Niles Introduces New Compact Subwoofers With Bracket Mount Capability For Commercial Installs

Expanding its line of powerful high-fidelity subwoofers, Niles®, The First Name In Custom Installation®, today announced the introduction of two new stylish compact subwoofers designed for use in all kinds of light commercial, retail and restaurant environments, the new Niles SW6.5 and Niles SW8 subwoofers.

“With these new stylish and powerful compact subwoofers, installers can provide high-quality bass for any commercial application, especially those where floor space is at a premium such as restaurants, houses of worship and classrooms,” said Mike ‘Sparky’ Detmer, President of Niles. “These subwoofers outperform their larger rivals and offer superior sound quality, design, and installation flexibility thanks to their wall and ceiling-mounting capabilities.”

Engineered to provide powerful, high quality bass from a small, attractive package perfect for consumer-facing businesses, the SW6.5’s and SW8’s ultra-compact sizes and fingerprint-resistant piano-black accents present an aesthetically pleasing profile that complements any decor. With the built in bracket mount and optional OmniMount® 30.0 ST-MP (purchased separately), these subwoofers can be wall- or ceiling-mounted, making them the ultimate bass solution for restaurants, bars, houses of worship, classrooms and any other location where installers need powerful, high-quality bass without sacrificing on appearance or floor space.

Installers can extend the subwoofers’ placement flexibility even further by going wireless with the optional Niles SW-T wireless transceiver and SW-R receiver that easily attaches to a built-in mounting port on the rear of the subwoofers. With both LFE and stereo line level inputs, and unbuffered stereo pass-through line outputs, up to four subwoofers can be wired from a single receiver output, greatly simplifying the design and installation of multi-sub systems.

Pairing a long-throw front-firing woofer with dual long-throw side-mounted passive radiators, the compact subwoofers deliver the power of subwoofers four times their size, making them perfect for any setup requiring more bass in less space.

The subs are powerful enough for any consumer-facing environment and bring theater quality sound to every audio system. The SW6.5 produces 200W RMS power and up to 800W peak power through a 6.5” active driver and two 6.5” passive radiators with a frequency response of 42-200Hz. This unbelievable power is delivered from a cabinet that is smaller than 10 inches-cubed and weighs only 11 pounds.

The SW8 ups the ante, producing 300W RMS power and up to 1200W peak power through an 8” active driver and two 8” passive radiators with a frequency response of 36-200Hz. Once again, this room-filling bass performance comes from an amazingly small cabinet about 12 inches-cubed that weighs only 16.5 pounds.

In addition to the designer-friendly features, the SW6.5 and SW8 have even more technical features that make them perfect for the custom installation industry. They both feature automated turn-on via 12 volt trigger or audio signal sensing and include a built in CAT5 balun to enable audio delivery over easy-to-use CAT5 cable.

The subwoofer’s long throw active drivers feature a black anodized aluminum cone that provides superior rigidity compared to conventional paper cone designs. The dual anodized aluminum cone passive radiators provide additional driver surface area that combine with the active driver to produce higher output than a larger single active driver.

The adjustable frequency control features a bypass positions, eliminating low pass filtering within the subwoofer, and variable phase control (0°-180°) allows for precise phase matching with the main speakers.

About Niles®:
California-based Niles® is a 34-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.

Stampede Increases Credit Lines to Qualified Dealers; Invests Millions of New Dollars In Product Inventory

Putting its money squarely behind its stated commitment to serve as a complete business partner for its 9,000 dealer network, Stampede Presentations Products, Inc. today announced that it is expanding the credit facilities it offers to qualified dealers and investing millions of additional dollars in deepening its product inventory to be in a stronger position to meet dealer demands for faster order shipments.

“Our dealers have made it very clear to us that they see 2012 as a very strong year for them if they can obtain the credit they need and the product they need to complete their customer installations in a timely way,” Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly said today.  “Stampede is in a very strong financial position to meet both of these needs and we intend to do so by expanding the credit we offer to qualified dealers and increasing the inventory we carry on critically important core products, such as displays, projectors, and video conferencing equipment.”

