Mobile Electronics Magazine June 2016

Page 43

successful course while many of its comsetups for different needs. Voxx acquired “Fingerprint identification is very poppetitors have struggled or simply gone a controlling interest in the company in ular, but it’s not a good application for away has made it a strong partner for 2015. the car,” Lavelle said. “This double-iris 12-volt and specialty retailers who have At the moment, Voxx is collaborating scan gives you more security than any also gained the opportunity to invest in with Eyelock and ATM machine manuother type of biometric other than DNA. new product categories and technologies. It gives you much more security and is In the early 1980s, Audiovox was one much more scalable so we definitely see a of the first companies in the country to big automotive application here.” introduce remote car start. Today, These kinds of products definitely remote start remains a core represent a departure for Voxx. segment for aftermarket auto“We used to do many millions of motive retailers. dollars in sales in mp3 playThen the car phone ers,” Lavelle said. “Those are emerged as the next big all gone. The smartphone thing. “Everybody wanted has replaced them—and to have a phone in their that was challenging—but car,” Lavelle said. “We now we sell a lot of accesdeveloped our car phone sories for smartphones business which then and Bluetooth speakers expanded into handsets. that are all emanating We became a big supfrom smartphones. So the plier of cellular in the U.S., new technology also has and for a number of years given us new opportunities.” we had number one market In the accessory area, share in CDMA phones.” there are other new products By 2004, the cell phone that Voxx plans to encourage its business declined and Audioretailers to embrace. There’s the vox exited cellular leaving just the 360fly interactive action camera, the electronics. “We obviously had our roots Singtrix karaoke products, the 808 brand in the automotive side and wanted to of portable Bluetooth speakers and this continue with it,” Lavelle month the company will The 360Fly camera can record in every direction to capture said. Today, the automotive roll out its Project Nursery business—aftermarket and up to three hours of 360 degree HD quality video (1504 x 1504 lineup of high-definition OEM—accounts for 50 per- pixels) each time out or Live Stream via the free Livit mobile app. video baby monitors. cent of Voxx’s total volume. “We are very active in the aftermarket facturers. Here’s how it would work: A Go With The Flow and continue to look at disruptive techconsumer would simply walk up to an What has been critical to continuity nologies that are going to be introduced ATM machine, and just by looking into it, with customers is maintaining as much of in the aftermarket eventually moving into would be able to complete the transacthe status quo as possible. the OEM space.” tion. “That is so much more secure than “Through all the acquisitions we have cards or pin numbers,” said Lavelle. had, we also inherited a very strong manIt Takes Three The translation for the car is even agement team,” Lavelle said. “I could not The company now has three segmore compelling. “With Eyelock, when have gone out and hired the managerial ments—automotive, consumer accessories you walk up to the car, it will know it’s talent that we have in this company. A and premium audio. “It stabilizes the you and the car will open up,” Lavelle lot of it has come through acquisitions. business so if there’s any shot to one segsaid. “Once you get in, you can look in the We are well positioned in each one of the ment, we would be able to withstand it,” mirror, it will authenticate you and then groups. Each group stands by itself and Lavelle said. “Right now we’re looking at let you start the car." will grow by itself.” building out all of those segments and we To take it a step further, with an EyeThe acquisitions began in 2002 which are adding additional products that can lock system in the vehicle, as the driver has given the company about 30 unique be marketed to our existing network of would pull up to an ATM machine or brands under its umbrella. “We acquired customers.” bank teller window, the car would be able Code-Alarm back then which was doing One product that holds significant to tell the machine who is in the vehicle OEM work on security systems and potential is Eyelock, an iris identity and dispense the cash. remote starts,” Lavelle said. authentication system with iris scanning

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Mobile Electronics Magazine June 2016 by Mobile Electronics - Issuu