Home Control Apps Make Connected Home A Reality For New Generation Of Home Buyers

It used to be that the dream of owning a centrally controlled home — a home where consumers could control audio, video, lighting, security, heating, and more from a single wall mounted touch pad—was a reality reserved for only the highest end multi-million dollar homes.  Hard wiring, custom software programming, ongoing maintenance, and system costs all guaranteed that no one but the wealthiest of Americans could even consider the idea.

Now that dream is well within the reach of just about anyone.  A new generation of affordable IP-based home control systems that can be controlled and managed by PCs, touch pads, remote controls and Apple and Android mobile devices are changing the dynamic of home building and home buying — in some cases dramatically.

 

Rocky DiGiacomo, founder of 20-year-old Minneapolis, Minnesota based DiGiacomo Homes and Renovation, Inc., in many ways represents the leading edge of this new American revolution — he is now pre-wiring every new house he builds for home automation and control.  

“I’ve always known that affordable home control would be a dream come true,” said DiGiacomo.  “Recent advances in home control technology, coupled with the mass adoption of wireless technology products in popular culture, have taken the dream and turned it into reality.  It’s no surprise that someone who uses their iPhone® to program a DVR would love to use their iPhone to control their entire home.  With affordable new systems offering a multitude of control functions and media services, there really is a system for everyone.  Whether you want to invest $5,000 or $50,000, you can start living in the future, today.”

DiGiacomo’s solution of choice is the ELAN g! Home Control System manufactured and marketed by Carlsbad, California based ELAN Home Systems.  Debuted in 2011, ELAN g! is perhaps the most modular, and hence most affordable home control system currently available.  From music distribution and lighting control to advanced energy management and security integration, ELAN g! offers a full range of solutions to fit any lifestyle and any budget.  Requiring zero custom programming and coming standard with iPhone, iPad and PC control, home automation is now as easy as checking your email!

This sentiment has become common among builders, as evidenced by Jim Blansfield of Blansfield Builders in Danbury, Connecticut, who has used the ELAN g! system to close several home sales in the past year, and has built a total of 13 homes with ELAN systems so far.

“I’m a believer in ‘the new normal’ way of thinking,” Blansfield said, “and with the affordable and expandable control solutions made possible by companies like ELAN, home control is the new normal! In the past two years, I’ve closed several new homes by demoing the ELAN g! system for prospective clients. The buyers are consistently impressed that I include technology in my designs and recommendations, because many other builders minimize the importance of home technologies. For builders, their resistance to change is going to hurt them in the long run.”

Blansfield is quick to point out that while off-the-shelf or cheap systems from companies like Verizon and Lowe’s may sound appealing, they have severe limitations and the average homeowner is not equipped to engineer and design an easy-to-use system that will actually make life easier.  He advises all his clients to use a professional integrator who has experience with custom home control.

“Hiring a skilled, knowledgeable, reliable contractor is the glue that holds the whole project together,” he advised. “As home technology gets more and more complex in its abilities, while getting even easier to operate for the end-user, certified professionals will increasingly provide the service and support that enables everything to run smoothly and allow the users to forget there is a sophisticated system at work. Most homeowners are as qualified to build their own home control system as they are to build their own car.  They can read all the manuals, and maybe put something together that sort of works, but it won’t be the same as something designed and built by a professional.”

The phenomenon has reached all kinds of homebuilders, such as Karoleena Homes in Calgary, British Columbia, which builds pre-fabricated and modular homes throughout Canada. The company places integrated home technologies so high on their list of necessary design components that they included the ELAN g! system in a show home that traveled to several home shows throughout Canada in 2012.

Coinciding with the availability of more affordable technology is the fact that the children of the first internet generation are now entering the national housing market and, as in every aspect of their always-on lives, they expect their homes to be able to respond quickly and fluently to their changing needs.

“I believe that our industry is on the verge of a market upswing of historic proportions,” said Joe Lautner of ELAN Home Systems.  “The first generation of Americans raised from birth on the internet, smartphones, iPods and iPhones are becoming homebuyers.  They are going to demand that the home they buy supports their media and technology passions.  This generation of buyers is not going to stand for running their mobile lives from an iPhone only to return home to the dark ages of individual appliance control! 

