rAVe ProAV Edition Volume 4, Issue 19 (09/10/2006)

Introduction

Welcome to rAVe Pro Edition – Volume 4, Issue 19

Editorial

The Column Reps Will Hate
By Gary Kayye

Special Announcements
	Get a Business Health Check-up at NSCA's Fall Business Conference

Control
	Analog Way Introduces High End Remote for Large Events

Conferencing
	Panasonic Develops Full-Color, Connected Electronic Whiteboards

Projection
Optoma Introduces Network XGA Projector
BOXLIGHT Ships BumbleBee
AVerMedia Introduces Portable Document Camera With Built-in Memory
Mitsubishi Markets Sub-$5K 1080p

Editorial: The Column Reps Will Hate
By Gary Kayye

This column is long overdue. It’s a topic that just about every major manufacturer seems to agree with me on but, coincidentally, those manufacturers still using Reps (manufacturer’s representative sales firms) won’t go on record as agreeing with me.

Is the Rep dead yet?

OK, fair is fair. A disclaimer: I was identified by the Rep community as a “Rep hater” back when I took over as AMX’s VP of Sales and Marketing in 1997. Even though AMX’s executive team at the time asked me to help wean AMX off of using reps, I was the fall-guy – I was the one the Reps would love to hate.

In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. I agree there is a time and place for Reps (just like there was a time and place for labor unions).

 But, is that time now and is that place a giant company like AMX or Telex or the other big-name manufacturers that continue to use Reps all the while, internally, complaining about them? No, I am not actually identifying AMX or Telex as wanting to rid themselves of Reps. But plenty of manufacturers did when I called to talk to those still using Reps and asking for a justification for using Reps.

The non-scientific poll I took, interviewing more than 40 major manufacturer VPs (major is defined as a manufacturer with sales in excess of $20 million) was that, although they use Reps, they wish (or actually have a plan in place) to replace Reps with direct-sales forces.

I do, also, see a time and place for Reps. Reps are perfect for helping to “get a company off the ground.” Most start-ups don’t have the investment capital to hire, train and deploy full-time sales people to be “in the field” pushing their product to the more than 2,000 AV dealers in North America. So, the next-best thing to doing that is to hire a Rep firm. Some of the best are, ironically, AMX’s and Crestron’s Rep firms like Marla Suttenberg’s Sapphire Marketing, Ted Curtin’s Repworks, Ron Devoe’s Total Marketing, Frank Weese’s Visitec Marketing and the Enright Company with Logan Enright leading the way. If I were a new manufacturer, I would call these five firms and sign them up IMMEDIATELY to be my Rep firm – these companies do, exactly, what a Rep firm is supposed to do.

But, at some point in time, many manufacturers outgrow Reps and need to move on to either direct-sales forces or direct marketing to reach the AV dealers and educate them on their company and products.

The advantages of hiring a Rep firm are plenty. You have a ready-made, comprehensive, ready-to-sell sales force able to penetrate any geographical regions, and do so with customers they’ve already established. For a new company, and especially when the founders are new to ProAV and unfamiliar with the channel, a Rep firm is the perfect solution.

They are also well trained. They may need training on the new products offered by that new company, but the Reps are well enough versed in ProAV to understand the product rather quickly, or else they wouldn’t be in business as long as they have.

But Rep many firms don’t eat, breathe and invest in your product the way a direct sales force does. The Reps have lots and lots of other products they can, and do, sell and ultimately their true allegiance is to the Rep firm, not to the manufacturer.

I’ll be the first to agree that maintaining a direct-sales force is a pain in the patooty. You get a lot of duds. You get hot performers that turn into duds. You even get some who never become duds because they somehow just somehow disappear. I’ve seen that happen, all of it.

But, with the right training, you get companies like Extron and Crestron – two of the best customer service direct-sales forces in the industry – NO ONE would argue that one.

