Niles Wins 2012 CEPro Quest For Quality Award For Exceptional Shipping Policies

Niles®, The First Name In Custom Installation®, today announced that it has been awarded CEPro’s 2012 Quest For Quality Award in the category of Shipping Policies. 

 

According to Niles President Mike Detmer, “Niles is delighted with our customer response and we are honored to receive the CEPro Quest for Quality award for our shipping policies.  One of our keys to success is just-in-time delivery, which enables all our valued dealers to receive a complete and up-to-date assortment of products within three days, anywhere in the country.”

“Reliability is a key factor, and Niles customer service consistently exhibits excellence in policy and excellence in staff support,” Detmer said. “Our representatives take personal ownership of each request and see each client through to delivery, doing their very best to exceed expectations. The bottom line is our dealers know that we’ll do whatever it takes to get them what they need, when they need it, and it sets up apart from other manufacturers.

The second annual Quest For Quality Awards recognize readers’ selections of manufacturers and distributors who lead the industry in several categories including tech support, web site, marketing, shipping policies and more.  The April 2012 issue of CEPro will feature an article on the winners with verbatim commentary from the readers who voted.

About Niles®:

California-based Niles® is a 33-year-old brand recognized as The First Name in Custom Installation®. Niles is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of audio/video custom installation products and accessories and is guided by its vision to be the world’s leading provider of products and services that enable professional custom installers to design and install systems that delight their customers. To that end, Niles pursues a mission to provide solutions for end users that enable simple and easy access to home entertainment and that integrate seamlessly with other low voltage subsystems like lighting, Internet, security and HVAC in residential and light commercial environments. Niles conducts its business with a promise to treat its customers, employees, suppliers and stakeholders with fairness and respect and to foster teamwork, innovation and a commitment to be the best in everything it does. Additional information may be obtained by visiting www.nilesaudio.com.

About The AVC Group, LLC:

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, The AVC Group, LLC is a portfolio of pre-eminent manufacturers and marketers of state-of-the-art consumer and commercial audio, video, and control system solutions. The AVC Group is comprised of the following industry leading brands: Niles®, ELAN® Home Systems, Xantech®, ATON® and Sunfire®. The AVC Group, LLC is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc.’s (www.nortek-inc.com) Home Technology Group.

Mitchell Rosenberg Appointed Vice President Of Channel Sales At NanoLumens

Reinforcing its commitment to strengthen its channel development programs across all vertical markets, NanoLumens® today announced the appointment of industry veteran Mitchell R. Rosenberg to the position of Vice President of Channel Sales, effective immediately, according to an announcement made today by Rick Cope, President of the Norcross, Georgia based company.

“We are very pleased to announce that Mitch has joined our team,” Cope said today, “and he does so at a time when the company is growing and expanding at a phenomenal rate.  The market response to our commercially available line of flexible and fixed LED displays has been nothing short of amazing since their launch in November of last year.  Mitch is going to play an important role in developing and implementing our long-term channel marketing programs — and he has the right combination of sales and leadership experience to ensure the success of these programs.”

Prior to joining NanoLumens, Rosenberg served as Director of Sales at Christie Digital Systems, Dallas, Texas, where he was responsible for leading the consolidated sales and business development team that spearheaded opportunities in both control room and new markets targeted by Christie MicroTiles. Rosenberg succeeded in forging customer relationships with dealers, systems integrators, in-house and independent representatives, consultants and end-users. Prior to this position, Rosenberg was a business development manager for Christie MicroTiles, an award-winning modular display system. Before joining Christie, he led major sales initiatives in the wireless network solutions industry as well as the AV control and display systems manufacturing fields. Rosenberg is an industry pioneer, responsible for introducing some of the first LED display systems in the United States.

“NanoLumens is revolutionizing the way the entire world views digital signage,” Rosenberg said today, “and I look forward to helping dealers, distributors, designers, consultants, and integrators fully commercialize the unique benefits the NanoLumens line of flexible and fixed displays deliver. I’m proud to join this remarkable company and become a member of the NanoLumens team!”

In addition to being CTS certified, Mitchell Rosenberg is a member of ICIA, ITVA, SMPTE, NAB, CEDIA, INFOCOMM, and LEED.

NanoLumens is the only company in the world able to reliably manufacture ultra-thin and lightweight, easy-to-install and maintain, seamless flexible digital displays in virtually any shape or size to meet each customer’s unique requirements. The company’s patented display technology, which allows customers to select from 4mm up to 10mm pixel pitches (depending on the model), promises to transform the way marketers engage their customers indoors and out of doors in every type of trade show, retail, hospitality, stadium, arena, transportation and public event environment.

