NEWS UNITED KINGDOM PSCo’s retail artfulness
RETAIL END users, solution providers and channel partners gathered together at The Art of Digital, a technology showcase and networking event hosted by display solution company PSCo Technical Distribution at the end of March. Held at the Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge, London, the event was designed to provide exposure to new technologies for the retail space and discussion of the latest retail display trends. Stuart Holmes (pictured),
CEO of PSCo, said: “The whole event was put together to provide an environment that allowed a highly visual industry to see, feel and touch the future of in-store digital solutions and speak with the experts in the field.” Centrepiece of the
exhibition area was an eyevis omniSHAPES videowall made from 29 24in tiles. Other products on show included Samsung 75in and 95in thin-bezel LED edge-lit LCD displays, and a PSCo-
UNITED KINGDOM SSE acquires Wigwam Acoustics
SSE AUDIO Group has acquired Lancashire-based Wigwam Acoustics for an undisclosed amount. The deal, which includes Wigwam’s Mick Spratt and Chris Hill taking a shareholding in Midlands- based SSE, creates the largest audio installation, sales and hire group in the UK. John Penn, managing
director of the group, commented: “There are great
synergies between the two companies and together we aim to deliver even better service and wider choice to our enlarged client base.” SSE and Wigwam both have
strong sales and installation divisions which will be integrated. SEE Installation, headed by director Emma Bigg, operates in the nightclub sector, while ETA Sound – a previous SEE
acquisition – provides installation and servicing of PA/VA equipment in arenas and public spaces. Wigwam, meanwhile, specialises in installation for houses of worship and theatres. Heather Penn, director, SSE Audio, told Installation: “Because of the different application areas each company operates in, SSE doesn’t come up against
(L-R): SSE’s Ian Bidmead, Wigwam’s Andrew Lee, Chris Hill, Mick Spratt and SSE’s Heather and John Penn
Wigwam very often – that’s why it was such an attractive business for us because we were complementary rather than in competition.” She added that, while the businesses will share information to improve buying power and efficiency, client-
facing operations will continue to operate independently. “Wigwam is a really good business; it’s successful and profitable, and what we don’t want to do is change anything so it is less so,” she said.
www.sseaudiogroup.com www.wigwamacoustics.co.uk
Recent highlights
exclusive 2 x 2 60in bezel- less plasma videowall, new to the UK. Among the retail- specific solutions demonstrated were Holition’s Colour Monitor, which uses colour-changing technology to provide a virtual ‘try-on’ experience, and Kin Design’s interactive Photo Mirror. The event also included
keynote addresses covering different aspects of retail display technology. Guy Cheston, media sales director at Harrods, described how the flagship store’s digital signage programme has
evolved over the years. Graham Tricker, head of operations at nearfield communications specialist Proxama, talked about NFC in retail, both as a payment mechanism and as a superior alternative to QR codes. Guy Smith, head of design
at Arcadia Group, said: “We see what people have put into stores but don’t really know the back story… with this kind of event you’re getting the background of what’s actually happening in businesses.”
www.psco.co.uk/technical- distribution
QUAD INTRODUCES LITE PLUS SPEAKERS British audio brand Quad has launched the newest addition to its home cinema speaker portfolio, the Lite Plus. Lite Plus consists of four satellite speakers for the front and rear, plus a matching centre speaker and a compact active sub.
RETIRED SOFTWARE ENGINEER IN CONTROL WITH ELAN G! Discerning technology user Bill Pardee, who spent most of his working life as a software engineer, opted for an ELANg! Entertainment and Control System for his home.
AQUAVISION INTRODUCES SURFACE MOUNTABLE WATERPROOF LED TVS Waterproof bathroom television specialist Aquavision claims the new HD LED 19in and FHD LED 26in waterproof models will bring real quality
engineering and style to the professional home entertainment market.
HABITECH SIGNS DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR SIRE CONTROL'S SS1 The newly available device is said to bridge the gap between Sonos and control systems – such as Crestron home automation systems.
To read these stories and the rest of our residential coverage, go to
www.installation-international.com/residential
4 May 2013
www.installation-international.com
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