Marking the first anniversary of its entry into the systems integration market at INFOCOMM 2012, NanoLumens today expanded its commitment to the channel with the announcement that it will unveil a new and significantly larger exhibit at INFOCOMM 2013 and introduce an expanded channel sales and marketing program led by technology industry veteran Rick Bortles, who has just joined the company in the newly created position of Vice President of Global Channel Sales.

“Over the last 12 months we have experienced extraordinary interest from all types of commercial AV integrators who want to integrate NanoLumens displays into their system solutions,� NanoLumens President & CEO Rick Cope said today. “In order to maximize our management of this rapidly growing market, we will be introducing at INFOCOMM 2013 an expanded systems integration sales, education, and support program that is dedicated to meeting the needs of a select group of distributors, representing different market segments and geographic regions. To lead this effort, I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Rick Bortles to the newly created position of Vice President of Global Channel Sales.�

Reporting directly to NanoLumens Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Brad Childress, Rick Bortles assumes immediate responsibility for the development and implementation of all NanoLumens systems integration sales, training, and support programs around the world. “Our goal is to have a comprehensive channel program in place by the end of the third quarter,â€� Childress said today. “Rick is exactly the person we need to create an engaged network of select commercial AV integrators, value added digital signage software solutions partners, and key AV consultants. He will provide the sales, training, and support this network requires to perform at the highest possible level. Rick is a growth centric sales leader that helped to build a sales and service company with over 15,000 OEM’s across North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. He is going to make a major contribution to the future success of NanoLumens.â€�

Indeed, Rick Bortles brings nearly 30 years of senior sales and executive leadership in the technology industry to NanoLumens, including serving for 22 years as President and CEO of ELCOM Inc., a leading semiconductor sales firm, and Southeast Regional Sales Manager at Sprague Semiconductor. Bortles was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1981.

“I am tremendously excited to have the opportunity to put my experience and skills to work for NanoLumens,� Bortles said today. “I am looking forward to meeting our customers and partners at INFOCOMM 2013 and creating a world class channel program that generates significant revenue for NanoLumens and its partners.�

NanoLumens’ technology has been named ‘Best Large-format LED Display’ of the year by Signage Solutions magazine in its 2012 Product of the Year awards program, as well as being recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as a 2011 future-proof tech trend and cited by The Wall Street Journal in its 2010 Technology Innovations Awards. NanoLumens’ technology also received the 2011 Breakthrough Technology of the Year Award at the American Technology Awards. Digital Signage Magazine awarded the NanoLumens NanoFlex a 2011 DIGI Award for “Best New Display Device – Non-LCD or Plasma.�

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

If anyone needed proof that modern technology has a use in every home, a recently renovated colonial-era Pennsylvania farmhouse with iPad-controlled audio and lighting in every room through the ELAN® g! Entertainment and Control System puts the issue to rest once and for all. The installation presented a unique opportunity for Pennsylvania-based custom integrator World Wide Stereo, which was able to maintain the historic integrity and rustic charm of the 269-year-old dwelling while transforming the property into a modern media wonderland.

According to homeowner and interior designer Victoria Graves, her and her husband’s relationship with World Wide Stereo stemmed from his love for music, as witnessed by his collection of CDs that numbers in the thousands. When they first moved into the home in 2005 they met with World Wide to install the audio gear they already owned and to help rip their entire CD collection to an Escient music server. Shortly thereafter, Graves and her husband met with World Wide again to discuss a new multi-zone audio system.

As World Wide Stereo owner Bob Cole recalls, “The Graves’ gave us an opportunity to showcase new technology in a extraordinary setting. With Victoria’s guidance on design aspects, we were able to minimize the appearance of electronics through the home with the use of in-ceiling and in-wall speakers. The original ELAN Via system had in-wall touch panels, but with the upgrade to ELAN g!, now even those have been removed in favor of several iPads that can be carried anywhere in the home and provide complete control of every light and speaker.�

The home has seen a lot of renovations and upgrades since being built more than two and a half centuries ago, and according to Graves, this most recent update was never intended to be a start-and-finish project. In fact it’s been an ongoing project for seven years!

