Panamax Wins 2015 Commercial Integrator BEST Award for Innovative SM3-Pro System Manager

Commercial Integrator magazine today announced that Panamax, the leader in electronic and electrical protection, filtration and control products, has been awarded a 2015 Commercial Integrator BEST Award for its SM3-PRO System Manager. The award was presented today at InfoComm 2015 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

The Commercial Integrator BEST Awards program recognizes the most noteworthy solutions for an integration business. A panel of industry experts, integrators, and the editors of Commercial Integrator chose the winners by reviewing all aspects of the products submitted, including innovation, functionality, competitive advantages, and benefits to the installer. The SM3-PRO won the Commercial Integrator BEST Award in the Power Conditioning, Surge Suppression, & Energy Solutions category.

“Receiving a BEST Award from Commercial Integrator is truly an honor,” Core Brands Director of Power & Accessories, John Benz, stated. “Panamax strives to provide integrators with products that not only protect and monitor electronics, but also make their jobs easier and more efficient. The new SM3-PRO is the latest product fulfilling this goal. It does so in a form factor well suited for a variety of components in commercial installations that may be located at some distance from the main system rack, such as smart digital displays and networking hardware.”

The SM3-PRO, along with other Panamax Pro Products (the M4000-PRO, M4315-PRO, and M3420-PRO) is sold in parallel with Furman Pro products to commercial integrators. All Furman commercial dealers have access to Panamax Pro.

Measuring only 10” x 7” x 1.75”, this compact device is small enough to mount behind a flat panel display, next to a projector, or inside a structured wiring cabinet. Along with robust power protection and filtering, the SM3-PRO’s BlueBOLT interface gives integrators the ability to perform remote hard reboots, monitor energy usage and network status, program scheduled on/off commands to reduce energy consumption, and create custom triggers for on/off, reboots and alerts based on environmental conditions and sensor input.

The SM3-PRO features three AC outlets in two controlled and monitored banks. Connected equipment is safeguarded with Panamax’s exclusive Protect-or-Disconnect catastrophic surge protection and AVM over/under voltage protection. The 2-port Ethernet switch delivers easy network connectivity to neighboring devices. Two accessory inputs, allow triggering of power outlets on and off (as well as email alerts) for highly customizable and flexible integration applications.

BlueBOLT enables a comprehensive systems management solution with monitoring of energy use and network status. Users and integrators can set energy usage budgets and receive alerts when nearing or exceeding defined energy use parameters. BlueBOLT’s network management feature allows any IP address to be “pinged” by the SM3-PRO and action to be taken (power cycle, power sequence, email alert, etc.) to be triggered when a device is not responsive on the network or if network connectivity is lost at the location.

The SM3-PRO System Manager has a suggested retail price of $349.00, and will be a featured item in the Furman Booth #3843 at InfoComm 2015.

Panamax Begins Delivering New SM3-Pro System Manager

Panamax, the leader in electronic  and electrical protection, filtration and control products, today announced it has begun delivering the new BlueBOLT-enabled SM3-Pro System Manager. Measuring only 10” x 7” x 1.75”, this compact device is small enough to mount behind a flat panel display, next to a projector, or inside a structured wiring cabinet. Along with robust power protection and filtering, the SM3-PRO gives integrators the ability to perform remote hard reboots, monitor energy usage and network status, program scheduled on/off commands to reduce energy consumption, and create custom triggers for on/off, reboots and alerts based on environmental conditions based on sensor input.

“BlueBOLT’s power and network management capabilities provide integrators with a highly effective toolset to reduce service calls and system complications, especially with networked electronics,” said John Benz, Core Brands Director of Power.  “The SM3-PRO delivers these benefits in a form factor well suited for a variety of applications for system components that may be located at some distance from the main system rack. With so many of our electronics relying on network connectivity, the SM3-PRO provides a convenient, professional and powerful solution for components such as smart digital displays and networking hardware.”

The SM3-PRO features three AC outlets in two controlled and monitored banks. Connected equipment is safeguarded with Panamax’s exclusive Protect-or-Disconnect catastrophic surge protection and AVM over/under voltage protection. The 2-port Ethernet switch delivers easy network connectivity to neighboring devices. Two accessory inputs, compatible with ELAN SENSE sensors, allow triggering of power outlets on and off (as well as email alerts) for highly customizable and flexible integration applications. 