Without a middle man or woman, the customer gets all the pre-sale information they need on the spot (there’s no “I’ll ask the company and get back to you” about product capabilities). Support is much better because that salesperson really has the customer’s back, pushing to get any problems solved quickly. This is not to say that Rep Firms don’t try and do this – but most don’t have the full capacity to pull it off – aside from the ones I mentioned earlier – the superstar Rep firms!

More than anything else, the company benefits – they get direct feedback from the market as to why a product is or isn’t selling. Salespeople are NOT shy about vocalizing reasons they can’t close deals.

So, with all that evidence, why don’t the big companies move to direct sales? There was probably a good reason five or so years ago, when technology was moving so fast. Every single AV manufacturer had to pour extensive capital into product development as DLP, plasma and LCD replaced CRT, and broadband shook up connectivity. But we’re now in a mature market, where not a lot new has happened lately. And that means focus needs to be on sales. And, if you ask me, that means direct sales.

But, again, if you see the need to use Reps, pick from the list I gave you above – these are the best of the best…

NetStreams named company founder Herman Cárdenas to Chairman of the Board, and appointed Kevin Reinis as President and CEO. Reinis is the former CEO of Yosemite Technologies and a 20-year information technology industry veteran. Cárdenas will continue to lead the company' s product and technology strategies, promote the benefits of IP-Based networked entertainment, and develop strategic relationships to accelerate the growth of the emerging IP entertainment market by leveraging NetStreams' StreamNet technology, says the company.

Reinis has worked at VERITAS Software as VP business development, at Dell’s Enterprise Group as GM and VP of PowerVault Storage, and 14 years at IBM in a variety of positions.

For more information, go to http://www.netstreams.com/Documents/NetStreams%20New%20CEO.pdf.pdf

Access Integrated Announces 1,000th Digital Cinema Installation

The venture between Christie and AccessIT, called Christie/AIX, has led so far to the installation of 1,000 digital cinema systems. The installations, using Christie CP2000 projectors and services, are part of a planned 4,000-screen rollout of systems that are fully-integrated and networked and built to the technical specifications set last year by DCI, the consortium of the major Hollywood studios. The systems include the 2K DLP Cinema projectors, JPEG-2000 media players, a central server running AccessIT's Theatre Command Center software, two-way satellite connectivity, and security according to the DCI Technical Specification with Cine-Link2 and video watermarking.   For more information, go to http://www.accessitx.com/n9_28_2006.html

 

 

InfoComm Announces AV Week Plans

InfoComm International announced activities for AV Week, to take place at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) the week beginning Monday, October 23, 2006. On the 23rd at 3 p.m. Central time, Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., Executive Director, InfoComm International will lead a panel of manufacturing executives in a discussion of “AV’s Value in Education and Life-Long Learning.” The videoconference event will be streamed on the Web.

Panelists include Scott Norder, Executive Vice President of AMX, Ron Camden, VP of Sales, North America for Biamp, Michael Walker, Chief Technology Officer of MediaPointe, and Sandy Schroeder, Director of Strategic Planning and Integration for Shure.

Several other colleges and universities will connect to the panel event to give faculty and students on their campuses a live feed of the discussion.

For more information, go to http://www.arkansasavweek.org/

New Software From TEi Expands Message Delivery Capabilities

TEi released two new software programs with some really nice features. MeetingMinder, previously part of the bundled AxisTV systems, can now be purchased and used separately. It is a multi-purpose room sign software and hardware solution or managing and delivering current room and event schedules (you know, the flat panels on the wall next to a meeting room that tells people what meetings are happening in the room and when). TEi says that when you purchase MeetingMinder, you can choose among different panelPCs, Room Players and accessories.

The other software is MessageBlox. This is a message delivery system that, get this, lets your customers broadcast messages to desktops, cell phones, and even iPods and PDAs.