In addition to being ultra-lightweight and energy efficient, NanoLumens displays feature a seamless, edge-to-edge picture quality (up to a brightness of 5,000 nits) that can be viewed from any angle or any distance without color shift or picture drop-off.  Designed and engineered to be energy efficient, NanoLumens displays consume significantly less energy per-square foot than conventional digital displays. Further underscoring their commitment to eco-friendly technology, the NanoLumens displays are composed of up to 50% reclaimed materials, and are completely recyclable.  What’s more, some new NanoLumens displays can be serviced from the front, making maintenance easier than ever before possible. 

Designed and assembled entirely in the United States, NanoLumens displays are available in both flexible and fixed frames in five product lines: NanoFlex™, NanoFlex Wrap™, and NanoFlex Ribbon™ flexible displays; NanoSlim™ fixed rectangular displays; and NanoShape™ fixed round, square, and triangular displays.  For more information about NanoLumens Digital Flex and Fixed Displays, please visit www.nanolumens.com or call (678) 421-9694.

About NanoLumens:

Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, NanoLumens, Inc. (www.nanolumens.com) is a privately held corporation engaged in the research, product development and component design for unique flexible and fixed displays that address a yawning technology gap in the $14 billion digital display industry.  Since its founding in 2006, NanoLumens has built a portfolio of more than 20 international families of issued and filed patents on its flexible display technology that effectively address the commercial market void between relatively small flat-panel displays and huge, limited application LED boards. NanoLumens technology is not constrained by standard sizes and shapes, or by the weight, noise and cost issues traditionally associated with commercial LED products.

NanoLumens To Take Revolutionary LED Displays On The Road During Almo's Spring E4 AV Tour

NanoLumens® is taking its revolutionary new line of LED displays on the road as they participate in Almo’s Spring E4 AV 2012 Tour, which stops in Irvine, California on April 3, 2012 and continues to Washington, D.C. on May 18, 2012.  This tour will mark the first time NanoLumens will present their NanoFlex™ and NanoSlim™ displays directly to Almo’s ProAV resellers, integrators and consultants. 

What’s more, as part of the training sessions offered on the tour, NanoLumens will present a training session for attendees entitled “Broaden Your Creative Horizons Using LED Technology.” This session, to be presented by NanoLumens Marketing Manager Josh Byrd, will highlight the advantages LED technology offers, and explain how integrators can apply this technology in their AV projects to bring them to the next level of creativity, versatility and flexibility.

“Seeing is believing. Exhibiting on the Almo E4 AV Tour allows us a key opportunity to take our displays deep into markets across the country, and show this technology to installers and end-users directly, on a one-to-one level,” emphasized NanoLumens President and CEO Rick Cope.  “We are truly excited to be working with Almo, and exhibiting on the tour in Irvine and Washington, D.C.”

NanoFlex™ and NanoFlex Wrap™ digital displays remain the only solution of their kind.  They conform to fit any surface, are thin, lightweight, energy efficient and can be mounted as easily as a work of art.  The revolutionary flex display technology shatters the traditional usage limitations of large format digital displays.

NanoLumens remains the only company in the world able to reliably manufacture ultra-thin and lightweight, easy-to-install and maintain, seamless 6mm pixel pitch flexible digital displays in virtually any shape or size to meet each customer’s unique requirements.

Designed and assembled entirely in the United States, NanoLumens displays are available in both flexible and non-flexible frames in four product lines: NanoFlex™ and NanoFlex Wrap™ flexible displays; NanoSlim™ non-flexible rectangular displays; and NanoShape™ non-flexible round, square, and triangular displays.

The company’s patented display technology, which allows customers to select from 4mm up to 10mm pixel pitches (depending on the model), promises to transform the way marketers engage their customers indoors and out of doors in every type of trade show, retail, hospitality, stadium, arena, transportation and public event environment.

In addition to being ultra-lightweight and energy efficient, NanoLumens displays feature a seamless, edge-to-edge picture quality (up to a brightness of 5,000 nits) that can be viewed from any angle or any distance without color shift or picture drop-off.  Designed and engineered to be energy efficient, NanoLumens displays consume significantly less energy per-square foot than conventional digital displays. Further underscoring their commitment to eco-friendly technology, the NanoLumens displays are composed of up to 50% reclaimed materials, and are completely recyclable.  What’s more, some new NanoLumens displays can be serviced from the front, making maintenance easier than ever before possible. 

