Marc Ecko Fuses Fashion and Function In Breakthrough New Line of Earbud Headphones

Moving decisively to place his unique sense of design and style on one of the consumer electronics industry’s traditionally most boring product categories, fashion designer, multimedia artist, and technology entrepreneur Marc Ecko today announced the immediate market introduction of a groundbreaking new line of *ECKOUNLTD. earbud headphones that fuse together fashion and function in unprecedented new ways.

According to Ecko, the six new earbud headphone styles — “Zone,” “Chaos II,” “Stomp,” “Lace,” “Zip,” and “Chain” — will be delivered to dealers starting next month under an exclusive licensing agreement with Mizco International’s DIGIPOWER Division. Each new style lives up to its respective name, featuring a fusion of fashion and function unique to each series. All will be marketed under the *ECKOUNLTD. brand name and carry suggested retail prices of between $12.99 to $39.99.

“I can’t imagine life without all my gadgets. From my phone to my laptop; I am as dependent on my gear as I am the quality of my environment. For me it is not just a bunch of cables and ports. I expect my gear to be seamless with what it is I am doing, reliable and easy to manage. If I am on a plane, managing my photos, catching up on the news, vibing on music or even playing videogames, it has to work as hard as I do,” Marc Ecko said today.

He continues, “Having grown up in a digital generation, and having it shape so much of my point of view as a designer – I could not wait to tackle the challenge of building a proper collection of technology accessories. I aimed to build something that really captures our generation’s unlimited sense of style. Fearless. Action minded. Designed with a unique voice. Always live life Unlimited!”

According to Mizco’s Vice President of Sales for the *ecko Division, Steve Kops, “For the first time in the headphone category’s history, Fashion & Function are major influences on product development. As a result, retailers have a brand new opportunity to merchandise headphones not just on their sonic quality, but now on the fashion likes of their consumers. Traditional, all black headphones are being replaced with vibrant colors, unique silhouettes, and superior technology to their predecessors.”

The “Zone” earbuds feature the iconic *ecko Rhino on the outer surface of the earpieces. Available for $12.99, in red, green, pink, yellow, blue and white, the earbuds include a one-meter cable compatible with iPods, iPhones and Android smartphones and three sizes of ear-piece gels.

“Chaos II”, available for $14.99, in purple, pink, blue, red, and black, features the *ecko Rhino on the outer surface of the earpieces, a 1 meter cable, inline microphone, controls for the iPod, iPad and iPhone, and three sizes of ear-piece gels.

Available for $19.99, the “Stomp” earbuds feature the iconic Ecko Rhino on the outer surface of the earpieces. Available in red, blue, white, pink, purple and black, the earbuds feature a flat 1.2-meter cable with an inline microphone and controls compatible with iPods, iPads, iPhones and Android smartphones. The earbuds include a convenient travel bag, and three sizes of ear-piece gels.

The “Lace” earbuds, available for $24.99, feature a nylon, shoelace style cord, available in white, red, blue, black, pink and purple. The earbuds feature an inline microphone, controls for iPods, iPads and iPhones, three sizes of ear gels and a convenient travel bag.

The new “Chain” and “Zip” earbuds merge Ecko’s reputation for street-conscious fashion with utilitarian function. Featuring a beaded, dog-tag chain cord design, the “Chain” earbuds are available for $39.99 in blue, pink, red and black. The “Zip” earbuds feature a functioning zipper cord, and are available in red, gold, blue, white, pink and purple, for $29.99. Both styles of earbuds feature an inline microphone and volume control compatible with iPods, iPhones, and Android smartphones, as well as a convenient travel bag and three sizes of ear-piece gels.

According to Ecko, today’s introduction of the six new ear bud headphone lines is a prelude to a major CES 2012 product line introduction that promise to take his vision to an even higher plateau of design and function.

NILES® IntelliControl® ICS Audio System Now Offers Whole Home Control Via ELAN® g!