“The house is always a work in progress,� she explained, “and the guys at World Wide found that out when they showed up one day and the kitchen was gone! Luckily our renovation afforded us the opportunity to create a crawlspace in the home, which greatly simplified the electrical and wiring and provides easier access for future enhancement and upgrades. We have a home that’s older than America itself, but it comes with music and lights that we control from our iPhones. It’s definitely the best of both worlds.�

In addition to providing 13 zones of audio, with several outdoor zones, the home’s ELAN g! system integrates a Lutron lighting system that allows the Graves to set lighting scenes to match their current location, such as the “Dining� Scene which lowers the kitchen lights and brings up the dining room. It also makes bedtime a lot simpler, enabling them to shut off every light on the property with a single button when it’s time to turn in. The Graves use iPads for daily system control, and have only a single 7-inch in-wall touchscreen remaining in the home, located just outside the office study.

Photo credit: Karen Tropea

The full photo album can be viewed and downloaded here. Photos are available for editorial purposes only, and are not commissioned for commercial use.

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.

New York City is known for being on the cutting edge of technology, design and culture, so it is ironic that the most notable feature of the city’s stock tickers is that they all look like 1970s alarm clocks, displaying single-color text on a plain black background. Today, a midtown Manhattan branch of a major financial institution set a new standard for information displays with the unveiling of the city’s first NanoLumens-powered stock ticker.

As the main technological attraction of the branch’s top-to-bottom renovation, the incredibly bright, full-color, 3-foot tall by 60-foot long L-shaped LED display is one of New York’s most dynamic, vibrant and unique stock tickers, according to Bill Shiverick of Atlanta-based Vertical AVTV, the AV integrator who recommended and installed the NanoLumens NanoSlim Design-Specific display.

“In Vertical AVTV’s 10-year relationship with this financial institution we’ve installed all types of audiovisual and television systems, but never anything quite like this,� Shiverick said. “As far as stock tickers and information displays go, there’s nothing else like this being used in New York City. But now that we’ve shown what a unique NanoLumens DS display can do for the ambience of a retail environment, I doubt it will be the last.�

A high-resolution stock ticker display was a vital element of the design of the branch’s new storefront, and the decision to use NanoLumens’ unique NanoSlim DS display technology was the result of an intense comparative analysis of three state-of-the-art LED display manufacturers. After Vertical AVTV and the client’s project management team evaluated the ease of installation, ease of maintenance, the brightness, weight, durability, life expectancy and total cost of ownership, they came to a decision to install the NanoLumens DS display.

“The truth is that the branch could have chosen a lower-cost alternative that may have served the purpose, but when we considered all the different variables and strengths of each manufacturer’s technology, NanoLumens was clearly the best choice,� Shiverick continued. “All you need to do is walk into the branch to see exactly what I mean. I’ve worked in hundreds of office buildings and corporate headquarters in a dozen of the biggest U.S. cities over the last 11 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it.�

Vertical AVTV has built a successful business installing and maintaining television delivery systems in hundreds of commercial office buildings across the country, and since 2006 has expanded its operations to include custom AV installations using the latest in display technologies. The company’s dedication to providing high-quality customer service, ongoing system maintenance and products that consistently exceed their clients’ expectations is evident in the fact that they have kept this particular financial institution as a client for more than a decade. In the crowded yet growing marketplace for custom AV installations, this stellar level of client satisfaction gives Vertical AVTV a leg up on the competition.

