Strategy in TECH...
Multiple sources are reporting that Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. – a once high-flying specialty subwoofer manufacturer – has had a significant layoff in its audio division last week as the company seeks to redeploy its resources full-scale behind its LIDAR business. The company, which is driven by its enigmatic founder, David Hall, is betting its future (betting the farm, some would say) on its LIDAR technology which is used in self-driving vehicles (such as Google’s).
Yogi Berra once said, “It’s like Deja-Vu, all over again!” A report out of Japan tells of a hot new trend in Europe. Apparently, the latest trend in mobile phones…is consumers going retro. Seem counter-intuitive? It’s even a bit of a fashion statement…the story originates out of Paris, France!
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced today that it has launched a new “Working Group” to develop new technical standards for the industry in order to facilitate greater device interoperability in home automation systems. The announcement was made today at the Technology & Standards Forum the group is holding now in Seattle.
In yet another sign of dramatic changes afoot that will literally change the face of the TECH industry for years to come – news comes out of Japan that Pioneer Corp. is planning to exit the AV business by selling off its entire AV division. This news follows a similar decision made by JVC Kenwood earlier this year to pull out of consumer electronics to focus on more commercial business.
Pioneer is said to be in active negotiations with Funai Electric, a large OEM manufacturer who recently took over Philips video business, as well as other potential suitors.
Alpine Electronics will be the first of ultimately several companies to offer a in-car infotainment system based on Apple’s CarPlay system according to a report late last week by the Nikkei. Alpine’s system, which will likely be replicated by others, allows drivers to listen to music, view maps, as well as access other iPhone capabilities.
Just about every dealer and integrator (and manufacturer, for that matter) is acutely aware of how popular streaming music is with their clients/customers. Now, new industry statistics, reported on by market researcher eMarketer, provides a dramatic indicator of just how popular streaming music has become. And it is likely much more popular than you could imagine.
We learned last week that D&M Holdings, also known as the D+M Group, sold off its Calrec Audio brand to Electra Partners, a London-based private equity company. D&M received £14 million ($23.1 million) for Calrec, a designer of premium audio products and live-to-air consoles for the broadcast market. The move is part of a plan to divest itself of all non-core businesses, CEO Jim Caudill has said in press reports.
Yamaha Corporation of America announced this week that it has updated its well-regarded RX-V line of A/V receivers adding several new and popular features such as new wireless capability, a new surround capability, and new streaming services. Included in this update are the 7.2-channel RX-V777BT, RX-V677, RX-V577…as well as the 5.1-channel RX-V477. The company notes that these models embody a rare combination of sound quality, convenience, and accessibility.
Japan Display, Inc., the largest manufacturer of LCD displays for smartphones and tablets in Japan, launched their initial public offering (IPO) on Wednesday this week amid great anticipation. It was a big listing – with a total value of $3.2 billion, it was the biggest IPO since Suntory’s food-and-beverage unit raised $3.9 billion in 2013.
In a brief announcement today, Cabasse – a French loudspeaker manufacturer with a small niche following here in the U.S. – announced that it has appointed electronics brand Integra as its “exclusive” distributor for the United States. This new relationship takes effect retroactively to March 1, 2014.
