Icron Technologies is pleased to announce the appointment of Thorsten Goeken as our New Director of Channel Sales, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa).

Based in Munich, Germany, Mr. Goecke will oversee the management of channel sales activities over EMEA territories and lead Icron’s rapid growth in the region, including the company’s expansion into Information Technology (IT), Industrial, Education and Medical markets.

Mr. Goecke has extensive experience in sales and business development. Prior to joining Icron, he worked as the Managing Director for Gefen Distribution GmbH in the European Pro Audio/Visual market and previously was Sales Manager for SDI GmbH.

Mr. Goecke will report directly to Thomas Strade, Vice President of Sales and Business Development at Icron Technologies.

“Thorsten brings to us extensive business acumen and a deep understanding of our technology portfolio and the markets we serve,” said Tom Strade, VP of Sales and Business Development, Icron Technologies. “I am confident Thorsten will advance the growth of Icron’s USB and Video extension products in the EMEA markets.”

“I’m delighted to join Icron as Channel Sales Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa. This diversified region has exciting potential for growth, and I look forward to working with our customers and the Icron team,” added Thorsten Goecke, Channel Sales Director EMEA, Icron Technologies.

To learn more about Icron’s USB and Video extender solution in the EMEA markets – please feel free to email Thorten Goecke.

Icron is pleased to announce that HY-LINE Computer Components Vertriebs GmbH has become Icron’s first Certified Integration Partner.

“We are delighted to be named Icron’s first Certified Integration Partner,” said Werner Zieboll, HY-LINE’s President. “Our engineering team has always had the skill set to assist customers with their systems integration projects and now with training certification from Icron, we have tremendous flexibility to address customers needing embedded USB and video extension solutions for designs in key industries such as medical or industrial automation.”

Since 1990 HY-LINE has been at the forefront assisting customers in Germany with their digital display and extension projects in a variety of market applications including digital signage, desktop extension, medical and industrial automation.

Formal integration certification with Icron enables HY-LINE to offer specific technical expertise when there is a need for USB and/or video extension via Icron’s embedded product offerings; such as ExtremeUSB® Core 2200 series SO-DIMM daughter boards or the ExtremeUSB® Lions GateTM integrated circuit.

“We are quite pleased to recognize HY-LINE as Icron’s first certified integration partner,” said Robert Haefling, Icron’s President and CEO. “We are extremely confident in their ability to support the design efforts of our customers across Icron’s complete product spectrum.”

As well, Icron’s EL5100 Extender was included in HY-LINE Computer Components’ main exhibit at ISE. The EL5100 KVM extender which features USB 2.0 functionality along with 1080p video helped HY-LINE showcase an interactive 46” Full-HD Touchmonitor demonstration for their attendees at the show.

See the full video demonstration here.

HY-LINE sells and supports Icron’s full product portfolio from finished USB 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0 and KVM (Keyboard, Video, and Mouse) extensions systems to board level integration and embedded ASIC chips.

About Integration Systems Europe (ISE)

ISE 2012 is the largest professional AV and systems integration trade show ever held in Europe, bringing together manufacturers, distributors, integrators, specifiers and technology managers from over 100 countries worldwide.

You can also check out the release here.

Last week, the Icron team attended the North American professional audio and video show, which showcased the latest technology in broadcast, post production, and media extension.  Our visit to InfoComm this year focused on reviewing the latest market trends and meeting our strategic customers in our private meeting space on the show floor.  Over the duration of the show, we gained valuable knowledge in two areas: The role of USB 3.0 in the broadcast and media extension markets and the continuous trend towards supporting extension over a network.

With regard to USB 3.0, the market continues to generate buzz and requests for a USB 3.0 extender.  The requests are limited to specific applications and the need for a customer to future proof the installation (i.e. provide USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 extension).  Considering the small amount of USB 3.0 devices currently available in the market (hard drives and high-end cameras), there is even a smaller number of end users who need extensions for these 3.0 devices.   However, since the announcement of the new USB 3.0 specification by the USB Implementers Forum, there are requests to have the technology even though the end user continues to extend only the keyboard, mouse, and flash drive.  In high-end video post production applications, the need to support more than flash drives is even further limited.

What is interesting about USB 3.0 is the ability for customers to be able to future proof their installations and have a USB extender that supports both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0.  This is a great fit for Icron since our technology extends both USB 2.0 and 3.0 beyond the inherent distance limitations.  With this in mind, based on the feedback and trends, we are working towards implementing specific requirements for a new USB 3.0 extender as well as working with all our customers on adding such a solution to our existing product line.

We also saw a continuing trend for extension solutions over a network in the broadcast, post production, and media extension markets.  This trend is aligned perfectly with our customers whose needs are to extend video and/or USB over a network (point to point and point to multipoint).  This allows installers the ability to use existing cabling and allows more complex installations with switching and/or routing capabilities for multiple displays and/or work areas.

The valuable insight and feedback helps put Icron in a good position to develop pivotal products with our customers.  For the end user, it allows Icron to meet their needs by appropriately applying our technology to the next generation of USB extension solution products.

If you have thoughts on USB 3.0 and network extension (including KVM) feel free to send me an email.

Our visit to the International CES 2011 show was an ideal forum to showcase to the industry our technology and product roadmap while receiving feedback from our strategic customers on what they would like to see, and get compelling mention in the press.   Suffice to say, we are excited that we achieved all three.

