E Ink Holdings and Sharp Corporation Collaborate to Reduce Carbon Footprint of Digital Signage

March 29, 2023

E Ink Holdings (aka the ePaper technology company) is collaborating with Sharp Corporation on future displays aimed at the digital signage market. E Ink has revolutionized various markets — such as e-books, digital notepads and electronic shelf labels — with their proprietary digital paper technology that features the visibility and portability of paper in a digital display […]

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Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America Debuts Synappx Collaboration Hub Experience

August 11, 2022

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation (SEC), today announced the debut of the Synappx collaboration hub experience. Combining the power of Synappx Go and Synappx Meeting, the Synappx collaboration hub creates a mobile-first experience, enabling participants to start a scheduled or ad hoc meeting on a meeting […]

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Sharp Intros New 4K Ultra-HD Professional Display Series

August 4, 2022

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) and Sharp NEC Display Solutions of America (SNDSA) introduced the PN-HC and PN-HE 4K Ultra-HD LCD professional display series. The large-format monitors complement the existing Sharp lineup of monitors for commercial and professional environments, which launched in February 2022 with the PN-HS and PN-HY displays. Offering “vivid, […]

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Sharp NEC Display Solutions Launches the PE456USL Entry-level Installation Projector

June 28, 2022

Sharp NEC Display Solutions just launched the PE456USL entry-level installation projector today. This new model is made to accommodate tight rooms, specifically in museums, golf simulators, corporate offices and higher education classrooms. The new projector, which will be part of Sharp/NEC’s PE Series, provides a short-throw, 4,500-lumen projection in areas where space is limited or where casting […]

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Sharp NEC Display Solutions Unveils a Partnership with Guise AI for NaViSense, a Computer Vision Technology

June 8, 2022

Sharp NEC Display Solutions just unveiled a partnership with Guise AI for something called NaViSense, a computer vision technology. NaViSense is a cost-effective computer vision solution for gathering anonymous customer attributes using off-the-shelf or existing camera sources and processing them through a variety of edge computing devices such as RPi4. This technology will gather data […]

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Samsung Announces What It WON’T Be Making

June 1, 2022

It’s InfoComm season and the PR blitzes are in full-force announcing new products that will be available to see LIVE in Las Vegas next week. We’re used to this being a period of time for product announcements and merger and acquisition news, so it was unique to see a company make an announcement about what […]

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Sharp Intros New 4K Ultra-HD Professional LCD Monitor Series

February 1, 2022

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) introduced the PN-HS and PN-HY 4K Ultra-HD Professional LCD Monitor Series that offer high-definition signage solutions to showcase lifelike images. Built for commercial and professional environments, the PN-HS and PN-HY professional displays are available in the 55-, 50- and 43-inch classes. The PN-HS and PN-HY 4K Ultra-HD Professional LCD Monitor […]

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Sharp/NEC Reorg Details Announced

January 11, 2022

Sharp NEC Display Solutions of America and Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America teams will be integrated starting in Q1 of 2022. A statement sent out to the market detailed the reorganization of Sales and Marketing, Finance/Accounting, Business Operations, Service/Support and IT departments. After discussions and analysis, the companies decided to make the following […]

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Rants & rAVes — Episode 1062: Why You Should Attend Next Week’s UCC Webinar with Almo and Sharp

September 30, 2021

The future of UCC is more than software and rooms; in fact, it’s well beyond rooms. So here’s a teaser of what you’re going to learn about in next week’s webinar — worth 1 AVIXA CTS RU, too! After watching, don’t forget to register at this link. See you there!  Podcast: Play in new […]

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Kayye’s Krystal Ball: 2021 Edition

January 27, 2021

Welcome to my 21st annual Kayye’s Krystal Ball! I love writing this annual predictions article — it’s both humbling and rewarding. It requires me to stop and research anything new, evaluate the potential impact it will have and then articulate it in a way that matters to readers. If you’re a regular reader of my […]

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Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America Intros New Collaboration/Interactive Display

December 14, 2020

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation (SEC), introduced today the new Sharp 4T-B70CT1U AQUOS BOARD collaboration/interactive display; aimed at a value-priced solution for interactive classrooms and meeting rooms. The TAA compliant 70″ Class (69.5″ diagonal) Sharp 4T-B70CT1U AQUOS BOARD interactive display is manufactured in Mexico and provides […]

