design-led approach to visible electrical equipment, combining conventional wiring functions with options for connected-home and automation applications.
Wiring devices · 1996
Livinglight
A modular residential wiring-device family descended from Bticino’s Living-oriented product development. It provides switches, sockets, controls and coordinated plates intended to combine installation flexibility with a broad range of interior finishes.
Home automation · 2001
MyHome
Bticino’s domotics platform for coordinating functions such as lighting, shutters, climate, security and other residential controls. The original system was based on SCS bus technology and formed a major step in the brand’s move from individual wiring devices toward integrated building automation.
Premium wiring and communication systems · 2005
Axolute
A design-focused series that combined residential electrical controls with communication functions. Its development included integrating video intercom into the domestic installation, illustrating Bticino’s strategy of bringing several building functions into coordinated, visually consistent systems.
Modular switches and sockets · 1961
Magic
A historically important modular product series introduced in 1961. Magic helped establish Bticino’s approach to combining sockets and switches in flexible installation formats and became part of the company’s broader development of modular electrical equipment.
Electrical protection · 1965
Residual-current devices
Protection equipment designed to detect residual current and help reduce risks associated with electrical faults and accidental contact. Bticino’s historical development in this area included a patented device using a differential transformer in 1965.
Building communication
Intercom and video-intercom systems
Bticino supplies communication equipment for residential and building-entry applications, including conventional intercoms and video intercoms. These products connect the company’s electrical-installation portfolio with access, communication and security functions.
Marketing campaigns
- 2008UCI Road World Championships sponsorship
Italy
Bticino sponsored the 2008 UCI Road World Championships held in Varese, linking the Italian brand with an international sporting event hosted near its operating base.
Outcome. The sponsorship is documented as a company sports-marketing activity; a quantified commercial outcome is not available in the reference material.
Brand decisions
2006
Make OpenWebNet availableStrategyBackground
Automation systems required ways to communicate with gateways and other connected control environments.
Action taken
Bticino made the OpenWebNet protocol available for interaction with domotic installations through suitable gateways.
Aftermath
The protocol extended the connectivity possibilities of Bticino’s automation ecosystem.
2001
Launch the MyHome domotics platformProduct launchBackground
Residential electrical equipment was moving toward integrated automation and coordinated control of multiple building functions.
Action taken
Bticino introduced MyHome, based on SCS bus technology, to support domestic automation.
Aftermath
The launch established home automation as a central part of Bticino’s product development alongside conventional switches and distribution equipment.
1989
Join the Legrand GroupM&ABackground
Bassani Ticino was operating in electrical installation equipment and had developed a recognizable Italian product and design identity.
Action taken
The company joined French electrical-equipment group Legrand and subsequently changed its name to BTicino.
Aftermath
Bticino continued as an Italian brand within Legrand’s international portfolio and expanded its international operating reach.
Sources2 sources
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