Harman Professional Deploys New Business Market Strategy

Harman Professional, a provider of integrated professional-grade audio technologies, today announced a focused new business strategy to better serve customers in the transportation, themed entertainment, education, and hospitality project markets. In doing so, the company has appointed Van Williamson, business development manager, to lead the program. Williamson has recruited experts from each sector to ensure the highest levels of empathy, engagement, and understanding. According to Williamson, Harman Professional's strategy is to couple its proven leadership in acoustic and electronic systems design to offer specialized audio systems based on key customer input and established best practices in each sector. This new strategy was announced just after Harman announced its intention to purchase the lighting manufacturer, Martin Professional.

"The audio and information needs of hospitality professionals and education professionals, for example, will differ considerably. Our experience is that specialized systems can significantly increase end-user gains in operational effectiveness," Williamson said. "And by effectiveness we mean more than just intelligibility or acoustical performance, which our customers have already come to expect from Harman's professional-grade audio systems -- we also pay considerable attention to workflow, atmospherics, interoperability, control, aesthetics and, of course, cost. I am very pleased to lead this exciting initiative and look forward to working with our team and our customers to make better sound more pervasive in all of the markets we're focusing on."

Harman Professional initially focused on the transportation sector as a pilot project in 2010, and partnered with airport sector leader, Com-Net, to design and offer the specialized IDX Message Delivery System that merges Harman audio components from JBL, Crown, and BSS with Com-Net operator control software and digital signage technology. IDX, which provides unified audio and video messaging with better integration and control, has already gained strong traction in the transportation market with key contracts awarded internationally at major airports and rail stations, the company says.

According to the company, Williamson has hired proven experts for each sector: John Goodrich leads the transportation sector, Michael Kurcab leads the hospitality sector, Mark Henkin leads education, and Martin Collins leads themed entertainment.

"We've hired a strong team to ensure we're deeply connected to each sector." Williamson added. "The need to listen carefully to our customers and build systems that enhance their business operations is critical to the success of this program. Audio is everywhere in these markets -- our goal is to set a new standard for intelligibility, integration, and control and, in doing so, to make our education, themed entertainment, transportation, and hospitality customers more successful. Harman Professional has a great message and we're being heard!"