For more information, go to http://www.techelec.com/products/bulletin/meetingminder/index.htm and http://www.techelec.com/products/bulletin/messageblox/index.htm

Altinex Announces RF Adapter

Altinex’s AC101-202 is an RF Adapter designed for wireless communication between the ALTINEX MT101-151 MultiTasker LCD front panel and any computer/controller using standard RS-232 communication software. The AC101-202 transmits and receives RS-232 data. Wireless communication can be conducted from any PC, and it allows control to be changed from one computer to another by moving the AC101-202. The AC101-202 has a 4-digit RF identification number to accommodate situations where several MultiTaskers are in use. A single AC101-202 can be used to control several MultiTaskers with the same ID, or several AC101-202s, and their accompanying MultiTaskers can be assigned their own unique IDs for independent and simultaneous control. The RF ID is programmable through the RS-232 connection and may be changed on-the-fly as required to communicate with any MultiTasker.

For more information, go to http://www.altinex.com/Products/Special_Application/AC101-202/AC101-202.htm

Click above for more information

Premier Debuts Projector Mounts With Custom Brackets, Announces New Swing-Arm Display Mounts

Premier announced the PDS Series of projector mounts, which feature custom brackets made by Premier Dedicated Solutions (PDS, thus, the product name), a new division of the company that specializes in custom fabrication and dedicated bracketry.   The PDS Series is designed to be very low profile and to fit the top-selling projectors in the industry, plus Premier will offer new PDS models to accommodate new projectors as they hit the market. The company says this is the first large-scale production from the new division.

The mounts include Premier Mounts' Lock-It Security System, which consists of special security screws and a custom Allen key. The mounts allow have cable management within a pipe, dedicated mounting plates for specific projectors, 4-axis, tilt and rotation adjustments, and adaptable lateral shift brackets.

For more information, go to http://www.premiermounts.com/pressRoom/PDSSeries091406.pdf

The new universal swingout arm is the AM250, a scissor-style unit that uses Premier’s Griplate System for holding the display without the need for excessive torque on the mounting hardware. This mount can pull displays up to 18 inches from the wall and retract to less than five inches. It also allows the display to tilt down ten degrees and pivot to the left or right 45 degrees.

MSRP is $299.99.

For more information, go to http://www.premiermounts.com/pressRoom/AM250091406.pdf

Extron MGP 464 Allows Any Number of Picture-in-Picture

The Extron MGP 464 lets you create an almost infinite number of picture-in-picture arrays. Each window can display just about any video source, from composite video to HDTV and computer-video, analog or DVI.   The MGP 464 features four fully configurable inputs for a wide range of video sources, from standard definition video to HDTV and high resolution computer-video. There is also a unique Virtual Video Input panel that lets you integrate up to 15 composite video sources, or a combination of composite video, S-video, and component video signals. The MGP 464 DI also gives you the option of incorporating DVI-D digital sources.

This unit has an internal 19×4 matrix switcher that lets you direct any of the available input signal sources to any, or all, of the four on-screen windows.

For more information, go to http://www.extron.com/product/archive.asp?id=mgp464fp

IVT 600 — The Tool Every Installer Needs

JDSU has a new network installation meter, the IVT-600, and a new software management tool called Plan-Um AP (advanced planning). These are mostly home networking tools, but they are also useful for small-scale networks, and they are designed to help with quick deployment of broadband, such as VoIP over FTTx and digital cable networks as well as high-bandwidth applications such as AP over IP, HDTV and gaming. The IVT-600 is a networking installation meter that handles a full range of physical wiring tests for IP-based voice, video and data services. The installer can analyze “test, talk and trace” characteristics from a single unit.

JDSU’s Plan-Um AP is a software program that lets installers set up simple graphical “blueprints” to plan and maintain networks. The software management tool allows you to configure network floor plans, diagram and label cabling routes, and schedule and store data generated from wiring certification tests, and it provides documentation and reporting as well.

For more information, go to

http://www.jdsu.com/index.cfm?newsid=443&pagepath=News/News_Releases&id=1851

Da-Lite Adds Wide Angle Coatings to Rear Projection Screens. Introduces 2.35 Cinemascope Sizes

Along with new 92- and 106-inch HD screens, Da-Lite Screen Company expanded the company’s Polacoat line of optical coatings with the addition of DA-100 WA and DA-075 WA. These are specifically designed for applications using high-lumen projectors with short throw lenses — the coatings provide wider half-gain angles than traditional coatings, reducing hot-spotting.   DA-100WA is a neutral gray 1.0 gain wide angle coating, and DA-075WA is a 0.75 gain neutral gray coating. Either coating is available on any Da-Plex screen.

