Strategy in TECH...
In the wake of its acquisition by Bose last November, I have learned that there has been a significant shift in McIntosh’s go-to-market strategy. Multiple sources are reporting that McIntosh Group has terminated all independent manufacturer sales representatives. This move appears to contradict statements made by a Bose executive during the original announcement of its acquisition of McIntosh in November.
AVPro Global Holdings LLC, a company holding a diversified portfolio of top custom integration brands, such as AudioControl Pro, Murideo, Bullet Train, and more announced on Monday that it has selected Loel Wheeler to be its Vice President of Sales for Murideo – the company’s testing and measurement tools division.
In a move I have been anticipating for weeks, the Sonos Board has finally made a move and dismissed Patrick Spence as CEO as of this morning, Monday, January 13, 2025. The company has named a member of the Board – Tom Conrad – as an interim CEO, while a search has been launched for its next CEO.
Premium Audio Company (PAC), a division of Gentex Corp. that oversees the Onkyo, Integra, and Klipsch audio gear, has launched an interesting new series of electronics including an amplifier, preamplifier, and integrated amplifier at CES 2025 taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada this week. This new series is called the Onkyo Icon Series, a line of high-fidelity electronics that the company says is “a bold step forward in the brand’s evolution.”
Much like the last few years, exhibitors at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas have largely focused on advances in artificial intelligence (AI). All major manufacturers spoke to it…none more deeply than LG, whose 45-minute press conference began with AI…ended with AI…and had a lot of AI in the middle.
This past Sunday, on the eve of this week’s launch of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) released updated projections for total Tech industry sales in the year, as is its custom. According to the trade association, total Tech industry sales are expected to reach $537 billion – the highest level in history.
So the book is now closed on 2024 and…good or bad…it certainly was a consequential year for our industry. And while in the wake of all of that, we in the industry try to sort out what new challenges and opportunities 2025 brings…how did investors fare last year?
Readers came through again, delivering another record year for Strata-gee in 2024! Not only is it another all-time record in terms of website content consumption, it’s the third such record in a row! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support of readers who continue to select Strata-gee.com as a primary resource for industry news and views. Considering that 2024 was a tough year for most media, I guarantee you that I will not to take your support for granted.
I first heard about Savant’s interest in energy for the home back in 2018 when a company representative walked me through the Racepoint Energy booth at CEDIA Expo 2018. Racepoint Energy was a sister company to Savant and the two were partnering on creating new concepts in automating, monitoring, and controlling power as part of a smart home system. Ultimately, the two companies would merge to become Savant Power which turbocharged the development of deeper integration and automation of energy solutions for the now smarter smart home.
It was March of 2023 when I began picking up on the buzz that something big was in the works in the buying group world. At the Spring members conference of Azione Unlimited, which had been acquired by and was now part of Nationwide Marketing Group, President and founder Richard Glikes introduced Azione members to a new initiative called the “Drive to 1,000.” Although not a lot of details were discussed at this event, clearly something big was in the works.
Now, a little over a year later, I met with the entire management team of Nationwide’s Custom Integration Group, including Andy Orozco (Nationwide Senior Vice President of Custom Integration), Patrick McCarthy (Executive Director of Azione Unlimited), Hank Alexander (Executive Director of Oasys Residential Technology Group) and Chris Whitley (Executive Director of Ellipsys Commercial Technology Group) to take stock of just what has transpired over the last year or so with the new, expanded family of groups that are all under the Nationwide Marketing Group umbrella.
