Strategy in TECH...
This post will present some of the top tech stories from CEDIA Expo 2022. You know, covering a trade show like Expo has always been a particular challenge for me. As someone who is always looking for a good story, going to a trade show with hundreds of exhibits is a bit like trying to take a sip of water from a fire hose. Nonetheless, I was able to discover several stories I found particularly interesting and I hope you’ll like them too.
The tables have apparently been turned on Sonos, Inc. which now finds itself the subject of an investigation into alleged patent infringement by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC). The agency decided to launch an investigation of Sonos after receiving a complaint from Alphabet, Inc.’s Google division. There is one simple question: is Sonos a patent infringer?
After two years of tussling in courts, with both sides registering a mix of wins and losses on various matters, you’d think some kind of settlement would be in order. But last week, Google intensified its patent war with Sonos by opening up yet another front with two new lawsuits on voice control and other technologies, leading me to believe that any type of settlement is yet down the road.
Wall Street hates surprises, especially when public companies fail to hit analysts’ estimates and when the company is forced to cut previously issued financial estimates based on a deteriorating macroeconomic environment. Sonos hit a surprisingly sour note in its report today on fiscal 2022 third-quarter results – soundly missing expectations, cutting forward guidance on future results, and announcing the CFO is leaving the company. The result of this terrible trifecta of bad news? Sonos stock dropped as much as 20% in after-hours trading.
Sonos reported on Wednesday that they had a strong second quarter fiscal 2022 result with good revenue growth. In the case of revenues, the company notes that they continue to track toward its annual revenue guidance of $1.95 billion – to – $2.0 billion. However, the company admitted that its profit margin took a hit as supply chain issues continue to bedevil it (and the rest of the industry) as well. They cut their forecast for profits in 2022.
Sonos Inc. released the results for their fiscal 2022 first quarter on Wednesday and the results were mostly mixed. While a quarterly revenue record was set, net earnings dropped. CEO Patrick Spence called it “an excellent quarter, with record-setting revenue” but the tone of the company’s management seemed slightly more muted on a conference call with financial analysts as compared to previous such events. Perhaps this was because their financial performance was slightly more muted as compared to past quarters.
I don’t think it’s possible for me to overstate the significance of what just happened last week when, in a final decision from the U.S. International Trade Commission, the full panel affirmed a commission judge’s ruling that Google had in fact infringed on five patents held by Sonos. It is a real-life version of the bible story of David versus Goliath. Make no mistake, this David’s win may change our industry in fundamental ways.
What a crazy couple of weeks it has been for exhibitors of CEDIA Expo 2021, and also for potential attendees who watched a slow-motion train wreck unfold right in front of their eyes. It was almost exactly two weeks ago – on August 10th – when Savant CEO Robert Madonna suddenly announced that Savant was pulling out of CEDIA, due to concerns over the surging infections from the Delta variant of COVID-19.
Little did we know then that this was the trickle before the flood…
The announcements are coming faster than I can get them written up, as I learned late Friday that Samsung has notified their dealers that they too have pulled out of the CEDIA Expo 2021. Pressure is building on other exhibitors to take a stand. A tipping point may be approaching…
In a note sent to dealers Friday, Sonos said that “after much deliberation” it has decided that it will no longer be participating in the CEDIA Expo 2021 as originally planned. Yet another in a line of exhibitors leaving the event, the company cited “the recent increases in COVID cases and the prevalence of the Delta variant.”
