Integration firms leaning on third-party automation programmers to supplement their in-house expertise is nothing new.
Usually it’s through a third-party programming house.
What is new is that a distributor is offering it with Almo Professional A/V recently announcing its Almo CONTROL Systems Services.
Almo Pro A/V’s CONTROL Systems is its fourth managed service program—joining Almo’s Content Creation Services, Installation Services and CONNECT Bandwidth Services—and it’s designed to provide Almo partners support with control systems and DSP programming for AMX, ClearOne and Crestron, it announced during its first fall 2016 E4 stop in Boston.
Programming services is an obvious fit for Almo Pro A/V which has been focused on rolling out programs to either address its integration firm dealers’ needs or create new paths to revenue, says executive VP Sam Taylor. He acknowledges that CI and others had asked when Almo might be rolling out automation programming, and indeed it was in the works, but it was necessary to slowly roll out its other managed service programs first to ensure quality.
There was demand from dealers, says director of business development Brian Rhatigan in a press release.
“We found that our partners were coming to us for control system hardware but then needed additional support to fill in the gaps and complete this part of the project. Since we are providing much of the hardware already, it makes sense to offer this service so our partners can provide a complete solution for their customers while creating a new recurring revenue stream for their businesses.”
Many if not most of Almo Pro A/V’s dealers have programmers on staff. Taylor is clear that Almo CONTROL Systems Services isn’t intended to replace that expertise but to complement it. He describes scenarios in which a firm’s volume of projects creates challenges for programmers. “They can use our programming services to keep the ball rolling.”
Along those lines, the service is also intended to allow integrators to say “yes” confidently. Business development manager Eric Olson, who is heading up Almo CONTROL Systems Services, says he understands that many integration firms are inclined to take requests while realizing that they’ll have to figure out the solutions later.
“That’s where we come in,” he says. “We help our dealers become full solution providers.”
Olson and Taylor sat down with me at Almo Pro AV E4 AV Tour in Boston to discuss up Almo CONTROL Systems Services:
More from Almo Pro A/V’s press release on Almo CONTROL Systems Services:
Almo Professional A/V, North America’s largest professional audio visual distributor, today added CONTROL Systems as a fourth Managed Service. Designed to provide Almo partners support with control system and DSP programming for AMX, ClearOne and Crestron, Almo CONTROL Systems Services will officially unveil duringAlmo’s E4 AV Tour, coming to Boston, MA on Friday, September 23.
Almo is the first distributor in the industry to create a path for resellers to expand their reach for growth and recurring revenue through managed services. The CONTROL Systems Services.
“We found that our partners were coming to us for control system hardware but then needed additional support to fill in the gaps and complete this part of the project,” said Brian Rhatigan, director of business development for Almo Professional A/V. “Since we are providing much of the hardware already, it makes sense to offer this service so our partners can provide a complete solution for their customers while creating a new recurring revenue stream for their businesses. We look forward to talking with attendees about this service at our E4 AV Tour event in Boston this week.”
“As with all of our service offerings, each one empowers our partners to become a complete and total service provider without the need to add employees or take time out for extensive training,” explained Eric Olson, business development manager for Almo Professional A/V. “The CONTROL Systems Services enable our partners to augment staff so they can bid on a wider range of control projects.”
The new Almo CONTROL Systems Services can help deploy the following:
AMX Rapid Project Manager (RPM): AMX’s configurable system for a quick turnaround project at a very affordable price. Almo guides the process of setting up the technology quickly, easily and reliably.
AMX Custom Projects: For more complex implementations, AMX’s award-winning products span control and automation, switching, distributed audio and video, and technology management.
ClearOne DSP: Almo’s team of expert programmers make sure all audio systems are tuned and configured to produce the best quality sound for a project space.
Crestron: Crestron’s automation and control solutions for homes and buildings let people control entire environments with the push of a button, integrating systems such as AV, lighting, shading, security, BMS and HVAC to provide greater comfort, convenience and security.
