By now, you've probably noticed that everyone's got a fixed installation (systems integration) projector. The boardroom, conference room and training room market that was once dominated by the CRT, is now ruled by the LCD. Proxima and Sanyo have been leading that category for two years while Epson and Sony surged back last year with the introduction of their fixed install LCD line.

Well, at INFOCOMM, just about everyone left joined the installation game with a new projector. Sharp even introduced a 4500 ANSI lumens box that uses two lamps to maintain light output and runs on just 115 volts.

Who's next?

Everyone.

The fact is the fixed installation market is the holly grail of the ProAV market today. Projector manufacturers are recognizing the fact that installation is going to be around well past the portable market.

What, the portable market is going somewhere?

Yes, the portable market.

Have you stopped to consider the future of the portable and ultra-portable market? Well, certainly many would disagree, but the portable projector market may go the way of the portable printer. How many people do you know carry around a portable printer?

Not many.

Why? Well, why carry a portable printer around everywhere you go if there's sure to be one at your destination? Doesn't make a lot of sense. What if that happens to the projector market?

Now, don't get the idea that Gary Kayye is saying the portable projector market is dying or that it's even going to slow down - that not going to happen for years. But, the trend that I see is one of fixed installs being so prolific that presenters don't need to carry around projectors everywhere the go.

Don't believe me?

Well, hang in there as I will write more about this in future weeks as I get the opinions of the leading projector manufacturers themselves to tell you their vision. And, you may be surprised.

Oh, by the way, for those of you who don't think InFocus recognizes installation stay tuned as they're about to drop a bombshell on the market. We'll give you the scoop later this month.

Gary Kayye is Principal of Kayye Consulting a firm that specializes in providing marketing consulting, telephony integration and training development to the professional audiovisual industry. He spent 12 years at Extron and AMX as VP of Sales and Marketing before founding his own firm. He can be reached at www.kayye.com or via e-mail at gkayye@kayye.com.

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