Stampede has successfully served as a beacon of financial stability for its dealer network throughout the most recent recession.  While many of its competitors cut back in every part of their business, or exited the business entirely, Stampede invested tens of millions of dollars in new product lines, company acquisitions, new technologies, and people.   During 2011 alone, Stampede extended over $55 million monthly in credit lines to its dealers. This critically important credit lifeline helped countless customers not only maintain their businesses but expand them in very challenging times. And now that business in general is improving, Stampede is totally committed to increasing its financial support to dealers in the two areas that matter most to them — credit and inventory.

Stampede is able to step in and provide the support its dealers need because it has a record of sustained year-to-year growth despite the recession, a detailed understanding of the economics of the ProAV industry, and a rock solid relationship their its financial partners.  “You have to remember that last year Stampede experienced a 51-percent growth in unit sales in core categories and a 48-percent increase in operating profit, constituting the most successful year in our 15-year history.  In fact, Stampede now represents more than 120 different manufacturers, with 35 new lines added just in the last two years, to support our 9,000-plus dealer partners,” Kelly emphasized.

Amplifying this message further, Stampede Chief Executive Officer Mark Wilkins invoked Warren Buffet’s famous investment maxim in explaining that Stampede’s strategy is to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.  “If you think back to when the financial crisis really started in 2008, credit lines were being closed down almost overnight. Stampede throughout this entire time provided stable and growing credit to the professional AV marketplace. We circled the wagons and, with our financial advisors, we decided that this can’t go on forever.”

As a result of their ability to offer financing, Stampede helped keep the market liquid for countless customers. “We’ve invested millions of dollars in financing and in additional inventory, to be able to provide that value to those manufacturer partners, and to be able to have that product on hand and available for immediate shipment to our dealers. At the end of the day we are enabling dealers to do a job that they may not have been able to do themselves without the value-adds that we provide. It could be a situation where they didn’t have access to a certain category of products. It could be a situation where they didn’t have access to certain credit facilities that would enable them to do a larger job. We are stepping in an filling in the gaps wherever they exist.”

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.

Elan Home Systems Announces International Support For Lutron's HomeWorks QS Total Home Control Solution

Strengthening its nearly two-decade relationship with Lutron, ELAN® Home Systems today announced that its ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System software version 5.4 will support the new international version of Lutron’s HomeWorks QS total home control system.

According to Joe Lautner, ELAN Product Manager and Business Development, “ELAN products have been working with Lutron systems for the better part of two decades, and now our integration with the new international HomeWorks QS control system proves that the best just keeps getting better. Dealers and customers all around the world can now combine the latest in lighting and shading automation from Lutron with the best in home entertainment and control with the ELAN g! system. And it’s the easiest integration in the industry—with one click in the ELAN g! Configurator, all of the loads, keypads and programming from the Lutron system are automatically populated in the g! Configurator.”

Once an integrator installs and programs a Lutron RadioRAÒ 2 or HomeWorks QS System, the ELAN g! system imports the data from the Lutron system. Once imported, the integrator can pick and choose what they want to display on any of the g! user interfaces. ELAN provides templates to match the Lutron in-wall keypads so the integrator can simply drop any keypad onto the g! user interface and it will behave the same way as the Lutron in-wall keypad.

The integrator can then add automation for the lights to turn on and off based on preset schedules or activity-based events such as arming or disarming the security system, motion detection, driveway sensors and more.  The g! software also makes it easy to create additional scenes that can be controlled from any g! interface and are unique from the scenes driven by the Lutron in-wall keypads. 

The g! software version 5.4 includes enhanced support for Lutron’s Sivoiaâ QS shade control, offering homeowners more control for improved energy management, safety, comfort and convenience. It also integrates Lutron’s new temperature control products.

Lutron’s HomeWorks QS system integrates the control of all your lights, interior and exterior, and regulates a home’s daylight with window shade control. The system integrates with other manufacturers’ audio/visual and HVAC controls for broader control of your home environment, and it does all of that while saving energy. So you’re not only choosing a system that will redefine your way of living, you’re also investing in a system which can pay for itself over the life of your home.

The ELAN g! Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices including TVs, touchscreens, touchpads, PCs, iPhones and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touchscreens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.

