Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/810273
Broadcasters Show Daily 3 7 Wednesday, April 26 - Thursday, April 27, 2017 innovations that have helped to make SKB a leading manufacturer of transport solutions for all kinds of industries today. BSD: What is the secret to SKB's longevity and success? JA: Constant, continual innovation and improvement – hands down! We at SKB pride ourselves on our ability to listen to our customers and develop new ways to make our products better for them all the time. BSD: What new innovations will you be showcasing at NAB? JA: We have several new products, including three new size additions and new premium photo/video interiors (designed in collaboration with the experts at Think Tank Photo) for our ever-growing line of versatile iSeries cases. But we're especially excited about our new, improved 1SKB-iSF2U Studio Flyer. BSD: How has the Studio Flyer improved? JA: We introduced the world's first carry- on studio rack case back in 2007 and we're proud to say the new 1SKB-iSF2U repre- sents another world's first: the first ever injection molded waterproof carry-on stu- dio rack case! The virtually indestructible injection molded shell is lighter, stronger and less expensive than our previous 2U Studio Flyer. It also features front and rear SKB Cases (Cont'd. from p. 1) molded-in square rack rails that are pre- installed with cage nuts (for added security and durability), as well as improved quiet- glide wheels and an easy-to-operate pull handle – all packed into a compact, conven- ient carry-on size. It's the perfect solution for sensitive studio equipment on the go. BSD: What makes this an ideal product for the broadcasting industry? JA: Traveling with broadcasting equip- ment can be expensive and cumbersome, even for pro gear that is now trending smaller, lighter and shallower. We want- ed to develop a solution that makes trav- eling with this gear easier than ever. Our new Studio Flyer fits rack mounted equipment such as video mixers and recorders, and also provides a laptop spot to create an ideal plug-and-play solution – saving broadcasters time setting up. BSD: What's next for SKB? JA: We plan to continue designing and building some of the best cases in the world. Forty years of steady growth has taught us that it's the trust and loyalty of our customers that gives us the opportu- nity to excel – we're thankful for these relationships that help us stay innovative. Here's to another 40-plus years! Stop by booth #C2322 to see all of SKB's new case innovations in person, or visit www.skbcases.com/studioflyer for more information. experience design from physical buttons to voice control. Two, companies plan- ning to integrate voice activation need to quickly come up to speed on audio tech- nologies to compete as thought leaders, rather than followers. As a full-service product develop- ment firm that has helped design and ship over 400 CE products, SurfaceInk knows an investment to support this market shift towards voice activation was necessary. It has brought on experienced audio engi- neers and formed strategic partnerships with some of the largest audio hardware and software companies in the world, including Cirrus Logic. The company decided it would be an interesting challenge to create a premium voice-activated speaker concept to stimu- late category innovation and demonstrate its capabilities. Having used and torn down many of today's voice-activated speaker products, it has identified a few opportunities with respect to audio quali- ty and aesthetics. Most current voice- interactive speaker products feature small speakers with limited bandwidth, and while some feature stereo capability, their speakers are so close together it results in an unbalanced soundstage. Since many people use these products for music playback, the company thought it beneficial to add high-end audio per- formance with true stereo separation. Additionally, while most IoT speaker products target home users, their "techy" Voice Activation (Cont'd. from p. 1) aesthetics often fail to blend into a typi- cal home environment. As audio enthusiasts, SurfaceInk set out to address these issues and build a voice interactive speaker with great audio performance that was less CE ori- ented and more aligned with traditional home décor. Starting with audio perform- ance, it wanted to represent as much of the audible bandwidth as it could in a small form factor. While not a subwoofer, the design allows for faithful reproduc- tion of frequencies down to around 70Hz. It worked carefully to balance the high and low frequency drivers by using an active crossover and equalization topolo- gy. Next, it divided the system into two separate speakers to achieve true stereo with great sound staging. With its audio architecture estab- lished, the company began to explore industrial design directions. It wanted its concept to visually stand out and arrived at a simple form that relates directly to the speaker cone elements and evokes the notion of "projecting sound" across the room. From a material standpoint, it want- ed to use something warm and authentic; more art and less tech. It considered con- crete, glass and granite, but eventually selected porcelain due to its rigidity and beauty. Its premium look and feel is also better suited to home décor than plastic. The concept turned out just as SurfaceInk had hoped! For more information, go to www .surfaceink.com. solutions