ELAN’s Tech Week commenced today at the Griffin Gate Resort in scenic Bluegrass Country. The event welcomes 330 international custom installers to Lexington, Kentucky–its home city–to train and network. ELAN, who has been innovating in the CEDIA channel for 18 years, is making a special effort at Tech Week to trumpet the combined power of its three brands–ELAN, Sunfire, and HomeLogic.
ELAN president and CTO Bob Farinelli said that together the ELAN, Sunfire, and HomeLogic triumvirate meets every customer need: “Together we provide award-winning AV distribution, home theater, and IP-based home automation and control systems.”
ELAN acquired Sunfire Corporation in 2005 and HomeLogic in 2007 and continually applies the technologies to its “solutions strategy” that creates repeatable revenue streams and increases the value proposition for residential installers. There are 330 dealers here at Tech Week, ELAN’s vice president of marketing and customer services, Cat Fowler, said, and each will join in focus groups and training sessions on topics such as IP-based control, next gen software, and wiring serial commands. There are also special offers on select stock (up to 40 percent off regular dealer prices). What’s more, Fowler said, Tech Week attendees are invited to talk with company engineers and learn about the integration partnerships among ELAN, HomeLogic, Sunfire, Lutron, Middle Atlantic, and LiteTouch.
According to ELAN’s marketing communications manager, Rick Gratz, Tech Week epitomizes ELAN’s commitment to education. “We have training all year round, with our East and West Coast facilities, our customer service department and regional sales team,” he said. There is also an extensive online training course through ELAN U and Sunfire U.
Farinelli explained that Tech Week is a great way to bring the whole ELAN community together and explore the future potential: “continued cross-pollination of technologies, more innovative products that truly meet customer needs, all designed to work together.”
New products on display in Lexington include ELAN’s VIA! Valet 10.0-EM–a sleek 10-inch tabletop or under-cabinet widescreen touch panel; the N800 for integration with VIA!migo and VIA!dj; HomeLogic’s Integrated DVR for recording security cameras; and Sunfire’s new HRS satellite speakers, center channel, and stands.
