All hail Nero!
No stranger to style and innovation, Alphason again shows what it takes to be an AV furniture market leader with its new, regal design, the versatile Alto-Nero.
With great-looking all-glass style and a deep finish, the Alto-Nero TV and equipment support can either be wall-mounted or left floor standing, depending on the requirements of the customer’s viewing room, and can accommodate screens up to 37in in size.
Designed with contemporary gloss-black finish HDTVs in mind, the safety glass-equipped Alto-Nero’s contemporary good looks are complemented by the practicality of two-shelf equipment support, DVD/Blu-ray disc storage and integrated cable management.
www.alphasondesigns.com
01942 885 600
For more hot products, check out the product news section in the electronic edition of September’s HCD by clicking here
CEDIA website ups ante
CEDIA’s website is going from strength to strength, with over 180,000 hits monthly, and a peak of 271,908 hits when the CEDIA Awards was in full swing.
“In the past 12 months we have started a series of technology podcasts,” says Executive Director Wendy Griffiths. “These are available to download from the CEDIA website and have proved a real hit with over 400 people downloading them. As a trade association working in a ‘high tech’ industry it’s only right that we embrace this new technology and offer a variety of ways for our members to access information.”
For further information on CEDIA’s ramped-up site, check out Wendy’s column in the latest edition of HCD, or click here.
Hi-fi and AV specialists merge
Three of the country’s most respected hi-fi and AV specialists have announced they are to merge following year long discussions. Audio T, Audio Excellence and Practical Hi-Fi will all trade as part of the Audio T Group and will, in due course, re-brand as Audio T.
The new group will have 24 stores operating across England and Wales: 13 Audio T branches in the south east, plus the newly opened Audio T Select in Egham; four Audio Excellence branches in Wales and the west of England; and six Practical Hi-Fi branches in the north west.
The Audio T website - www.audio-t.co.uk - will be the main site for the group and will continue to offer the latest in industry news, special offers and a massive list of clearance product at incredible prices! It is also the site of the Online Store - now offering 24 click and collection points across the country.
The Audio T Group runs the Home Entertainment Show in Manchester and the country’s largest hi-fi and home cinema show: Sound & Vision - The Bristol Show.
www.audio-t.co.uk
Alphason’s new base now open!
A host of leading industry figures and press attended the official opening of Alphason’s new 100,000+ sq ft state-of-the-art premises just outside Bolton.
The development marks a major milestone in the 23-year-old history of the company which started life making tone arms and which now occupies the coveted Number One slot in the AV furniture category.
Alphason’s chief operating officer Chris Emerson told us: “This considerable investment in the industry demonstrates our continued commitment to providing the best service and support to our valued customer base. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and logistics centre ensure our award winning and innovative products are delivered on time every time.”
Alphason’s new HQ will also see the extension of the famous Armour Training Academy with courses ranging from attachment selling to window display dressing and custom installation, being run on a regular basis now in both Bishops Stortford and Bolton.
Another exciting feature of the new set up are the spacious new showrooms not previously enjoyed at the company’s former premises in Atherton. These incorporate specially designed lifestyle ‘room-sets’ displaying TV supports and other AV products in the appropriate setting.
On the manufacturing side, the company already operate a number of high tech ‘CNC’ (computer numerical control) machines as well as a fully equipped paint spray system. To compliment this facility, Alphason have added banding, sanding and edging machines plus a new paint spray facility for high gloss finishes.
“These new leading edge facilities will allow us to produce high end bespoke furniture to cater not only for our retailer customers but also the hotel industry. It will also mean that we improve time to market and offer smaller runs of specially produced product,” says Emerson.
The move comes at a time when Alphason are bringing some of the most innovative and exciting initiatives to the electrical retail industry aimed at putting profit opportunity back into the retail channel. One such initiative is Viewsmart, which has been developed by Alphason to ensure the retailer has the capability to sell a full package of accessories, furniture, brackets and cables with every TV sale. This was recently launched at the CIH show in Birmingham to a very enthusiastic audience.
Emerson: “We are determined to lead the way and make sure we work with our customers in what is a challenging economic environment.”
A further new and exciting initiative is the partnership with world leading designers Conran. Alphason are looking to launch a number of innovative and modern products designed in partnership with Conran in readiness for the peak season.
Key features of the new premises Alphason include:
- 85,000 sq ft of warehouse space - double the current size and providing next day delivery
- 14,500 sq ft of manufacturing capacity - with the latest finishing and packaging facilities providing both standard high quality and bespoke AV furniture
- 14,000 sq ft split level office / training and showroom suite - offering demonstration, showroom, training and meeting facilities
Dreaming of a green Christmas
It looks like this Christmas is set to be a really money spinner for all green-minded manufacturers, with Santa ditching his traditional red garb for pine needle green. The Energy Saving Trust reports that the UK public is set to ditch red and go green this December, with over a third of gadget-buying Brits saying they will only buy energy efficient models.
The EST’s research reveals that 45 per cent of Brits who plan to buy electronic products this Christmas will spend £250 or more, with a quarter claiming they will only buy energy-efficient gifts of all types.
And to prove that ‘going green’ wasn’t just a fad of the economic boom times, 90 per cent of people in the research said they will still consider buying green electrical products this yule despite the credit crunch.
Chief executive Philip Sellwood said: “It really is possible for a normal UK family to be truly ‘green’ at Christmas. Consumers now have more choice than ever when selecting the most energy efficient product for their home … the ‘green’ economy is winning and is forcing manufacturers to think again about the energy efficiency of their devices.
