Strategy in TECH...
New research shows that while a majority of internet users own some type of smart device, almost no one owns a smart appliance – even though many manufacturers like Samsung have been pushing the category for a couple of years now. If consumers believe in “smart” technology, what’s going on with smart appliances??
All the way back in 2012, Onkyo Corp. and Gibson Guitar Corp. came together to partner in what both hoped would become an entity where the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. Just months after their announcement, Onkyo forged ties to another Japanese audio brand, Teac/Tascam – just as Gibson stepped in to buy a majority share of them…and the combined entity began to grow.
Little did they know that just six short years later, Gibson, the investor in Onkyo, would implode into bankruptcy – forced to extricate itself from its Onkyo aspirations. Onkyo was hit as well, losing its Gibson investment – forcing them to reassess their direction. We now learn that Onkyo has sold off its entire European operations to an accessory distributor known as Aqipa GmbH.
TPVision, a principal licensor of the Philips brand of upscale TVs in Europe, announced today that is has partnered with Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) in a new multi-year agreement for a new line of products representing the finest in video and audio quality. The announcement noted the reputation both companies enjoy for excellence in engineering and suggests this partnership will set a new reference standard for visual and audio performance in televisions.
We did NOT say that Monster Money was a scam in our article. We DID say that cryptocurrencies are risky, risky investments to be approached with caution. The prevalence of several large scams in the supposedly safe world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies serve as a stark reminder of this need for extreme caution when investing in something new.
High-end audio distributor Rutherford Audio announced this week that its relationship with Thorens, a prominent European turntable manufacturer, has come to an end. As a result of this news, Rutherford is telling dealers they can no longer accept orders on Thorens’ products.
When you first pull up in front of Total Home Technologies in Roseland, NJ, it looks pretty much like any other small town store, blending in perfectly with the feel and flavor of this humble little borough of about 5,800 people located twenty miles west of New York City in a picturesque hilly section of Essex County, New Jersey. That feeling persists when you first walk over the “Welcome” mat and enter through the front door to find a comfortable living room on your right and, somewhat surprisingly, an outdoor backyard scene on your left.
[Read more…] about What It Means to Have Your Showroom Certified by Control4
Gibson, as Strata-gee previously reported, filed for bankruptcy protection on May 1st in a pre-negotiated package with principal noteholders of the company’s substantial debt – debt that was now in default. But while that deal suggested a smooth path for the case through the bankruptcy court, it did not take into account the position of unsecured creditors, and especially Philips who describes itself as the largest unsecured creditor in the matter.
AudioControl, a scrappy and innovative maker of electronics solutions for residential, commercial, and automotive applications, said today that it will show its commercial products at InfoComm 2018 taking place next week in Las Vegas, NV. Although the company has been involved in the commercial market for years, this is the first time they’ve displayed at InfoComm in a bid to further build their share of the commercial channel.
Sonos Inc. confirmed late yesterday that it has cut 6% of its staff, or 96 employees, just days before a highly anticipated public offering expected as early as next month. The cuts are said to have been across all department and at all levels.
We have been closely following – first Gibson Guitar and then Gibson Brands – from their decision in 2012 to shoot for the stars by using OPM (other people’s money) to make highly leveraged…and highly questionable…acquisitions of various consumer electronics brands (a category in which the CEO and his team had no experience) to their recent 2018 bankruptcy. Gibson was trying to diversify their musical instrument business into something that now former CEO Henry Juszkiewicz called a music lifestyle brand. Instead, they wound up in bankruptcy.
