Commercial Integrator recently sat down with QSC president Jatan Shah to get the inside scoop on Acuity Brands acquiring QSC. The acquisition news, which broke Oct. 24, immediately captured the industry’s imagination given the possibilities this union holds for the future of intelligent spaces. During a 16-minute interview, Dan Ferrisi, group editor, commercial and security, Emerald, asks Shah when and how Acuity Brands and QSC began dialoguing, how the company plans to accelerate growth and expand into new markets, what’s most exciting about melding Q-SYS technology with Acuity’s data-driven vision, and how executive leadership plans to preserve and refine QSC’s enduring company culture.
QSC President Jatan Shah on ‘A Pivotal Moment’
“We think this is a pivotal moment for the industry,” Shah explains. “[You take] the audio, video and control expertise that QSC has and then you combine it with what Acuity offers, which is a significant step forward creating smarter, more efficient and more people-centric spaces.” It’s a potent combination in an increasingly outcome-centric technology world. Shah emphasizes that Acuity’s focus lies in data-driven, sustainable solutions to redefine what intelligent spaces can accomplish. The AV industry, meanwhile, plays a natural role as the “eyes and ears” within these environments. This positions QSC to help catalyze transformational value in intelligent spaces of all kinds.
Later in the conversation, Shah emphasizes the truly global vision that Acuity and QSC will have. “As QSC, we’ve been expanding in the U.S., Europe, Asia…many, many places with our regional hubs and experience centers,” he explains. “We think we can extend Acuity’s reach even beyond where its traditional focus has been. And so, by combining the two organizations, there is a lot of unlocked potential that [can emerge.]”
Check out the embedded video (below) to view the entire conversation with QSC president Jatan Shah in which he shares candid insights into the union of Acuity Brands and QSC.