Individual "apps" for each subsystem allow the user to control security, climate, lighting, media, irrigation, pool/spa, messaging, video and photos with the flick of a finger. Access is fast and secure through any ELAN home interface or globally with mobile Internet enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Netbooks and PC Tablets. Since the intuitive interface empowers users with personalized scheduling and detailed history views, high consumption subsystems like lighting and climate can be closely monitored and managed for a greener lifestyle - and substantial energy savings.

About Lutron Electronics:

Lutron Electronics, headquartered in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, designs and manufactures energy-saving lighting controls, automated window treatments and appliance modules for both residential and commercial applications. Its innovative, intuitive products can be used to control everything from a single light, to every light, shade and even standby power in a home or commercial building. Lutron products make any space more versatile while enhancing ambiance, comfort and productivity. They also save energy and make light bulbs last longer, making them an eco-friendly addition to the home and workplace. Founded in 1961, Lutron estimates that the installed base of its products saves the nation nearly 10 billion kWh of electricity, or approximately $1 billion in utility costs per year. Lutron manufactures more than 16,000 energy-saving products sold in more than 100 countries around the world. To learn more, visit www.lutron.com.

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.

Niles Stakes Out New Ground With A High Fidelity Weatherproof Outdoor Speaker And Subwoofer

Niles®, The First Name In Custom Installation®, is staking out new ground with its new audiophile-grade weatherproof speaker and subwoofer that bring indoor quality sound to the outdoors. Featuring Niles’ legendary engineering, rugged construction, long-lasting materials and a sleek design that blends in with any outdoor aesthetic, the new GS Garden Speaker and In-Ground Subwoofer deliver superior audio fidelity for all outdoor applications.

According to Mike ‘Sparky’ Detmer, president of Niles, “With our new GS Garden Speaker and In-Ground Subwoofer, music lovers and audiophiles can enjoy Niles’ renowned indoor sound quality, outdoors.  Now any patio, garden, backyard, landscape or pool area can be home to an attractive high fidelity audio system that is built to last.”

Housed in UV-stabilized, long-lasting ABS plastic, the Niles GS4 4” Satellite Loudspeaker ensures years of trouble-free performance that can withstand Mother Nature’s toughest extremes, even surviving temperature extremes of -50 degrees to 185 degrees Fahrenheit. Precision-tuned and voiced to provide the high fidelity audio that Niles is famous for, the GS4 loudspeaker impresses immediately and its wide dispersion characteristics allows users to enjoy the best outdoor audio experience with the ultimate flexibility in speaker placement.  Thanks to the pre-installed wall-mount brackets and Niles’ Twist & Lock® connection, the speaker can easily be mounted on a wall or stake-mounted anywhere high fidelity audio is desired.

The GS4 loudspeaker features a 4” mineral-filled polypropylene woofer for long-lasting performance with rich, deep sound and a 1” Teteron® tweeter with ultra-wide dispersion to maximize the sound quality in outdoor environments. With the included UV-resistant cables and waterproof wire-nuts, owners can enjoy long-lasting, trouble free, reliable connections.

The Niles GSS10 10” In-Ground Subwoofer is designed to bring deep, rich bass to the outdoors from an enclosure that disappears into the landscaping. Constructed from industrial strength PVC, the GSS10 will provide years of listening pleasure when installed properly. Featuring a completely paintable port tube that rises out of the ground to disperse the sound, the GSS10 can remain totally hidden from view while providing the powerful bass of a 10” Niles subwoofer.

The GSS10 features a 10” mineral-filled polypropylene woofer and can output frequencies from 25Hz to 110Hz at volumes up to 110 decibels.  With a recommended burial depth of just 16”-18” and dimensions of 14” x 30”, installation is simple and the subwoofer can be placed just about anywhere.

All GS Garden Speakers are backed by Niles’ Limited Lifetime Warranty. For more information on Niles’ GS Garden Speakers, please visit http://www.nilesaudio.com.

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.

