by Bob Archer | Feb 11, 2026 | News
CONCORD, CA – February 11, 2026 — D-Tools, the leading provider of end-to-end business management software for electronic systems contractors, today announced that G Paul Hess has been appointed Chief Executive Officer as part of a long-planned leadership succession. After more than a decade as CEO marked by strong, consistent growth, Randy Stearns has chosen to “downshift” from the role while remaining actively involved to ensure a smooth, orderly handoff and continued momentum for the business.
Over the past ten years, Stearns has led D-Tools through a period of substantial expansion and modernization, transforming the company from a traditional on‑premises software provider into a dynamic SaaS leader for the electronic systems channel. Under his leadership, the company launched D-Tools Cloud, strengthened its focus on recurring revenue and scalability, and delivered exceptional, double-digit annual recurring revenue growth establishing D-Tools as the clear category leader and a trusted, long-term partner to systems integrators and industry suppliers worldwide.
“With the company performing at a high level and our strategy, team, and capital all aligned, this feels like the right moment for me to step back from the day-to-day CEO role and pass the baton,” said Stearns. “I’m incredibly proud of what our team has built—the strength of the business today, our dominant position in the market, and the massive opportunity in front of us as we invest in innovative ways to better serve the channel. G Paul is the right leader to guide D-Tools into this exciting next chapter.”
Hess brings decades of experience in the electronic systems industry, beginning his career as an integrator and later holding senior and executive leadership roles across product, sales, and marketing at organizations including Snap One and ADI. Having worked closely with integrators, manufacturers, and channel partners throughout his career, Hess has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the electronic systems community and how D-Tools’ platform can unlock greater efficiencies, profitability, and growth.
“I’m honored to build on the extraordinary foundation Randy and the team have created,” said Hess. “D-Tools is financially strong, strategically focused, and backed by the resources and talent to accelerate innovation in ways that will excite integrators and the broader channel. My priority is to listen to our customers, empower our team, and thoughtfully scale the strategy already in place as we unleash the company’s next wave of growth.”
Stearns will remain engaged with the company throughout the transition period, serving in an active strategic and advisory capacity to support Hess, the leadership team, and key customer and partner relationships. D-Tools’ product roadmap, customer commitments, and laser focus on the electronic systems integration community remain central priorities, with new energy and the freedom to leverage investments to expand the value and impact of its solutions for the channel.
About D-Tools, Inc.
D-Tools, Inc. is a global leader in business management software for system integration firms. Its System Integrator (SI) and D-Tools Cloud platforms streamline sales, design, project management, and service operations. Serving over 8,000 companies in 90+ countries, D-Tools helps integrators increase efficiency and drive growth.
For more information, visit www.d-tools.com or follow D-Tools on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Media Contacts:
Tim Bigoness, D-Tools — (925) 270-4102 — timb@d-tools.com
Katye McGregor Bennett, KMB Communications — (406) 446-1283 — katye@kmbcomm.com
All products, product names, trademarks, and registrations mentioned are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
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by Bob Archer | Feb 11, 2026 | Blog
If you love defense, the just completed Seattle Seahawks vs New England Patriots Super Bowl featured lots of defense and notably—a dominate performance from the Seahawks.
The Seahawks would go onto beatdown the Patriots 29-13, and the only thing left as the game concluded was to see which advertiser had the best commercial. Unlike the game, which determines winners and losers through competition, the best commercial is a matter of opinion and there are likely to be some differences of opinion.
Following the game, the New York Times did a ranking of Super Bowl commercials that includes a list of more than 50 commercials.
Do you agree with the New York Times, or do you have a different choice? A quick poll of the KMB Communications team finds Lisa Montgomery pointing to the Lay’s potato chip commercial as her favorite commercial.
“My favorite was the Lays potato chip commercial. As a farm girl, I could relate to the woman reflecting on her childhood experiences with her dad harvesting potatoes,” comments Montgomery.
“The moment he retires and hands the “keys” to the farm to her brought tears to my eyes … and a hankering for potato chips.”
Bob Archer, the newest member of team KMB Communications, says the Dunkin Donuts commercial with Ben Affleck, Tom Brady and Jennifer Aniston, was his favorite.
“The 1990s-influenced ‘Good Will Hunting’ parody was fun with several nods to classic sitcoms including ‘Friends,’ ‘Family Matters,’ ‘Seinfeld,’ and ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,’” notes Archer.
“I thought the commercial was creative and funny.”
America Picks its Favorite Super Bowl Commercial
Polling the country, USA Today runs its Super Bowl Admeter to determine America’s favorite commercial.
According to the Admeter, the top commercial, which is determined by surveying television viewers during a live poll is the Budweiser commercial entitled, “American Icons.” Following the Bud commercial is the Lay’s commercial that Montgomery cited as her favorite, with Pepsi’s, “The Choice” rounding out the top three advertisements.