“With the new applications made possible by displays like the NanoLumens NanoSlim DS and NanoFlex DS lines, we are experiencing significant growth in the use of digital signage. We expect to see every retail environment, corporate lobby and public transportation space soon become home to a bold, unique digital signage system,� Shiverick added. “We at Vertical AVTV are growing to meet the market’s demands for innovative AV solutions, and NanoLumens’ one-of-a-kind technologies are helping us provide systems unlike anything our clients have seen before.�

NanoLumens’ NanoSlim DS Series is a bold departure from the traditional one-size-fits-all design paradigm that has been a mainstay of the display industry for decades. Available in 4mm, 5mm and 6mm pixel pitches, the NanoSlim DS Series allows customers to specify truly unique displays in their designs and open the door for corporations, retailers and venue operators to create a completely original digital experience.

NanoLumens displays are extremely slim, ultra-lightweight, energy efficient, and feature a bright, seamless, high resolution picture quality that can be viewed from any angle throughout the display horizon without color shift or image distortion. The company’s patented display technology promises to transform the way marketers engage their customers in every type of trade show, retail, hospitality, stadium, arena, transportation and public event environment.

All NanoLumens displays accept input from nearly any device or content management system. There is no need for special software, hardware or special personnel to display content beautifully. With a profile of only a few inches and operating with nearly zero heat or noise, the NanoSlim DS and NanoFlex DS series can be installed on virtually any surface without being obtrusive, adding the ‘WOW’ factor to any indoor or outdoor environment without taking up precious space.

NanoLumens’ technology has been named ‘Best Large-format LED Display’ of the year by Signage Solutions magazine in its 2012 Product of the Year awards program, as well as being recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as a 2011 future-proof tech trend and cited by The Wall Street Journal in its 2010 Technology Innovations Awards. NanoLumens’ technology also received the 2011 Breakthrough Technology of the Year Award at the American Technology Awards. Digital Signage Magazine awarded the NanoLumens NanoFlex a 2011 DIGI Award for “Best New Display Device – Non-LCD or Plasma.�

About Vertical AVTV:
Founded by Bill Shiverick, Robert Harlin and Robert Weisert in 2002, Atlanta-based Vertical AVTV has become one of the leading installers of audiovisual and television delivery systems for commercial office buildings in the U.S. In addition to maintaining AV systems for hundreds of corporate offices across the country, they have been expanding their business to offer the latest cutting edge display and presentation technologies for corporate lobbies, boardrooms and meeting spaces. The company’s dedication to providing the best products to suit every client’s needs and commitment to superior customer service and ongoing system maintenance has endowed them with a reputation as one the most reliable and capable AV integrators in the country.

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

Stampede Presentation Products Inc. today announced it has been appointed to serve as a North American distributor of the entire Philips Commercial Signage product line through MMD, the exclusive licensee for Philips Commercial Signage and Philips Monitors. The appointment was announced by Craig Rathbun, Sales and Marketing Director for MMD, and Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly.

“Our knowledge of the ProAV industry, along with our network of over 11,000 dealers, uniquely qualifies us to distribute the Philips commercial product line to the North American digital signage market,� Kelly said today. “Philips provides a digital signage solution for every imaginable commercial market, including hospitality, healthcare and education. We look forward to introducing the Philips line to all of our ProAV dealers.�

Stampede will offer a variety of Philips Commercial Signage product solutions including 32-inch through 65-inch LCD, LED, and zero bezel commercial-grade displays as well as accessories to satisfy every customer requirement and budget.

According to Craig Rathbun, “Stampede’s expertise and demonstrated success in selling digital signage solutions to the commercial market makes us certain that this will be a long and successful partnership. We’re very excited to work with Stampede as we continue to expand our reach into the North American market.�

Stampede will feature Philips Commercial Signage Products in Booth #3559 at INFOCOMM 2013, taking place June 12-14 at the Orange County Convention Center.

About MMD
MMD is a subsidiary of TPV Technology Limited and is the exclusive licensee for Philips Commercial Signage and Philips Monitors worldwide. By combining the Philips brand promise with TPV’s manufacturing expertise in displays, MMD uses a fast and focused approach to bringing innovative products to market. MMD operates internationally with its North American headquarters in Atlanta. Through its network of local sales agents MMD works with several IT distributors and resellers. The company’s design and development centers are located in Taiwan and Amsterdam.

