From the Editor
Hire Education
According to industry sources, the main problem we’re facing is finding qualified employees to add to our staffs.
Stressful, Crazy…and Wonderful
I have a tendency toward introversion, so solitude isn’t the worst thing in the world for me, but now I find myself missing the...
Plan, Then Plan Again
Switching plans always brings with it a level of stress and anxiety, but also gives us a creative opportunity to rise to the occasion.
Opening Up
Now is the time to think about what your business will look like as we navigate the new-yet-familiar post-pandemic world.
The Power of Patience
In this hunt for self-improvement, the thing that has had the biggest effect on how I live and work is the effort I put...
The New Essentials
For those of us in self-quarantine during this pandemic, we are learning who really are essential personnel in a true crisis.
How We Got Here
Whenever I get the opportunity to network with any industry pros — integrators, owners, marketers, product managers — I enjoy hearing their origin stories;...
A Vision for Profiting from Service Agreements
Lessons learned at the recent HTA East Coast Customer Experience Summit.
Touchy Subject
For anybody growing up in the pre-cloud era, the physical interaction with our content was just as important as the viewing or listening to...
Listen Up!
While I continue to work on my presentation skills, what my blend-in persona has allowed me to do is to become a keen observer...
Taking on Amazon
Whether it is in their capacity as consumer electronics retailer or content producers, Amazon takes a good deal out of the markets, and the...
Scores Over Crashes
Home theater's emotional impact can be as impressive as the visceral ones.
It’s Been a Long Run, but Now It’s Time for a Change
As I Step Aside from My Role at Residential Systems This Month, My Roots Remain Deeply Planted in the Custom Integration Community
My Avatar Moment at Animal Kingdom
I’m Sure I Would have Enjoyed it More If I’d Seen More Than Just the First 30 Minutes of the 2009 James Cameron Movie
Dealing with My Home System Gremlins
Nobody Enjoys Dealing with Mysterious System Hiccups That Require a Device Reboot or Sometimes an Entire Network Reset to Repair
Not Convinced About Voice Control’s Future
Will the Category Continue to Grow or Will the Novelty Wear Off?
Stranger Things as the Next Generation’s Culture-Share Moment
When My Oldest Daughter Told Me That 'Everyone' in the Sixth Grade was Talking About the Netflix’s Series, I Gave Her the Green Light...
Eating Your Vegetables
This year’s Azione Unlimited fall meeting in Austin was another upbeat affair, but there were moments in the short time that I was there...
Manufacturers Re-Embrace Channel at CEDIA
A few companies went out of their way to express their support for custom integrators.
Embracing Service
One of the most important business challenges left for our channel to solve is how to derive profits from client services, as margins on...
Turning it Off
We took our family vacation a little earlier this summer because here in the Midwest most of the kids go back to school in...
Little Gems From CEDIA Business Xchange
There are times when my favorite “aha” insights at industry conferences come from scripted moments during keynote sessions or “bold-print” presentations.
Another Comeback
As a Colts and Yankees fan, I have a couple of reasons to root against teams from New England.
DSP at CES, And Other Audio Trends
The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is not an easy hang.
Getting the Most From Your Facility
One of the challenges with the home technology integration industry is finding a consistent business model for success. The trouble is that each market...
CEDIA 2016: A Show of Partnerships
CEDIA certainly was all about adding Alexa voice control to custom-centric control systems and once-combative brands playing nice with the now more inclusive Sonos...