A group of AV and IT industry veterans led by David Robbins (former integrator and Klipsch regional sales manager) and Douglas Bowman (over 15 years in IT network deployment and management for fortune 500 companies), have announced the launch of FiROBO Corporation.
FiROBO provides enterprise level managed network solutions for the residential and commercial AV integrators that are easy to install, maintain, expand, and support. The result is increased productivity, increased profitability, and peace of mind for all stakeholders in the value chain.
“We formed FiROBO to address the unique needs of the AV integrator in an IT world,” said Robbins. “The growth in complex networked entertainment and automation systems has been driving the demand for enterprise-level managed backbone IP networks. However, design, deployment and remote management of those networks is a challenge for AV integrators. FiROBO’s products and services provide the ultimate solution.”
FiROBO commercial-grade products enable a dealer to design and install a managed network easily, without having to have special IT knowledge themselves or employ a full time person that does.
“Our zero configuration solutions are designed to be installed and online in a matter of minutes. No more headaches of configuring custom routers, firewalls, or device access restrictions,” said Douglas Bowman. “Everything for the dealer is truly plug and play.”
Featuring a router (“Janus”), a wireless access point (“Juno”, in POE, wall plug or outdoor versions), and the integrator’s choice of Cisco managed or unmanaged switches, system design is easy. Those that still don’t feel confident can contact FiROBO directly for design assistance. FiROBO can then preconfigure the system either prior to the shipment of hardware or onsite via a remote internet connection.
FiROBO offers a 24/7 annual subscription service package to manage the network past initial deployment to enhance profitability and peace of mind.
“We probably know about the status of the end user’s installation before the end user does and picks up the phone to call their integrator,” Robbins said. FiROBO’s remote network monitoring service provides information about the status of the end user’s internet service provisioning and the status of the local area network. FiROBO can remotely re-boot routers and access points for remote troubleshooting and inform the AV integrator as to what needs to be done on site should they require an onsite visit, thereby enhancing network reliability and profitability for the integrator. Firmware updates for the networking components are also provided by FiROBO automatically via a remote connection, saving time and money for custom installers. FiROBO also includes a 1 year, limited warranty on Janus and Juno products when purchased with this package.
