AMX Acquires AutoPatch
Julie Jacobson from CE Pro is happy that she had predicted that AMX would acquire some companies, one of them was AutoPatch. And now it happened, AMX acquired AutoPatch:
AMX claims that AutoPatch’s 4,000-plus products “can be found in all of the 14 vertical markets in which AMX competes,” including business, government, education and residential.
In business for more than 18 years, AutoPatch’s product line ranges from standard to expandable semi-modular and custom-configurable matrix switchers for virtually any audio and video format.
AutoPatch will be fully integrated into AMX, and all current AutoPatch employees will now become AMX employees. AMX has formed a new group called the AutoPatch Group which will focus on further market and product development. AutoPatch’s individual product families will maintain their original model names.
From the press release, it is unclear whether AutoPatch founder and CEO Al Hale will stick around, but it sounds like he’ll be resigning. He says, “After nearly 20 years with AutoPatch, I am very excited to turn over the reigns to an organization that is so focused on providing a great work environment and continued growth for AutoPatch and its employees.”
The existing AMX sales force will take responsibility for selling AutoPatch products in their territories. All current AutoPatch dealers who are not AMX dealers will be contacted immediately by their respective regional AMX sales representative to tell them about the AMX dealer establishment process. AutoPatch dealers who are also AMX current dealers will experience no change in their relationship or ordering process with AMX. AMX customers will continue to place product orders and request technical support through the same procedures.
AutoPatch is the second company acquired by AMX this quarter. Last month, the company purchased UK-based Endeleo for its multimedia distribution technologies and in-house expertise.
Julie is adding some more predictions:
Anything’s possible, now that it is apparent AMX is willing to compete with its inConcert partners.
So let’s talk about lighting.
I will give myself a little credit for suggesting in 2005 that AMX buy lighting-controls manufacturer Vantage Controls, which was recently acquired by Legrand.
Lutron isn’t for sale, nor is Leviton, so I will stick with my earlier prediction that AMX could buy LiteTouch, and I’d add CentraLite to the roster of potential targets — assuming that Nortek doesn’t beat AMX to the punch.
AMX already offers commercial-oriented lighting controls under the Radia line, and has a very tight relationship with Lutron, whose lighting-control products can be incorporated into an AMX system as if they were native to AMX’s NetLinx platform.
Still, there’s nothing like your own lighting-control products, as Crestron will tell you.
I will also stick by some original presumptions that AMX might pick up an A/V receiver company. My money is still on Integra/Onkyo, and I will add Audio Design Associates (ADA) to that bet.
How about thermostats? That one’s a stretch, but if it wants to catch up with Crestron in that department, AMX would most certainly buy Residential Control Systems.
Speakers? No. Music/video servers? No, they already bought MAX awhile ago and are coming downscale (finally) with that product. Telecom/intercom? There’s not much to buy there, except maybe Inter-tel. Security? Not traditional alarms, to be sure, but maybe something in the access control arena.
Source: AMX Acquires AutoPatch: What it Means & Predictions for More on CE Pro
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