by Bob Archer | Jun 30, 2026 | News
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Gefen, a Nice Brand, Wins SCN Installation Product Award at InfoComm 2026
GF-EXT-WiK-5G Wireless HDMI KVM Extender recognized as Most Innovative KVM Solution by Systems Contractor News.
CARLSBAD, Calif. – Nice is proud to announce that Gefen, a Nice brand, has been recognized with a Systems Contractor News (SCN) Installation Product Award at InfoComm 2026, earning top honors in the Most Innovative KVM Solution category for its GF-EXT-WiK-5G Wireless HDMI KVM Extender.
Presented annually by Systems Contractor News, the SCN Installation Product Awards recognize the most innovative technologies shaping the professional AV industry. Winners across 11 categories were honored during a ceremony held June 16, ahead of the opening of the InfoComm 2026 exhibition in Las Vegas.
“Just when you think a technology has reached its peak, Pro AV manufacturers find new ways to deliver innovative solutions for end users and integrators alike,” says Mark J. Pescatore, content director, Systems Contractor News. “We are excited to congratulate all our winners for 2026.”
The award-winning GF-EXT-WiK-5G Wireless HDMI KVM Extender delivers uncompressed 4K Ultra HD 60Hz video, USB keyboard and mouse control, and IR extension wirelessly up to 50 meters (164 feet), providing a flexible, cable-free solution for conference rooms, classrooms, control centers, digital signage, and residential AV applications.
Designed to simplify installations where running cabling is impractical or cost-prohibitive, the extender leverages robust 5GHz wireless technology to provide stable, low-latency HDMI and KVM distribution. A single transmitter supports up to four receivers simultaneously, enabling multi-display deployments without the complexity of traditional wired infrastructure. Additional features—including HDMI loop-out for local monitoring, EDID management, manual channel selection, integrated SSID pairing, and strong anti-interference performance—deliver the reliability and flexibility professional integrators demand.
“This recognition from SCN is a tremendous honor and reflects our continued commitment to developing practical, high-performance solutions that solve real installation challenges,” says Jeff Shaw, CPO at Nice North America. “The GF-EXT-WiK-5G Wireless HDMI KVM Extender gives integrators a new level of flexibility by delivering uncompromised 4K performance without the time, cost, and limitations of traditional cabling. We’re proud to see the innovation and engineering behind this product recognized by one of the industry’s most respected publications.”
The award underscores the ongoing commitment of Nice to developing innovative AV solutions that equip professional integrators with products engineered for exceptional performance, long-term reliability, and streamlined installation.
About Nice
Founded in the early 1990s, Nice is a global leader in Smart Living Solutions, offering a complete range of integrated solutions for gate automation, garage doors, solar shading systems, parking systems, wireless alarm systems and home security, for residential, commercial and industrial applications; smart and connected systems for residential and commercial applications, for the security, access control, AI (Artificial Intelligence), comfort & wellness, control and power/AV sectors. Nice has embarked on a strategic path of expansion and extension of its portfolio of connected solutions and platforms to offer a wide choice of customizable solutions and ease of use for the end user. This is complemented by strengthening and expanding in markets with high growth potential, as well as a renewed branding activity to compete in new market segments. Today Nice can rely on an organization of over 2,000 people on 5 continents, boasting a wealth of different skills and cultures, as well as 14 R&D centers and 13 production plants serving its partners and customers in over 100 countries worldwide.
About Nice North America
Nice North America, LLC, a subsidiary of Nice, is one of the largest manufacturers of smart residential, commercial, and industrial solutions in the world, providing integrated smart living experiences. They offer seamless and easy-to-install technology for smart home control, security & automation, perimeter access and protection, including hostile vehicle mitigation, sunshade solutions, power management, and entertainment. Based in Carlsbad, CA, at the heart of Southern California’s innovation corridor, the company drives innovation through a network of advanced R&D and manufacturing centers across the region, with major operations in Kent, Olive Branch, and Montreal, Canada. Supporting professional integrators, dealers, and distribution partners, the company offers award-winning programs, hands-on technical support, field training, and CEU-certified education initiatives designed to help accelerate business growth. Nice North America lives out their mission of creating environments where individuals truly feel unbounded, safe, and free through smart solutions – an impact exemplified by its support of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program for wounded veterans – and strives toward building a brighter and more sustainable future.
