Latest headlines: Paul Konikowski on mergers and what that means for the AV business market, Gary Kayye with his latest predictions for the industry in his Kayye’s Krystal Ball series, plus news from ATEN Technology, Optoma, Carousel Digital Signage and more
March 5, 2020 | Volume: 18 | Issue: 9
Do you ever think it’s daunting to try and look into the future of our industry? I do. Because we function in a market that’s continually changing and improving, I have a hard time envisioning what things will look like a year down the road — much less five or ten years. I can tell you what the hot topics are, and I can tell you off the top of my head the five products and concepts that are said to be real game-changers, but how do we know? This is something I think Gary Kayye takes into consideration when he’s creating his Kayye’s Krystal Ball series every year. Not to age myself, but I like to imagine him getting a vision like Raven Baxter in That’s So Raven, and then hurrying to write down what he sees so he can make sure to mention it in his webinar. That brings us to the next order of business.
Today, I have for you: Paul Konikowski’s blog about business trends! But not just any business trends — he breaks down the latest trends in the business side of the AV industry (hi, mergers looking @ you) and helps us decipher what this means. I also have the breakdown of Kayye’s Krystal Ball: 2020 Edition. Gary goes over his predictions for last year — then brings up what he expects us to see in 2020 and into early 2021.
In other news, Kramer released a new microphone aimed at UCC spaces. ClearOne now has Zoom certification for its UNITE 200 PTZ camera. Plus, ATEN Technology has three new presentation switchers. And more!
Welcome to my 20th Kayye’s Krystal Ball! I know, I was shocked too. Twenty years of this. But I love writing this annual predictions article. If you’re a regular reader, you already know this, but for those that don’t, my Kayye’s Krystal Ball piece is an annual article where I not only tell you what I think is going to happen in the AV market for the upcoming year but, I also look back and review the previous year’s predictions — sort of a scorecard of accuracy, if you will. 2020 is going to be an exciting year with A LOT of changes in the AV market so I hope you’ll read them all, below.
The last week of February 2020 could go down as the worst week in Wall Street history. The U.S. and global markets plummeted as coronavirus fears escalated. Some think it may have had something to do with Bernie Sander’s wins in the early Democratic primaries, and some think it is tied to the price of oil. I personally think it has to do with the recent mergers and acquisitions in AV land.