Going deeper into America’s favorite commercials based on Admeter results, here is the rest of the top 10 commercials:
- “Good Will Dunkin” from Dunkin Donuts
- “The ULTRA Instructor” from Michelob ULTRA
- “Jurassic Park… Works” from Xfinity (Comcast)
- “Relax Your Tight End” from Novartis
- “Champion” from the National Football League (NFL)
- “Keg” from Bud Light
- “Alexaaaa” from Amazon Alexa
Here is the complete list of USA Today’s Admeter ranking of Super Bowl commercials. If you would like to share your favorite ad from the big game, LinkedIn is asking site visitors to submit their commentary.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
by Bob Archer | Feb 6, 2026 | Blog, KMB Communications
If you love football and you work in the electronics industry, your news feeds may be full of NFL and Integrated Systems Europe (ISE 2026) items, but there are other things happening and the KMB Comm Technology Week in Review has you covered.
This week there are notable items from the residential market and several interesting national stories related to the electronics industry. There is one little Super Bowl story in the week in review, but it has nothing to do with Drake Maye, the Patriots or the Seahawks.
Is the Video Display Market Shifting Gears?
Starting the KMB Comm Technology Week in Review off is an item from Tech Radar on reports of LG ceasing production of 8K OLED panels.
In the story, the website points out that 8K may be going the way of 3D, which was a fad that peaked in between the HD video and 4K formats in the late 2000s and early 2010s. According to Tech Radar, if market conditions change, the company may restart production, but for the time being, LG joins TCL and Sony, as manufacturers leaving the 8K television category.
Another big news story that broke that may impact the smart home industry is Texas Instruments’ (TI) acquisition of Silicon Labs. A story on LinkedIn says TI acquired the chipmaker for $7.5 billion, and the announcement follows a strong earnings report from the diverse chip manufacturer that is known for its digital-to-analog converter chips and its DLP video technologies.
Focusing on the audiophile side of the home electronics industry, Ecoustics posted a story on a new low-output moving coil (MC) phono cartridge from Sumiko.
The story states the new Sumiko cartridge carries a retail price of $1,699 and it will compete against popular products from Audio-Technica and Dynavector. Ecoustics adds the new Oriole phono cartridge is made in Japan and it features a Shibata stylus that is mounted directly to the cantilever.
Another audiophile item from Ecoustics that posted this past week is the news that Fidelity Imports is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Cambridge Audio.
The story asserts that product quality has never been the issue for Cambridge Audio and now with a new product line, the brand is set to move forward in the U.S. Cambridge Audio joins a Fidelity Imports brand roster that includes Unison Research, Matrix Audio, Perlisten Audio, and Primare.
KMB Comm Technology Week in Review Look at National News
More news from LinkedIn during this past week includes a story on the challenges Apple faces as the AI wars crank up.
In the post from LinkedIn, the author states that Meta, Google and OpenAI have passed Apple in the AI race. The article notes that AI companies are fighting to dominate the memory chip market, and as they take more market share in the memory chip category they are driving prices up, which is hurting Apple’s revenues.
One last item to close out the KMB Comm Technology Week in Review: Since the big game is all set between the Patriots and Seahawks on NBC in the U.S. on Sunday Feb. 8, it means it is also time for the year’s biggest advertisements to run during the game.
The post on LinkedIn says NBC Universal has sold several 30-second ads for the game for more than $10 million, according to Adweek. The item goes on to state that NBC Universal’s sales strategy involved linking Super Bowl ads with its Winter Olympics coverage to help attract additional interest to the ad spots.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
by Bob Archer | Feb 2, 2026 | Blog, D-Tools, KMB Communications, Kordz, SONOS, Torus Power
Every trade show has the same temptation: Chase the biggest screen, the loudest demo, the most dramatic “look what we can do.”
And listen—those are fun. We’re all human.
But if you want coverage that actually serves integrators—and gives your readers something they can act on Monday morning—you have to spend time with the unglamorous stuff. The things that don’t trend on social media or more succinctly—the things homeowners never notice—unless they fail.
That’s why this editorial angle works so well at ISE 2026 in Barcelona (Feb. 3–6): the fundamentals are having a moment. (ISE 2026)
Here’s what I mean.
Power isn’t a “nice-to-have” when the system is sophisticated
The more complex the home, the less forgiving it becomes. High-performance theaters, distributed audio, racks with serious density—these systems reveal power problems quickly.
