| While
it was hot at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa
in Phoenix last week, the site of RetailVision Fall 2003,
it was even hotter inside the spacious resort as a swarm of
Retailers were treated to a bevy of exciting new products.
RetailVision's new Self-Scheduling System was a great hit
as more Vendors were able to secure key appointments with
the specific individuals they were looking to meet with, perhaps
to support their boardroom presentations. Henry Cho MC of
the famous “The Best of RetailVision Awards”(TM)
Dinner, Laser Light and Fireworks Show and a fun biker party
(sponsored by Ingram Micro) put an exclamation point on an
exciting few days of hard work and play. And while some Retailers
suggested that there weren't many "blockbuster"
new technologies or products, others suggested that incremental
improvements in features and benefits will help Retailers
sell more products this holiday season. "We are teed
up for a great fourth quarter because of products like the
ones here," said one major Retailer.
Leading
the way were players like Palm, Maxtor,
APC, Computer Associates,
and Seagate but also exciting new companies
like Ogio, Ingenio, GetConnected,
Securikey, Advueu and MediaRECOVER.
Computer
Associates, for example, used RetailVision as the
venue to launch into the retail market with eTrust EZ security
software package. The products, eTrust EZ Antivirus at $29.95
and eTrust EZ Armor security suite at $49.95 for a 12 month
subscription with product and virus signature updates included.
CA, the world’s fourth largest software company, is
counting on its strong brand name, television advertising,
excellent packaging and security expertise to increase sales
of this fast-growing product category. Vice President, Steve
Gohres, was ecstatic at the Event as many Retailers gave CA’s
products and channel strategy a thumbs up (and large opening
orders!).
Koenigsberg
& Associates
is a premier high technology management consulting firm that
was established in 1997 and specializes in two areas, which
are Sales, and Marketing Consulting Services for Software
Developers and Vendors. They also provide hosting and consulting
services for Vendors and Manufacturers for industry events
and trade shows such as RetailVision.
Their
core competency is assisting Computer Software companies to
launch new products and or increase their sell through and
dealer base of existing products. This includes providing
marketing, packaging, merchandising, and sales strategies
through various reseller channels. Our specialty is interviewing
various s/w publishers to determine if they can successfully
launch s/w products into various retail channels through a
commission or license based agreement.
AOL
9.0, which was packed with new features and content,
was introduced at RetailVision to a large group of Retailers
and Vendors. "We have become much more user focused,"
said AOL executive, Paul Ewert. New features include spam
filtering and other key security and privacy features. In
addition, the new software includes a computer check up feature
and loads of new content of the music, video and radio variety.
Watch
These Companies:
We need to take just a minute to thank those Retailers who
pointed me in the right direction on some product stuff and
other concepts: Jeff Kirshblum (Harmony Computer), Steve Glatt
(Mall), Christine English (CompUSA), Kevin Jones (Micro Center),
Jackie Trilling (DataVision), Scott Reddy (Buy.com) and Dan
Freeman (Zones). I found the Fossil Palm Pilot
watch on my own (I gotta’ get one!!). But, everybody
loved this software product from Novii that
turns your Palm Pilot into a remote control. Even opens your
garage door. Gemini Industries also made
a strong showing with a broad assortment of consumer electronics
and multimedia products. The Company also received several
"Best of Award" nominations. With Dwayne and Steve
Bellow leading this company to the next level of its growth
in the computer retail channel, we can expect exciting things.
Ogio
- Entering the computer industry with its top of the line
notebook cases and other backpack products, the leading "X-Gen"
brand is prepared to grab some share at the higher end of
the category. We also expect a lot from former Targus sales
leader Dow Jones, who has taken the sales reins at Ogio and
is looking for a select few channel partnerships.
Ingenio,
makers of EyeTop, the first ultra portable
video screen, was one of the more exciting products at RetailVision.
"Eyetop allows users to view images privately, securely
anywhere, anytime. You feel like you have a 14 inch screen
about four feet away," said Laurent Hercz. The product
is available with a Suggested Retail Price of $299. For more
information contact lhercz@ingineo.net.
PriceGrabber
- Launched a new feature called Shopping List - all of your
parts or products on a shopping list and then where you can
source each product or the cheapest source for all of the
parts and products. The Canadian version of PriceGrabber will
be launching in Q4.
 MediaRECOVER
- Image recovery software for people who lose images from
digital cameras. Every digital camera user will lose an image.
