We got a sneak peak into the future of InFocus last week when we talked to Ben Joy, InFocus’ Product Line Director. He told us all about their future strategy with their ProAV line and stressed their new commitment to the integrator.

Editor’s note: [Joy’s answers to our questions were written and any slang or grammar have not been changed.]

rAVe:  Where is InFocus now, financially?

InFocus:  The entire industry is hurting. Sony is laying off 16k employees, Epson has revised forecasts down twice since October and Panasonic announced layoffs of 15k employees. There are rumors of companies leaving front projection and even several brands being shopped.   InFocus is in the difficult position of being a US publically traded company.  Everything about us is visible. We have to work within constraints of being public (Sarbox for one). This adds a considerable expense to our company (think potentially operating at or above break even in Q1 ? Q3 if we didn’t have these requirements).  Being public also means showing or attempting to grow your business.   Becoming a niche player is not a possibility.    Q4 2008 hammered everyone — not just InFocus.  

InFocus is still rebuilding what was taken apart during the “retail” era of our company.  Our previous CEO took the company in that “strategic” direction and dissembled programs and policies that embraced PRO AV.  To be clear, InFocus does not sell at retail, includes dealers in direct and Strategic Accounts, requires distribution so that we can reach a broader range of dealers and we believe PAV is critical to our success in 2009 and beyond.