Xantech Launches New XtraLink Kits

Xantech, a leader in the field of audio/video remote control and distribution for 40 years, will next week introduce the new XtraLink infrared-over-coax kits that allow remote control operation of a satellite receiver, cable box, DVD player or other device from a second room using existing coaxial cabling. These new Xantech XtraLink IR-over-coax kits support the latest generation of LCD and plasma display screens and work in all lighting conditions.  This new introduction will take place at ISE 2012, in the Amsterdam RAI, at Stand 1N73.

Introduced in response to the growing residential market and with input from contractors and system integrators, the new XtraLink kits allow IR remote control functionality to be implemented over previously installed coax cabling without impacting the cable and antenna TV signals currently being carried, and without the need to install additional cable runs. The DL85CK DinkyLink Coax IR – Surface Mount and HL85CK Hiddenlink Coax IR –Table Top kits each include an injector, which introduces the IR signal into the existing coax cable, and a coupler that interfaces between the coax cable and the device being controlled. Each kit, which take only minutes to install without the need for tools, also includes Xantech’s best-selling, Hall of Fame Dinkylink surface-mount IR receiver, IR emitters, power supply and coax jumper cables.

For installations that require IR-over-coax remote control to more than one room, Xantech is also introducing the DL85CX Dinky Link Coax Expansion Kit and HL85CX Hidden Link Coax Expansion Kit. Each kit includes an IR receiver, injector, power supply and coax jumper cable for use in conjunction with a standard DinkyLink or Hiddenlink Coax IR Kit as appropriate.

Graham Hallett, Xantech President, stated, “Our new XtraLink IR-over-coax kits have been designed with contractors and system integrators in mind. As more look toward expanding their business into residential installations, the use of existing cable makes everyone’s lives easier, including the end user. We are proud to offer the new IR-over-coax kits and our compatible products to this unique and growing market.”

Visit www.xantech.com for more information.

About Xantech:

Xantech designs and manufactures an extensive range of audio, video and control products and systems, many of which have become de facto industry standards. Xantech IR products are specified into more audio/video installations than any other brand. Xantech also supplies hi-definition HDMI video solutions, touch-panels and IP control systems for residential and commercial applications, multi-room audio/video systems, audio source components and processors, and software programming tools.

Products are sold to professional installers and distributors directly from Xantech. Xantech’s products are marketed in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe. Xantech is a part of The AVC Group in Carlsbad, California. For additional information about Xantech and its innovative products, please visit www.xantech.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® Audio, ELAN® Home Systems, Xantech®, ATON®, and Sunfire®. The AVC Group, LLC is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc.’s Home Technology Group.


Xantech is exhibiting at booth #1N73 at Integrated Systems Europe 2012 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Rookie integrator Goes From "Zero to Hero" In Less Than 6 Months With The ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System

All it takes to go from an average “Joel” to a professional custom integrator with a nearly six-figure job under your belt is determination, vision and about six months — if, that is, you choose to work with the ELAN® g! Entertainment & Control System.  That’s precisely what Joel Berrettini, a former world-traveling musician and 12-year professional IT veteran, learned last May when he decided to change careers and start a new custom installation company, IT and Media Solutions.

From May through August 2011, he learned everything he could about home control systems.  He went to trade shows and took classes for every system out there, from Crestron to Control4, and after meeting representatives from each company, comparing the costs and learning to actually use each system, he determined that ELAN g! was the top choice for value, ease of use, ease of installation and dealer support.  

“I’ve been working with high tech equipment most of my life, whether on the road as a touring musician, in my recording studio or in my career as an IT professional,” said Berrettini. “So I know that the easier something is to use and the more attractive it looks, the more people will buy it, fall in love with it and make it a part of their everyday lives. That’s what drew me to the ELAN g! system.  Not only does it have the simplest user interface in the industry, which is very familiar for anyone who’s ever used an iPhone or iPod, but the entire ELAN management team was so supportive and helpful to get me started as an integrator that other manufacturers just couldn’t even begin to compare. 

“The truth is nobody cares about the box!  It doesn’t matter to the end user which component is installed, it’s all about the quality of living and the experience of using and interacting with the technology!  That’s why before I ever pitched the ELAN system to a client, I personally installed a full-blown system into my own home so  I could eat, sleep and breathe ELAN, and then speak truthfully about the ways it makes life easier and can simplify how you control every system in your house, restaurant, bar or office.”