Lautner believes that consumers will benefit from a new generation of what he calls ‘affordably innovative’ system solutions that offer consumers specific levels of multi-room and multi-function systems that are clearly differentiated by retail price points.  “I believe you will soon see every new home, and indeed many existing homes, offer system solutions that are price appropriate for the price of the home.  The higher you go in the home price, the greater its degree of home function integration and control.”

About ELAN Home Systems:

Founded in 1990, ELAN® Home Systems is an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning whole-house entertainment and control systems that are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select dealers and distributors throughout the United States, Canada and more than 58 countries worldwide. To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com.

ELAN is part of the Core® Brands division of Nortek, Inc. Core Brands combines the product and marketing strengths of ten iconic audio, power management and  control brands into a single business unit that includes ATON®, BlueBOLT®, ELAN®, Furman®, Niles®, Panamax®, Proficient®, SpeakerCraft®, Sunfire® and Xantech® brands.

ELAN is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc., a global, diversified company whose many market-leading brands deliver broad capabilities and a wide array of innovative, technology-driven products and solutions for lifestyle improvement at home and at work. Please visit www.nortekinc.com for more information.

ELAN g! Comes Standard Throughout New Mixed-Use Development in Queretaro, Mexico

ELAN® Home Systems has touted its ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System as the ideal control solution for any size project, and today that claim has proven true with the company’s announcement that the new Q7001 luxury mixed-use development in Queretaro, Mexico is making the ELAN g! system standard in all 156 residential units! According to Queretaro-based custom installation firm Mindware Systems, additional g! systems will be used in all three residential towers to control multiple subsystems in common areas including the pool, gym, library and party room, as well as the shared boardrooms in the development’s office tower.

“This is a major mixed-use development project, and it’s one of the largest ever undertaken by our firm,” said Omar Cerda, CEO of Mindware Systems. “As such, we need to know that we are installing the most reliable and easy-to-install, maintain and upgrade control system in the world, and that’s ELAN g! It’s the easiest system for owners to use and we have 100% confidence in it.”

According to Joe Lautner of ELAN Home Systems, the Saya residential towers project is a milestone for the ELAN g! system and for home control as a whole, showing that there is an affordable, easy-to-use, customizable solution for controlling any number of subsystems in homes of every size.

“Today we’ve passed the tipping point for the ELAN g! system and perhaps for the entire home control market,“ Lautner declared. “With the widespread adoption of our easy-to-use control solution in homes and apartments of all sizes, it’s clear that today’s homebuyers are yearning for the next evolution in comfortable home living. By making custom home control standard throughout the Saya residential towers, there is no doubt that Q7001 will be one of the most technologically advanced communities in the world.”

When construction is completed in 2014, Q7001 will include more than forty retail shops, an office tower and three residential towers with a total of 156 units in 13 different configurations, each with a base ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System that owners can expand to their heart’s desire.  

For Luca Piccolo, President of BIN Desarrollos, the developer of Q7001, including ELAN Home Systems in the Saya residential towers was a win-win situation.  “Elan represented the opportunity to offer an upgraded product that required limited infrastructure and cost.”

The base control system will use an ELAN HC4 or HC8 to integrate several PulseWorx lighting loads, various zones of multi-room audio with speakers from Emphasys, 1 to 4 zones of video, a Z-Wave thermostat for HVAC system and Z-Wave electronic door lock.  Each apartment will include one HR2 remote and several TS2 and/or TS7  ELAN in-wall touchpanels for simple control of all integrated subsystems. Owners will also be able to control the ELAN g! system with their own Apple or Android smartphones and tablets and PC or Mac computers.

The shared boardrooms in the office tower will use the ELAN g! system to control lighting, AV and HVAC, and will feature components from Sunfire, ATON and PulseWorx. Mindware Systems has already installed a fully integrated ELAN g! system in their new office in the Q7001 office tower, as well as the on-site technology showroom. The showroom is being used to demo all the available technologies for prospective buyers.  Mindware Systems is responsible for all sales and installation of control systems, in-ceiling speakers, integrated lighting systems and add-ons such as security and surveillance systems and motorized window shades for the entire development, including all residences, offices and retail spaces.

