In a move to provide systems integrators and clients in the mass communications vertical market with specialized attention, support and programs, Harman Professional appointed John Goodrich to the newly created position of Global Sales Manager for Mass Communications. Goodrich joins Harman Professional from Altel Systems Group, where he was Vice President of Business Development, leading the development of integrated audio/visual and communication systems for the airport, mass transit, and hospitality industries. He previously held senior sales and business development roles at Meyer Sound Labs and Innovative Electronic Designs (IED). In his new role, he will report to Michael MacDonald, Harman Professional Executive Vice President of Marketing & Sales, and will be responsible for developing Harman Professional's presence in the mass communications market.
According to Michael MacDonald, John Goodrich's appointment marks an important strategic step by Harman Professional to grow its business and provide customers in a host of vertical markets with a higher expectation level for audio performance and integration. “In some verticals audio has been commoditized and as a result communication has suffered,” MacDonald said today. “Harman Professional brings professional-grade systems that are proven at the highest performance level but designed to suit the needs of mass communication and other verticals. John Goodrich is the person to bring these systems to market; to work with integration partners, end-users and our own product designers to ensure that we enable better sound in more places than ever before imaginable.”
Commenting on his new position, John Goodrich noted, “Harman Professional's dual strength in systems integration and audio performance presents a compelling opportunity to integrators and their clients in mass communications. I look forward to working with Harman's design teams and with our customers to advancing public address audio for communication, entertainment and life safety in the domestic and international markets.”
Earlier this year at the 2010 InfoComm Expo, Harman Professional launched a partnership with information display and paging specialist Com-Net Software to launch a series of new communication technologies starting with the co-branded IDX Information Delivery Systems. The IDX System couples Harman's Crown CTs, BSS London and HiQnetâ„¢ technologies on the back end with Com-Net Software ECLIPSX Flight Information Display System or ECLIPSX Transit Information Display System at the front end. The combined result is great sounding, highly reliable audio networks with application-engineered interface and control in a versatile, cost-efficient package.
“IDX is remarkable,” Goodrich said today. “I applaud Harman for not seeking to reinvent the wheel on the front-end software and interface but instead integrating a high-performing, back-end audio network with a proven mass communications system and interface from Com-Net. Its is literally and comprehensively the best of both worlds and I am very excited to be involved!”
HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.2 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2010. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.