Strategy in TECH...
In a move that has some of Strata-gee’s sources perplexed and scratching their heads, high-end commercial and pro video projector and display manufacturer Barco (Euronext: BAR) announced this week that it has reached an agreement in principle to acquire VerVent Audio Holding (“VerVent” and “Vervent”). VerVent itself was created by the merger of French loudspeaker maker Focal and British high-performance audio electronics manufacturer NAIM some years ago.
Savant Systems, Inc. announced today that it has added Silent Gliss, a Swiss manufacturer of precision window treatments, to its Recommended Partner Program. Silent Gliss was founded in 1952, and Savant says it has been “a leading global manufacturer of precision window treatment solutions since it introduced the world’s first silent curtain track system” then.
WiiM, maker of a line of digital audio and streaming products that make a premium high-fidelity audio experience accessible to all, announced today that it is dramatically expanding its salesforce network in the U.S. It is doing this via the addition of at least six new independent manufacturer representative firms across the country.
SoundTube says building design trends are changing, and integrators need to recognize the new standard in commercial space design in order to adjust system configurations to deliver the best performance for the greatest client satisfaction possible. Specifically, the company notes that exposed-structure ceilings – once a limited funky or trendy design subset- are now mainstream or the “standard” in retail, hospitality, fitness, and mixed-use commercial spaces.
And that reality calls for some new and thoughtful audio system design considerations.
Sonos, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONO) reported its results for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, the period that ended on December 27, 2025. The results paint the picture of a company going through a painful transformation. And while some progress has clearly been made, there is still a long way to go – and it remains unclear whether the company will ultimately be successful. However, we’ll look at where they are right now, the plan they roughly sketched out for next steps, and you can see what you think.
Gentex Corporation (Nasdaq: GNTX) announced the results of its financial performance for the fourth quarter and full year of fiscal 2025 – the period that ended on December 31, 2025. Management expressed satisfaction with 2025’s results, which it says were achieved despite several challenging headwinds impacting performance.
Holy Cow! The Harman Luxury Audio Group lion has reared back its head and roared AUDIO!!! I mean, the company is launching a total of 24 brand-new audio products at the 2026 Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show. Even for a company the size of Harman, that’s a lot! For now, I’m going to focus on the moves the company made with its JBL Synthesis Custom Loudspeaker line, which includes nine new speakers and three new “next-generation” AV processors.
Sonance, a long-time leading manufacturer of custom integration gear valued by integrators all around the world, has announced its plans for the Integrated Systems Europe Show 2026 (ISE) taking place now in Barcelona, Spain. Key to the announcement is that the company will display in two different “stands” (the European name for a “booth”), one optimized for the professional/commercial channel and another optimized for the residential/marine channel.
The company also announced the launch an all-new, high-performance Ultra Thin-Line VX Speaker.
Sonos, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONO) introduced on Tuesday the launch of a new model called the Amp Multi, its first such launch in more than a year. Targeted for the professional integrator channel, Amp Multi is, as the name suggests, a multi-channel streaming amplifier that appears to be designed to encourage integrators to incorporate more Sonos products in larger, more sophisticated residential installations.
But will integrators go along with this scheme?
The industry is all abuzz ever since this past Tuesday, when Sony Corporation announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TCL “for strategic partnership in home entertainment field.” The announcement goes on to describe, in really sketchy terms with virtually no details, an idyllic or almost utopian vision of how this “partnership” would operate.
But it’s all code. The media has scrambled to spread the news of what they know…which is virtually nothing. Let me help you decode the important meaning of this announcement.