There are 23M digital cameras and lots of users who are losing
data. Recently launched, MediaRecover is distributed through
PRO and is looking at partnerships with leading Retailers
and distributors. They also won the award for Best Product:
Productivity Software at RetailVision. For more information
contact koreyb@mediarecover.com.
Griffin
Technologies has launched two new products for the
retail marketplace, including ControlKey and ControlKey Platinum.
The well-known enterprise security firm has taken a hardware
approach to security with a USB security key that looks like
a flash drive. The company's first product is launched under
the Securikey Brand and will price at $59 and $99 respectively
and ship this Fall.
Digital
River - The leading electronic software distributor
is looking to bring downloads to brick and mortar Retailers.
Gregg Wilkes, Vice President of Channel Sales, is leading
the charge. "Glad we had the opportunity to talk about
the ability to impact their bottom line on the delivery of
electronic goods. Retailers understand that there is no shipping
cost, returns, shrinkage and those costs go to the bottom
line. The products are virtual, the profits are real,"
said Wilkes.
Some hot
new software products from Elibrium, who
is starting to make a big impact as a republisher of software,
bringing some great stuff to market from smaller companies.
As we all know, the little guys can juice up the market. Anybody
remember uninstallers, anti-virus software, or memory software
(or web cams)? Those genres were all introduced to the market
by small companies. Hey Retailers, next time the Elibrium
folks stop by, give them a listen. Look for Elibrium’s
new anti-spam product. I use it and it’s great, “Ella
for spam control”.
PALM
had a world premiere on the first morning of RetailVision
for the new products from all their partner companies. A couple
of fun little products for the PDAs, then they showed the
new version of Documents to Go from DataViz. That is one big
gun for mobile professionals; now reads and saves WORD and
Excel docs in native mode….no conversions. Even Microsoft
can’t do that on a handheld. Palm also won 2 awards
at RetailVision: Best Vendor and Best RetailVision Strategy.
MUSICMATCH,
a regular attendee, was at RetailVision to show off the newest
jukebox, V8, which is absolutely great! Sure beats the crummy
stuff that came with my MP3 player. By the way, I only “rip”
my own music CDs that I bought and paid for. Downloading music
off the Internet without paying is stealing. Pure and simple.
Okay, soapbox time is over. Back to work. Deacon Johnson walked
me through the new product and the company’s plans,
some of which I have only under double-secret probation. Keep
an eye on these guys.
Our old
friends from Aladdin showed up again, after
a long absence. I’ve been beating up their Prez, old
pal Jon Kahn, to get back in the RetailVision swing. Looks
like it worked. They had some top-notch meetings with key
retail partners. Aladdin’s Internet Cleanup software
is on a tear through retail. I just love the box, with these
sort of “alien” shades looking out. Nice family
of products, WIN and Mac. Aladdin just announced a deal with
Channel Sources, longtime supporter of RetailVision, to represent
the Aladdin line to retail. Veteran Exec VP, Tom Fitzsimmons
and his crew will have Aladdin stuff everywhere shortly. You
go, guys!
Phantom
Technologies was in stealth mode with some really
incredible new “3-D sound” peripheral. All very
hush-hush, but look for these guys. Our own Steve Cross is
involved.
Panda
Software finally showed up at a RetailVision. The
consumer product line is anchored by an entry-level service,
Titanium, and a professional version, Platinum. Titanium is
easy to set and forget while Platinum has advanced configuration
options and an intuitive personal firewall with networking
features for the small business or gaming studio. Cammy Christy
and BKA are collaborating to lead the charge for this European-based
outfit with very strong anti-virus technology. They kill in
Europe. But in the States can they beat Symantec, McAfee,
and all the others? Stay tuned. What a fight this one is turning
out to be. Reminds me of the old uninstaller wars 10 years
ago.
LaCie
introduced an impressive array of storage peripherals designed
by the legendary team at Porsche. LaCie has teamed up with
the renowned design firm to bring you products that combine
modern form and crisp design. Coupling LaCie’s history
of excellence in its industry with Porsche Design, a world
leader in timeless design and performance, this new family
of drives features highly-defined style and superior performance.
Keeping with the design philosophy of F.A. Porsche, “A
formally coherent object needs neither ornamentation nor enhancement.