For more information about NanoLumens Digital Flex and Non-Flexible Displays, please visit www.nanolumens.com or call (678) 421-9694.

About the E4 AV Tour

Launched in December 2009, The E4 AV tour is a free, full-day program with an intense educational focus that allows partners to earn valuable InfoComm International CTS RUs while networking with the industry’s top manufacturers. Close to 4,000 attendees have experienced the benefits of the E4 events and, in the process, have earned nearly 2,750 InfoComm CTS RUs. For more information, go to www.e4avtour.com.

About NanoLumens:

Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, NanoLumens, Inc. (www.nanolumens.com) is a privately held corporation engaged in the research, product development and component design for unique flexible displays that address a yawning technology gap in the $14 billion digital display industry.  Since its founding in 2006, NanoLumens has built a portfolio of more than 20 international families of issued and filed patents on its flexible display technology that effectively address the commercial market void between relatively small flat-panel displays and huge, limited application LED boards. NanoLumens technology is not constrained by standard sizes and shapes, or by the size, noise and cost issues traditionally associated with commercial LED products.

Xantech Tees Up Total Control For The New Golf Play Cafe' Experience

When the new Golf Play Café asks patrons to “swing on over,” they mean that literally. The restaurant/bar that opened this year in Rochester, New York features over 50 world-renowned golf courses on its four state-of-the-art PGA TOUR® simulators. Players/diners can hit into the four simulators’ 20 x 20-foot screens and watch their friends do so on a dozen LG 60- and 42-inch LCD monitors throughout the bar and restaurant, linked by 12 Xantech IPRS232 XtraLink IP™ controller/switchers that enable transmission of RS232, RS422, or RS485 serial commands over an existing IP network to a specific IP address, and all controlled by a Xantech WIC1200 Web Intelligent Controller. This all-Xantech control system was installed and integrated by Muzak/Functional Communications, with offices in Rochester, Syracuse, Utica and Albany, New York.

Muzak/Functional Communications installed a total of 16 video displays in Golf Play Café to complement the restaurant’s four golf simulators, which allow short-formatted play of nine holes on one of the 50 best courses in the world stored in the PGA TOUR system’s memory and projected onto the four large screens. To create a seamless and consistent experience throughout the facility, Muzak/Functional Communications installed the system comprising Xantech IPRS232s and WIC1200 Web Intelligent Controller.

“Those LCDs are tied into the head-end equipment rack that’s controlled by the WIC1200,” explains Dru Biehler, Service Manager at Muzak/Functional Communications. The firm’s technicians then integrated eight Dell tablet computers with the WIC1200, allowing patrons to choose their own channels from anywhere in the restaurant or bar, to watch sports on popular channels such as DISH Network or to tune into the virtual courses that golfers are playing on and watch them. “The entire system is running over Cat-6 cabling with an HD video signal extended to all the displays, and the WIC1200 is the brains of the entire operation,” says Biehler. “The Xantech WIC1200 is the only piece of equipment that can do all of this, including interfacing with the Dell tablets, at a cost-effective price point. And Xantech’s technical service is amazing – you call and you get help right away. That means the world when you’re working on a project like this one, where we had a tight deadline.” In fact, says Biehler, Muzak/Functional Communications’ winning bid for the project was based in part on its ability to get the work down in the shortest time frame. “And Xantech’s ease of use and reliability helped us meet that requirement,” he says.

Xantech's Web Intelligent Controller WIC1200 is a stand-alone room controller for Networked/Web-based control featuring 2 IR Ports, 2 Serial Ports, 2 Contact Closure ports, and 2 Digital i/o ports as well as 2 Ethernet ports (one with Power over Ethernet [POE]) for TCP/IP telnet control with less intrusion into facility IP networks. On its own, the Web Intelligent Controller is an Event-driven component with two RS232 ports (configurable for RS422 and RS232) and a single IP port. The Event Manager is capable of Timed Events, Calendar Events, Telnet and Serial Events as well a full FTP site, Web Server and Email Server.

“We have access to the WIC1200 via the Golf Play Café’s SSLVPN,” added Biehler. “By browsing through the URL it will prompt you for your username and password. Then we have complete control over the WIC programming and the web control page from our office. That is only one of the many great features of Xantech. We also love the service and support.”

The IPRS232 XtraLink IP enables the transmission of RS232, RS422, or RS485 serial commands over an existing IP network to a specific IP address now with Power over Ethernet (POE) for streamlined installation. By allowing the use of an existing wired or wireless IP network, it offers new opportunities in installation and system flexibility, particularly in retrofitting older buildings, where new wire runs may not be practical.