Nice North America Media Contacts
Nice North America Agency Contact: Katye McGregor Bennett of KMB Communications at (406) 446-1283 or katye@kmbcomm.com.
Nice North America Corporate Contact: Anggie O’Farrell, Marketing Communications Specialist, (619) 761-0623, anggie.ofarrell@niceforyou.com.
All products, product names, trademarks, and registrations mentioned are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
by Bob Archer | Jun 29, 2026 | D-Tools, KMB Communications, News, Somfy
June marks the half-way point of the year, and it also happens to be a busy month in the world of technology integration. Reflecting on just how busy the month of June was, the KMB Comm-icles Monthly Recall includes eight items to look back upon.
Summarizing the eight items, which mostly focus on the just completed InfoComm 2026 show that took part in Les Vegas, Nice dropped news from its Gefen and Furman brands, and D-Tools announced several product updates.
Here is a list of the press releases from June 2026 in order of release. Please note, the first few releases technically occurred in May, but were announced after the release of the May 2026 KMB Comm-icles:
- D-Tools Launches SI Mobile Install App with New Offline Functionality for Field Technicians
- Furman Showcases Merit Z Series Power Conditioners at InfoComm 2026, Expanding Access to Trusted Power Protection to AV and IT
- Nice Brand Gefen Highlights 8K-Ready Signal Management Solutions Built for Simplicity and Reliability at InfoComm 2026
- Nice Demonstrates How Furman and Gefen Power More Reliable, Future-Ready AV and IT Systems at InfoComm 2026
- D-Tools Showcases Smarter, Scalable Project Management Solutions at InfoComm 2026
- Nice Expands Western U.S. Representation with Thomasson Marketing Group
- D-Tools Cloud Debuts Inventory Asset Management with Per-Unit Asset Tracking
- Somfy Releases a New Verified Plugin for Q-SYS
KMB Comm-icles June 2026 News Roundup
To learn more about each one of these news releases, please click the respective links.
D-Tools Launches SI Mobile Install App with New Offline Functionality for Field Technicians: Announced in time for the Memorial Day Weekend festivities, the D-Tools SI Mobile Install App is a mobile companion for the company’s benchmark System Integrator platform.
The app is available for iOS and Android users, and it provides access to important information, including service orders, tasks, schedules, and site documentation.
Furman Showcases Merit Z Series Power Conditioners at InfoComm 2026, Expanding Access to Trusted Power Protection to AV and IT: Furman is an iconic brand in the power category for its products that have protected professional and consumer electronics for decades. At InfoComm 2026, the Nice brand rolled out its new Merit Z Series.
Among the features the new Furman products offer include Extreme Voltage Shutdown (EVS), USB-C and USB-A charging ports, and as many as 12 outlets with front and rear connection options. Additionally, some models also provide color-changing pull-out rack lights and Dynamic Multicolor Warning Voltmeters.
Nice Brand Gefen Highlights 8K-Ready Signal Management Solutions Built for Simplicity and Reliability at InfoComm 2026: Staying with the Nice family of brands, the next KMB Comm-icles item for the month focuses on Gefen. The brand’s new HDMI 2.1 Extender with HDBaseT and 8K/30Hz Support (GF-HD-HBT) provides near-turnkey transmission of today’s AV formats.
The company also introduced a family of EDID Detective tools for DisplayPort, USB-C, and HDMI.