BlueBOLT enables a comprehensive systems management solution with monitoring of energy use and network status. Users and integrators can set energy usage budgets and receive alerts when nearing or exceeding defined energy use parameters. BlueBOLT’s network management feature allows any IP address to be “pinged” by the SM3-PRO and action to be taken (power cycle, power sequence, email alert, etc.) when a device is not responsive on the network or if network connectivity is lost at the location.

The SM3-PRO’s compact form factor and included mounting bracket provide a high level of flexibility, making the unit ideal for digital signage, network hubs, projectors, flat screen displays, or other applications in which a component-size power conditioner may not be ideal. 

According to Benz, “The Panamax SM3-Pro System Manager is an affordable way to protect valuable equipment while enabling remote management of power, energy and network of connected electronics from any web-enabled device.”

The SM3-Pro System Manager has a suggested retail price of $349.00. It will be a featured item in the Proficient/Panamax Booth #6109 at ISC West, April 15-17, 2015.

New Panamax Power360 Series Protects And Powers All Household Electronics, And Delivers Easy USB Charging

Consumers outfit our homes with more electronic devices than ever before, including expensive TVs, cable boxes, home theater systems, WiFi routers, computers, tablets and smartphones. And while we may not always think of it, every time we plug a device into an outlet there is the possibility of too much or too little power going to the device, and the last thing we want is a broken TV!

No one knows this better than Panamax, the country’s pre-eminent designer and manufacturer of electronic and electrical protection, filtration and control products. For almost 40 years Panamax has earned a reputation for creating unique solutions for the worldwide problem of power disturbances, has earned numerous industry awards for the quality of their products and is consistently rated #1 among custom installers.

Now the legendary Panamax protection is available to all in the new Power360 series. This affordably priced retail product line is designed to protect and charge all electronic devices.

Leading the way in the new Power360 Series is the Power360 Dock. This wall-mounted charging station delivers the Panamax “Circle of Protection” to connected devices while serving as a convenient USB charging station for smartphones and tablets. For just $39.95, the 360 Dock turns a normal power outlet into a serious power station with six surge-protected 120V outlets plus two 2 amp USB charger feeding two ports. The ingenious design also features two precision slots on top of the unit that allows consumers to rest a smartphone or tablet while charging, reducing clutter and eliminating anxiety about charging cables being too short.

And what is the Circle of Protection? Included in every product in the Power360 line, it provides consumers with three vital pieces of information in real-time, right on the front of the unit. The Protection indicator ensures that connected devices are protected from power surges. The Voltage indicator confirms that the Power360 product is operating correctly and delivering the right amount of power, and the Wiring indicator shows that the home’s wiring is performing safely.

The $59.95 Power360 SIX power strip is designed for computer desks and home theater setups, providing six side-by-side surge protected outlets, an integrated 2 amp USB charger with two ports, plus a coaxial in/out connection that protects the signal for the cable or satellite box. What makes this power strip stand out is the USB charger that can be extended to the tabletop with a micro USB cable, delivering ultimate flexibility that allows consumers to easily charge desktop devices without having to get on their hands and knees to plug them in. The SIX also features mounting holes so it can be fastened to a wall for convenience.

For larger workstations, or areas with a lot of devices, the $79.95 Power360 EIGHT combines eight surge-protected outlets with two detachable USB chargers, each with two ports for a total of four USB charging connections, plus the coaxial in/out for signal protection. It is shorter and wider than the SIX, and can similarly be mounted to a wall for convenience.

“With the introduction of the Panamax Power360 Series we really are bringing ‘power to the people,’” John Benz, Core Brands Director of Power emphasized today.  “Designed to look as good as they perform, and priced for retail, the Panamax Power360 Series will change the way consumers view protection and USB charging in their homes.  The era of poor performing, commodity power protection is over.”

For more information about the new Panamax Power360 Series, visit www.panamax.com/power360. 

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Panamax’s M4315-Pro SmartSequencer Keeps Classes At Saint Louis University Up and Running

As university classrooms move deeper into a digital environment, they encounter many of digital’s pitfalls, including system crashes. Having a system go down in mid-class not only disrupts the flow of the educational process, but it would also often require a visit from someone from the school’s IT department to reboot the system.

