It’s been an eventful year so far for German pro audio giant d&b audiotechnik. In February, the company announced that it was launching a new e-commerce platform under the banner d&b Direct - a move designed to offer venues and entertainers a no-fee consultancy service and direct access to the company’s industry-leading audio packages to buy online, as well as a raft of other services. Now, the d&b Group has added yet another arm to the business in the form of d&b solutions, a new business entity that will offer end-to-end expertise across project development, manufacturing, system planning, installation and maintenance.
As part of the new business, d&b audiotechnik has acquired UK integration and multidisciplinary AV specialist SFL Group, with the entire SFL team joining d&b solutions.
“We are constantly analysing market changes and trends to assess their implications for the d&b business,” said d&b CEO Amnon Harman.
“Over the last few years we have observed small but significant movements alongside well-documented global mega trends that we were certain would affect the way that we do business. The most notable shift that we observed is a higher demand for full AVL solutions and post-installation services - coming from a consolidating end-customer market. Changing buying behaviours and a faster trend to green venues and productions are completing the picture for us.
“During the pandemic the momentum behind these shifts in the market has built and, fortunately, we’ve been preparing for them for some time. The evolution of d&b from an audio technology manufacturing company into an entertainment technology business that incorporates a service and solutions offering, empowers us to meet users’ needs and the growing demands from the market head on.”
d&b solutions promises to deliver ‘a higher level of service and integration, and end-to-end installation and production solutions to customers’. It will operate completely independently from d&b audiotechnik, with the two operating in separate business structures and reporting up to the d&b Group.
The new business will be headed up by managing directors Amnon Harman (d&b Group CEO), Jens Nilsson (d&b Group CFO) and Michael Aldinger (d&b solutions director of finance and operations).
And according to Harman, it positions the d&b Group ideally to meet the various changes and challenges facing the pro audio market over the coming years.
“The d&b solutions business will allow us to deepen our knowledge of real-world production applications, user requirements and customer needs,” he concluded. “It will enable us to continue to deliver technologies, solutions and ideas beyond what is currently possible; and bring to life extraordinary experiences – some that are just emerging and we probably can’t even imagine right now!”