In the release, Jeff Shaw, CPO at Nice North America, commented, “As higher resolutions, diverse source devices, and mixed signal formats become the norm, maintaining signal integrity across systems is more challenging than ever,” said Shaw. “Our new solutions address these realities head-on by reducing setup complexity, minimizing troubleshooting, delivering dependable performance to our integrator partners and their customers, and preparing projects for the next evolution in AV.”
Nice Demonstrates How Furman and Gefen Power More Reliable, Future-Ready AV and IT Systems at InfoComm 2026: Summarizing its InfoComm 2026 show activities, Nice released an item on what show attendees could expect to see from its brands in its booth.
An interesting point that Shaw made in this release was how the product lines were developed to complement one another.
“What we’re showing at InfoComm isn’t just individual products—it’s how systems should work together,” noted Shaw. “By aligning power and signal as part of a unified design strategy, integrators can build more predictable, scalable systems that perform consistently in real-world conditions and are easier to support over time.”
D-Tools Showcases Smarter, Scalable Project Management Solutions at InfoComm 2026: Moving onto D-Tools, the next KMB Comm-icles item involves the latest updates to the company’s System Integrator and D-Tools Clouds products.
D-Tools emphasizes in the release that it has developed a clear roadmap of support for users at every level of business growth. Looking closer at some of the technology enhancements that D-Tools has rolled out include an Inventory Asset Management function for D-Tools Cloud, and multi-user project editing options for System Integrator v24.
Nice Expands Western U.S. Representation with Thomasson Marketing Group:
In some non-product or show news from Nice, the company announced the addition of Thomasson Marketing Group to its network of manufacturer representatives.
Thomasson Marketing Group will represent the company in the Pacific Western region of the U.S. that includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
D-Tools Cloud Debuts Inventory Asset Management with Per-Unit Asset Tracking: Earlier in the KMB Comm-icles Monthly Recap for June, it was noted that D-Tools showcased an Inventory Asset Management function for D-Tools Cloud. This release goes into more detail than the InfoComm 2026 release by pointing out several important components of this option.
Some of those components include unit-level asset tracking, QR labels and serial number linking, barcode driven workflows, true per unit cost capture, complete asset audit trail, asset-level notes and service history, and bulk asset management.
Somfy Releases a New Verified Plugin for Q-SYS: Concluding the KMB Comm-icles for the month is news from Somfy.
The global motorization and automation for window coverings manufacturer has just launched its Q-SYS Verified Plugin that supports Power over Ethernet (PoE) shade products.
Somfy states that as a Q-SYS partner, it worked with the company to develop a market-ready solution for the seamless integration of control capabilities for its intelligent motors to work with the Q-SYS Full Stack AV Platform.
For more KMB Communications content, check out KMB Comm blogs here.
by Bob Archer | Jun 26, 2026 | Blog, KMB Communications
It could be said this is the calm before the storm. InfoComm 2026 is in the books, collectively, we are staring down a major U.S. holiday with July 4th approaching, and CEDIA Expo 2026 is starting to come into view.
This week’s KMB Communications Tech Review will have a heavy focus on residential technology with the commercial market recovering from a week in Las Vegas for InfoComm.
With the stage now set, this week’s news comes from AV Nirvana, Future Audiophile, SVConline, SCN, Guitar World, and LinkedIn. The companies covered within these news items include Tonewinner, IsoAcoustics, Teenage Engineering, Fender, and Apple.
KMB Communications Residential Technology Roundup for June 22-26
Starting the week off is a post from AV Nirvana. The story focuses on Dirac’s continued market growth through partnerships. AV Nirvana reports that Dirac has partnered with the Chinese company Tonewinner to include its room calibration technologies in the manufacturer’s AT-600 AV Processor.
The immersive audio processor provides 16 channels, and processing modes such as Dolby Atmos and DTS. The unit supports HDMI 2.1, and Dirac modes, including Dirac Live Room Correction, and Dirac Live Bass Control.