Berrettini has just completed his first installation, a nearly six-figure system for the Boneyard Pub & Grille’s new second location in Sussex, Wisconsin, and it took him just seven weeks from start to finish.  Jim Jones, the pub’s owner, recognized Berrettini’s passion for perfection before he even contracted the job when Berrettini came up with a complete redesign of the TV system layout for the whole restaurant. The new layout maximized the viewing areas and ensured that every guest could see the TVs without having to move or turn around, and it helped land him the contract.

According to Jim Jones, “Joel was here everyday for nearly two months and he’s been extremely supportive in helping me and my employees learn the best way to use the system for every situation.  The ELAN g! system is an incredible improvement over what we have in the original Boneyard Pub & Grille and it’s making the whole entertainment aspect infinitely easier to manage, and therefore better for me and my guests.  All of the TVs come on automatically at 6 a.m. when we open for breakfast, it’s easy to go through the surveillance camera footage if I need to view an event, and I control everything from one device.  The other location is more work and has bugs in the system, because it’s very hard to get 16 DirecTV boxes to work and change channels using just the standard-issue remote.

“If it weren’t for Joel, I probably wouldn’t have used such high quality components in the new private party room” Jones continued. “He set up a 106-inch screen with an HD projector and a 3,000 Watt 5.1 surround stereo system, so I can host all kind of events and parties and even movie screenings in the room.  I have people fighting over the room for the big game in February!  Joel’s knowledge, expertise, dedication, and faith in the ELAN g! system really gave me everything I wanted in an entertainment and security system for the restaurant.”

The restaurant has 32 Samsung LED TVs, ranging from 40 to 55 inches, and the audio system uses two Niles SI-1230 amplifiers and an ELAN D12 amplifier to power 60 speakers, bringing hi-def audio and video to every guest in every seat in the house. Berrettini didn’t stop at an audio/video system, either.  The restaurant’s surveillance and security systems are fully integrated, and they plan to incorporate the thermostats soon.

“The truth is there are three types of people in the world,” said Berrettini. “Those that make things happen, those that watch things happen, and those that say ‘umm, what happened?’  I make things happen.  I wanted to become a custom integrator because it’s fun!  How many other careers let you literally change the way people live, and see it happen right before your eyes?  The final reveal was my favorite part, when I walked Jim through the restaurant and showed him how everything worked together, and how the TVs and speakers would automatically turn on and all be set to the right stations.”

Berrettini has gone the extra mile at every turn, even helping program the restaurant’s electronic outdoor sign and spending nights and weekends on site to make sure that any issues could be addressed quickly and the employees could learn to use the system in a real-world environment. It’s amazing what a little motivation can do, and Berrettini is living, breathing proof that anyone who seriously wants to become a custom integrator can do so with the support of the ELAN management and the ELAN g! system.

Available starting at $2,000 for a single-room, four sub-system control solution, the ELAN g! Series Control System can be expanded quickly and cost-effectively to enable whole-home control of every system.  ELAN g! provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touchpads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room—or across the globe.

The ELAN g! System has been awarded a 2011 Residential Systems Magazine RESI Award, a 2011 Custom Retailer Magazine EXCITE! Award, a 2011 CE Pro Magazine BEST Award, a Platinum Level 2011 CEA Mark of Excellence Award by the Consumer Electronics Association and a 2011 Gold Level Electronic House Magazine Product of the Year Award.

Stampede Breaks New Ground in Dealer Education with Launch of Industry's First Online Courses at Stampede University

Stampede Presentation Products Inc., the leading value-added distributor of ProAV solutions, today announced the addition of a completely integrated series of online courses to its Stampede University training curriculum, making Stampede the first ProAV distributor to offer online courses to its dealers at times that meet each dealer’s unique requirements. In addition, Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly said that the University is now offering new categories of courses to address the larger business issues confronting today’s dealer, including mergers and acquisitions and new market development.