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.

Stampede Presentation Products, Inc has been appointed to serve as a strategic U.S. and Canadian distributor of the complete line of Key Digital solutions, including the company’s iOS-based Compass Control® solution, according to an announcement made today by Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly and Key Digital Vice President of Sales Michael Lakhter.

“We’re very excited to join forces with Key Digital to present their remarkable product lines to our network of over 11,000 dealers in North America,� Kelly said today. “Not only does Key Digital’s product line offer essential solutions for all installations involving high-quality video imaging, but the addition of the Compass Control® system to our portfolio of products will truly enhance the control solutions our dealers are able to offer their customers.�

According to Bob Templeman, Key Digital’s National Sales manager, “Stampede’s deep market reach in throughout the United States and Canada, coupled with its proven expertise in virtually all vertical markets, makes them uniquely qualified to distribute the Key Digital product line, and to share the amazing benefits of the Compass Control system with its wide network of dealers in all vertical markets.�

Dedicated to providing cutting-edge technology solutions in all installations where high-quality video imaging is essential, Key Digital offers solutions in eight categories, including Digital Video Processors, Video/Audio Matrix Switchers, Video/Audio Switchers, Video/Audio Distribution Amplifiers, Video/Control/Interface Adapters, HDMI® Cables, CAT5/6/7 Baluns, and Control Products – namely the Compass Control system.

The innovative Compass Control system provides an easy-to-deploy and intuitive control solution that relies on familiar iOS devices, including iPad®, iPad Mini®, iPhone® and iPod Touch® as the system backbone. The Compass Control base system consists of one KD-MC2500 Master Controller with the Compass Control app running on an iOS device under a Compass Control license. The system’s programming, a simple drag-and-drop process that can be completed in as little as one hour, requires the use of the Compass Navigator™ Software that allows both simple step-by-step programming or more advanced programming capabilities to create custom control interfaces. A/V distribution is easily programmed using the Key Digital Matrix Switcher, or a simple control interface can be programmed to control an existing system.

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.

North America’s largest ProAV dealer tour will bring together the best manufacturers and ProAV dealers on Thursday, May 9th, when Stampede Presentation Products, Inc. brings its Spring 2013 Big Book of AV Tour to the Crowne Plaza Montreal located at 6600 Cote De Liesse. The exhibit floor will be open from 9:00AM until 1:30PM.

“The Spring 2013 BBOAV Tour has proven to be one of our best ever, as we continue to introduce the newest product offerings from our manufacturers to our ProAV dealers all across North America,� Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly said today. “In Montreal, our dealers will have the opportunity to interact with the latest products from exhibiting manufacturers, attend comprehensive product training sessions, and find out how the Big Book of AV can help their business faster and more profitably than they ever imagined.�

According to Kelly, Samsung will be on site to train dealers how to use their Smart Signage Platform. Circle Technology will also be demonstrating how to use its new portable presentation system solution, and Panasonic will be exhibiting its new plasma line with pen touch technology. Belkin will be at the tour stop, showing their latest HDBaseT technology, and TAP·it will be on site to demonstrate their assistive learning platform that utilizes intended touch recognition technology. Other exhibiting manufacturers include LG, Casio, Epson, Gefen, Hall Research, Mitsubishi, NEC, Optoma, Peerless, SEIKI Digital, WHOOSH!, Mustang and Vision.

What’s more, all Montreal event attendees will receive a $50 gift card. In addition, they will receive a Tim Hortons gift card for every training session they attend! Participants will also receive one $500 Stampede Credit that can be applied to any order over $5,000 that is placed with Stampede before May 30, 2013. A complimentary continental breakfast from 9:00AM – 11:00AM, and a lunch buffet from 11:45AM – 1:30PM will also be provided.

Dealer registration is open now at www.bigbookofavtour.com, where directions and participating manufacturer information can also be found.

The Spring 2013 Tour will resume on May 16, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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.

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® 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.

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.

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.

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.