David Romero of Proper Deal, the Sales and Marketing company behind the sale of Saya residential towers, believes that systems like ELAN g! are going to be an integral part of the future of residential development and sales.  “Homebuyers everywhere are looking for reliable solutions that are both simple to install and simple to operate in order to control their living spaces with a focus on efficiency and convenience,” he said.

Additional high resolution property renderings can be found by visiting this Q7001 photo gallery.

About ELAN Home Systems:

Founded in 1990, ELAN® Home Systems is an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning whole-house entertainment and control systems that are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select dealers and distributors throughout the United States, Canada and more than 58 countries worldwide. To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com.

ELAN is part of the Core® Brands division of Nortek, Inc. Core Brands combines the product and marketing strengths of ten iconic audio, power management and  control brands into a single business unit that includes ATON®, BlueBOLT®, ELAN®, Furman®, Niles®, Panamax®, Proficient®, SpeakerCraft®, Sunfire® and Xantech® brands.

ELAN is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc., a global, diversified company whose many market-leading brands deliver broad capabilities and a wide array of innovative, technology-driven products and solutions for lifestyle improvement at home and at work. Please visit www.nortekinc.com for more information.

Stampede Strengthens Senior Management Team With Two Key Appointments

Moving strategically to strengthen its management team at a time of rapid growth and expansion, Stampede Presentation Products, Inc. today announced the appointment of Kevin Bowman and Nancy Miles to serve, respectively, as Vice President of Sales, Direct Response Group, and Credit Manager, Eastern Region, according to Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly.

 

“These appointments bring new talent and seasoned expertise to our management team,” Kelly said today. “We look forward to utilizing Kevin and Nancy’s managerial skills and sales expertise as we continue to grow to meet the needs of both our manufacturers and dealers.”

Kevin Bowman comes to Stampede from Azerty Inc., a division of United Stationers, one of North America’s largest specialty wholesalers of office technology consumables. He served the company for 28 years, most recently as Vice President of Sales and was responsible for the sales and marketing of the company’s technology and brand in both the United States and Mexico. Bowman is a former Board Member for the United Stationers Charitable Foundation, and the current Vice President of the nonprofit organization, Computers for Children, which was founded by Kevin Kelly. The charity works to enhance learning opportunities for school children by providing them with current computers and training in information technology. Bowman graduated from Niagara University in 1982 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Nancy Miles also comes to Stampede from Azerty Inc., where she most recently served as Manager, Deduction Specialists/Credit Card Processing, where she managed a department of six to resolve deductions for national, retail, channel, and furniture accounts. Miles managed credit card transactions for all accounts, and organized regular meetings with the Credit Group to resolve customer issues. Miles began her 24-year run at the company as the Credit Manager, where she managed a department of 16, which included cash applicators and credit representatives. She also established credit limits, negotiated payment schedules, and worked directly with a sales staff of 120 employees. Miles graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1982, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business.

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,” a 1000-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.

Sony Appoints Stampede A United States Distributor of LCD Business Projectors and Digital Signage Solutions

Citing the company’s comprehensive understanding of the rapidly growing and diversifying digital signage industry, Sony Electronics, Inc. today announced the appointment of Stampede Presentation Products, Inc. to serve as a United States distributor of Sony LCD Business Projectors, Professional Flat Panels, and Digital Signage product lines.  The appointment was announced by Sony Electronics, Inc. Marketing Director Mark Bonifacio and Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly.

“Stampede is committed to enabling its 11,000 dealers to meet every unique customer demand for design specific projection and digital signage solutions,” Kelly said, “and the addition of Sony business projectors and digital signage displays to our arsenal of solutions is going to empower our dealers to meet so many more of their customers’ demands.  We are tremendously honored to once again have the opportunity to strengthen and expand our very successful relationship with Sony.”

Dedicated to offering projectors that meet every space requirement, the Sony Business Projector line includes more than 30 Large Venue, Advanced and Basic Installation, Ultra-Short Throw, Short Throw, Compact and Mobile projector models for dealers to choose from.  What’s more, the Sony digital signage solutions product line includes seven LCD Public Displays ranging in screen sizes from 32” to 55” as well as seven “Simple Signage Touch Screen Solutions” (screen and hyper media player) for specific vertical markets and a line of seven large-format, integrated touch screen displays.