Da-Lite also has new 2.35 Cinemascope sizes. The 2.35:1 Cinemascope sizes are offered for five projection screens.  The standard 2.35:1 size is available in the Da-Snap and Imager fixed frame screen models in diagonals from 96” to 138” with front, rear and micro perforated fabrics.  Masking from a native 2.35:1 to 16:9 is now available for the Pro-Imager, Dual Masking and Tensioned Dual Masking Electrol. 

The Pro-Imager, by the way, is a motorized masking frame that fits over a fixed frame screen to provide properly masked images.  The Dual Masking and Tensioned Dual Masking models are ceiling-recessed, electrically operated projection screens with native 2.35:1 and masks to 16:9.

For more information, go to http://www.da-lite.com/products/

 

RHINO Provides Equipment ID System

This is one of those simple, great ideas. RHINO showed at CEDIA a new professional label printer that lets installers put identifying labels on equipment so that you, your co-worker and even your customer can easily tell what is what, anywhere wires, boxes, sources etc. are installed. The RHINO 3000 is a portable gadget that uses thermal-transfer printing, so you don’t need to worry about replacing ink or toners. It creates different color labels, so you can create a color code system, and labels are ¼-inch, 3/8-inch, and ½-inch. They use industrial-strength adhesives and, along with color coding, you can choose among different label materials too.

The RHINO 3000 label printer retails for $99 and is available through audio/video components distributors.

 

For more information, go to http://global.dymo.com/enUS/ProductLabels/RhinoPRO_3000.html?products=RhinoPRO_3000

 

New Gefen Wireless HDMI Extender Delivers up to 60 Feet

Gefen showed at CEDIA the new Wireless HDMI Extender, offering cable-free extension of high definition video plus multichannel digital audio delivered through HDMI connectors. The company says it’s a plug and play solution and it extends audio/video wirelessly up to 20 meters (60 feet) with “perfect replication” of the video and audio. It uses compact sender and receiver units that deliver HDCP-compliant high definition video in resolutions up to and including 1080p. Audio is bundled with the video, compressed, encrypted and then decompressed before delivery to the HDMI connector on the display or projector.

For more information, go to http://www.gefen.com/kvm/news/CEDIA2006-6.jsp

 

Optoma Introduces Network XGA Projector

The new TX780 is the XGA resolution model, a DLP specified at 4000 lumens and 3000:1 contrast ratio. This projector incorporates network management capability, with a user-interface and Web application that allows the projector to be managed through a PC. The user can control the TX780, as well as all other connected TX780 projectors through the PC's control panel, and configure basic network settings for all projectors throughout the network. It weighs 7.5 pounds. The Optoma TX780 projector will be available this month for an estimated street price of $2,499 through authorized Optoma dealers.

For more information, go to http://www.optomausa.com/PressRelease_detail.asp?Press_id=46

BOXLIGHT Ships BumbleBee

Remember that teeny tiny projector BOXLIGHT announced a while back? Well, it’s shipping this month. You wouldn’t normally call a projector cute, but in this case, it does apply. It’s just 4.8"(W) x 3.9"(H) x 1.9"(D) and weighs one pound. It uses an LED lamp, and is specified at SVGA 800 x 600 resolution with 300:1 contrast ratio. Brightness was not yet announced.   BOXLIGHT says BumbleBee can produce a 100-inch image, and it runs at 30dB noise level. It has an SD card slot and an internal .3 watt speaker.   It is priced at $799 and can be purchased on the company’s website.