for everyday problems, and do it with style. Limitless Innovations identified a need and an opportunity in the technology market and developed the ChargeHub ® , a multi-port USB charging station with a unique set of features, not previously seen in any off-the-shelf products. The innova- tive, patent-pending design and capabili- ties of the ChargeHub hit the red carpet at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), one of the largest technology shows in the world. Then, among thou- sands of new products in the field, it was the ChargeHub under lights and fanfare that was awarded Best of CES 2014 and again Best of CES 2016 by iPhone Life Magazine as one of the most innovative new iOS-related products. The ChargeHub X7 model provides seven USB dedicated charging ports and 44 watts of total power delivery to charge up to seven simultaneously connected phones, tablets and other USB devices. It also includes patent-pending SmartSpeed ® Technology to allow any port to charge the connected device at its maximum charging speed, regardless of whether it is an Apple iOS or Android device. Coming soon by pop- Limitless Innovations (Cont'd. from p. 1) ular demand are the new ChargeHub X3 and X5 models. From early 2015 to current, the ChargeHub can be seen on home-shop- ping cable networks, available in-store and online, and is now being utilized in businesses of all kinds, including major hotels and casinos throughout the country. Additionally, the ChargeHub can be cus- tomized with any logo or image of your brand, and is available as a promotional or fundraising item through one of its approved distributors in the ASI/PPAI market by providing #67563 or #645216, respectively. Limitless Innovations is also a licensed Apple MFi Developer. CableLinx ® are short-length USB charge and sync cables for the four most common types on the mar- ket today, including Lightning™, 30-Pin, Micro and Mini to USB. The modern, flat cables are designed to be used with the ChargeHub or any USB device. With the evolution of the market and the world of ever-changing technology, keep your eye on Limitless Innovations in 2017 for more innovative products, without limitations. To view additional products offered by Limitless Innovations, visit www .limitlessinnovations.com. USING GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AS A DIFFERENTIATOR By David Inns, Chief Executive Officer, GreatCall For almost 30 years, business leaders have treated customer service as a neces- sary evil. When analyzing P&L, it's clear that customer service is one of the largest cost centers, so it immediately gets tar- geted for cost reduction. The first few cuts may go unnoticed, but as manage- ment continues cutting costs, in most cases the well goes dry. Why isn't customer service meeting the expectations of the consumer? Maybe the department is outsourced overseas, causing training challenges or a feeling of disconnect. Maybe customer service phone numbers are difficult to locate and IVRs are used to keep people from reach- ing a human. Maybe representative train- ing time has been cut. Whatever the cuts are, one group of customers is not as happy and loyal as it could be – boomers and sen- iors – and that group controls 52 percent of U.S. consumer package goods spending. It may be hard for Millennials to understand this problem. Millennials grew up with companies like Google and Uber that don't have humans providing customer service because Millennials don't need the same help getting up and running with services or learning about new features as older adults do. Older consumers often need help getting famil- iar with new technology and need sup- port and encouragement to continue use. There aren't many companies out there trying to wow customers with service. Therefore, the door is open to use customer service as a competitive differentiator. Customer service is more than just a cost. Part of the problem is viewing customer service only as a cost, rather than an oppor- tunity to gain the trust and loyalty of cus- tomers. For companies serving the older adult or senior market, customer service is a key driver of lifetime value. It extends beyond improving customer satisfaction to simply building loyalty. By establishing strong, trusted customer relationships, companies earn the right to sell new prod- ucts and services to existing customers, increasing the revenue per customer. As companies develop a larger port- folio of products and solutions that need to be sold and serviced, the competency of the customer service team must also increase. Experts must be trained and able to make a complex array of solutions feel simple to the customer. A team that can evaluate customer needs and make sensible product recommendations that add value to customers' lives is neces- sary, as is a team that truly believes in the company mission and knows they are the company as far as customers are con- cerned. This type of team should be seen as an investment in customer care and wellbeing, rather than as an unnecessary expense. Welcome customer service back home. Whether the customer service depart- ment is across an ocean or in a separate part of the office, consider what could happen by bringing them back into the company. Not just insourcing, but truly integrating the team into company cul- ture. You may be surprised at the value that could be unleashed. For more information, go to www .greatcall.com.