According to Mark Bonifacio, “Stampede has demonstrated success in selling Sony Video Conference Solutions in the United States. The addition of the Business Projector and Public Display product lines to their product portfolio is the next logical step in our expanding business relationship.  We believe the combination of our top-of-the-line solutions, together with Stampede’s deep market reach and expertise, will provide their dealers and customers with an unbeatable range of professional system solutions to choose from.”

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,” a 1,000-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.

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Illustrative photos of products from Sony’s LCD Business Projectors, Professional Flat Panels, and Digital Signage lines that will be distributed by Stampede can be found here.

Stampede Named Exclusive North American Distributor of the TAP-it® Assistive Learning Platform

Underscoring its commitment to provide K-12 and Higher Education dealers with the latest cutting-edge assistive learning solutions, Stampede Presentations Products, Inc., the industry’s largest value-added distributor of ProAV solutions, today announced that it has been named the exclusive North American distributor of the TAP·it® (Touch Accessible Platform Interactive Technology) Assistive Learning Platform.

The TAP·it platform is the first ADA compliant interactive learning station designed to differentiate between an accidental touch or arm resting on the screen and an intentional screen-tap by a finger or assistive device.  The platform provides an optimal learning interface for students with special needs to operate at their own pace, including those students with physical disabilities, fine motor delays, visual or hearing impairments or developmental delays. The TAP·it touch accessible interactive learning platform is a transformative tool for therapists and educators, and supports shared occupational therapy and academic goals by minimizing barriers and maximizing flexibility by adapting to a person's individual needs.

“We are proud to bring this groundbreaking assistive learning technology to our dealer partners in the K-12 and Higher Education markets,” Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly said today.  “The availability of this remarkable platform completely reinvigorates the ways in which classroom technology is deployed to help those students who need creative solutions in their learning environments.”

With the touch of a button, the TAP·it platform can move up or down and the 42" interactive LCD panel can be tilted from 0 - 90 degrees, to be brought within reach for people using wheelchairs, walkers or other mobility devices. These adjustments make the TAP·it platform infinitely more accessible to physically challenged students and their instructors or therapists than stationary wall-mounted boards.

Recognizing the challenges of classroom environments, the TAP·it platform’s commercial grade LCD panel is made of shatter-resistant safety glass; is impervious to dust, grit, grime or other contaminants; and its screen technology, used by the military, is repurposed exclusively for the TAP·it platform, and resists marks and scratches.  Mobility is essential for educators or therapists who may use the TAP·it platform in multiple classroom or therapy environments, so the TAP·it platform can be easily rolled to desired locations, and the workstation is kept secure and stable with commercial grade locking casters. The field-tested platform is counter-balanced, so even if a person leans his or her full body weight against it, the TAP·it platform will not tip.

Not only is the TAP·it platform compatible with virtually every educational and assistive software program being used on classroom computers, it improves the user-experience in a number of ways.  The large, touch-sensitive screen supports the use of on-screen keyboards or voice recognition for typing; switch/scanning for mouse control or cause/effect programs; screen readers for text to speech capabilities; and screen magnification programs.  TAP·it can also be used with Tool Factory’s special education software bundles, Claro Software’s assistive speech and imaging programs, and Daydream Interactive Content Packs’ curriculum-based content and ready-made interactive activity software.

For more information about the TAP·it Assistive Learning Platform, including demonstration videos and user testimonials, please visit www.stampedeglobal.com/tapit.

What’s more, according to Kelly, the TAP·it Assistive Learning Platform will be showcased at all of the upcoming stops on the Spring 2013 Big Book of AV Tour, presenting dealers with the opportunity to experience the unique capabilities offered by this platform. The next stops on the Big Book of AV Tour are scheduled to take place on May 9, 2013 in Montreal, Canada, and in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 16, 2013.

About Stampede

Known for its value-added distribution, Amherst, NY-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 1000-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.

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Photos of the TAP·it Assistive Learning Platform are available for download here, or by clicking on the product photos in the above release.

