LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CTIA ─ Core Brands, LLC, part of the Technology Solutions Group of Nortek, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTK) a premier provider of smart technologies for the connected home and office, today announced its commitment to integrate a superior wireless audio protocol into leading edge consumer electronics (CE) products for an expanded, true high-fidelity user experience. The company plans to deliver a range of consumer electronics products for mobile devices, computers and more, based on the SKAA® wireless protocol - a protocol developed and owned by Eleven Engineering Inc.™ The first of the new CE product family is expected for release later this year, and will leverage SKAA’s highly reliable, more stable and longer range wireless connection to provide a multi-room, full media experience for users, offering better quality than is possible with other wireless technology on the market today.
“Today’s announcement is a part of our broader strategy to continually improve the experience of connected devices throughout the digital home,” said Rob Halligan, Vice President of Group Strategy & Marketing, Technology Solutions Group. “For example, when you consider the explosion of in-home playback of non-TV sourced video on smartphones, tablets and computers, complementing this with premium high fidelity audio is a compelling opportunity.”
John Sobota, Chief Executive Officer, Eleven Engineering, the creators of SKAA, said he was very pleased in the company’s vote of confidence in the wireless protocol. “Considering their winning history of leadership in connected home solutions with Elan g!, 2Gig, and their innovative audio speaker brands such as Niles and Speakercraft, we foresee a very strong partnership with Nortek’s Technology Solutions Group,” he said. “It takes a visionary company, to understand the potential of SKAA and to integrate this superior high quality wireless into products for what is sure to be an exemplary experience for the end user.”
Leading global technology industry analyst, Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights and Strategy, said, “WiFi and Bluetooth audio lack signal stability and reliable signal distance, and have lower performance. This essentially cripples high fidelity audio playback and limits a premium audio experience from computer, tablet or mobile phone playback of music and video or gaming audio for the mass market. SKAA solves this because it is an improved wireless protocol that offers consistent and reliable signal connections, and at longer distances.”
An in-depth review of SKAA wireless audio protocol compared to competitive solutions available on the market today can be found in a technical article authored by Patrick Moorhead here: http://www.moorinsightsstrategy.com/research-note-skaa-wireless-audio-standard/
About SKAA
SKAA® is a hifi wireless audio standard created by Eleven Engineering™, Inc. specifically for consumer electronics and personal portable, mobile devices. With products first appearing in 2011, SKAA has since gained increasing esteem by industry engineers and pundits as the next true generation wireless hifi audio standard to deliver on the consumer promise of quality audio anywhere, anytime, wirelessly.
About Nortek, Inc.
Nortek* is a global, diversified company whose many market-leading brands deliver broad capabilities and a wide array of innovative, technology-driven products and solutions for lifestyle improvement at home and at work. The Company's broad array of offerings includes audio/video and security solutions, digital display mounting solutions, ventilation products such as range hoods and bathroom fans, heating and cooling products, and air management systems. For further information, visit www.nortekinc.com.
*As used herein, the term "Nortek" refers to Nortek, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise. This term is used for convenience only and is not intended as a precise description of any of the separate corporations, each of which manages its own affairs.
About Core Brands LLC
Headquartered in Petaluma, California Core Brands, LLC is a company within the Technology Solutions Segment of Nortek, Inc. Core Brands combines the product and marketing strengths of ten iconic audio, power management and control brands into a single business unit that includes ATON®, BlueBOLT®, ELAN®, Furman®, Niles®, Panamax®, Proficient®, SpeakerCraft®, Sunfire® and Xantech® brands. Core Brands has more than 190 years of combined experience in the residential, commercial and professional markets and over 4,300 direct customer accounts in multiple distribution channels in the United States and around the world.