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Sharp Adds IoT Dashboard, Synappx, for Its Windows Collaboration Display Users

November 19, 2020

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) launched Synappx WorkSpaces. Synappx WorkSpaces enhances the functionality of the Windows collaboration display (WCD) from Sharp by leveraging the device’s data collection modules into a dashboard to provide organizations with the data and analytics needed to make informed decisions about their WCD technology and workspace productivity investments. […]

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Rants and rAVes — Episode 1019: Here’s What the Sharp/NEC Joint Venture Means to AV

November 18, 2020

Gary was joined by both Sharp NEC Display Solutions’ President and CEO, Todd Bouman, and Sharp Imaging and Information Systems’ Mike Marusic, on his videocast today to better understand the impact of the joint venture that formed the new Sharp NEC DIsplay Solutions company. Nope, it’s not a merger — and yes, you can expect the synergy creating […]

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Sharp Introduces New 120” Class LCD Display

November 3, 2020

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America just introduced today the new 120” class (diagonal) 8M-B120C 8K Ultra-HD Professional LCD display. The 8K monitor packs in 33 million pixels, four times more than a 4K panel, and is aimed at applications like corporate lobbies, showrooms, museums and video production. The 8M-B120C provides continuous operation for […]

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It’s Official! NEC and Sharp Joint Venture Creates Sharp NEC Display Solutions

November 2, 2020

Effective Nov. 1, 2020, Sharp Corporation (hereinafter “Sharp”) and NEC Corporation (hereinafter “NEC”) completed the previously announced transaction to form a joint venture by Sharp acquiring 66% of shares for NEC Display Solutions Ltd. (hereinafter “NDS”), a subsidiary of NEC. The new website is here. In connection with the completion of the transaction, NDS has […]

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Rants and rAVes — Episode 1012: So … You’re Still Not Doing 4K?

October 16, 2020

Gary’s doing an encore presentation of his famed “4K No Myths, No Exaggerations — Just the Facts” presentation, exclusively for Almo ProAV clients. Plus, he’s added all-about-4K in UCC, too! Here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect when you register here for the webinar Thursday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. EDT. P.S. Big thanks […]

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Yamaha Unified Communications and Sharp Business Systems Team up to Make Remote Concierge Station

July 30, 2020

Yamaha Unified Communications and Sharp Business Systems have partnered to provide the hospitality, enterprise, education, health care and government industries with a post-COVID Remote Concierge Station solution. This partnership results in a combination of Sharp’s 40-inch or 50-inch flat-screens and Yamaha’s CS-700 Video Sound Bar in a mobile stand to allow organizations to staff key […]

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What Will Jon Sidwick Do Next? We Think We Know!

May 5, 2020

After 23 years at Maverick AV Solutions (a TechData company headquartered in the UK), Jon Sidwick, managing director, has announced he will leave the company in May. Maverick transformed from a local projection supplier to a pan-European solution provider in the professional AV, smart signage and smart collaboration markets. Sidwick is passing the baton to […]

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Updated: Sharp and NEC to Merge Display Divisions Into Joint Venture

March 25, 2020

This story has been updated to add a letter sent to NEC Display partners and customers. Below is the official press release from NEC Display today. Before you read it, here are my thoughts: Unlike nearly every merger in our industry’s history, this is a new display company that will be made up of two […]

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NEC and Sharp Announce Joint Venture to Combine Display Solution Businesses

March 25, 2020

Tokyo, March 25, 2020 – NEC Corporation (NEC, TSE: 6701) and Sharp Corporation (Sharp, TSE: 6753) have agreed to create a joint venture by combining NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. (NDS), a subsidiary of NEC, with Sharp. NDS and Sharp are two market-leading brands in the production and development of visual solutions. The Sharp-NEC joint venture will allow […]

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My Day with Sharp and Its Windows Collaboration Board Launch, Plus an Interview with CEO Mike Marusic 

March 17, 2020

I was honored to be the only member of the AV press invited to cover the live, global (it was streamed live from Seattle, Washington, New York City, Amsterdam and Madrid) streaming video launch of the Sharp WCD (Windows Collaboration Display) last week. Although those in attendance, live, saw it as a technical marvel (connecting […]

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Sharp Australia Launches Brand New HC1 4K BIG PAD Interactive Display

