AAmp of America™ Showcases Premier Peripheral® And Stinger® Brands At 2007 Knowledgefest
Clearwater, Fl., AAMP of America™, innovators in world-class automobile electronics design, development, and distribution, announced today it will exhibit at the Mobile Enhancement Retailers Association (MERA) KnowledgeFest. AAMP of America will showcase its first-ever Peripheral Electronics® Automotive Multimedia Gateway and new Stinger® PRO and HPM lines while turning an eye toward the emerging marine audio accessory aftermarket.
This year’s KnowledgeFest will take place at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville, Tennessee from March 17th through the 20th. AAMP of America will be located at the exhibit hall entrance in Booth #100.
Peripheral Electronics will focus on the future of OEM innovation with a display of the first-ever Automotive Multimedia Gateway. The gateway allows for connectivity for iPod™ and MP3 players as well as HD Radio™ and Bluetooth™ for hands-free cell phone and audio streaming. In addition to enabling full control of all aftermarket devices from the factory head unit, it also retains original system features such as satellite radio.
This versatile functionality allows the gateway to connect with most mobile electronics products, speaking directly to those consumers whose on-the-go lifestyle is driven by popular electronics products such as iPod and MP3 players. With the gateway, consumers finally have the one product they need to connect those and future products to an automobile’s multimedia system without impacting network integrity, performance, look, and capabilities.
Peripheral Electronics will also showcase several of the actual products that work with the gateway. These products include the preloaded iPod interface, HD Radio tuner module (HDRT), Bluetooth Hands-free and audio streaming module, and an auxiliary audio input module.
The iPod interface delivers seamless integration and works with all iPod versions. Users can control all their features from the factory stereo—tracking forward and back for songs and browsing by artist, playlist, genre, and album.
The HDRT module provides full HD Radio station control from the factory head unit through direct connectivity with the gateway. It retains the satellite radio function, enabling HD Radio station information to be displayed on the radio’s screen. It also becomes the default tuner for analog AM/FM stations.
The Bluetooth Hands-free and audio streaming module plugs directly into the gateway and links to a user’s cell phone. When calls come through, that call is fed directly through the factory sound system. It also enables audio-streaming using the Bluetooth A2DP profile, delivering exceptional sound from your audio device.
Along with the iPod interface and HD Radio and Bluetooth modules, the additional auxiliary audio input module can also connect popular media devices like game systems, satellite radio tuners, and portable DVD players.
Peripheral Electronics will also show it’s iSimple™ brand, a type of product packaging aimed at retailers. iSimple uses instructive iconography, color-coded graphics, and easy-to-understand language to market select Peripheral Electronics OEM integration products that benefit from a simple style of storefront packaging.
By translating a product’s core purpose, functionality, and applications in a more user-friendly way, iSimple allows customers to shop for and understand select Peripheral Electronics products with less reliance on dealer assistance. This helps move products off the shelf and into the hands of consumers, improving sell-through and sales-floor navigation.
In addition to its marine accessories, Stinger will show its entirely redefined and redeveloped PRO and HPM Series interconnects, batteries, power wire, and fuse holders and distributors.
These PRO and HPM products reflect stunning aesthetic and technological modifications as part of the most powerful and extensive product lines in the industry. Stinger will also show its XPRT power wire for maximum power capability, easy installation, and unmatched space-saving efficiency.
Available in either a Gold or Shoc-Krome finish, the new PRO Series features double the products from the 2006 line—including Stinger’s revolutionary hybrid capacitors and an expanded line of Power2 batteries. This year’s all-digital HPM Series combines stylish angular housing and sleek chrome finishes with astounding high-current capability, true deep-cycle operation, and a remarkably fast recharge rate.
Stinger will also feature its new unified branding campaign, including retail-friendly packaging and a dynamic, distinctively urban look and feel that speaks both to consumers and dealers. With Stinger interconnects, unique new packaging iconography easily communicates the features of the different models and how those models perform against each another.
Lastly, Stinger will display its new products designed specifically for marine applications. Just as car and home audio have become more sophisticated in recent years, so have boat systems that require special waterproofed items. AAMP of America sees this as a great opportunity for 12-volt dealers to cash in on a growing trend toward marine audio customization.
AAMP of America will also host a roundtable and workshop for dealers. The roundtable—entitled “Solving the New Car Dilemma: A Panel Discussion”—will focus on how best to integrate popular portable media devices into the advanced systems used in today’s automobiles. The workshop—entitled “Accessories: Are You Giving Them Away?”—will deal with salesmanship best practices. Both events are held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, March 17th.
“AAMP was one of the first companies to attend the MERA KnowledgeFest when it started over ten years ago,” said Ron Freeman, COO of AAMP of America. “It was important to our success then, and it’s critical to us now. It’s one of the best opportunities we have to connect with the independent retailers who support us, to show our commitment to them, and to learn from others in the industry. KnowledgeFest is simply invaluable.”