“Today’s ProAV dealer is challenged as never before to find new ways to grow and expand their business that go far beyond the basics of product knowledge,” Kelly emphasized. “To be sure, dealers must be fully educated on the products they sell, but they now need to be experts in long term business planning, business transition, and new market development. What’s more, their businesses run virtually around the clock. All of this means that a university tasked to meet their needs must keep pace with the demands of the times. That is what we are doing with Stampede University.”

According to Kelly, Stampede University’s training programs now include more business-oriented courses, including courses on transitions and mergers and acquisitions, as well as a consulting program designed to help residential dealers develop commercial markets and vice versa. What’s more, many of these courses will now be available online 24/7/365 to allow learners to proceed at their own pace and on their own schedule.

These new course offerings come in addition to Stampede University’s already substantial collection of dealer and integrator learning aids found on the website. These include training materials in the form of webinars, how-to videos, white papers and other media that cover the breadth of the AV technology experience from video walls to distance-learning technology, and represent large numbers of major equipment manufacturers, including Hitachi, Sharp, VUKUNET, InFocus, NEC and Samsung.

No other AV systems distributor offers a more comprehensive and knowledgeable array of training materials than Stampede University, and Stampede has established its learning proposition to be a bridge between manufacturers and dealer/integrators, achieving unprecedented synergies by serving the needs of both simultaneously. “Part of our mission is that not only do we have to offer a value to our customers but also we have to offer a value to our suppliers,” explained Kelly. “A significant part of the value we offer to a manufacturer through Stampede University is by educating the marketplace in new technologies, and manufacturers do want to teach dealers how to use their products and how to sell their products. In that way, we act as a very necessary bridge between the manufacturer and the dealer.”

Kelly pointed out that Stampede University’s training hub not only disseminates product training widely but also does it cost-effectively for manufacturers: instead of multiple manufacturers redundantly mimicking each others’ training efforts, Stampede University acts as a portal through which dealers and systems integrators can search for and find new products and platforms as well as the training and information they’ll need to best leverage them. The enhanced availability of information through Stampede University has enabled many dealers to broaden their product and services offerings to customers, and that’s helping the AV industry as a whole, as it continues to operate in a challenging economic environment.

“More than ever, knowledge is power, as dealer/integrators seek out new markets, add core competencies and expand their knowledge base, in the effort to bolster revenues. Stampede University is the sole commercial resource nationally that can offer that necessary link between manufacturer and integrator to assure the needed exchange of information that will guarantee future success. “We know that knowledge and training are the keys to the future in this industry,” said Kelly. “And Stampede University exists to make sure they are always available to our customers.”

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.

Elan g! Entertainment And Control System Now Compliant With The KNX Standard

Adding momentum to its international product marketing programs, ELAN® Home Systems today announced that it has joined the KNX Association, creator and owner of KNX technology — the worldwide standard for all applications in home and building control. At the same time, the company said that its industry-leading ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System is now compatible with KNX Certified lighting, climate, shade, and input/output devices.

“We are very excited to announce that our groundbreaking g! entertainment and control system now integrates with KNX devices,” ELAN Home Systems President Paul Starkey said today.  “Our international customers have been asking us to integrate with KNX and we now do so.  As a result of this certification, and our commitment to continue to work with the KNX standard in our ongoing product development programs, we expect the ELAN g! system to become even more popular throughout the world.”

In welcoming ELAN Home Systems into the KNX Association, Mr. Heinz Lux, Director of the KNX Association, noted that, “KNX is the most successful standard for home and building control throughout Europe and Asia and we are very pleased to have ELAN Home Systems embrace it as their control standard as well.  ELAN’s support of our goals and mission will help us to expand KNX throughout the world, including the United States.  We look forward to working with ELAN’s team to make the KNX standard even stronger in the years to come.”

Available starting at under $2,000 for a single-room, four sub-system control solution, the ELAN g! Series Control System can be expanded quickly and cost-effectively to enable whole-home control of every room appliance.  ELAN g! provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices, including TVs, touch screens, touchpads, PCs, iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touch screens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.