Its neat, clean lines suffice; they should be invariably understated,
obvious and never stray from the product’s spirit and
purpose.” The LaCie Hard Drives Design by F.A. Porsche
reveals a chic one-of-a-kind style that only the famous Porsche
Design team can deliver. Its clean lines and mirrored finish
add a contemporary element to your desktop or workstation.
In other news, LaCie partners with CompUSA to launch a new
line of Storage Design by F.A. Porsche. LaCie and TechData
sign distribution agreement to increase support to the channel.
Seasonic
Electronics announced the debut of its Super Tornado
ATX 12V Power Supply, a breakthrough in PC power for gamers
and other power PC users. The Super Tornado, positioned for
the Do It Yourself (DIY) and replacement PC segments, offers
a silent, ultra-quiet 120mm Cyclone cooling fan and patented
S2FC intelligent speed technology, giving users the quietest
and most efficient performance possible. Perfect for Intel
Pentium 4 CPUs Version 1.3 and higher, The Super Tornado features
a unique, horizontally-mounted 120mm fan that is 50% larger
than typical power supply cooling fans. Not only does the
larger size reduce noise by eliminating the need for a second
fan, but also the horizontal mount prevents lubricant leakage
while assuring 0% chafe on the fan bearings. Together, these
design innovations produce exceptionally low noise, slower
speeds, low wear, and longer overall fan life. “The
Super Tornado is definitely cool and quiet. Even more, however,
it’s energy saving and environmentally friendly,”
said Cathy Chang, Marketing Manager for Seasonic Electronics.
“It’s energy efficiency is a near-perfect 99%,
compared to just 50% for many other power units. The Super
Tornado is an excellent choice and a great value for any PC
builder, rebuilder, or do-it-yourselfer.”
GetConnected
- Everyone you talk with is looking to increase margins by
leveraging cross merchandising opportunities and up selling
customer to buy solutions rather than just point products.
To that end, one very exciting company is Get Connected. GetConnected
can enable you to enter these lucrative categories quickly
and cost-effectively. GetConnected is the leading provider
of aggregated comparison-shopping and POS solutions for selling
broadband, wireless, digital video and other digital services.
In less than 90 days, deploy a best-in-class content management
system for service plans, pricing and promotional information;
the most sophisticated street address, phone number and/or
zip code-based service qualification; and a closed-loop order
processing and transaction reconciliation system for 35 telecommunications
service providers. Join the likes of Best Buy, Dell, Micro
Center and Motorola, all of whom have deployed GetConnected
POS solutions at retail, on-line and in call centers. For
more information, visit www.getconnectedinc.com
or e-mail merchants@getconnected.com.
For the
computer gaming junkie who can't ever leave his/her computer,
StarTech.com is introducing a product, Video
Game Jockey, that allows you to play any game console with
any PC monitor. The Video Game Jockey supports full audio
pass through, so you'll be able to hear your games through
your PC's speakers or headphones. Plus you can switch between
your console games and PC with only the touch of a button,
so you'll be able to quickly check your e-mail during breaks.
The Video Game Jockey also allows you to connect VCRs, DVD
players, and camcorders to your computer monitor, and since
it is a pure hardware design, no software or drivers required,
it even works when your computer isn't turned on. It's a steal
at under $80.
Actiontec
is a steady participant, and long-time industry guy Mike Ehlenberger
knows just how to make an impact with the Retailers. Actiontec
was showing off a new line of Bluetooth products. I went nuts
for the USB Wireless Bluetooth Adapter. Forget about cables
and wires from now on, this product line will be a gas! Can’t
discuss the other products Mike told me about, yet. By the
way, Actiontec still makes hay with analog products…MODEMS!!!!
Believe it? Apparently half the country won’t pony up
for broadband, and Actiontec handles that half.
Olympus
displayed the whole line of digital cameras in the Levin area:
terrific stuff that attracted a lot of interest from the Retailers,
e-tailers, and catalogers. Olympus’ retail line includes
everything from inexpensive starter cameras for a couple hundred
bucks to professional grade; what a great line of products.
They just killed with a new 6-megapixel SLR digital camera
with interchangeable lenses - Pro product for about $2199.
I own an Olympus digital, and one of their point-and-shoot
film cameras (a rare black Epic Stylus with zoom), along with
my other rigs. Love the small Olympus cameras. Great optics.
And apparently, great retail programs. Incredible technology.
