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  1. 2ndRick is offline Fully Magnetized
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    Nortek/Speakercraft pulls the plug on the NIRV multi-room and automation line

    15 Comments by 2ndRick Published on 05-01-2012 08:43 AM
    http://www.cepro.com/article/speaker..._medium=module

    Quote Originally Posted by Julie's article from CEPro online
    SpeakerCraft Kills Nirv Multiroom AV/Control System

    After four years, Nortek subsidiary SpeakerCraft drops Nirv home automation/multiroom AV system based on CobraNet. Layoffs ensue.

    By Julie Jacobson, April 30, 2012

    SpeakerCraft -- a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc (Nasdaq: NTK). -- has abandoned its Nirv multiroom audio, video and control system after spending four years on the project.

    Nirv was to be a whole-house A/V system requiring only a single Cat 5 cable to deliver content and two-way control using CobraNet networking technology. While home automation was a key element of the original system, announced in 2009, SpeakerCraft backed off of that feature to focus on multiroom audio and video.

    “Nortek is working very hard to better integrate all of its brands,” SpeakerCraft president Jeremy Burkhardt tells CE Pro. “We found that there was just too much overlap between Nirv and [sister company] Elan.”

    Elan Home Systems, acquired by Nortek in 2003, has its roots in multiroom audio and video and is gaining traction with its latest home automation system, G!.

    Burkhardt says, “Elan is selling a lot of product, so it makes sense to direct dealers to G!”

    Nirv never shipped in quantity; it was released only to a handful of dealers.

    “They will all be made whole,” Burkhardt says, indicating that SpeakerCraft will take back products and reimburse affected dealers for any expenses incurred around the Nirv line.

    The same can be said about SpeakerCraft’s own personnel. There will be layoffs, Burkhardt says, but “they will be taken care of.”

    Burkhardt is personally contacting all affected dealers, reps and other parties. “The most important thing is to be a good corporate citizen and we have never strayed from that mission,” he says.

    As for SpeakerCraft, Burkhardt tells us to expect more products around its core audio business. Wireless will be a big push going forward.

    Nortek just wrapped up a meeting with the presidents of its home technology group, including SpeakerCraft, Elan, Niles, Xantech, Linear, Panamax/Furman and Gefen. Nortek sold its lighting-control division, LiteTouch to Savant earlier this year.

    In 2010, Nortek rolled Niles, Elan and Xantech into a group called Linear AVC (Audio Video Control) but SpeakerCraft was not included in the roll-up.

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  3. #2
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    Re: Nortek/Speakercraft pulls the plug on the NIRV multi-room and automation line

    Just one person's observation/speculation here, but it would appear that the head office is no longer sticking to the old mindset of allowing the individual brands to keep their own development path.

    Obviously we saw what they did to the Florida offices of Niles and the Lexington offices of Elan... taking the NIRV platform from S'craft is not as drastic, but it seems to fall in line with AVC group's new mindset that is reminiscent of the 70s-00s Detroit automakers,

    It appears the AVC has the mindset of consolidating production, warehousing, training, service etc and gaining efficiency through offering identical re-branded SKUs to it's dealers who compete against each other with little to differentiate between offerings.

    It looks like if there are going to be multi-room audio & control items on the price sheets of Niles and S'Craft dealers, they will soon be re-branded Elan G items.

    In the auto industry example given in the above analogy, GM pulled the plug on two of it's lines (Saturn and Pontiac), and Chrysler killed off it's Plymouth brand.

    Part of me wishes that these companies were all still independent entities.
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    Re: Nortek/Speakercraft pulls the plug on the NIRV multi-room and automation line

    The other side of the argument surely is that 5 years of R&D without generating any income on a product line that isn't coming to market with a value add or game changer makes the accountants nervous nellies..
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    Re: Nortek/Speakercraft pulls the plug on the NIRV multi-room and automation line

    Can we move this out of the public forums?

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    Re: Nortek/Speakercraft pulls the plug on the NIRV multi-room and automation line

    Quote Originally Posted by ssamsal View Post
    The other side of the argument surely is that 5 years of R&D without generating any income on a product line that isn't coming to market with a value add or game changer makes the accountants nervous nellies..
    Have you seen the SC price increases? We all pay.
    I finally quit drinking for good. Now, I do it for evil.

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    Re: Nortek/Speakercraft pulls the plug on the NIRV multi-room and automation line

    Quote Originally Posted by jberger View Post
    Can we move this out of the public forums?
    This is an industry news story, which is why I posted it in the industry news section.
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    Re: Nortek/Speakercraft pulls the plug on the NIRV multi-room and automation line

    I understand it's news, but before something gets said on the public side that should have stayed on the private side, I thought it could be moved.

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    Re: Nortek/Speakercraft pulls the plug on the NIRV multi-room and automation line

    Quote Originally Posted by jberger View Post
    I understand it's news, but before something gets said on the public side that should have stayed on the private side, I thought it could be moved.
    If anyone wants to air grievances that they may wish to keep from full view, they can create a Verified thread.

    Alternately, they can post that kind of thing on the CEPro comments section, where there seem to be a line forming to poke Jeremy in the eye.

    I am not a fan of that mentality, and the quality of the sniping anonymous comments on CEPro's articles often makes me feel like I need a shower after reading them...

    I am glad we ask members to list their locations, and MOST members take credit for their words. I say what I feel, but I also sign my work.
    Last edited by 2ndRick; 05-01-2012 at 04:25 PM.
    Rick Murphy
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    Re: Nortek/Speakercraft pulls the plug on the NIRV multi-room and automation line

    Quote Originally Posted by 2ndRick View Post
    If anyone wants to air grievances that they may wish to keep from full view, they can create a Verified thread.

    Alternately, they can post that kind of thing on the CEPro comments section, where there seem to be a line forming to poke Jeremy in the eye.

    I am not a fan of that mentality, and the quality of the sniping anonymous comments on CEPro's articles often makes me feel like I need a shower after reading them...

    I am glad we ask members to list their locations, and MOST members take credit for their words. I say what I feel, but I also sign my work.
    Problem with that stance is that there is so little traffic on the public side that there is a history of responses by members thinking that the post is private. considering the whole point of IP was to be a private forum it's not hard to understand why that would happen. So if you are going to do this stuff it would be nice if you could see your way clear to post right at the top that this is in a public forum. Or maybe I'll just fix it for you.
    "Pretty simple... you're both wrong and both acting like children... for christ sake just shut up, both of you."

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    Re: Nortek/Speakercraft pulls the plug on the NIRV multi-room and automation line

    Agree with Ted - I forget 80% of the time that there is even a PUBLIC side of IP and personally don't see much point in it. I don't come here to discuss things with end users and DIY'ers.

    I'd be very curious to see how much legitimate non-ci/public only type viewers come through this site.
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