The ELAN g! system has been awarded a 2011 Residential Systems Magazine RESI Award, a 2011 Custom Retailer Magazine EXCITE! Award, A 2011 CE Pro Magazine BEST Award, as well as a Platinum Level 2011 CEA Mark of Excellence Award by the Consumer Electronics Association and a 2011 Gold Level Electronic  House Magazine Product of the Year Award.

The ELAN and KNX integration will be showcased January 31–February 2 at ISE Stand 1N73 at The Amsterdam RAI in The Netherlands.

About KNX:

The KNX Association is the creator and owner of the KNX technology – the worldwide standard for all applications in home and building control, ranging from lighting and shutter control to various security systems, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, monitoring, alarming, water control, energy management, smart metering as well as household appliances, audio/video and lots more. KNX is the worldwide standard for home and building control with a single, manufacturer independent design and commissioning tool (ETS), with a complete set of supported communication media (TP, PL, RF and IP) as well as a complete set of supported configuration modes (system and easy mode). KNX is approved as a European (CENELEC EN 50090 and CEN EN 13321-1) and an International standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3). This standard is based upon more than 20 years of experience in the market. Over 250 member companies worldwide from different application domains have almost 7000 KNX certified product groups in their catalogues. The KNX Association has partnership agreements with more than 30,000 installer companies in almost 100 countries.

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 (www.nortek-inc.com) Home Technology Group. 

DigiPower Introduces World's First Cross-Brand Tablet and Smartphone Charger

Recognizing that not all chargers work with all USB devices, Mizco International’s DIGIPOWER division today introduced the world’s first cross-brand tablet and smartphone charger. The Cross-Brand Tablet and Smartphone Charger features a simple three-position Smart Switch that allows it to optimally charge USB-powered tablets from major manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, HTC and BlackBerry. What’s more, it’s also designed to charge USB-powered smartphones with maximum charging efficiency. The charger debuted at Booth #31240 at 2012 International CES in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Providing up to 2.1 amps of power, the Cross-Brand Tablet and Smartphone Charger is capable of rapidly charging any portable USB device a consumer may have, and its super compact design features a convenient flip-up power plug making it ideal for use on-the-go.

“Many tablets and smartphones have different power requirements for charging, which until today meant that each device needed its own charger,” DIGIPOWER President Maurice Mizrahi said. “With our charger’s adjustable Smart Switch, users can set the charger to recognize their device and charge it effectively and with maximum efficiency. Finally, consumers no longer need to carry several chargers with them to charge all of their mobile devices, and retailers only have to carry one SKU to support multiple devices, helping to save space and simplify their business!

“We strive to provide retailers and consumers with the most useful technology innovations that both increase sales and simplify the lives of buyers,” Mizrahi continued. “The Cross-Brand Tablet and Smartphone Charger is our latest achievement in solving the issues associated with today’s mobile lifestyle.”

The ultra-compact charger is available immediately at retailers and online stores with an MSRP of just $29.99. The charger features over-voltage, over-current and short circuit protection, ensuring long life and successful charging every time.

About Mizco International

Headquartered in Avenel, New Jersey, Mizco International (www.mizco.com) is one of the world's fastest growing suppliers of mobile phone headsets and accessories, as well as imaging and iPhone power solutions. Founded in 1990, Mizco markets products under the Cellular Innovations, DIGIPOWER, iEssentials, Ecko Unlimited and Travelocity brands. The company currently offers more than 1,000 products through a global dealer network. For more information on Mizco and its product offerings call 1.800.266.4026 or visit www.mizco.com.

Mizco International's "Tough Tested" Series Offers Consumers Rugged, Professional Grade Mobile Phone Accessory Products

Mizco International today announced the expansion of its award-winning “Tough Tested” series of heavy-duty, professional grade mobile technology accessories for general consumers. The expanded Tough Tested line now includes a new over-the-ear Tough Tested Bluetooth Earpiece, Tough Tested Smartphone Cases and Tough Tested Pro Car Charger, all designed, engineered, and manufactured to meet the exacting usage requirements and needs of professional drivers. These mobile accessories are perfect for all drivers and travelers and feature rugged, heavy-duty construction that can handle any abuse, such as drops and dings, that a wearer might throw at them.

