Strategy in TECH...
AVPro Edge, part of the AVPro Global family of brands, announced today that it has refreshed its popular MXnet switch lineup with the new P-Series. The company says that its MXnet 1G switches are its best-selling switch line. With the new MXnet P-Series, the company looks to push scalability to new heights.
Back in 2023, Strata-gee did a series of stories on Audio Research Corporation, a high-end tube amplifier manufacturer widely respected in the high-end community, but then going through financial struggles. In fact, when we last visited the Minnesota-based company, they had entered into a legal/financial process known as Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC), a form of receivership that is an alternative to bankruptcy. We revisit them now for an update.
In an announcement that shocked dealers, Dynaudio announced today that it intends to exit the North American market and shift its priorities to other global markets offering “the strongest strategic opportunities.” With this decision, the company will be permanently closing its U.S. subsidiary sometime in the “fall of 2026.”
For a few months now, we’ve been seeing a moderation in enthusiasm on Wall Street for Artificial Intelligence (AI) investment. On several occasions, a major tech company would announce a new multi-billion-dollar investment to acquire chips or other AI technology…or to build huge data centers to train LLMs…only to see their stock value crash. In a nutshell, investors are coming to believe that there is no way AI can hit a level of success great enough to repay the now trillions of dollars of collective investment by big Tech to create it.
Then, this week, Ford Motor Company announced it would rehire more than 300 engineers who had been let go to turn their jobs over to AI. Ford admits its AI ambitions failed and has rehired these “graybeard” veteran engineers with decades of experience to improve product quality.
Crestron Electronics, a global leader in smart home and home automation, announced this week that Configure Pro, originally announced a few months ago, is now available. This is great news for Crestron integrators, as the all-new system configuration platform is a substantial upgrade over the previous Crestron Home Setup application and offers greater approachability, easier and faster operation for more efficient and consistent installations, and so much more.
This week, ADI Global Distribution, currently part of Resideo Technologies but soon to be split off as an independent company, has sent an email message to Control4 dealers reassuring them that nothing is going to change when the company goes independent from Resideo. The email to dealers, which has been viewed by Strata-gee, reassured dealers that ADI’s commitment to Contro4 is stronger than ever.
But, is it?
Kaleidescape, a leading provider of high-resolution movie players and high fidelity movie content for the custom integration channel, announced today the launch of the all-new Strato K flagship movie player. The Strato K supports 8K movies as well as a new, higher fidelity format they call 4K Cinematic™.
Multiple sources are reporting that last week, Resideo Technologies’ company ADI unexpectedly executed layoffs of what they believe to be large numbers of employees, potentially in the hundreds. Many, if not most, of these layoffs are said to be centered on ADI’s Control4 unit legacy employees.
Sony Group recently announced it is forming a co-development partnership with chip manufacturing giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to create what it calls the next generation of AI image sensors. In announcing the partnership, the company revealed that, with these next-level AI sensors, it is targeting the advanced robotics and automotive segments.
Word came out this week that Samsung Electronics and its union members have reached a deal that staves off a threatened strike that could have had a global impact. Samsung is the world’s largest manufacturer of memory chips, and as the chip manufacturing employees’ contract was up for renewal, negotiations were challenging. However, with 90 minutes left before the strike deadline, the parties reached an agreement that includes a bonus that will average $340,000 per employee in the chip manufacturing division.
