Watch the full video interview below.
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Building upon its many decades of expertise in commercial and residential technology solutions, Sharp has entered a new era of innovation since the onset of the joint venture with NEC Display Solutions more than four years ago. Ben Hardy, senior product manager of Large Format Displays, and Ryan Pitterle, senior product manager of Projectors at Sharp recently sat down with AV Technology’s Cindy Davis to discuss what has changed over the past four years and—perhaps even more critically—what hasn't.
Hardy explained that one of their top priorities with the joint venture was guaranteeing a seamless transition for both companies’ customers.
“We listened to market feedback and pain points on products that we were planning on replacing, and made sure we maintained a lot of functionality and features that customers expect,” he said. “Obviously we want to make sure that the transition from using either NEC or Sharp products is fluid and smooth. And the goal was always to ensure quality, on top of that customer experience.”
But behind the scenes, the real magic was in figuring out how to leverage the combined expertise of two already highly regarded AV industry brands.
“When you bring two teams together, you're bringing together two separate firmware teams, hardware teams, software teams, and everything,” Hardy said. “So it was important that we all came together and laid out everything and really focused on where each company thrived and what they did best—starting there and building up from that.”
When it came to projection technology specifically, Pitterle explained that Sharp did not previously have a strong presence in the United States, and this made NEC’s 35 years of experience in the space an immediate point of interest.
“When customers are introduced to Sharp projectors, there's going to be a lot of NEC heritage and quality behind those products, and I think they will recognize that,” he said. “But the Sharp QA process is fantastic. Even in these first few Sharp projector series launched in the U.S., that QA process has made significant improvements to products before they hit the market.”
These new-to-market products include Sharp’s XP-P Series 4K UHD projectors, introduced this past June at InfoComm.
“These are truly commercial-grade projectors designed for corporate conference rooms or anywhere that you need a 100-plus-inch screen and you want a consistent experience across displays,” Pitterle said. “It was intentional for our first Sharp-branded projector to push the boundaries of projection technology.”
On the large-format display side, Hardy mentioned the new MultiSync PN-ME2 Series digital signage and conferencing displays. Currently ranging from 43 to 65 inches, Sharp has plans to (literally) expand these sleek, feature-full, and user-friendly displays up to 75, 86, and 98 inches in the coming month.
Pitterle ended the discussion on a hopeful note, saying, “We're not slowing down and we're not stopping innovation. We're going to continue to drive forward. Over the next nine months, everything is either going to be refreshed or get an upgrade.” He continued, “In some cases, it's just going to be a simple brand transition over to Sharp, but our roadmap is also full of exciting new products. We're happy to continue the Sharp legacy, as well as the quality products started by NEC that our loyal customers have come to expect.”
Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) is a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, the U.S. subsidiary of Japan’s Sharp Corporation, a global technology company which has been named to Fortune magazine’s World’s Most Admired Company List. Sharp strives to help businesses achieve Simply Smarter work by helping companies manage workflow efficiently, create immersive and engaging environments, and increase productivity. SIICA offers a full suite of secure printer and copier solutions, commercial displays and projectors, Dynabook laptops, management and productivity software and fully managed services. As a total solutions provider, Sharp has a reputation for innovation, quality, reliability, and industry-leading customer support expertise.
