CAIRO: The home entertainment industry is in the throes of its most dynamic period of change, due to today’s “digitalization trend in homes of the future.
Thanks to the currently heavily touted concept of digitalization bringing the notion that all home entertainment and consumer technology, from television, Internet and music to lighting and window shades can now be controlled using one personalized remote control, home entertainment companies are rapidly making a name for themselves in the region, where homes are swiftly being wired up for the future.
One such company is Archimedia, a Dubai-based home entertainment solutions provider that was established in 2003 by a group of Egyptian businessmen who quit their high profile jobs to launch an entertainment solutions company. They recognized early on that home entertainment was more than just selling sound systems and hooking up cable connections; it is an art form, a fusion of art and technology that comes together to create an environment that enhances the interior of a home and compliments the lifestyle of its inhabitants.
The Daily Star Egypt sat down in an exclusive interview with Omar Hikal, Archimedia’s director of operations, to talk about the home entertainment industry, the effect of digitalization on the future of homeowners in the region and how Archimedia lets people see the endless possibilities available.
“In 2000, something big happened that changed the industry; DVDs became widespread, says Hikal. “Suddenly, people were able to buy movies with the same audio format that they were made with.
According to Hikal, the growing popularity of DVDs gave rise to home theaters and surround sound. The powerful combination tremendously impacted the movie-watching experience, notching things up a level.
However, home entertainment solutions go beyond recreating a cinema-like movie experience at home. Rather, it allows homeowners to appreciate the simplicity of a complex system, effortlessly indulging in their high tech home gear with the touch of a button.
In homes engaging the services of companies like Archimedia, hidden in some inconspicuous corner lays the nerve center of a state-of-the-art digital entertainment system that reaches every room, so that the homeowner can control all his entertainment choices, whether it be dimming the lights, closing the shutters, changing room temperatures and activating house security. Furthermore, using a new development in the industry known as streaming, (a technology that is available from Archimedia but ignored by many of their competitors in the industry) homeowners can simultaneously play different tracks and movies in different rooms, or wire the entire house to “party mode or “romantic mode.
In fact, the popularity of home entertainment solutions has caught the attention of consumer electronics makers and the computer industry, which are presently scrambling to create greater home entertainment technologies and gadgets based on growing demand.
With such an endless stream of possibilities, it is no wonder that homeowners in the region are clamoring to get their homes digitalized. As the only regional home entertainment brand and sole distributor of some of the top brands in the industry, including Bowers and Wilkins (B&W), the number one high-end loudspeaker brand in the world, as well as other bigwigs in the market such as Sonos, Classé, Rotel, Crestron, Kaleidescape, Theta Digital, SIM2, Opus, VisionArt, and Nevo, Archimedia has capitalized on the growing fan-base in the region.
“We are the primary suppliers for the main brands in the industry because our approach is regional; we supply all our customers in the region with the top brands, and that has given our company an edge with suppliers and customers, he adds.
The company partially owes its success in retaining the distribution rights for some of their top brands, such as B&W, to Karim Zaki, the managing director of GR Media solutions, the distribution company owned by the same group that owns and runs Archimedia. Zaki, who has been in the high-end audio business for more than 15 years, played a pivotal role in acquiring the initial commitment from B&W to give the company distribution for the Middle East, paving the way for further distribution rights from other topnotch brands in the industry.
With household brands and an enviable clientele list that includes members of royal families to high-flying individuals, Archimedia has managed to corner its niche market quite neatly.
“It all began because we saw a big gap between where the world is going and where the region stands in terms of entertainment solutions; and yet, the region still had a tremendously large customer-base, says Hikal.
The company has also managed to catch the eyes of commercial developers, who realize that the installation of high tech home gear is a major selling point through which they can market luxury real estate properties and condos.
Partially due to a high-end customer base, Archimedia based its operations in Dubai, one of the few Arab nations on par with the latest technologies and modern, technologically adept lifestyles similar to those in the West.
“Dubai has a friendly business climate. As a regional distribution company, Dubai made sense because of the logistics, said Hikal.
The success of the company is also reflected in their annual revenues, which this year is expected to increase by 300 percent and, in 2007, by more than 300 percent.
“Already, in two years, we have exceeded even our own expectations, says Hikal. “We have aggressive expansion plans in the works for the future. In 2007, we plan to open more locations in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
In addition, Archimedia has inked a deal with Virgin Megastore, whereby the company will establish a stop-and-shop location on the entertainment giant’s premises in the region.
“The vision we are trying to achieve is that (home entertainment solutions) is not just a technical service in which we wire your sound system or DVD player; it’s a whole experience, an environment that appeals to the homeowner’s sensibilities and lifestyle, he adds.
According to Hikal, a team of the company’s engineers meets with consultants to ensure that the system they install works within the context of the home.
“We go in and interview the client and try to understand how they live, what they listen to, what they watch, so that we get a clear idea of their lifestyles and their home environment, and integrate our systems so that it is conducive to that environment, explains Hikal.
While the company’s rapid expansion and growing distribution rights have acted as the platform from which the company has soared, the fundamental reason behind the company’s success is their humble belief that what they are doing happens to be more than just science, as is reflected in the company’s name, which stems from the idea “architect of media.
“We really believe in what we are doing. We believe that just like an interior designer can change the way a house looks and feels, like an architect can design your house to your personality, home entertainment solutions can foster an environment, says Hikal. “Archimedia lets people immerse themselves in the possibilities, see what they can do and how far they can go.
To learn more about Archimedia, visit their Web site at http://www.archimedia-me.com