For more information, please visit www.xantechcommercial.com.

NanoLumens Envelops Diners With One-Of-A-Kind LED Display At NYC Dining By Design Event

NanoLumens® is taking its revolutionary new line of LED displays into a totally new environment at the 2012 DIFFA “DINING BY DESIGN” tour that opens today and runs through March 26, 2012 in conjunction with the Architectural Digest Home Design Show at Pier 94 in New York City. Resource Furniture, the leading retailer of luxury multi-functional furniture systems, has partnered with top New York interior designer Marie Aiello, of Marie Aiello Design Studio, to transform her dining environment into a “Bioluminescent Evening at Sea” using a uniquely designed NanoLumens LED display that surrounds diners with high-resolution video content specially produced for the exhibit by PixelFire. 

According to Rick Cope, President and CEO of NanoLumens, the massive 4.0mm pixel pitch display measures 7.5 feet tall by 17.5 feet wide with a 90-degree concave curve in the middle, a unique design that showcases how NanoLumens continues to push innovation in building displays of any shape or size imaginable.  The display’s diagonal measurement is approximately 19 feet and features the company’s high contrast, tough face LED boards, which are designed for use in high traffic areas.  These boards protect the display from being damaged by people touching the display, bumping into it, or other potential mishaps. The NanoLumens display actually forms two walls of Resource Furniture’s dining exhibit.

“One of the many benefits of this technology is that it can be viewed in close settings without diminished picture quality or blurring,” Cope said today. “This unique feature has allowed us to present the content created by PixelFire in a way that brings to life, through a dynamic, multi-media presentation, the sense of pure luminescence as experienced by the designer while swimming in the waters off of Cartagena, Columbia.”

According to designer Marie Aiello, she chose the NanoLumens display for her exhibit because it allowed her to completely express her creativity without posting any obstacles.  “The display is simply an amazing work of art in and of itself,” she explained.  “It can be made to conform to any exhibition environment, and the brilliance of the screen resolution is simply stunning, and bathes our diners in an ethereal glow.  For this exhibit, the display literally became an extension of my imagination.”

“This one-of-a-kind exhibition is an inspiration,” said Ron Barth, CEO of Resource Furniture.  “Just as DIFFA has fused creativity and passion to transform the fundraising landscape, Resource and NanoLumens have united under Marie’s direction with transformative results.”  

First introduced in 2010, NanoLumens digital displays remain the only solution of their kind.  They conform to fit any surface, are thin, lightweight and energy efficient. NanoLumens is the only company in the world able to reliably manufacture ultra-thin and lightweight, easy-to-install and maintain, seamless 6mm pixel pitch flexible LED displays in virtually any shape or size to meet each customer’s unique requirements. 

DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids), one of the largest funders of HIV/AIDS service and education programs in the United States, annually holds their DINING BY DESIGN tour to bring together the most talented and celebrated individuals in the worlds of fashion, interior design, art and architecture to create spectacular, over-the-top dining environments.

Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) is one of the largest funders of HIV/AIDS service and education programs in the United States. Since being founded in 1984, DIFFA has mobilized the immense resources of the design communities to provide over $40 million to hundreds of AIDS service organizations nationwide.  For more than 27 years, DIFFA has been one of the country’s largest supporters of both direct care for people living with AIDS and preventative education for those at risk. For more information visit www.diffa.org.

About Resource Furniture

Since 2000, Resource Furniture has imported and distributed inspired, modern furniture from the finest and most innovative European designers.  Ever piece in the Resource Furniture collection is hand-selected for its ability to transform a space with both beauty and functionality.

Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, NanoLumens, Inc. is a privately held corporation engaged in the research, product development and component design for unique flexible displays that address a yawning technology gap in the $14 billion digital display industry. NanoLumens has built a portfolio of more than 20 international families of issued and filed patents on its flexible display technology that effectively address the commercial market void between relatively small flat-panel displays and huge, limited application LED boards. NanoLumens technology is not constrained by standard sizes and shapes, or by the size, noise and cost issues associated with commercial LED products.

Digital Signage Takes Center Stage On The 2012 Big Book Of AV Tour With The Rollout Of The New "Spring Ahead" Display Promotion

With the use of digital signage now growing at a rate of 20% annually, Stampede Presentation Products, Inc., North America’s largest ProAV distributor, is putting digital signage solutions on the center stage of its 2012 Big Book of AV Tour.  And, as part of this effort, Stampede is introducing its new “Spring Ahead” Display Promotion offering dealers a free 70” film screen, retail value of $1,199, with every integration projector they purchase between now and the end of April 2012.

