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Gibson, After Light Pruning, Plans Global Layoffs

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Hundreds of Employees Facing Pink Slips

Gibson CEO Juszkiewicz
Gibson’s CEO Henry Juszkiewicz

Gibson Brands, a major provider of musical instrument and consumer electronics products, is in the midst of a widely reported liquidity crisis. With more than $500 million dollars in notes coming due late this summer, the company is seeking a knight in shining armor to ride in on a white horse with a big bag of money to refinance the company’s crushing debt.

To make the company appear attractive to a lender or investor, at the end of February the company sold off its shuttered Cakewalk division and laid off about 15 employees from its famous Custom Shop. Now we learn the company is planning more substantial layoffs across the board.

See more on this latest development at Gibson… [Read more…] about Gibson, After Light Pruning, Plans Global Layoffs

In Battle with Sonos, D&M Takes Yet Another Blow

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Sonos Seeks Permanent Injunction Against Infringing Products

HEOS logoThe battle rages on between D&M Holdings and Sonos over the patent infringement lawsuit brought by Sonos in 2014 against the HEOS by Denon line, and in which Sonos won the first set of their claims in a bellwether trial that concluded this past December. In retaliation for the Sonos lawsuit, D&M Holdings filed a countersuit that is now heating up, and in which they just lost a major decision from Judge Richard G. Andrews.

See more on D&M’s loss in this ongoing matter… [Read more…] about In Battle with Sonos, D&M Takes Yet Another Blow

Gibson Sells One Division & Cuts Staff in Another

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Famous musicians using Gibson guitarsThe news and events surrounding troubled guitar and consumer electronics company Gibson Brands, Inc. seem to be moving at a rapid pace with almost daily revelations as the company struggles to survive ahead of a massive debt due-date just a few short months away. We learned over the last few days that Gibson has sold their recently shuttered Cakewalk Inc. division and laid off staff in their famous Custom Shop operation.

See more about the continued dramatic developments surrounding Gibson… [Read more…] about Gibson Sells One Division & Cuts Staff in Another

Restructure Done, Sony Sets Sights Higher – on Uber

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Photo of Japanese Taxi, soon Sony?

We learned today from multiple media reports out of Japan that Sony Corp. is working on building a joint venture with at least six taxi operators in Japan this Spring. The goal comes in the wake of Uber Technologies Inc. saying that it seeks to improve its success in Japan through a partnership with another taxi company there.

Sony, jumping into the ride-hailing business?… [Read more…] about Restructure Done, Sony Sets Sights Higher – on Uber

Gibson CEO Turns to PR to Stop Crashing Reputation

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Company Rehires CFO With Debt Deadline Fast Approaching

Gibson CEO Juszkiewicz
Gibson’s CEO Henry Juszkiewicz

As the music world media continues to trumpet the news of the potential impending collapse of Gibson Brands, noting large outstanding debts and the exit of the company’s CFO, Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz launches a PR blitz to try and stem the collapse of the company’s reputation. It is a critical time for Juszkiewicz, as he is engaged in trying to refinance the company whose huge debt portfolio of over $500 million comes due in just a few short months. To try and stem the tide, Gibson released a couple of press releases last week claiming, in essence and improbably, that things are just fine.

Oh and Gibson Brands hired a CFO…or rather, re-hired a former CFO… [Read more…] about Gibson CEO Turns to PR to Stop Crashing Reputation

After a Year of Study, CEDIA Announces Their ‘New’ 3-Year Strategy

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cedia logoAfter an interminably long wait of around a year, CEDIA finally announced this week their new three-year strategy. This “new” strategy takes us through 2020 and is based on three areas of focus, in summary: 1) education; 2) standards, guidelines & best practices; and 3) engagement with design and build community.

Why did I put the word “new” in quotations? Read on…

CEDIA’s new strategy: It’s as easy as one-two-three… [Read more…] about After a Year of Study, CEDIA Announces Their ‘New’ 3-Year Strategy

Old Pro Bryston Partners with Rookie StormAudio

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Bryston's logoIn sort of a cross-technology sharing agreement, Bryston says it has partnered with relative newcomer StormAudio to create new products that will embody shared technologies from the two premium companies. According to the announcement, the agreement will enable “both companies to leverage their respective design and manufacturing expertise in an array of new product offerings.”

See more on this interesting Bryston – StormAudio partnership… [Read more…] about Old Pro Bryston Partners with Rookie StormAudio

Monster Throws a ‘Hail Mary,’ Pays Millions for Super Bowl Ad

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Monster logoMonster, Inc. (formerly Monster Cable) announced this week that it is launching its first ever television ad during the NBC broadcast of Super Bowl LII this Sunday, February 4. Usually the biggest TV event of the year, Super Bowl commands a king’s ransom in fees for advertisers, reportedly $5 million for a 30-second spot according to Sports Illustrated. Monsters ad? A full 60-second spot.

See more on Monster’s super expensive Super Bowl ad… [Read more…] about Monster Throws a ‘Hail Mary,’ Pays Millions for Super Bowl Ad

Gibson Stuns Again; Pulls Out of NAMM Show

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Photo of Gibson's Tokyo Showroom

A little more than a month ago, Gibson stunned the music world by abruptly shutting down Cakewalk, a music software company it had acquired in 2013. Now the music industry is abuzz again, after an announcement from Gibson Brands that it has decided to pull out of the NAMM show – the biggest music industry tradeshow, taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center January 25-28. Gibson Guitars is one of the top guitar manufacturers in the world, and the thought of a major music industry tradeshow without their representation has tongues wagging throughout the industry, with plenty of speculation about the “real” reason Gibson chose to pull out.

See more on this surprising news by Gibson… [Read more…] about Gibson Stuns Again; Pulls Out of NAMM Show

Strata-SERIES: RMR – Series Wrap-Up

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Strata-SERIES: RMR Wrap-UpOne month ago, on December 6th, Strata-gee launched a series of articles on recurring monthly revenue (RMR) programs based on research conducted for a cover story in the December issue of Residential Systems Magazine. That Series, called Strata-SERIES: RMR,  ran the entire month of December and into January with a total of five posts of content, plus an additional Series introduction and this Series wrap-up.

What did we learn about RMR? Much! Read on… [Read more…] about Strata-SERIES: RMR – Series Wrap-Up