That’s a thing of the past at Saint Louis University (SLU), where the school’s long-time AV technology partner, TSI Global, has been installing the Panamax M4315-PRO in classrooms throughout the campus and beyond. The BlueBOLT® enabled, Power, Energy and Network Manager allows system managers to remotely reboot the room’s Crestron RoomView® control system.

“If the processor went down before we began implementing the M4315-PRO, you would have to physically reconfigure the processor, in some cases having to have someone come all the way across campus to cycle the processor,” explains Paul Murdick, President of Technology Solutions, a division of TSI Global.  Instead, using the BlueBOLT Remote Power and Energy Management Platform option on the M4315-PRO, systems can be remotely rebooted from a central location, saving time, cost, and most importantly, avoiding interruption of classroom time.

Murdick says that SLU’s ITS department encountered the BlueBOLT option at an InfoComm show in 2011. In the three years since, TSI Global has installed over 150 BlueBOLT-equipped M4315-PRO units, including 25 of them in SLU’s recently opened downtown-Saint Louis law school building. “The online diagnostic capabilities of the M4315-PRO are excellent in terms of both knowing the status of everything plugged into the power management system and for getting systems back up and running if there is crash,” he says. “The M4315-PRO is a solution that’s both effective and efficient.”

Designed for commercial A/V Installers, the M4315-PRO combines robust control capabilities via the BlueBOLT platform, advanced AC protection and noise filtration.  

Core Brands Takes the Cake at CEDIA 2014 With Ten Awards For New Product Innovation

Leading home entertainment and control technology solutions provider Core Brands, a Nortek company, may have served a lot of cake at CEDIA 2014 with the appearance of Cake Boss Buddy Valastro, but it went home with something much sweeter — a record-setting ten awards from Residential Systems, Technology Integrator, and CE Pro for new product innovation!  The ten awards were the most awarded to a single manufacturer at CEDIA 2014.

Core Brands was awarded two Residential Systems Best of Show Awards for the ELAN UltraMatrix series of HDMI-Audio Switchers and the Niles Auriel MRC-6430 Multi-Room Audio System. CE Pro awarded two CE Pro BEST Awards for the SpeakerCraft AIM “Series 2” speaker family and ELAN g1 Entertainment and Control System. Technology Integrator gave six EXC!TE Awards to the SpeakerCraft AIM Series 2, the ELAN g1 Controller, the ELAN UltraMatrix, the Niles Auriel MRC-6430 Multi-Room Controller, the Panamax Power360 Surge Protectors with USB Charging, and the Panamax SM3-PRO System Manager.

“Innovation spoke for itself at CEDIA 2014,” said Joe Roberts, Core Brands Vice President of Products and Marketing, “and we’re honored to receive awards from Residential Systems, CE Pro and Technology Integrator in all our categories—Control, Audio and Power. However, we’re even more honored by the excitement these new products generated among dealers.  Our focus is to delight dealers with innovative products that exceed their expectations. We think we did that at CEDIA 2014, and our dealers’ customers are going to enjoy the benefits of each of these best-of-class brands.”

The Residential Systems Best of Show Awards recognizes outstanding products exhibited at the CEDIA EXPO. Winners are selected by panels of professional users and editors initially based on product descriptions but ultimately by judges’ inspections at the convention.

The 6th Annual CE Pro BEST Awards recognizes the most noteworthy new product and technologies of 2014. A panel of custom integrators and CE Pro editors chose the winners of this year’s BEST Awards with their main goal to recognize products that make a substantial impact on integrators. Judging criteria not only analyzed the technical merits of the products, but also the ability of the device to help integrators open up avenues to a potential new customer base, enable integrators to design and install systems faster and thus more profitably, or help integrators gain a profitable margin on the equipment itself.

Technology Integrator’s 12th annual EXC!TE Awards were given to products that stand out for being innovative, high-performing and solutions-oriented for the custom installation professional. Technology Integrator looks for products that assist custom installers with the unique challenges they face every day on the job. The products are judged on how they increase installers' productivity, the dealers' profitability, the clients' satisfaction and the industry's vitality.