According to Stampede President Kevin Kelly, “Stampede offers the largest selection of digital signage solutions in North America.  In fact, we offer the best commercial and consumer flat panels, digital signage displays, projectors, display and projector mounts, projection screens, cables and connectivity devices from over 100 of the world’s top ProAV manufacturers.  When it comes to product selection you can never be too big,” Kelly emphasized.  “With our experienced support staff ready to help every dealer determine the ideal solution for each job, our extensive product catalog ensures that every customer’s needs are exceeded.  With Stampede, dealers get more selection, more knowledge and more jobs won.”

Indeed, Stampede carries an impressive lineup of digital signage solutions from Atlona, BenQ, BrightSign, Buhl, Canon, Casio, Chief, Christie, Da-Lite, Draper, Epson, Gefen, Hall Research, Hitachi, Horizon Touch Display, InFocus, Intelix, JVC, Kramer, LG, Mustang, Mitsubishi, NEC, Next Window, OmniMount, Optoma, Panasonic, Peerless, Perfect Path, Planar, Primeview, Projection Screens LTD, Rise Vision, Samsung, Screen Innovations, Severtson, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, Vision, and more than 100 other manufacturers.  Stampede is currently in negotiations with several leading solutions providers for the digital signage market, and will release details shortly.  More than 80 manufacturers have chosen Stampede and its focused digital signage effort exclusively for ProAV integrators.

“This growing market offers our dealers a tremendous opportunity to generate new business that will also increase sales in all of the peripheral and accessory categories that complement digital signage.  By creating special events that allow architects, interior designers and K-12 educators to visit our tour’s show floor, we are helping our dealers reach new markets and allowing more technology buyers to view manufacturers’ top products than ever before.”

Indeed, Kelly emphasized, a number of Stampede’s display solutions providers are using the 2012 BBOAV Tour to showcase their newest and best digital displays, including the following manufacturer highlights:

·      Christie will showcase their LW555 3LCD projector and their E Series 1-chip DLP® projectors, including the DWU670-E 1-chip DLP projector and the DHD670-E 1-chip DLP projector on the 2012 Stampede BBOAV Tour.

·      Gefen will show its Digital Signage Media Player with Wi-Fi featuring one-line scrolling text, calendar-based scheduling, pre-designed templates and a passive cooling system. The Digital Signage Media Player with Wi-Fi Plus supports a live video feed using the composite input and RS-232 control for display power control. The GefenTV Wireless for HD 1080p Extender sends 1080p full HD content to any display up to 75 feet in distance, can deliver video and audio through walls, and is immune to line-of-sight requirements. Full high definition reception, a small form factor and instant, one-to-one transmission within its 75-foot range makes it ideal for digital signage installations in bars/restaurants, educational facilities, entertainment venues and more..

·      LG Electronics is bringing its EzSign TV digital signage solution on the 2012 Big Book of AV Tour.  Available in both LCD and LED models, the EzSign TV is a turnkey solution that offers any business owner an intuitive and cost-effective digital signage display system, with the added feature of broadcast television, allowing business owners to simultaneously show branded advertisements and television broadcasts, attracting attention and delivering specific messages to customers.

·      NEC Display Solutions will showcase their 6000-lumen PA600X, an XGA multimedia projector designed to provide ample brightness in environments requiring installation projectors. Also featured by NEC is the X462UNa 46-inch ultra-narrow LCD display designed for video wall configurations in professional digital signage environments, including lobbies, public venues, retail stores, transportation facilities and broadcasting, as well as educational settings.

·      Samsung is featuring their latest LED-backlit displays to tour attendees, including the UEA46A, a 46” LED LCD display engineered specifically for commercial installations.

·      Sharp will be featuring its lineup of AQUOS BOARD Interactive Display Systems, in 60², 70² (69 ½² diagonal) and 80²class sizes during the 2012 Stampede Big Book of AV Tour.

“We are the AV experts,” Kelly said. “No matter how big or small, how unique, or how specialized the job is, we have the best solution.  We listen to the needs of our dealers and end users and help choose the ideal products to make every job one worth bragging about.”

For more information about the Big Book of AV Tour, visit www.bigbookofavtour.com.