January 8, 2020

Due to the success of the TH1 series 4K BIG PAD interactive displays released earlier this year for the corporate market, Sharp Australia has launched the brand new HC1 4K BIG PAD interactive display series for the educational and training environments. The BIG PAD HC1 range offers a choice of 70″, 75″ and 86″ 4K […]

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Sharp Ships Windows Collaboration Display With Microsoft Skype for Business

October 29, 2019

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) announced it’s shipping the world’s first Windows Collaboration Display (WCD) with Microsoft’s Skype for Business certification. The native 4K 70-inch is integrated with Microsoft Azure Digital Twins to monitor collaboration spaces. The Sharp Windows Collaboration Display is marketed as the world’s first large-format interactive display to achieve […]

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Sharp Launches Entry-Level Collaboration Boards with New AQUOS BOARD Lineup

September 3, 2019

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) announced the addition of three new value-priced, 4K 3840×2160 interactive whiteboards to the AQUOS BOARD display line. The new 70″ class (69 ½” diagonal) PN-CE701H, 75″ class (74 ½” diagonal) PN-C751H and 86″ class (85 9/16″ diagonal) PN-C861H interactive displays are integrated with most of the standard […]

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Sharp Ships Commercial 8K 80″ Display

August 13, 2019

The new Sharp 80″ 8M-B80AX1U 8K UHD display, what Sharp says is the only commercially-available 7680×4320 resolution monitor, is now shipping. Aimed at design studios and TV broadcasters, it’s specified with 800 cd/m2 (or up to 4,000 cd/m2 peak level), includes HDR (high dynamic range) technology, has a 10-bit extended color range that literally delivers […]

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Three New Interactive 4K LCDs Arrive from Sharp

July 24, 2019

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, has launched three new 4K Ultra HD resolution large-format AQUOS BOARD interactive display systems with built-in wireless and whiteboard functionality utilizing its embedded SoC (system-on-chip) controller. We shot a video of these at InfoComm last month, which you can view here: […]

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The Themes of InfoComm 2019

June 28, 2019

Over the years I’ve been in this industry (this was my 33rd InfoComm — 34th annual show with InfoComm/AVIXA though as my first, back in 1987, the show was called COMTEC — before the name was changed to InfoComm in 1988), the show has evolved from a technology-based show to a product-based show and, more […]

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Sharp’s InfoComm 2019 Booth Is Business as Usual

June 5, 2019

For InfoComm 2019, Sharp Electronics has decided to build a day-in-the-life of the office-style booth with AV everywehre: Reception Lobby: Breathtaking 8K resolution welcomes you to our world You will be greeted at the Sharp booth by business VIPs, including the upcoming 80″ Class 8K UHD display. In addition, the recently launched 75″ Class (74 […]

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Sharp Debuts the Future of All Displays with New SoC- and Cloud-Based 4K Monitors

April 4, 2019

Sharp today launched two new lines of 4K UHD (3840 × 2160) resolution commercial displays. Sharp’s PN-HM Series includes the PN-HM651 65” Class (64 ½” diagonal), PN-HM751 75” Class (74 9/16″ diagonal) and PN-HM851 85” Class (85 9/16” diagonal) displays. They each provide a brightness of 500 nits, are designed for 24/7 environments and are […]

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Bob Madaio Joins Sharp as Vice President of B2B Marketing

November 13, 2018

Sharp America announced today that Bob Madaio has joined the organization as its new vice president of marketing. In this position, Madaio will report directly to SIICA President and CEO Mike Marusic and will be responsible for the organization’s B2B marketing efforts across networked multi-functional printers, professional displays and its growing smart office and IT […]

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After a Year of Showing It, Sharp Makes 8K Monitor Launch Official – And Is Already Shipping It

September 12, 2018

The new 70″ 8M-B70AU 8K LCD monitor is now available from Sharp using a native 7680×4320 resolution display, that’s technically 16 times higher than 1080p full HD — 33 million pixels. Specified at a 3000:1 contrast ratio, 400 cd/m2 brightness and integrated HDR, the 8M-B70AU converts any inkling signal to 8K resolution and has full […]

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Advanced Transforms Law Firm Boardroom with Interactive Conferencing System

August 30, 2018

When the owners of the Sudduth & Associates law firm in Lake Charles, Louisiana, moved into their brand new headquarters, they wanted to incorporate a multi-purpose boardroom that allowed patrons of the legal community to make presentations, discuss evidence and conduct depositions. To do just that, they hired commercial AV integrator Advanced. After several site-visits, […]

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