Former System Integrators Collaborate to Simplify Your World
Industry leaders present the “Blueprint for Success” breakfast and panel discussion during CEDIA, sharing ideas for home technologists to drastically improve operating efficiencies and generate recurring revenue through service plans
Dallas, TX – August 31, 2016 — Executives from D-Tools (Booth #2512), Ihiji (Booth #5712), OneVision Resources (Booth #5712), Portal by SupplyStream (Booth #1312) and Slateplan (Booth #3016), will participate in a free-of-charge panel discussion and breakfast, moderated by CE Pro Editor-in-Chief Jason Knott, during CEDIA 2016.
The session, “Blueprint for Success: Former Systems Integrators Collaborate to Simplify Your World” takes place in Ballroom C at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas, Texas on Thursday, September 15, 2016 at 8 AM.
The Tools to Battle Today’s Business Challenges
Systems integration is a tough business, with home technologists battling increasing costs and decaying profit margins, as the industry transitions to a service-centric business model with customers demanding more from their technology experience than ever before. To that end, a number of software tools, products, and services have been brought to market—many by former custom integrators who understand the pain of trying to make a profit from product sales, and the design and installation of systems—to help home technologists streamline business processes. Today’s technology can help with the following and more:
- expedite getting contracts signed
- improve the efficiency and precision with which projects are executed
- streamline the process of servicing clients
But technologists may still struggle with which tools to use, and how to integrate them–both with each other and into their business—for maximum benefits. Thursday’s unprecedented breakfast event, a unique collaboration between home technology professionals-turned-service providers and software developers, gives CEDIA attendees the opportunity to ask questions, share thoughts, and brainstorm ideas.
Industry Leaders Collaborate to Offer Solutions
Randy Stearns of D-Tools, the worldwide leader in system integration software; Stuart Rench of Ihiji, the leading provider of remote technology management solutions for the integration market since 2009; Joey Kolchinsky of OneVision Resources, a turn-key smart-home service desk and RMR-generation platform; Scott Marchand of Slateplan, provider of modern software for home technology sales professionals, and Kirk Chisholm of Portal by SupplyStream, will discuss why they have transitioned from being custom integrators to service and technology providers for the custom electronics industry.
“As a former systems integrator who, like so many, struggled with multiple software solutions and data that was continually out of sync, I set out on a mission to streamline data flow and the resulting business processes for system integrators worldwide. In order to accomplish this objective, D-Tools has developed an API and integration plan that at long last makes it possible for integrators to select and adopt the various tools that best suit the needs of their business,” says D-Tools CEO Randy Stearns, one of five participants on the panel.
Announcing a Seamless and Effective “Blueprint for Success”
At the breakfast, these prestigious companies will also announce the details of their collaborative plans to create a seamless and effective blueprint for success for home technology professionals. As a group, they are working together to help home technologists improve business processes and service for greater efficiency and profitability.
“Many of us have been integrators in our past lives, and we understand many of the pain points in the life cycle of a project, including sales, design, engineering, project management, procurement, installation and ongoing support. We’ve each developed unique, specialized solutions to address and solve specific pain points. But we want to go one step farther by making sure that these solutions work well together—we want dealers to enjoy a simple and consistent experience as they move from one solution to the next,” says Scott Marchand of Slateplan.
“With the modern integrator’s business growing in complexity across the project lifecycle it’s more important than ever that software and service providers work together to create a more streamlined workflow,” adds panel participant Joseph Kolchinsky, Founder and CEO of OneVision Resources. “The best platform experience will come from collaboration between providers.”
“We are happy to be part of a group of forward-thinkers that all recognize the need to collaborate on solutions, processes, and education to help our mutual dealer bases be more successful executing the daily operations of their business,” says Ihiji co-founder and CEO Stuart Rench. “This collaboration will benefit the entire project lifecycle from initial consultation through the long-term service relationship.”
“Dealers in the AV industry will benefit immensely as they will be able to more easily implement specialized software and scale up as they grow with seamless integrations,” says Kirk Chisholm of Portal by SupplyStream. “I’m proud to be a part of a group that understands and supports the methodology of using specialization to solve highly specific use-cases through software APIs and then leveraging other services to solve the rest,” he concludes.
The breakfast and panel is free to CEDIA attendees and no registration is required. To learn more, visit the CEDIA Special Event page for this panel here: Blueprint for Success: Former System Integrators Collaborate to Simplify Your World.
Media interviews with Randy Stearns (D-Tools), Stuart Rench (Ihiji) or Joseph Kolchinsky (OneVision Resources) can be arranged through Katye (McGregor) Bennett of KMB Communications, Inc., by emailing [email protected], phoning +1 (425) 328-8640 (mobile), or by Direct Message (Twitter) to @KatyeMcGregor. Media Interviews with Scott Marchand (Slateplan) can be arranged through Jason Wright by emailing [email protected] or by phoning +1 (415) 272-6842 (mobile) and with Kirk Chisholm by emailing [email protected].
About D-Tools, Inc.
D-Tools, founded in 1998 and based in Concord, California, is a worldwide leader in accessible, highly accurate system design and documentation software platform. The company’s flagship product, System Integrator™ (SI), is a robust solution that utilizes Autodesk® AutoCAD and Microsoft® Visio to facilitate comprehensive system design, documentation and project management. D-Tools enables residential and commercial integrators to streamline business processes and increase revenues while reducing the time and cost associated with the installation and integration of low voltage electronic systems. More than 5,000 leading companies in 87 countries currently use the award-winning D-Tools platform to reduce time, costs and to streamline the system integration process. Product updates and related information can be obtained by following D-Tools on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn
About Ihiji
Ihjii (eye-hee-jee) provides cloud-based SaaS solutions that empower systems integrators and technology professionals to cost-effectively deliver remote network management services to their clients. These solutions not only allow for efficient management of the network and devices that make up the Internet of Things (IoT) inside the modern home and office, they also enable resellers to create a recurring revenue stream for their business by reducing or eliminating unnecessary site visits. In fact, resellers utilizing Ihiji SaaS solutions benefit from improved network performance and uptime, along with fewer service and support concerns. An award-winning global SaaS solutions provider, Ihiji is based in Austin, Texas and is privately held. To learn more, visit www.ihiji.com and follow Ihiji on Twitter. If it has an IP… Ihiji.
About OneVision Resources
As former integrators with years of experience in smart home design, integration, and service, OneVision Resources provides high quality, quick-response, white-label monitoring and end-user support for smart home installers nationwide. With a dedicated team of emotionally-intelligent and technically-skilled representatives standing by to offer Instant Triage for smart-home owners, OneVision follows up with white-label marketing and sales of service plans to generate recurring monthly revenue. For more information, visit www.onevisionresources.com.
About Portal
Portal is a web-based, industry-specific product catalog that allows dealers to find product information and make wholesale purchases from all of their suppliers in one place. Portal collects and organizes product data — including pricing, availability, specifications, videos, and more — by industry and category, then presents it in a comprehensive yet intuitive web catalog, making it easier for resellers to find what they need, build accurate proposals, and purchase products from their suppliers. www.portal.io
About Slateplan
Slateplan is a cloud-based software solution provider based in San Francisco, CA. Slateplan’s intuitive software, created for home technology sales professionals, helps them collaborate with customers and quickly define project scope and budget. Slateplan accelerates the sales process, promotes client engagement and eliminates pre-sales engineering hours. For more information visit http://www.slateplan.com/
All products, product names, trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners, all rights reserved.
Media contact
Katye (McGregor) Bennett | KMB Communications, Inc.
(425) 328-8640 | [email protected] | www.kmbcomm.com |
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