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Denver battles the downturn
No sooner had Barack Obama left Denver, Colorado after sewing-up his party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention, than the city was awash with dealers, custom installers and the technocrati to see just what this year’s CEDIA US Expo had instore - and whether the dreaded recession had started to bite.
The city’s third CEDIA in a row, and last for the time being (Atlanta, Georgia will host the 2009 show), was perhaps a little more subdued despite its vast manufacture booths. There were few notable product launches from the major brands, but plenty of exciting developments.
The key area seemed to revolve around home cinema projectors, and more specifically the embryonic anamorphic market. Epson revealed two Full HD projectors that can be fitted with an anamorphic lens, while JVC’s new D-ILA models can also indulge in anamorphic vertical stretch processing.
Toshiba announced that the end is nigh for the annual product refresh so beloved of major brands, predicting that six-monthly overhauls of its flatscreen TV range was inevitable in such an aggressive market.
Elsewhere, SpeakerCraft displayed their wares from a jungle-style stand that had just arrived from Nevada’s Burning Man festival, while Microsoft de-camped to Denver’s Coors Field baseball stadium to announce the winner of its Windows Media Ultimate Install Contest.
For a full report on CEDIA Expo US, see our special 50th issue (electronic edition available here)
Yamaha strengthens after move
Leading Music giant Yamaha has appointed Ed Selley as their AV and Hi-Fi Marketing Manager. This is a further step in the reorganisation and strengthening of Yamaha’s AV division, following the announcement of its merger with Yamaha Music.
Ed joins Yamaha with a vast range of industry experience particularly in specialist product categories. Joining from Audio Partnership where he was Product Consultant, he previously worked in hifi retail where he gained valuable experience of a large variety of price points and category types.
Yamaha Sales & Marketing Director Robert Webster comments: “Ed Selley has impressive credentials and a proven track record in Marketing & Product management within the Hi-Fi & AV business and we are very excited by the strengths and knowledge he brings to our team.”
For a full report on the new-look Yamaha, see our landmark 50th edition (electronic edition available here)
Tech sector hit hard by crunch
The credit crunch-powered global recession has led to a significant drop in value across the technology sector - although IBM appears to be (just about) bucking the trend.
In March, Brand Finance plc, the world’s leading independent brand valuation consultancy, released the 2008 version of its report on the 500 most valuable Global Brands. The effective valuation date was 31 December 2007, using financial forecasts for 2008 and beyond. Since January, the US economy has been hit by commodity price rises, the credit crunch, rising unemployment and tumbling share prices. As a result of this global economic crisis, Brand Finance revisited its findings and has updated the values of the top 100 global and top 100 US brands.
The updated report reveals that since Brand Finance’s previous valuation the Microsoft brand has dropped 12 percent to US$39,358 million. Google’s brand value also fell significantly by 12 percent. Cisco System was hardest hit, dropping from two places in the brand values ranking and losing 15 percent off its brand value. Hewlett-Packard retained its number eight spot in the values ranking but fell 5 percent to US$32,427 million.
Given the drop in value of technology brands, a fall of 1 percent for IBM, to US$37,948 million, represents a robust performance.
“The significant drop could be symptomatic of individuals and businesses delaying upgrading software and hardware in the current tough economic climate”, said David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance plc.
The update also reveals some interesting global trends:
- Between January and September the enterprise value of the 100 most valuable globally branded businesses has decreased by 13.3 percent, a drop of US$1.6 trillion.
- Between January and September the brand value of the 100 most valuable Global brands has decreased by 4.2 percent, a drop of US$67 billion
For a more detailed analysis of the Brand Finance Global 500 report, visit www.brandfinance.com
Vivanco partners Samsung
Distributor Vivanco UK has signed an exclusive deal with Samsung to sell the Korean brand’s AV accessories.
Calling it an opportunity for retailers to boost hardware sales via attachment selling, Paul Davey, AV Product Manager at Vivanco UK, said: “Samsung is a market leader in consumer electronics that produces high quality products unparalleled in their field. This collaboration is set to benefit Vivanco’s retail customer base by providing an excellent choice of products in the AV accessories sector.”
Wired and wireless Bluetooth headphones will be the first Samsung accessories to launch under the deal.
3D Summer Blockbuster!
The sizzling summer 3D Special Edition of HCD features an LG-sponsored front cover (pictured left – click Read On and go to the link for our full digital edition). Articles include a report on 3D tech, 4-page focus on LG’s 3D product range, a report from the inaugural CEDIA Home Technology Event (formally Expo), and part 2 of the Crestron House.
Featured products include Sooloos iPad app, Marantz’s new hi-fi separates, Sonos’ budget multi-room, Optoma’s mini-projector, and – as mentioned – LG’s range of 3D-ready TVs.
Regulars include news, products news, CI news and products, opinion from CEDIA’s Wendy Griffiths and HCD editor/publisher Jamie Carter – plus guest columnist Jeff Griffiths, from D&G, and Q&A star-turn Stuart Tickle from AWE – [Continued] as well as our essential contacts and back issues pages.
Our ever-popular SmartHome section features all the latest news and training from the CI industry, as well our extensive CEDIA HTE review and part 2 of the Crestron Home.
Click here to straight to the digital edition, and don’t forget to subscribe if you’re yet to do so.
The next edition of HCD is our September/October issue, which will include several exciting new feature sections, plus news of our annual awards. Watch this space for further info.