About Stampede

Known for its value-added distribution, Amherst, New York-based Stampede is the leading distributor of presentation equipment including LCD/DLP projectors and flat panel displays. Stampede provides a complete range of brand name presentation equipment to a variety of audio/video, computer, and home theater resellers and integrators in the United States, Canada and Latin America. These resellers rely on Stampede for value-added services in distribution, marketing and solution- based sales. Stampede annually produces the “Big Book of AV,” an 816-page catalog and companion website (www.BigBookofAV.com) providing hundreds of sales, installation and spec tips for Stampede’s dealers in addition to product details on more than 5,000 SKUs. For more information on Stampede, log onto www.stampedeglobal.com.

Sharp Chooses Stampede Spring 2012 Big Book Of AV Tour To Introduce Dealers To Its New AQUOS Board Interactive Display Systems

Underscoring its position as the industry leading ProAV distributor that best knows how to present new technology solutions in real-world usage application environments, Stampede today announced that its Spring 2012 Big Book of AV Tour (BBOAV) will give ProAV dealers their first in-depth look at Sharp’s new line of AQUOS® BOARD™ Interactive Display Systems. 

According to Stampede President Kevin Kelly, “We are honored to join forces with Sharp to present this remarkable new, game-changing product line to North American ProAV dealers attending our Spring 2012 Big Book of AV Tour.  This year’s tour will place added emphasis on the education channel and the AQUOS BOARD Interactive Display Systems represent the next great advance in in-class learning and collaboration. 

With a simple user interface and the ability to save, share and print documents including the user-input markup, educators and students can discuss information in a whole new way.” 

What’s more, Kelly emphasized, Stampede is creating a series of customized training sessions that cover every capability of the new AQUOS BOARD displays.  “Training is a hallmark of all our BBOAV tours but this year we are putting an added emphasis on training to ensure that our dealers master this remarkable new product line.”

The new line of AQUOS BOARD displays is the first commercial grade line of interactive displays to ever carry Sharp’s AQUOS name, a name that stands for the absolute highest quality in the minds of consumers.  With 60”, 70” and 80” models now available, Sharp AQUOS BOARD Interactive Display Systems can provide every educator with a highly engaging learning tool that is easy to operate and allows them to explore new teaching methods.

Further facilitating global collaboration, the AQUOS BOARD offers users seamless integration with presentation and video conferencing technologies, including WebEx™, GoToMeeting™ and Skype™.  Additionally, the system will be fully compatible with a full array of familiar Microsoft® products (Microsoft Office Suite®, Microsoft Windows 7® and Microsoft touch Pack for Windows 7®).

In addition to the PN-L802B stand-alone display, which comes with a three-year onsite parts and labor limited warranty, customers also have the option of purchasing a bundled solution. The bundle – PN-L802B-PKG –includes the AQUOS BOARD 80-inch class, full-array, LED backlit, interactive touch-panel display, the PN-TPC2W7 Compact Whiteboard PC and rolling cart floor stand. The whiteboard PC connects easily to the rear of the display; utilizes an Intel® Pentium™ dual-core 2.5 GHz processor and comes pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows 7, Sharp Pen Software™ and touch-screen drivers, and is sold with a HDMI® connecting cable for easy system set-up.

The AQUOS BOARD 80-inch class LED touch-panel, with full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, is equipped with Sharp’s UV2A photo alignment and Full Array LED backlight technologies to create an energy-efficient screen that is easy to read in most environments, regardless of ambient light.

Users can make meetings more interactive by drawing and taking notes directly on-screen, and saving new versions to their PC or printing them to a connected Sharp Multifunction Product (MFP). The intuitive software also lets users select pen colors and eraser functions easily, with a click of the touch pen button. Furthermore, existing images can be easily scanned and displayed by connecting to a networked Sharp MFP via the pen software.

With the intuitive Sharp Pen Software application, using the tip of a finger or touch pen, users can open and close documents, enlarge or shrink images, and even create hard-copy printouts of the final annotated images with a compatible printer.  Because the Sharp Pen Software is compatible with Windows® 7, it can easily import Microsoft Office® documents, including PowerPoint® presentations.

Sharp is an industry leader with an extensive lineup of innovative LED-LCD digital signage products in screen classes up to 80” diagonal, backed by its proven reputation for high performance, brilliant picture quality and 24/7 reliability. Categories include AQUOS BOARD™ Interactive Display Systems, ultra-slim bezel video wall monitors and standalone digital signage displays.

For more information about the Big Book of AV Tour, visit www.bigbookofavtour.com.

