This week, I spoke at the Home Entertainment Solutions Summit in Dallas, Texas. It was a gathering of A/V solution providers, including retail shops and systems specialists. My presentation was about partnering with the channel to meet their IT needs.
Home entertainment has become more than displays, DVD players, and 5.1 audio systems. There is a need for what I call “domestic infrastructure”; an integrated solution based on client/server technology. These AV specialists understand that IT is an inevitable part of their solutions future. The questions posed at the end of my presentation revolved around whether to (a) grow these skill sets organically within their own organizations or (b) build a relationship with a channel partner. The opportunity presented to my peers in the channel is obvious.
I was able to convince most of the attendees that the dollar/hassle ratio would be more cumbersome and costly than partnering with channel IT specialists. The custom nature of “domestic infrastructure” could easily be met by most channel companies with experience in servers, storage, and networking. Customization might include small quiet cool servers with redundant storage systems, various desktop configurations to meet specific needs of family members (touch screen in the kitchen for Mom, gaming workstation for the kids, docking station for Dad’s mobile office, and high-end media centers for the family room). There would, of course, be networking involved and, eventually, remote control of many household systems.
These are the kind of opportunities the channel needs to diversify their businesses. We talk about digital signage, ruggedized equipment, and healthcare on a regular basis. But this real-time communication with the Home entertainment industry demonstrates the abundance of opportunities available to channel companies willing to customize and service new applications for technology.
Feel free to contact me for more information on home entertainment opportunities. I will be happy to do some “matchmaking” on my channel peer’s behalf.
Tags: IT Channel, server, storage, system builder
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