Torus Power is showing why power isolation and stability belong in the conversation before the troubleshooting begins. It’s not just about protection; it’s about repeatable performance. Visit Torus at Stand #2D300. (CEPRO)
Cabling is where plans meet reality
Designers can draw the cleanest lines. Engineers can spec the perfect solution. But system installations happen in the real world—tight pathways, weird studs, bend radii, heat, vibrations, and the occasional “we need it done today.” Kordz is leaning into connectivity designed for professional deployment, and showing it in a way the press can actually capture: Demos, hands-on experiences, and practical product storytelling around HDMI and control infrastructure. Kordz will be at Stand #2F550. (Learn more here: Kordz)
Documentation is not paperwork, it’s risk management
Integrators don’t lose money because they’re bad at technology. They lose money because the project got messy—miscommunication, missed details, wrong versions, unclear scope, and other inefficiencies. D-Tools is showcasing workflow improvements that help firms build quotes and manage projects more efficiently, with a strong emphasis on reducing friction between office and field. If you want to write about the business of integration—and not only the gadgets—this is a “walk the booth” topic. D-Tools is at Stand #2J500. (Read more here: Commercial Integrator)
Whole-home audio is only “simple” when it’s designed to be lived with
Distributed audio is where the glamorous goal of beautiful sound everywhere meets the unglamorous truth (zones, tuning, racks, serviceability). Sonos’ Amp Multi announcement is a strong example of what’s changing: professional-grade architecture intended to scale cleanly, with tools and design choices meant to support real integrator workflows and reduce friction for homeowners. At ISE, Sonos will also be talking through its broader installed solutions, with demos at Hall 1, Booth 1E500. (Learn more here: newsroom.sonos.com)
Here’s a bigger point to consider: The integrator is the hero of these stories. And the hero’s superpower isn’t a flashy product—it’s risk reduction. It’s a system that works on day one and keeps working on day after day.
So if you’re writing for any of the outlets that keep this industry healthy—do your readers a favor at ISE: cover the fundamentals. That’s where the real differentiation is. That’s where the installs get cleaner. That’s where trust is built.
And that’s where the glamorous experiences begin.
KMB CEO and founder Katye McGregor Bennett will be at ISE. To book time to meet with the brands mentioned above, email katye@kmbcomm.com with “ISE Meeting Inquiry” in the subject line.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
by Bob Archer | Feb 2, 2026 | Blog, D-Tools, KMB Communications, Kordz, SONOS, Torus Power
Let’s be honest: The real enemy of a profitable integration business isn’t competition. It’s chaos.
Chaos is the wrong part ordered because the quote wasn’t clear. Chaos is the rack that overheats because airflow was a “later” problem. Chaos is the cable that technically worked … until it didn’t. Chaos is the client who says, “It’s fine,” while quietly losing faith.
That’s why one of my favorite editorial angles for ISE 2026 (Feb. 3–6, Barcelona) is the simplest one: Fewer truck rolls, fewer surprises. (ISE 2026)
This isn’t a glamorous theme—until you’ve lived it. Then it becomes the whole point.
Start with smarter quoting and cleaner collaboration
D-Tools is bringing a workflow story to ISE 2026 that’s tailor-made for this angle: Faster quoting, more efficient team collaboration, and tools that reduce friction between sales, design, project management, and the technicians in the field. When your documentation is aligned, your project execution becomes more predictable—and predictability is how you protect margin. Find D-Tools at Stand #2J500. (Commercial Integrator)
Make wiring clarity a standard, not a scramble
If you’ve ever watched a tech trace a cable with one hand and hold back frustration with the other, you already know why wiring clarity matters. Kordz is leaning into “install-ready design” at ISE 2026, pairing product introductions with hands-on demonstrations that reinforce durability and deployment confidence. The goal isn’t just better performance—it’s fewer unknowns when everything is already happening at once on a jobsite. Kordz will be at Stand #2F550. (Kordz)
Build infrastructure that behaves when the environment doesn’t
Power is the silent contributor to “random” problems. Brownouts, voltage swings, line noise, and surges are the kinds of issues that create intermittent failures and the dreaded phrase: “We can’t reproduce it.” Torus Power’s ISE presence is built around power isolation and stability as a foundation for performance and reliability, showcased at Stand #2D300. (CEPRO)
Reduce homeowner friction in multi-zone audio
Now, the part clients actually touch every day: Whole-home audio. Sonos’ new Amp Multi is provides integrators an easy way to scale distributed audio without scaling headaches—flexible zone assignment, high speaker counts, and tuning tools designed for integrators. Sonos is also making a point to use ISE as a platform for broader discussions about its installed solutions, not just the headline product. Look for Sonos in Hall 1, Booth 1E500. (newsroom.sonos.com)
Here’s why this matters to integration industry press members: The integration channel is full of “hero stories” that never get told because they’re not cinematic. The truth is, a successful project is often defined by what didn’t happen—no failure, no panic, no rework, no awkward client apology. That’s a compelling business story, and it’s a meaningful service story.
If you’re an editor ask the brands and integrators at ISE 2026 what they’ve done to reduce variables. Ask what eliminates callbacks. Ask what helps teams work faster without cutting corners. That’s where the modern integration narrative is headed—and it’s how the industry moves from “custom” to “consistently excellent.”
KMB CEO and founder Katye McGregor Bennett will be at ISE. To book time to meet with the brands mentioned above, email katye@kmbcomm.com with “ISE Meeting Inquiry” in the subject line.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
