Strategy in TECH...
A former high-level Samsung Electronics executive was indicted on Monday for industrial espionage as it is alleged that he stole trade secrets in the form of blueprints and designs for an advanced Samsung chipmaking factory in order to create an identical one in China. South Korean prosecutors say the executive’s actions jeopardized national economic security, according to a report by the Reuters News Agency.
Nationwide Marketing Group announced this week that it is opening up registration for its upcoming PrimeTime event, scheduled to take place in Nashville, TN from August 13-16. While this is the 61st edition of PrimeTime, and it is the fourth time the event has taken place in Nashville, aka Music City, it is the first time the event will take center stage at the Music City Convention Center in the very heart of a vibrant and active downtown Nashville.
These are turbulent times at Masimo Corp. [NASDAQ: MASI] as the company continues its pitched battles against Apple Inc. for patent infringement and against activist investment group Politan Capital Management which seeks two Board seats for new oversight at the company. Mailings to MASI investors began in early May and continue to increase in frequency – and intensity – in the days leading up to the company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders on June 26, 2023.
What’s it all about? Largely, it is about Masimo’s $1 billion acquisition of Sound United (now Masimo Consumer) which caused the company’s market value to drop over $5 billion the day after the acquisition was announced. It appeared to be a clear repudiation of the management strategy by Masimo investors.
So much has transpired over the last two weeks in the matter of Audio Research Corp’s status as it operates under Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors, a form of receivership. Several more documents have emerged that serve to shed more light on just precisely what is going on.
Last week, in a national online Teams conference with dealers, Parasound CEO David Sheriff presented his plans for the company’s future. Tightly scripted, the CEO spoke with a firm resolve in a no-nonsense manner. It was clear that the initiatives he announced that day were not topics for more discussion or debate, but rather what is going to happen. And he made it clear that some dealers viewing the online presentation that day will likely not agree with these plans, and that’s fine.
“Let’s talk about parting ways,” Sheriff said, looking directly into the camera without blinking.
What if I told you that the new Savant Smart Network is a truly unique, game-changing networking solution that can deliver more than you dreamt possible? It can deliver a continuously optimized network experience for a happier client. It can deliver new profit opportunities for your integration business. It can deliver the ability for your techs – even lower-level techs – to quickly and easily troubleshoot and resolve sophisticated wired/wireless network issues.
A jury has come to a unanimous verdict in the matter of Sonos, Inc. vs. Google, LLC, a patent infringement lawsuit initially filed on September 22, 2020, in the U.S. District Court for California Northern District in San Francisco. In the case of one of the two patents under consideration – the ‘885 patent – the jury sided with Sonos, finding that Google products did infringe upon the Sonos patent and awarded them a judgment of $32.5 million.
Emerald Expo, owner of CEDIA Expo, announced today that registration for CEDIA Expo 2023 is now open. The industry’s largest show for custom integration professionals, the event takes place this year September 6-9, 2023 and returns to the popular Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO.
Earlier this month the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle issued a preliminary order approving a settlement in the matter of Stephen J. Tuttle, et al. v. Audiophile Music Direct, et al (including Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs). The settlement puts to rest all claims that have risen over the issue of Mobile Fidelity’s marketing of premium vinyl recordings as all-analog when in fact, in many instances the production used Direct Stream Digital as part of the manufacturing process.
Last week, I was invited to attend the inaugural OASYS Spring Conference at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Nashville, TN, aka Music City. Formerly known as HTSN (Home Technology Specialists of Nationwide), the group has been rebranded and infused with new energy as Oasys Residential Technology Group. This spring gathering was its inaugural event launching a new brand, a new operating process, and – I have to say – a new attitude.
It was an eye-opening experience that helped me realize just how serious Nationwide is at cementing Oasys as the bedrock foundation of its buying group dominance.