Distance Learning Is The Key To The Future Profitability Of Higher Education, Predicts Stampede

Colleges and universities of all shapes and sizes are being challenged as never before to enhance the quality of their courses, increase the number of students enrolled in paid-for degree programs, and decrease the overall cost of delivering these courses to an ever-diverse student body.  Fortunately for these higher education institutions, the entire ProAV industry stands poised today to provide exactly the kind of integrated, cost-effective systems solutions that will help them achieve all three of these objectives in an easily managed way, according to Stampede Presentation Products, Inc. President & COO Kevin Kelly.

“Put simply, the future reach and affordability of higher education rests in each institution's ability to develop and implement an effective online distance learning program — but to do this institutions must start by broadening their view of their "market" beyond the four walls of a classroom or the walls of their traditional campuses,” Kelly asserted today.

According to Kelly, the use of lecture-capture and online streaming has emerged as an incredible way to offer in-class access to students learning from a remote location. Similar to other popular ProAV trends utilized on campuses, such as digital signage, the employment of remote learning technology stands to completely revolutionize the education market. With a simple and affordable AV solution, higher education institutions can broadcast their lessons worldwide to reach more learners than ever before and generate new revenue streams.

“And to this point,” Kelly continued, “a recent Wall Street Journal profile of Yale University’s use of online lectures stated that the online lectures have turned its professors into borderline celebrities and brought them into the homes of thousands of new students all over the world. The article also highlights several websites that host class lectures, such as EdX, which features lectures from Harvard University and MIT and has accrued more than 700,000 users in less than a year. The desire for remote learning is increasing every day, and the ProAV industry knows exactly what AV solutions will enable higher education institutions to reach the greatest number of students possible.”

Higher education providers need to embrace remote learning in order to stay relevant and attract today’s increasingly diverse learner population, and the responsibility to inform the market of new and affordable technological innovations falls in the hands of ProAV integrators and solutions providers. “With our help, higher education institutions can realize the absolute necessity of ProAV technology, which will help them achieve tremendous gains in education now and in the future” Kelly concluded.

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.

Recent International Events Highlight the Importance of Carrying the Right Insurance Coverage For Anyone Touring Outside The United States

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The accidental death of a fan at an American heavy metal band’s concert in Prague, The Czech Republic, and the collapse of scaffolding in high winds outside another American band’s concert in Cape Town, South Africa are two recent incidents that underscore the critical importance for all touring artists to include international coverage as part of their insurance portfolio, according to Scott Carroll, Executive Vice President & Program Director of Take1 Entertainment Insurance.

“Every artist who steps outside the United States to perform anywhere in the world should make sure they carry international insurance protection,” Carroll said today.  “The coverage territory of a traditional U.S. based policy does not typically extend beyond the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.  That means that if something happens to an insured outside of these areas, they are totally exposed to all claims without any insurance protection.”

According to Carroll, the inclusion of international protection coverage is an important first step in a larger, more complex insurance program.  “Carrying international insurance coverage, while important, is not perfect because it does not respond to all situations one might face in every country.  What it is, however, is a statement by the U.S. based insurance company that provides the coverage that, in certain situations, they are there to help.  Stated differently, without the coverage you are completely exposed and subject to the laws and rules of that country, and that can be very confusing, frightening, and quite daunting.

“There is a difference between locally admitted coverage, which is usually only available to those with business entities in the country where the work is being performed, and an international policy that extends certain coverage parts (often, general liability; foreign voluntary work comp and auto) of a U.S. based insurance program, to activities outside of the U.S.  Without either, an entity is completely exposed.  The two most recent international concert accidents bring to the fore what insurance protection do I have when I leave the country?  The bottom line is that every touring act, promoter, producer and possibly even production managers, should carry international coverage protection that allows for coverage protection against a broad range of claim areas.  You can’t be too penny wise and pound foolish when it comes to insurance protection in the global 21^st Century entertainment industry.”

One practical application of most international insurance policies is the inclusion of Travel Assistance services.  These services, typically an 800 phone number that is monitored 24/7, provides a traveler with a number to call when situations develop when traveling away from home.  These services can, and do, help with everything from replacement passport services to refilling prescriptions.  It provides an element of “just in case” help and support to an insured that purchases an international policy

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.

