Strategy in TECH...
Nortek, Inc. on Tuesday released their fourth quarter and full year results for fiscal year 2014. The company showed sales & profit growth for the quarter – although they booked a net loss for the year. But in a conference call with analysts to discuss the Q4 results, Nortek President and CEO Michael Clarke was questioned specifically about the Audio, Video & Control Solutions (AVC) segment – and he struggled to explain why the company stays committed to the business.
Out of Osaka, Japan we learn that Sharp Corp. is about to embark on a major restructuring of its business that will likely change the company in fundamental ways. Plans call for closing domestic factories – a first for Sharp – staff cuts, and a possible exit from a major business segment for the company. Sharp is also seeking to raise capital, something that is not easy for a struggling company.
New research from Strategy Analytics predicts that shipments of 4K Ultra HDTV are about to take off thanks to new lower prices and homeowners’ growing need to replace aging flat-panel sets. In fact, they predict that almost one out of every two homes in America will have 4K Ultra HDTV in the next five years. The U.S. market will lead the world in 4K adoption.
Seattle, WA-based AudioControl announced this week that it has completely redesigned its website seen at www.audiocontrol.com. Much more than just a new color scheme or updated fonts – AudioControl rebuilt the entire site from the ground up with all new graphics, navigation, and in-depth information.
Earlier this month, we reported that D&M Holdings U.S., Inc. (D&M) [and Denon Electronics] had responded to the patent infringement lawsuit filed by Sonos, Inc. (Sonos) this past October by asking the judge to dismiss or throw out the case. Now, in a surprising twist of events, D&M has followed this initial left jab with a right uppercut that may result in Sonos’ attorneys getting knocked out of the case altogether – whether the judge dismisses it or not.
Big changes are afoot at Tivoli, the quirky audio products manufacturer that had a goal of providing nicely designed, easy-to-use, high quality audio products sold largely direct-to-consumers at reasonable prices. Founded by well-known industry personality Tom DeVesto, Tivoli had, for some time, remarkable success selling an almost retro-designed table radio…at a time when most companies had abandoned that category.
Now, big changes are at play – with DeVesto out and a new Interim CEO appointed by the Tivoli board.
As promised at last month’s CES, AudioControl is now shipping the latest model in its popular Architect line – the 2660. Sure to be a workhorse amplifier that will be the backbone of many system installations, the Architect 2660 brings a lot of channels, power, and flexibility to the table.
NAD Electronics announced today that purchasers of select NAD audio/video receivers (AVRs) and preamp/processors (Pre/Pros) will receive a certificate for a free 4K upgrade module expected to be delivered later this year. The company says this is a $600 value and will ensure that customers can buy these products now with confidence that they won’t be left out of the latest technology revolution, 4K Ultra HD performance.
New market research on the smart home market says the global consumer market will grow to be valued at around $58.7 billion by 2020. Market researcher MarketsandMarkets predicts that recent developments in the channel will fuel a 17% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2015 to 2020 leading to the creation of a significant consumer market.
SpringDeck, LLC announced today that it has expanded its national sales force with the addition of five more sales representative firms. The company had previously announced last month their first representative appointment of Aim High Audio.