Continental
Promotions and long-time adversaries TCA
Fulfillment were both in attendance, pitching their
rebate programs to both Retailers and Vendors. Interesting
market, if you get my “drift” (inside joke –
drift is what they call the uncashed rebate checks). Over
the years, and in various incarnations, I’ve used them
both for rebates and other promotions - two great outfits.
TCA President, Mike Metro, is a longtime supporter of RetailVision
and has done an outstanding job building TCA into a real machine.
The folks
at Maxell were in fine form with a complete
line of media. Once again, a real player in the market coming
to RetailVision to make a splash with the retail decision
makers. It’s funny, because companies like Maxell can
get an audience with anybody they choose, and yet they choose
to come to RetailVision. It just makes sense to leverage the
Event, and they do it well. Led by Don Patrician, the entire
Maxell team is professional and committed to the channel.
V-Com’s
steady VP of Sales, Travis Sehestedt, was flogging the new
retail boxes for their league-leading utilities, and the new
boxes were designed by all-around good guy and VP of Marketing,
Jeff Hyman.
Advueu
- While the Advueu brand is new to retail, their management
team is not. The successful OEM LCD TV and monitor company
announces their new brand into retail at RetailVision. Advueu
will be working with select retail accounts and not buying
groups. With D&H, they will have programs in place and
manage and service the accounts. They currently offer LCD
TVs: 15, 17, 20, and 30" wide.
Ahead
Software presents the award winning CD and DVD burning
software. It is very easy to use. Nero 6 the digital media
suite (video, audio, photo, data storage, backup, DVD play
back) supports 28 languages and customized user interface.
According to TechVT, “there’s a ton of new stuff
in Nero 6.” First off is a nifty set of wizards that
offer a simple point-and-click path to whatever you want to
burn or play. Nero 6 offers software to cover just about anything
you can burn to a CD or DVD. PC Magazine states, “If
you are looking for an all-in-one toolkit that can create
and burn content onto nearly any type of DVD or CD, then Nero
6 Ultra Edition is tough to beat at the price."
Life
Balance is an award winning coaching software from
Llamagraphics that helps personal and business schedules (i.e.
multiple projects, home schedules, etc.). The software, which
runs on PalmOS, Windows and Macintosh, is preparing to launch
at retail. For more information www.llamagraphics.com.
Brighter
Child Interactive - One of the leading children learning
software companies brings their strong PBS brand and quality,
reasonably priced learning software directly to retail. Brighter
Child offers multi faceted children learning software complete
with PC based software, interactive work book and flash cards.
The combination of PBS characters and learning tools has made
Brighter Child a bright star at RetailVision. They walked
away with “The Best of RetailVision Award”(TM)
for Best Product: Edutainment/Entertainment Software.
You should have seen the new cameras from Veo,
the number 2 guys to Logitech. Like Avis to Hertz, they try
harder. Will Banta is always on the lookout for retail partners,
and Veo has the product line to fit whatever demographic you’re
aiming at.
Where’s
Waldo? Chris Waldo is VP at FutureDial. Different
approach to this whole PDA/cellphone deal. Turns out that
everybody has the smarts in their phones already, and FutureDial
unlocks the capabilities of the phone you already own. On
the shelf at Best Buy, Micro Center, Fry’s, and Radio
Shack, it’s a kind of hot synch every user can benefit
from. Could be a sleeper on a breakout.
Sometimes
you just don’t know what you’re going to hear.
I sat down with Tina Campbell COO, at Buffalo Technology
who some of you know from stints at AAFES, Warehouse, etc.
Buffalo is #2 worldwide to Linksys in consumer wireless. Who
knew? The Japanese parent company is publicly traded on the
Nikkei. A real player worldwide making a big bet on this continent.
I wouldn’t bet against Tina- smart, hard-working. Keep
an eye on this one.
Chenbro
Micom is new to RetailVision, but not new to the
market. Probably one of the top manufacturers of computer
boxes in the world; they’re real innovators. I’ve
looked at their manufacturing prowess, and it’s substantial.
Chenbro is looking for Retailers who also build their own
lines of boxes. Huge delivery capacity from state-of-the-art
factories in Taiwan.
PalmGear.com
is just as the name implies: stuff for the PALM. Their motto
is: “the source for your Palm Powered world!”
Retailers with a significant handheld business should take
a look at the lineup of software and accessories from PalmGear.
