Strategy in TECH...
Highlander Partners, L.P., a Dallas-based private equity company, announced today that it has acquired McIntosh Group, a manufacturing and distribution company that offers several high-performance, high-end audio brands such as McIntosh, Sonus Faber, and Sumiko. It also operates under Fine Sounds U.K. and Fine Sounds Benelux.
Autonomic Controls, Inc. (Autonomic) announced Wednesday the launch of the all-new Mirage OS 7.0 operating system and the Advanced Music Bridge (AMB), both of which add exciting new features and capabilities to the company’s existing installed base of eSeries Mirage Media Streamers. The company touts the AMB as a clever way to add value to their products already in the field by providing new features now, rather than forcing users to wait for future, more extensive hardware launches.
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., better known as Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer, surprised many on Tuesday when they announced they were raising their outlook for the quarter and for the year based on what they say is improving supply chain stability in China. The company is one of the largest suppliers for many companies, including Apple, Inc.
Allterco Robotics Shelly line of smart devices for residential and commercial applications appears to be gaining momentum as more and more integrators discover the line’s unique problem-solving capabilities. At least part of what is driving additional pickup by integrators is the collaboration between Allterco Robotics and URC for deep integration of Shelly devices as part of its Total Control line of home automation solutions.
Russound, a designer/developer/manufacturer of innovative audio products for the integration channel, launched an array of new products for 2022 at ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) 2022 earlier this month at the Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain. These interesting new products include a new series of landscape and rock speakers; a new, next-generation Bluetooth source kit; and a new “ultimate” Android touchscreen.
For the last two and a half years, many industries have struggled with supply chain issues – especially Tech. During that period of time, I’ve heard over and over from integrators who were furious at one company or another for failing to deliver on their open orders. I’ve heard expletives hurled at pretty much every brand in the industry…including Crestron.
Now, in a letter to dealers from Crestron Chief Operating Officer Daniel Brady, dealers are being told that the company is “in a better position now than ever before.”
Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM), part of the Asahi Kasei Corporation, and one of the world’s most significant providers of integrated circuits, particularly digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), launched a new flagship stereo DAC at the IPS/High End 2022 Show last week in Munich, Germany. It is yet another notable milestone in the company’s long journey to recovery after the horrific impact of the signal event of the pandemic supply chain disaster in 2020 – a massive factory fire that destroyed a key production fab, first reported in our industry by Strata-gee.
But…can the company recover quickly enough to make a difference?
At the end of last week, Snap One Holdings Corp. released the results of their fiscal 2022 first quarter, a period which ended April 1, 2022, with comparisons to the same quarter last year, which ended on March 26, 2021. The company showed good revenue growth in the quarter but is still dealing with a net loss – albeit less of one than in 2021.
On Monday, I received a note from Premium Audio Company regarding my post on the bankruptcy of Onkyo Home Entertainment Co. Ltd. In this note, the company sought to get the message across that the Onkyo bankruptcy has nothing to do with them and that the Onkyo brand lives on under the guidance of its new owner, Premium Audio Company, a subsidiary of VOXX International.
Today in Osaka District Court in Osaka, Japan, Onkyo Home Entertainment Co. Ltd. (formerly Onkyo Corp.) filed for bankruptcy ending a long and storied history of innovative audio products. The action was taken less than a month after the company declared bankruptcy for two of its major subsidiaries in April. Now, the parent company has fallen as well…