The Niles® IntelliControl® ICS platform, the custom installation industry’s leading multi-room audio system with more than 15,000 installations, will now be able to connect to the ELAN® g! control system, opening the door for Niles ICS dealers and customers to enjoy the benefits of whole home automation controlled by an iPad and iPhone. The announcement of this technology co-integration was made today by Mark Terry, President of The AVC Group, who said that this was the first step forward in the Group’s long-term product development strategy.

“This initial integration of the Niles ICS system with the ELAN g! control platform makes it possible for our loyal base of Niles ICS customers to immediately access the benefits of whole home automation featured in the ELAN g! control system,” Terry said today. “While this is significant in its own right, it is a more significant statement about The AVC Group’s commitment to pursue a long-term complementary product development strategy while maintaining the strength and integrity of each individual brand.”

According to Terry, and for the first time since its introduction in 2005, the Niles ICS system will now allow consumers to control its six streaming sources by an iPad and iPhone. Second, Niles ICS dealers who qualify to sell ELAN g! systems will now be able to offer both installed and new ICS customers an affordable bridge to the home control of television, lighting, climate, and other functions via the ELAN g! system. Third, qualified ELAN dealers will now have the opportunity to offer their customers another option for streaming content, including native Pandora® Internet Radio.

According to Niles President Mike Detmer, “Niles has always stood for the best, easiest to install architectural audio wherever consumers live, work, and play. For some time, our dealers have requested IOS control for the ICS system. Today, in conjunction with our sister brand ELAN, we are able to cost-effectively provide this capability to our dealers, enabling them to upgrade the more than 15,000 ICS systems they have installed since 2005 while offering them entry into a new revenue opportunity — home control.”

According to ELAN President Paul Starkey, “This integration of the Niles ICS platform with the ELAN g! platform makes a great combination package for a lot of our dealers and the speedy installation of both systems will be immediately attractive to dealers.”

The Niles IntelliControl ICS System is a unique whole-house audio distribution system that incorporates iPods, Sirius|XM Satellite Radio, Pandora Internet Radio, Rhapsody, AM/FM radio, HD Radio, and TV, CD and DVD sources. Users can access their personal music libraries and terrestrial, satellite and Internet radio sources through intuitive, easy-to-use in-wall touchscreens and touchpads, handheld remotes and portable touch screens that provide full source, song, station and playlist information. The heart of the IntelliControl ICS System is the GXR2 Modular MultiZone Receiver, the first ever receiver to use interchangeable input modules to accommodate any input sources and support up to 30 distinct zones of audio.

Available starting 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. 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 AVC Group Consolidates Sales Rep Network to Provide Dealers With 'One Source' Contact for ELAN®, Niles®, Xantech®, Sunfire® and Aton Brands®.

In a move designed to provide dealers with a single point of contact for its iconic custom installation brands, The AVC Group today announced the implementation of a new consolidated independent sales rep network that enables qualifying dealers to have ‘one source’ access to more than 1700 products and system solutions offered by its ELAN®, NILES®, Xantech®, Sunfire®, and ATON® brands.

According to Mark Terry, President of The AVC Group, the current network of 45 independent rep firms will now be reduced to 15 firms each of whom will carry all five of The AVC Group brands. It is expected that this new sales rep organization will maximize the effectiveness of the recently introduced AVC Advantage program, which combines focused, complementary brand offerings with automatic incentive, rebate, and support programs. “As a company we are totally committed to the business model of using independent sales rep firms as our front line sales force,” Terry emphasized. “The implementation of a consolidated rep organization is the next logical step forward in our long term plan to provide dealers with a greater array of opportunities to sell more system solutions to a larger and wider range of customers,” Terry said. “This new organization empowers dealers to meet more customer requirements than ever before, allowing them to offer a truly complete range of system and product offerings at every price point.”