Circle Technology Appoints Stampede a North American Distributor of its Groundbreaking Presentation Solution

Circle Technology, the pioneering Vancouver, Washington-based company formed by InFocus Systems founder Steve Hix, today announced the appointment of Stampede Presentation Products Inc. to serve as a North American distributor of its groundbreaking new portable, wireless, Internet-free presentation system solution.

Available for delivery from Stampede beginning next month, the Circle Technology presentation system is intended to revolutionize the way small groups present and share information.  “Having spent the last 20 years of my life perfecting large-scale presentations, I decided to shift my focus to small groups and the result is the Circle Technology portable presentation system,” Circle Technology President Steve Hix said today. “It is the first portable, wireless, paperless presentation system that allows presenters to put content into everyone’s hands without the Internet, anywhere at any time.”

Comprised of high-quality resolution Circle Displays and Circle Wizard Software, the system allows users to screen share anything from a computer to multiple Circle Displays with no paper, no binding, and no networks.

“Stampede has the experience, the dealer network, and the passion we are looking for to establish the Circle Technology system as the new reference standard for small-group presentations,” Hix emphasized.  “We are very excited to have Stampede on board as a strategically important part of our North American sales program.”

According to Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly, “Circle Technology’s presentation solution is an absolute game-changer that represents the future of small-group wireless presentations.  The Circle Technology platform makes it possible for end-users to present anywhere they go, without the need for additional hardware, creating limitless opportunities for users looking to share content in any imaginable setting. Our commercial and consumer customers are going to immediately understand and respond to the benefits this remarkable presentation system delivers.”

Circle Technology’s portable presentation system offers an on-the-go solution that allows a presenter to screen share any presentation or content, via the Circle Wizard Software, from their PC directly to the Circle Displays in the hands of their audience. The crystal clear 1280x800 HD resolution Circle Displays allow presentations to be put directly into the hands of the audience, without bulky, printed presentations or the seemingly endless distractions that could be found on their own devices. The Circle Wizard Software is compatible with Windows® 7 and 8, making it possible for the software to be downloaded to any PC that uses Microsoft OS.

What’s more, the Circle Wizard Software makes it possible to present without any connection to the Internet, thus eliminating any worries about faulty connections.  The software also allows for up to 10 Circle Displays to be connected at once, giving presenters the opportunity to put their presentation into the hands of multiple people at the same time. The software works on a self-contained, encrypted WPA2 password protected network, powered by the standard wireless capabilities embedded in today’s PC’s, allowing for a secure and private connection between the presenter’s PC and the audience’s Circle Displays. The network can be adjusted on the go without the hassle of having to generate and distribute new passwords and user names, making the task as easy as possible for the presenter.  Real-time sharing and collaboration is an integral element of all presentations, and the Circle Wizard Software allows the presenter to control the flow of their presentation.

Circle Technology presentation system packages, all backed by a one-year warranty, will be available from Stampede in the following configurations:

Single Pack: This pack features the Circle Wizard Software, 1 Custom Circle Display and Circle Display Stand, and the Circle Protective Sleeve. The Single Pack is available for $999.

Circle Wizard Package A: This package offers the user the Circle Wizard Software, 2 Custom Circle Displays and Circle Display Stands, a Slim Circle Carrying Case, and a Circle Protective Sleeve, all for a price of $1,799.

Circle Wizard Package D: This deluxe package features the Circle Wizard Software, 4 Custom Circle Displays and Circle Display Stands, and a Carrying Case with a charging system, allowing the user to keep their displays charged at all times. This package is available for $2,999. (Pictured)

About Circle Technology

Circle Technology is a pioneering Vancouver, Washington-based company with a family of presentation system solutions.  Our products allow you to present without the Internet, anywhere at any time.  We bring a complete system to the presentation, providing the highest quality screen resolution from our Circle Displays. Our Circle Wizard Software allows you to screen share anything from your computer to the Circle Displays, giving you the opportunity to present anything that is viewable from your desktop.  With Circle Technology, you can rely on our single solution, instead of a multitude of technologies having to somehow work together, just a simple click and you begin.  For more information about Circle Technology, log onto www.TheCircleTech.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,” a 1000-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.