For more information, go to http://www.boxlight.com/projectors/projector_details.asp?PartNumber=BUMBLEBEE-000&ProductGroup=PROJECTORS&X=458

 

AVerMedia Introduces Portable Document Camera With Built-in Memory

AVerMedia’s new AVerVision150 is a 3-megapixel portable document camera with enough internal memory to capture and store up to 32 JPEG images. This is PC and Mac compatible and it has a detachable LED light module. It uses the company’s AVERZOOM, which the company says gives the quality of optical zoom and lets the user pan left, right, up and down.   AVerMedia’s AVerVision150 is available now at and MSRP of $599.99. For more information, go to http://www.avermedia-usa.com/media/081506.html

 

 

 

 

Mitsubishi Markets Sub-$5K 1080p

Mitsubishi announced a new 1080p projector at CEDIA – a 3LCD model with HQV priced at $4,495. The HC5000BL is specified at 1920 x 1080 resolution, 1000 ANSI lumens and the contrast ratio we’re seeing a lot of lately: 10000:1.   Mitsubishi says the HC5000BL is designed with new inorganic LCD panels that are more durable and provide a more color-consistent, even-toned image than previous generations of LCD panels according to the company. The LCD optical engine is also enclosed in order to prevent most dust from entering the engine, keeping the image clean. And the chassis is designed so that a user can replace the lamp without removing the unit from the mount, or even handling the projector.

The HC5000BL provides HDMI and DVI connectors, and it is available in standard black or optional white.

 

For more information, go to http://www.mitsubishi-presentations.com/products/projectors/HC5000BL.html

 

Panasonic Develops Full-Color, Connected Electronic Whiteboards

The two new electronic whiteboards from Panasonic, the UB-2815C and UB-2315C Panaboards, are large-scale, double-sided models designed for full color scanning and PC-free document creation, storage and printing.   The UB-2815C features two 70.1-inch-wide by 34.2-inch high panels; the UB-2315C has twin 51.1 x 34.2-inch panels. Both models are fully TWAIN compliant and capable of scanning and saving color files in PDF or JPG formats and monochrome files in PDF or TIFF formats. Panaboards use "runner-scanning" technology that allow for electronic capture of flip charts and other printed material as well as material written directly on the board. They have twin flip panels, onboard SD Cards and USB flash card storage options, an integrated high-resolution color LCD preview screen, enamel-coated stainless steel construction, and heavy-duty EZ Flip, large lever Lock stands.  Each Panaboard comes with a mobile stand and fall prevention extension legs.

MSRPs are $3,995 and $3,595.

Click above for more information

Analog Way Introduces High End Remote for Large Events

The new AXION ARC 100 is a high end remote for controlling devices during large events. It provides independent or simultaneous control for several iX Hi-Res Seamless Switchers: Di-VentiX, EventiX, NatiX and CentriX, and uses a joystick with Direct Effect Access. It gives users a preview of multi-screen configurations on its 7-inch WVGA color touch panel and it can control up to six screen configurations, with single or multiple references.   It has buttons for direct access to inputs and to units, and features take, freeze, main and preview selections. A T-bar helps smooth transitions.

It has RJ45 for TIP/IP connection, a USB port and RS232.

 

For more information, go to http://www.analogway.com/downloads/pdf/Axion_VAlowres.pdf

 

 

 

Well, that's it for this edition of rAVe! Thank you for spending time with me as we muse the industry's happenings. To continue getting my newsletter, or to sign up a friend, click the link below. To send me feedback, don't reply to this newsletter – instead, write to me at gkayye@kayye.com or for editorial: Denise Harrison at dharrison@kayye.com

A little about me: Gary Kayye, CTS, founder of Kayye Consulting. Gary Kayye, an audiovisual veteran and columnist, began the widely-read KNews, a premier industry newsletter, in the late 1990s, and created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue – which later became InfoComm IQ. Kayye Consulting is a company that is committed to furthering the interests and success of dealers, manufacturers, and other companies within the professional audiovisual industry.

Gary Kayye's rAVe was launched in February 2003. rAVe Home Edition co-sponsored by CEDIA launched in February, 2004.

To read more about my background, our staff, and what we do, go to http://www.kayye.com