CE Pro July 2021 - 17

INTERVIEW
Audio+Video
Blake Augsburger
Founder & CEO, LEA Professional
What is the history of LEA Professional?
LEA started from the observation that no professional audio
or CI brand was capitalizing on the huge advances in cloud
and IoT technologies that major tech companies were making
available to everyone. Instead of going an open route, brands
were seeking to deploy their own protocols in pursuit of owning
the entire ecosystem, and/or because they had invested
too much in legacy systems to take an open approach.
We had access to a once-in-a-lifetime brain trust in amplifier
technology here in South Bend, Indiana, so it occurred to
me that if we could leverage decades of amplifier innovation
and manufacturing experience with off-the-shelf, proven-robust
cloud technologies, we would have a very strong business
opportunity.
What distinguishes LEA from its competitors?
I think it's our coupling of best-in-class amplifier technology
with highly advanced cloud technology and our API support
for third-parties that is open, robust, reliable and secure.
When you ask integrators and clients to sign on to a proprietary
platform you're also asking them to assume considerable
risk - risk that the platform won't take off; risk that you
won't have the resources or expertise to support it and secure
it, and risk that network-effect will not drive ecosystem
momentum and enhance the usefulness of the network. Why
wouldn't you capitalize on all of the investments that Amazon
and other providers have made in advancing and securing their
cloud initiatives?
Our cloud strategy has, in turn, provided LEA with additional
differentiators - not least our enablement of integrators
to implement service agreements with RMR streams. This idea
was pioneered by security providers in the residential market
and by IT pros in the commercial market. I see every reason
why CE pros should deploy these.
How do your solutions accommodate both residential
and commercial applications?
We're designing, building and delivering technologies that
serve the needs of a cloud-enabled community where issues
like audio performance, system monitoring, control, connectivity
and security are key. I don't know of any resi or commercial
AV professional - customer or channel constituent
- who wishes to be locked into proprietary platforms and
cepro.com
captive technologies.
Secondly, our approach is different to what commercial
and residential integrators are used to. From the outset we
were determined to have a channel-centric culture where the
needs of channel partners are listened to, internalized and addressed
in an innovative and entrepreneurial manner. Yes, our
solutions work very well in residential, resimercial and commercial
applications, but our approach needs to do likewise
and we need to have the right support infrastructure, RMR
enablement and platform strategy for all three sectors.
" When you ask integrators
and clients to sign on to
a proprietary platform
you're also asking them to
assume considerable risk. Why
wouldn't you capitalize on all of
the investments that Amazon and
others have made in advancing and
securing their cloud initiatives? "
What are some commercial markets where the product
is being deployed?
Our CONNECT SERIES has done very well in the corporate
market where IT pros have a strong influence on the buying
decision and on any technology residing on their networks.
Issues like security and interoperability are table-stakes and
we do very well because we speak the IT professional's language,
but we also comprehensively serve highly specific audio
performance requirements of AV integrators and in-house
AV professionals. The 802.1x security protocol - which we
have deployed, but which few other audio providers have -
is now a necessary requirement for banks, tech campuses and
government.
We also do well in the resimercial market. I should also
point out that our amplifiers sound really good and compete
well on the CE playing field. The North America education and
worship markets have performed well for us during COVID,
and I have been encouraged at our strong success on enterprise-scale
projects in transportation.
July 2021 CE Pro | 17
http://www.cepro.com
CE Pro July 2021

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