In fact, according to Terry, the consolidated rep organization introduced today benefits every entity involved in the sales process — dealers, distributors, reps, and The AVC Group. For dealers, the new organization provides a single point of contact for all five AVC Group brands while allowing them to access bundled and tiered programs and incentives. “We will be able to provide our dealers and distributors with complete and complementary systems solutions — more than 1700 different products,” Terry emphasized. “Our dealers will now enjoy a greater, more powerful relationship with a single manufacturing partner.

For the sales reps in the new organization, the new structure delivers an entirely new level of efficiency with features such as one-stop training, one sales meeting, one commission check, and one business methodology. “At the same time,” Terry emphasized, “the new consolidated sales rep network offers reps the ability to finally offer every dealer a complete price performance range of solutions. Every dealer call they make will be much more likely to result in a sale and that reality will significantly increase their income.”

Finally, for The AVC Group the new structure allows the Group to make sure it always has “A” level reps in every single sales territory. It also allows the Group to more effectively develop and implement a long-term systems solution product strategy that benefits all of its dealers while ensuring that the Group’s brands are not squeezed out of a channel or used to leverage a competitor. “It also allows us to act quicker in the market, offer more comprehensive training and be more efficient with our resources. The bottom line is that everyone benefits, including the customer and that’s the most important priority for all of us.”

While the implementation of a consolidated independent sales rep network bodes well for the future of The AVC Group, dealers, and consumers, it is a significant change that does affect some long established relationships. “Unfortunately this type of action requires that we part company with many extremely qualified, talented and loyal Reps through no fault of their own. I want to thank these firms for their many contributions over the years. Without their effort and success, our brands would not be the leaders that they are today. I wish each and every one of these firms continued success in the future.”

The new independent sales rep organization is comprised of the following firms: Audio Associates Corporation (South Plainfield, NJ), Electronic Marketing Associates (Raytown, MO), High-Tech Network (Smyrna, GA), Market Share Inc. (Bellevue, WA), New Age Marketing (Manvel, TX), ProMark Marketing (Santa Clarita, CA), RS Pro Sales, LLC (Cincinnati, OH), SLAMCO (Chanhassen, MN), Sound Tech Marketing (Golden, CO), Tandem Marketing, Inc. (Elk Grove Village, IL), The Jarmac Group (Taunton, MA), TWC Michigan, Inc. (Trenton, MI), and Zone Pacific Sales (Sacramento, CA).

ELAN TS10 10" In-Wall Touch Screen Awarded 2011 EXC!TE Award by Custom Retailer Magazine

ELAN Home Systems today was awarded a 2011 EXC!TE Award by CustomRetailer Magazine for its new TS10 10” in-wall touch screen interface for the ELAN g! Home Control System. The award will be presented to ELAN on Sept. 8 at the 2011 EXC!TE Awards Party at CEDIA Expo 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“The new TS10 Touch Screen provides dealers and consumers with the ultimate touch screen experience,” Lautner said today. “It combines a ‘touch and swipe’ design with a larger Active Matrix LCD screen for viewing television through the analog video feature, and larger easy-to-read icons for aging eyes. It’s ideal for watching television in the kitchen or the bathroom.”

CustomRetailer Magazine presents its annual EXC!TE Awards to the best products available to the industry. Each year, CustomRetailer invites nominations of products that stand out for being innovative, high-performing and solutions-oriented for the custom installation professional. Past winners stand out as particularly impressive, considering the unique challenges custom installers face every day on the job. The impact these products have had on the industry is felt in the installers' productivity, the dealers' profitability, the clients' satisfaction and the industry's vitality.

The new ELAN TS10 Touch Screen also features composite video for viewing TV sources or cameras, a 16:9 wide screen format, backlit hard buttons for commonly used functions, built-in speaker and microphone for messaging, simple IP connectivity for communication, non-volatile flash memory, quick & easy programming, compatible with all ELAN controllers, easy retrofit installation, optional backbox and preconstruction brackets (sold separately), and a screen saver mode that can display photo. The TS10 ships standard with a white frame, but it is also available in almond, light almond, ivory, and black.