About Stampede

Known for its value-added distribution, Amherst, New York-based Stampede is the leading distributor of presentation equipment including LCD/DLP projectors and flat panel displays. Stampede provides a complete range of brand name presentation equipment to a variety of audio/video, computer, and home theater resellers and integrators in the United States, Canada and Latin America. These resellers rely on Stampede for value-added services in distribution, marketing and solution- based sales. Stampede annually produces the “Big Book of AV,” an 816-page catalog and companion website (www.BigBookofAV.com) providing hundreds of sales, installation and spec tips for Stampede’s dealers in addition to product details on more than 5,000 SKUs. For more information on Stampede, log onto www.stampedeglobal.com.

SmartHouse Integration's Outdoor Home Theater With Elan g! Named Bronze Award Winner By Electronic House Magazine

Electronic House Magazine has named SmartHouse Integration the bronze award winner in its 2012 Home Of The Year awards for the Outdoor Space category.  The Sarasota, Florida-based custom installation company’s winning project was an amazing backyard home theater that included a Stewart StarGlas 102” glass rear projection screen and a 2,000 Watt surround sound system, complete with iPad and iPhone control of the LED landscape lighting, Jandy pool equipment, and the pool house HVAC and multi-zone audio system all controlled by an ELAN® g! Home Entertainment and Control system.

“We’re honored to receive this award for the great outdoor theater we created,” SmartHouse President Mark van den Broek said. “Homeowners increasingly want high-quality audio and video systems, even outdoors, and we love challenging installations such as this one.  Integrating all of the outdoor systems with the ELAN g! System was a natural choice and gave this homeowner an outdoor entertainment area beyond his wildest dreams.”

The Home Of The Year Awards recognizes outstanding home installations with technologies and systems for the whole home.

Entries were received in 11 different categories and winners were chosen by the Electronic House magazine editorial and art staffs. Judging criteria for the Electronic House 2012 Home of the Year Awards included all aspects involved in an installation, such as project creativity, innovation, equipment incorporated, obstacles overcome, homeowner priorities met, aesthetics and lifestyle benefits.

“All of us at ELAN, and indeed The AVC Group, congratulate Mark and the entire SmartHouse Integration team for working so creatively and professionally with the ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System.  It’s because of dedicated, passionate supporters like Mark that the ELAN g! System is becoming the recognized standard for state-of-the-art entertainment and control that is simple to install, use, and maintain,” said Paul Starkey, President of ELAN Home Systems.

 

The winners for the Home of the Year contest will be featured in Electronic House magazine and online at www.electronichouse.com throughout 2012.

Earlier in 2012, SmartHouse Integration received CEA’s TechHome Mark of Excellence Platinum Award for their work in the San Remo Project, which also featured an ELAN g! system.

About ELAN Home Systems:

Since 1990 ELAN® Home Systems has been an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning Multi-Room audio/video systems. ELAN systems were the first to integrate audio, video, phones and third-party products to create a seamless, easy-to-use "whole house" solution. ELAN systems and products are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select Dealers and Distributors throughout the United States, Canada and more than 58 countries worldwide. ELAN Home Systems is part of The AVC Group.  To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com.

About The AVC Group, LLC:

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, The AVC Group, LLC is a portfolio of pre-eminent manufacturers and marketers of state-of-the-art consumer and commercial audio, video, and control system solutions.  The AVC Group is comprised of the following industry leading brands: Niles®, ELAN® Home Systems, Xantech®, ATON® and Sunfire®. The AVC Group, LLC is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc.’s Home Technology Group.

Improper Employee Classification May Soon Result In Major Penalties For Rental & Staging Companies, Satellite Uplink Operators, And Tour Sound Operators

Rental and staging companies, as well as tour sound and satellite uplink companies, now face an imminent insurance risk that could potentially cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties. As the federal and states governments’ budgets continue to shrink, they are becoming increasingly eager to find additional sources of tax revenue — and maximizing the effectiveness of current tax regulations is one way to achieve this objective. 

According to Take1 Insurance Executive Vice President and Program Director Scott Carroll, “Rental and staging, tour sound, and satellite uplink owner/operators have always relied heavily on 1099 independent contract workers. But by all reasonable IRS and Department of Labor (DOL) definitions, the vast majority of today’s 1099 workers do not meet the requirements that determine who qualifies as an independent contractor. Now a growing number of states, along with the IRS and the DOL, are taking a hard look at companies who utilize the 1099 tax form for their employees, specifically to determine how 1099 workers are utilized and instructed versus how they are classified on tax forms. 

“In California, for example, as of January 1, 2012, when the California Department of Labor determines that a 1099 was misclassified, the employer can be slapped with a fine ranging anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000, and all the way up to $25,000 if it is determined that the misclassification was intentional and used to avoid liability for workers compensation payments.”