 

According to Sam Mizrahi, “As we designed this line, we took into account the testimonials of professional drivers and contractors who spend long hours on the road, using their devices.  We made sure the products all had useful features that made their usage more simple, and more comfortable. Along the way, we realized, that these features are useful and desirable, to the everyday consumer, as well.”

Drawing on the success and features of the over-the-head Tough Tested LYTE COMM 737 and PRO BOOM 747 Bluetooth headsets, the line now features a miniature, over-the-ear Tough Tested Bluetooth Earpiece. Available for $49.99, the earpiece features a flexible and adjustable earclip for the user’s comfort, as well as a rubberized, heat-retardant finish. Perfect for life on the road, the earpiece also features 10x noise cancelling technology, which reduces background noise by producing frequencies opposite to any external sounds such as wind and passing traffic, making them silent. The earpiece features the latest 2.1 Bluetooth software, seven hours of talk-time, 200 hours of standby power, and includes Home, Car and USB charging solutions.

Available for immediate delivery, at a suggested retail price of $29.99, the new Tough Tested Pro Car Charger features a 12-foot-long, high-gauge cord, that allows drivers to charge and use their smartphones and USB devices from anywhere in their vehicle. The high-gauge cord has been tested for ten pounds of weight resistance, to ensure it’s strength and durability. Finished with a heat retardant, rubberized coating, the Pro Car Charger is available in models for the iPhone/iPod as well as micro-USB and mini-USB, allowing for easy on-the-go charging of all current phone models, GPS devices, and other mobile tech products. The Pro Car Charger features a 30-minute quick charge, and a 3-light charge indicator (power, charging and fully charged).

Tough Tested has also launched a complete range of Smartphone Cases, all made to endure the most heavy usage. Made of rugged and durable padded canvas, the Tough Tested Rugged Smartphone Cases feature multiple options for ensuring phones are secure in the case, including a Velcro-secured flap and snap buckle closure. Offered in Black, Digital Camouflage, Classic Camouflage or Khaki, the cases feature a steel belt buckle, complete with karabiner clip for securing cases to belts, pockets and more, the cases carry a suggested retail price of only $14.99. The Workman Holster Case features a leather case that mounts onto a workbelt. Available for immediate delivery, at a suggested retail price of $24.99, the Workman Holster Case fits all smartphones. The Tough Tested Rubberized Impact Case features extra-thick and durable black silicone, to absorb the impact for dropped phones. Available for immediate delivery, and carrying a $19.99 suggested retail price, the case fits iPhone4 and most popular smartphones on the market today. For the ultimate in smartphone protection, Tough Tested has introduced the Duro Protection Case, that features three layers of protection. The case features an inner protective hard plastic shell with screen protector, a rubber shock absorbing middle layer, and an outer hard, protective shell that has a rotating belt clip holster. The Duro Protection Case is available for immediate delivery, at a suggested retail price of $29.99.

Tough Tested has also brought to market, a new Universal Gooseneck Mount windshield mount for smartphones, GPS devices, and satellite radio devices.  The mount, that steadies the devices against shocks and vibrations generated by the vehicle’s movement while on the road, is available for immediate delivery for $14.99.

The new products join the best-selling LYTE COMM 737 and PRO BOOM 747 Bluetooth headsets that feature 10X noise canceling technology, DSP dual mic technology, background noise reduction, and a 180-degree flex boom mic. Each model also delivers up to six hours of talk time and 250 hours of standby time. The headsets also incorporate a boom mic, adjustable mic stem, adjustable headband, call waiting, 3-way calling, voice activated dialing, one-touch call answer/end, as well as a USB Travel Charger and USB Cable.

About Mizco International

Headquartered in Avenel, New Jersey, Mizco International (www.mizco.com)

is one of the world's fastest growing suppliers of mobile phone headsets

and accessories, as well as imaging and iPhone power solutions. Founded

in 1990, Mizco markets products under the Cellular Innovations,

DIGIPOWER, iEssentials, Travelocity, and Ecko Unltd. brands. The company currently offers more than 1,000 products through a global dealer network. For

more information on Mizco and its product offerings call 1.800.266.4026

or visit www.mizco.com.