Harman announces its acquisition of privately-held Duran Audio BV, which provides Harman with access to innovative electro-acoustic and software-based directivity control technologies, including the AXYS Intellivox line of “steerable” columns. The AXYS products and core technologies will become an integrated part of the Harman Professional audio product line.
“Today’s acquisition of Duran Audio BV bolsters Harman’s stated commitment to advance our technology leadership through both R&D and acquisitions,” says Dinesh C. Paliwal, Harman’s Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. “Over the years, Duran Audio has established a distinct and loyal customer base built on innovative technology. By leveraging Duran’s unique product lines with Harman’s global footprint and product synergies, our business is optimally positioned to serve new customers around the world with expanded audio solutions.”
“Our focus has always been on innovation,” says Gerrit Duran, founder of Duran Audio. “Over the years we have developed a range of solutions for some of the most difficult problems facing sound system designers, architects and acoustic engineers. Today’s acquisition by Harman presents many wonderful opportunities to push the R&D boundaries even further and to deliver some truly unique technologies to a wider customer base.”
The addition of Duran Audio to Harman’s portfolio of commercial audio and lighting technology companies underscores Harman’s strategy to complement continued growth through targeted acquisitions in adjacent technology and product areas across all geographic and vertical markets.
Founded in 1981 in Zaltbommel, The Netherlands, by Gerrit Durans, Duran Audio has earned a strong reputation for its AXYS range of professional audio products including loudspeakers, amplifiers, signal processors and network devices. Duran Audio pioneered modern loudspeaker “beam steering” and “beam shaping,” which are essential to addressing demanding acoustic environments. The company has also established a leading position in audio solutions for European EN-54 safety applications and software technologies for audio design.
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