Samsung Electronics has made another major investment in the Internet of Things (IoT) space, becoming an early stage Series A investor in Bayshore Networks. The company made the investment via its Samsung NEXT Venture fund, an investment fund created by the company to find and take positions in companies that are driving businesses that will yield future profits for the company.
Manufacturers
Atlantic Technology Names Mike Miller as National Sales Manager
Atlantic Technology, the specialty loudspeaker manufacturer home theater and architectural audio speakers based in Norwood, MA, announced this week that it has appointed Mike Miller its National Sales Manager. Miller, an experienced industry veteran, joins a company noted for its targeted, strategic products and leads the charge in driving national adoption of its solutions.
See more on this announcement from Atlantic Technology… [Read more…] about Atlantic Technology Names Mike Miller as National Sales Manager
Control4 & Triad CEOs Explain to Strata-gee Why Their Deal Makes Sense
Control4 Corp. announced Tuesday that it has decided to get into the speaker business – doing so by acquiring Triad Speakers, Inc. – whom it describes as “a leader in advanced audio technology with best-in-class, customizable speaker-solutions.” The lofty language in the announcement in praise of Triad caught us by surprise and, unlike some of their other acquisitions, we did not find this one immediately obvious.
So when given the opportunity to interview both CEOs about this unexpected development, we jumped at the chance to learn more about the “hows” and the “whys” of this unusual partnership.
See what the two CEOs told us about Control4’s acquisition of Triad… [Read more…] about Control4 & Triad CEOs Explain to Strata-gee Why Their Deal Makes Sense
Integra Moves Into Distribution, Eliminating a Key Selling Point
This week we learned that Onkyo and Integra products would now be sold through AVAD, a distributor of custom integration products in the U.S. that is in the middle of changing its business model. Interestingly, this announcement came from AVAD, not from Onkyo/Integra, although Onkyo Vice President of Sales and Business Development Joe Petrillo is quoted in the official release.
But this simple announcement is being viewed as a game changer for many in the industry, who note that with the loss of its more “protected” status, Integra may have lost one of its key selling points.
See how some in the market are reacting to this decision by Integra… [Read more…] about Integra Moves Into Distribution, Eliminating a Key Selling Point
With Company Leader Incapacitated and Heir-Apparent Arrested: Who’s In Charge at Samsung?
After several years of non-stop success, Samsung has had a bit of a tough run lately. From exploding smartphone batteries to self-destructing washing machines to the arrest of the company’s Vice Chairman and heir-apparant…it’s been a challenging time, to say the least. But with the company Chairman Lee Kun-hee incapacitated due to failing health and his son, the Vice Chairman, now in police custody – the company’s biggest problem is a lack of leadership at the helm.
See how Samsung is addressing their leadership gap as a result of recent police action… [Read more…] about With Company Leader Incapacitated and Heir-Apparent Arrested: Who’s In Charge at Samsung?
On Drive to Grow Commercial, James Hits the Accelerator…Lightly
James Loudspeaker, the specialty speaker manufacturer with a wide range of models mostly serving the high-end market, has intrigued us for some time now. The subject of our intrigue is largely centered around their prodigious custom manufacturing capability, which they use to create a plethora of one-off products designed to order. We told you about a VERY unique pair of speakers they made for one Colorado integrator, who uses James’ customization capabilities as his “competitive advantage.”
Now James is targeting the commercial channel. See what we learned about their plans… [Read more…] about On Drive to Grow Commercial, James Hits the Accelerator…Lightly
Crestron Launches DigitalMedia NVX Series UHD Network Solution
One of the themes that appears to be emerging from the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show taking place in Amsterdam right now is several new competing solutions designed to distribute 4K Ultra HD over IP. We told you yesterday about Savant’s prototype solution and now we have Crestron with their DigitalMedia NVX Series, which it says transmits 4K60 4:4:4 HDR video over standard 1GB Ethernet “with no latency – an industry first.”
See more on this Crestron next generation solution for 4K video over IP… [Read more…] about Crestron Launches DigitalMedia NVX Series UHD Network Solution
Dramatic LG OLED & LCD Digital Signage Solutions at ISE 2017
New Technologies Offer ‘Visual Options’ in Digital Signage
An interesting aspect of the Integrated Systems Europe Show (ISE) show is that it addresses both the residential and the commercial integration segments, making it a powerful draw for both types of integrators – although in Europe, it can often be one integration company that services both markets. Addressing the commercial side, LG Electronics took new digital signage solutions to Amsterdam – and with both LCD and OLED solutions, they caught our attention.
See the new advanced LG digital signage solutions showing now at ISE 2017… [Read more…] about Dramatic LG OLED & LCD Digital Signage Solutions at ISE 2017
Film Flops Force Sony to Take $1Billion Writedown
Sony Corps’ struggling film division, which hasn’t seen a major hit movie in a long while, has finally forced the company to take a writedown against third quarter earnings of a substantial $1 billion. The difficult decision was necessary to adjust or right-size the value of their operations and will mostly be booked against goodwill – to reset the value of the various film-related divisions.
Why is Sony CEO Hirai setting up an office in Culver City, California?… [Read more…] about Film Flops Force Sony to Take $1Billion Writedown
Control4 Beefs Up Routers with Built-In Cloud Monitoring Solution
Control4 Corporation announced today that it has launched a line of routers that are upgraded with their BakPak cloud-based remote monitoring and performance assessment capability built-in. The company says this is a “first for the industry.”