Arguably, one of the most unsung manufacturers in home audio is the Canadian company IsoAcoustics. The company makes a range of acoustic products—most notably acoustical decoupling products. Usually, acoustical products are overly hyped audiophile money traps, but that is not the case with IsoAcoustics. Validating the performance of its products is the fact that a growing number of pro audio users are now utilizing its products.
Showing the residential market the new IsoAcoustics GAIA I isolation feet, Future Audiophile recently reviewed the solution. Without giving too much away, let’s say that unlike many of those overhyped audiophile add-ons, the IsoAcoustics products impressed the reviewer.
Years ago, it would have sounded crazy to tell someone you had a home recording studio and today of course, someone can make their own recordings with GarageBand and an interface that costs less than $100.
Perhaps vinyl production is making the same transition. SVConline published a story on the audio manufacturer Teenage Engineering’s at-home record cutter called the APC-2. The story says the record cutter is part of a collaboration with the analog-audio company SuperSense to allow anyone that wants the ability to produce physical media in the form of vinyl at home.
SVConline adds the 308-pound unit measures 51 inches x 23.6 inches x 15.7 inches, and pricing and the release date are still to be determined.
Global Technology Integration News Nuggets
Starting the KMB Communications look at news outside of the residential market, SCN’s AV Network website posted a story on the commercial AV’s industry’s efforts to become more eco-friendly. The article, “Sustainability: How Far Has Pro AV Come?” examines how manufacturers in the space are doing more to make a positive impact through improved packaging, and the work of the non-profit group, SAVe to help the commercial AV industry to become more green.
Making its usual appearance in the Tech Week in Review, LinkedIn picked up a story from Bloomberg that says when incoming CEO John Ternus takes over the company in September one of his immediate goals will be to revamp the design team.
According to LinkedIn Post and Bloomberg, Turnus must make, “Apple’s products cool again.”
Naturally, the team at KMB are huge music fans and … of course we’ve been following all the news Fender has been generating lately. The final KMB Communications item of the week dives back into the MI market (musical instrument) industry’s drama with Fender suing manufacturers that produce “S-style guitars (Stratocaster).
Guitar World has a post on the large Treppendorf, Germany-based retailer Thomann announcing a lawsuit against Fender.
The post points out that Thomann’s own Harley Benton brand is caught up in the Fender’s Cease-and-desist legalities and as a result it is standing up to the Los Angeles-based instrument maker on behalf of the entire MI industry.
To learn more about KMB Communications and its clients, check out client news here.
by Bob Archer | Jun 26, 2026 | News
Nice finalizes a €370 million transaction to support its organic and acquisition-driven growth plan
The resources will support the completion of strategic acquisitions and future investments in innovation and internationalization
Treviso (Italy), June 26, 2026 – Nice, a global leader in Smart Living solutions, announces the completion of a €370 million transaction designed to support the Group’s organic and acquisition-driven growth, while also optimizing its financial structure.
The transaction, structured as a Senior Facilities Agreement, was financed by a pool of 11 leading Italian and international financial institutions, led by BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank and Mediobanca as Global Coordinators. The pool also included BNL BNP Paribas, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Crédit Agricole Italia, Deutsche Bank, Intesa Sanpaolo (IMI CIB Division), Monte dei Paschi di Siena and UniCredit, with Banco BPM acting as Agent Bank. Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank also acted as Hedge Coordinator.
The resources will be used to strengthen the international presence of the Nice Group, with a particular focus on completing future strategic acquisitions and developing new technological solutions. The Group currently has more than 2,000 people worldwide, 29 operating offices, 13 research and development centers, 14 production plants and a commercial presence in more than 100 countries. In recent years, Nice has consolidated its presence in key global markets and significantly expanded its product portfolio. The new financing represents a further step in the company’s development path and will enable it to accelerate the investments planned in its industrial plan.