Very deep offerings in a critical niche. How about building
collections of software titles geared for your target demographics?!
They’ll do it - innovative thinking.
The good
folks from Visioneer haven’t missed
a RetailVision in years, and this one was no different. President
Murray Dennis flew down (he usually drives his fast sports
car to RetailVision, if you didn’t know). Now very deeply
involved with Xerox and Xerox licensing activities, Visioneer
is a stand-out in imaging.
Final
Draft has been a fairly steady attendee, and even
though it sounds like a niche product, it’s fairly broad
in reach. Apparently, everybody thinks they can write and
has this idea about the next great play. Final Draft is the
“go-to guy” for all those aspiring writers. It’s
a big hobby.
The DataViz
guys, Andy Mercier and my old road warrior pal Rob Hoxie,
just can’t stay away from RetailVision either. Always
something new going on in handheld computing, and their stuff
really makes it happen in PDAs and convergence devices. I
wrote about their new version of Documents to Go earlier,
but you should look at the whole line of DataViz products
for mobile computing. Excellent stuff.
Fuji
Film had a neat lineup, with one standout camera
that has a fallback mode where it shoots 3 mega pixels, and
then an active mode where you toggle it to 65 mega pixels.
Now that’s imaging!
Remember
JC Whitney’s catalog of car parts? Well, Startech.com
is the JC Whitney of computer parts, and is now manufacturing
stuff under their own name for the home convergence market.
Not sure I like the names for the products, but I sure like
the products. That market is really growing.
I mentioned
the Fossil Palm Pilot watch (OS4.1) earlier,
but Fossil is also working with MSN in launching a watch using
a phenomenal application of FM (radio) push technology with
a wristwatch that displays whatever channels of info you select:
sports, stocks, weather. It’s like having all your personal
preferences for an electronic billboard right on your wrist.
Fun stuff. The MSN watch is around $129. The Palm watch is
$179-$199.
Experienced
people keep popping up in new roles. Mike Del Vecchio (Seiko
Instruments, Citizen) is leading the charge at Pegasus
with a $79.95 pen device that transmits “digital ink”
without all the cost and hardware. Simple, slick, and based
on some Israeli technology, the product was nominated for
Best Product: Peripheral. Could do some real volume, as it's
selling well in Europe already.
Service
Provider Central was focused on those companies who
serve the retail marketplace but also focus on services to
Vendors.
ChannelPartner
- Efficiency and the ability outsource channel field sales
management. Channel Partner also provides detailing, merchandising
and training services. "We can cover events for the cost
of what it takes some channel sales people to rent a car,"
said Steve Wilson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Tentoe
- Content management system specializes in connecting Vendor
product information to their online retail channels. Their
focus is on rich media but it delivers everything from press
releases, PDF to Powerpoint presentations. Tentoe helps online
customers gather enough information to make an educated purchasing
decision. Tentoe keeps customers on the Retailer's site longer,
limits returns and closes sales.
Zomax
–A consumer electronic supply chain solution. Consumers
demand the latest technology at the lowest possible price.
Retailers require guaranteed product availability and demand
high inventory turns. As an experienced supply chain services
provider, Zomax delivers the scalability and reliability to
overcome these challenges.
Aqueduct
– Increases sales and marketing channel performance
for nearly 100 clients through web-based managed services.
Aqueduct’s solutions connect manufacturers, dealers,
Retailers and distributors by streamlining business processes
such as product and services information delivery, leads management,
co-op advertising and post-sale services.
Levin
Consulting – You’ve left the Event pumped
but where is the real opportunity? You got great feedback
and made some solid contacts. But now, what? Levin Consulting,
the largest and most experienced channel consulting firm,
quickly assesses where you are, where you should be going
and how you should get there. Jim Kalasky, Vice President,
states what makes them successful is a very thorough list
of recommendations and strong communication. Thanks to Barry
and the Levin team for helping RetailVision.
In the
meantime, my hat is off to Philip McKay, Pete Prentice and
his staff. Awesome job! Thanks, folks.
If
we missed you and you would like to be included in an upcoming
issue of ChannelMedia please contact Keith Newman at knewman@sbcglobal.net
or our Chief Correspondent and columnist Steve Cross at steve@crosschannel.com,
702-492-7472. Also, see Steve’s column at the end of
this newsletter.
|
How
to Turn Browsers into Buyers
Q&A
with Computer Associates, 