While at the show, Icron held a press conference on January 7^th where we unveiled technology demos of our USB 3.0 extender cable, USB over DisplayPort, along with our KVM product line up.  In case you missed our press conference, here are just a few descriptors of the demos:

• In partnership with Intersil, we introduced our new 20 meter USB 3.0 Active Extension Cable which utilizes our LionsGate IC and leverages USB extension technology, the active cable extends USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 connectivity well beyond the USB 3.0 specification distance limitation of three meters.
• Advanced USB over DisplayPort technology, which delivers DisplayPort video and USB 2.0 capability over a standard DisplayPort cable.
• ExtremeLink™ 4500, the newest addition to our KVM product line. The ExtremeLink™ 4500 is one of our KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) extender products and allows a computer to be placed remotely from a workstation area, connected over an existing LAN or dedicated Cat 5 (up to 330 ft).

This abundant set of demonstrations received an enthusiastic article in the CES Daily which is published each day of the show. The article covers our KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) extenders which enable video, USB 2.0 and audio to be extended up to 500 meters (1640 feet) on Cat 5 cables or support connections on a Local Area Network (LAN).

As well, the review of our ExtremeLink™ 4500 in CRN reiterated the impressive performance of our KVM products.

The ability to extend KVM and USB over a dedicated Cat 5 cable was impressive enough. But over a LAN? Testers were truly dazzled when they connected the 4500 sender and receiver to their test LAN and it worked right out of the box, permitting input from the remote keyboard and mouse to be displayed on the remote monitor, and with almost no detectable delay.

Thank you for visiting us at CES 2011 and for helping us make it a successful show. Please feel free to drop me a line with your thoughts of the show. If you are interested in our KVM products or any of our other products, please contact us at any time.

CES is one month away and companies are rushing to complete all of their preparations for the most important consumer electronics show in the world. Many companies, including Icron begin preparations for CES in the summer in order to ensure everything is ready to ship to the show by late December.

This year expect to see lots of new connected TVs, 3D TVs, new mobile devices, and different sized tablet PCs. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will kick off CES this year with a preshow keynote address at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 5 in the Las Vegas Hilton Center. In previous years, Microsoft used the CES keynote stage to launch major products including Xbox, Windows Vista and its Sync technology partnership with Ford. Verizon CEO, Ivan Seidenberg, also has a keynote on January 6, no word if he’ll be announcing the rumored Apple iPhone for the Verizon network.

Rounding up the keynotes will be Boo-Keun Yoon, Samsung President and General Manager of Visual Display Business and Alan Mulally Ford Motor Company President and CEO. 2011 promises to be another year for amazing new technology and product announcements at CES.

Icron has two CES announcements about new products (USB 3.0 extension and uncompressed 1080p video extension) and we’re demonstrating them as well as USB over DisplayPort at our booth, LVCC South Hall 1, Booth #20560.  We also have a press event titled  “Future of Connectivity: Unveiling New Video and USB Technology”.  Write to us if you’re interested in viewing our new product demonstrations or attending the press event (no press credentials needed!).

If you haven’t registered for CES yet, you’ve missed the free registration period, but if you’re an Icron customer, write me and I’ll see if we have any passes left.

See you at CES 2011 and have a great holiday season!

Free registration is over but you can still sign up here.

Next week is the CES New York Press Preview where the hottest new products coming out for the holiday season are unveiled to more than 300 top-tier media (click here to see participating companies).

There are many interesting speaker sessions at CES and this SuperSession on Friday, January 7^th looks fascinating.Big Thinkers and Disruptive Technologies – Today’s Thought Leaders, Tomorrow’s Technologies

• 1:30-2:30 p.m. Friday, January 7, LVCC, North Hall, N255-257

Disruptive technologies often drive the industry. Back by popular demand, this SuperSession brings together big thinkers from CE, computers, media and telecommunications to discuss upcoming innovations and their impact on our digital lives. CES is a powerful venue for launching innovative products and technologies and an acknowledged forum for thought leadership. See it comes to life in this thought-provoking session.

Moderator: Tim Bajarin, President, Creative Strategies Inc.

Follow CES news on twitter at @intlCES and join the conversation by tagging all your tech tweets and updates with #CES.

See you at CES 2011.

Icron is at booth #: South Hall 1 Lower Level -20560

As Icron expands its international business we examine a few techniques for to broaden the exposure of our KVM and USB extender products into the global market.  Here are a few methods Icron deployed to expand sales channels and build Icron’s presence and product awareness within the marketplace.

Read the rest of this entry »

Whew! I can’t believe it’s been over a month since I’ve started at Icron.Times flies when you’re at a new position, especially when you are learning new things. I’m sure you’ve all been there before – starting fresh, learning new faces/names and learning the in and outs of where to eat for lunch!

One of the other things that come with a new position is learning the products and terminology and as such I’ve had quite a learning curve at Icron. Read the rest of this entry »

(left to right) Icron CEO Robert Haefling with presenter Francis Chang of Blake, Cassels & Graydon

Icron’s USB over DisplayPort technology for desktop and mobile computing has been recognized by BCTIA (British Columbia Technology Industry Association) for the most promising pre-commercial technology – what an honour! Not only did we win this prestigious award, this technology was a finalist in the category “Excellence in Product Innovation”. Read the rest of this entry »

The Canadian government has increased investments in technology with a $1.4 billion budget for new science and technology funding.  Additionally, there are several organizations in Canada promoting technology innovations:

1.   Canada Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA Alliance)
CATAAlliance mandate is to grow the revenues of its members, connect members with investment and partnership opportunities, and promote technology innovation.  They have the Innovation Nation program and Innovation awards. 2010 winners will be announced at the 25th Annual CATAAlliance Innovation Awards Event on May 19, 2010 in Ottawa. Read the rest of this entry »