“This transaction provides us with the resources needed to support a new phase of growth and strengthen our positioning in international markets,” said Lauro Buoro, Founder and Chairman of Nice. “The confidence shown by the banking system confirms the solidity of our business model and our future prospects.”
As part of the transaction, Legance and Gianni & Origoni (GOP) acted as legal advisors to the Company and the lending institutions, respectively.
For more information about Nice, visit www.niceforyou.com
Nice
Founded in the early 1990s, Nice is a global leader in Smart Living solutions. Through a fully integrated ecosystem, Nice offers solutions for home and building automation, access control, gate and garage door automation, solar shading, parking management, security systems, and audio/video technologies, helping to create connected, sustainable, and easy-to-live environments. Nice has embarked on a strategic path of expansion and broadening of its portfolio of connected solutions and platforms, offering a wide choice of customizable solutions and ease of use for end consumers. This is complemented by the strengthening and expansion in high-growth-potential markets, as well as renewed branding activities to compete in new market segments. Today, Nice relies on an organization of more than 2,000 people across 5 continents, bringing together a rich mix of skills and diverse cultures, along with 13 R&D centers and 14 production plants serving partners and customers in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information, www.niceforyou.com.
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Nice Global Press Contact
Valentina Ghirardi
Head of Communication
v.ghirardi@niceforyou.com
Corporate and Financial Media Relations
My Twin Communication Srl
Mara Di Giorgio | +39 335 7737417
Marco Messori | +39 335 5985809
nice@mytwincommunication.com
by Bob Archer | Jun 23, 2026 | News, Somfy
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Somfy Releases a New Verified Plugin for Q-SYS™
DAYTON, NJ, June 23, 2026 — Somfy, a global leader in motorization and automation for window coverings, today announces its new Q-SYS Verified Plugin supporting PoE (Power over Ethernet) shading solutions. As a contributor to the Q-SYS Ecosystem, Somfy collaborated with Q-SYS to create a market-ready control solution that integrates seamless control of Somfy’s intelligent motors into the Q-SYS Full Stack AV Platform.
“As commercial spaces become increasingly connected, customers and integrators need solutions that work together seamlessly,” says David Parrett, Somfy North American Vice President Partnerships & Specifications. “Our new Q-SYS Verified Plugin for Sonesse® PoE motors reflects Somfy’s commitment to innovation, interoperability, and delivering exceptional experiences through trusted technology partnerships.”
Somfy worked closely with Q-SYS, who has awarded this integration a “Q-SYS Verified” badge (developed with Q-SYS and supported by Somfy and Q-SYS). The Somfy Sonesse® PoE Motors Plugin enables integrators to configure, monitor, and control PoE-powered shading systems directly within Q-SYS Designer Software. By leveraging network-based power and communication, the plugin helps simplify system architecture while supporting reliable and consistent performance.
The solution also allows integrators to align shading control with AV and environmental systems within a unified platform, improving usability, and delivering a more cohesive experience across commercial environments. This plugin complements Somfy’s existing Q-SYS Verified Plugin for Somfy Connect™ UAI Plus and SDN motors, providing additional flexibility when designing IP-based shading systems alongside AV, lighting, and environmental controls.
The plugin is available now in Q-SYS Library.
“We are proud of our collaboration with Somfy to publish a Q-SYS Verified plugin in Q-SYS Library that will enable elevated experiences for the Q-SYS Full Stack AV Platform across our shared customers,” says Geno Zaharie, Senior Director, Alliances & Ecosystem, Q-SYS.
About Somfy Systems, Inc.
For over 50 years, Somfy has been pioneering innovative motorization and automated solutions for window coverings and exterior shading products. With comfort, ease of use, security, and sustainability in mind, our seamless and connected solutions are designed to help people make the move to living spaces impactful for humans and with a reduced impact on nature. For more information, visit www.somfypro.com.
Media Contact
Katye McGregor Bennett
KMB Communications
katye@kmbcomm.com