Indeed, the time has now arrived when companies that may be affected are going to have to do what companies in the film and TV production industry have already done—begin classifying workers as “temporary employees” rather than 1099 independent contract workers. This change is going to increase the cost of doing business for the affected companies, as the more comprehensive regulations being deployed will create new tax obligations for the companies.  However, companies who think they can get away with improper filings and do not ensure all employees are classified correctly will face the possibility of paying major fines in addition to being held responsible for the unpaid taxes.

How does a company owner find out if they should file a worker as a 1099 Independent Contractor or as a Temporary Employee?  To start, employers can ask the IRS to make a determination on whether a specific individual is an independent contractor or an employee by filing form SS-8, Determination of Workers Status for Purposed of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding, with the IRS.

“Basically, it comes down to a couple criteria they use to determine the accurate tax status of an employee, and it is addressed on a case-by-case basis,” Carroll said. “To start, if the business owner has the right to directly control how the work is done through instructions, training or other means, the workers are most likely Temporary Employees.  If however, the owner can direct or control only the final result of the work, and not the means or methods of accomplishing the result, the workers are probably Independent Contractors.  Additional factors include whether the business has a right to direct or control the financial and business aspects of the worker’s job, and how the workers and the business owner perceive their relationship.”

U.S. Risk’s entertainment arm, Take1 Insurance, which has specialized in insuring the live and non-live entertainment industries for more than 25 years, is studying this issue on behalf of its thousands of insured who utilize 1099 workers in an effort to provide them with guidance and help them adapt to the changing regulations.  The company has connected with the premier payroll services provider, CAPS Payroll Services, to begin working on a turnkey solution to help rental and staging company owners protect against long-term liability while minimizing the inevitable increase to their cost of doing business.

Carroll continues, “With this increase in tax law enforcement across the country, the implications for rental and staging business owners are astounding.  Owners who may not even know they are at risk of exposure to fines and additional tax burdens could find themselves owing up to hundreds of thousands of dollars to the state or the IRS, and that is surely enough to disrupt or bankrupt a company. Because of this, Take1 is working with CAPS Payroll Services to develop a turnkey solution that will help our clients ensure they meet the proper tax guidelines and avoid hefty government penalties.

“Normally, an employer would be responsible for their employees insurance claims if they are injured on the job and receive workers’ compensation.  This could cost the owner a large sum through higher insurance premiums or put the policy at risk.  The payroll services we provide greatly lighten the company owner’s liability load by taking over IRS and compliance responsibility as the workers’ Employer of Record, and by handling the workers’ compensation responsibilities.  This effectively isolates the temporary and independent workers from the staff labor.  So, if there is an injury among the temporary or independent workers, the insurance claim is spread over $1 billion worth of payroll, whereas the production company could be affected negatively if the workers’ compensation claim was handled under their own insurance, resulting in higher premiums or a policy cancellation.”

Payroll services aren’t free, and using one will likely cause labor costs to rise, but the decision to utilize a payroll service is the smart choice in light of the enormous exposure a company could face if they are audited by the IRS.  Owners can do one of two things: Operate according to the new, changing regulations and comply with the tax classification requirements in order to steer clear of any problems, or they can skirt the issue and wait for the taxman to inevitably come calling.  By converting independent contractors to temporary employees, companies can eliminate long-term liability while lowering short-term liability costs.

The film and television production industries rely heavily on temporary labor and therefore utilize payroll services extensively.  That way they protect themselves from unforeseen costs and tax burdens and avoid blemishing their own insurance policies at the same time.   For tour sound, satellite uplink and rental and staging companies who want to be successful and experience growth in 2012 and beyond, these tax exposures need to be addressed, and using a payroll service provider is the easiest, most surefire way to guarantee everything is being done by the books and the company is free of risk.

About U.S. Risk Insurance Group

U. S. Risk Insurance Group, Inc. is a specialty lines underwriting manager and wholesale broker headquartered in Dallas. Operating 12 domestic and international branches, it offers a broad range of products and services through its affiliate companies, which include U.S. Risk Underwriters, U.S. Risk Brokers, Lighthouse Underwriters, LLC, Professional Claims Managers, Omnisure Consulting Group, Oxford Insurance Brokers, Ltd. (London), Goss Reinsurance Brokers, LLC, and NovaPro Risk Solutions, LP.  Its entertainment division, Take1, has served as the official endorsed insurance provider for the last 15 years INFOCOMM, the leading association of A/V communications industry professionals.