Why Summit Manor? Why Now?
In the early 1990’s
the industry was struggling with the shift from tape based to computer based
products for production and playback. And in 1991, Atkins became one of the
“founding four” of The Whitlock Group’s Broadcast Division, the first
video company in the industry that was also part of a major computer company.
Deftly mixing talent from the video and computer worlds, The Whitlock Group was
able to serve clients making this major technology shift, and grew remarkably. A
mere 7 years later Whitlock had gone from startup to one of the major players in
the nation, with offices throughout the southeast.
The shift to Digital - But the
industry was about to make another sea-change in technology – from analog to
digital and HDTV. This change was unlike any other we had undergone, because
nearly all the rules of the last 50 years were changing. And Atkins realized the
best way to serve clients during this change was to provide the best engineering
possible. He joined TGS as a partner, and launched it’s new integration
division, focusing on the highest level of engineering and expertise for his
clients. Over the next 7 years, TGS would emerge as one of the pioneers in HDTV
and DTV, with a host of industry firsts – first DTV in the PBS chain of
stations, first HDTV Saturn MC, first HDTV truck, first PBS station to go all
HDTV – the list goes on and one. No wonder that TGS doubled in size each of
it’s first five years in business.
The
challenge of convergence - Our industry is finally, at the end of
nearly twenty years, reaching convergence, the place where half a dozen
technologies are combining. This convergence brings with it some unique
challenges to both integrators and dealers, and the clients who have to make
decisions.
What
Makes Convergence different from other changes in the industry?
In the past, one technology was simply replacing another. It was pretty easy to
see where things were going and determine what kind of expertise you needed to
make that transition. But today, the challenge is not just moving from one
technlogy to another, but combining these new technologies into a coherent
whole. If you have already begun to transition in earnest, you have noticed what
Atkins noticed two years ago – that no one company is set to effectively serve
clients in this convergence.
Why Not?
Simply put, most dealers, integrators and manufacturers are too focused.
They have found a niche and serve it, often very well. But successful
convergence requires that you do many things well, and understand the tradeoffs
that are inherent in this convergence. What has struck Atkins over the past few
years, is how the best convergence projects have involved co-operation, not
competitions. Summit Manor is designed from the ground up to take that principle
of partnering, and put it to work for his clients and customers.
A lifetime
of Strategic Alliances
- Most people who do what Atkins does work for a single company, and
you have to pick and choose between each company’s strengths and weaknesses.
We take a different approach, drawing on a lifetime of strategic alliances to
bring to bring together the perfect mix of companies and individuals to your
project. For the first time, you have the option of bringing together precisely
what you need, not just what someone happens to do or sell.
Project Management that works
- One
of the biggest failings on a project always seems to go back to project
management. Clients don’t have someone in place to manage the project, and
often it’s a neglected part of dealer’s project plan. We bridge that gap
with project management that works. It's part of our service, and often the
missing link in large scale media projects.
Tom Atkins was a partner at TGS,
Inc for six years. The pictures above are of TV communications systems where
Tom Atkins played a key role in their development as part of his work at TGS.
Pictures used with permission.
Summit Manor
5760 Lee Highway
Troutville, Va. 24175
540-966-4032
tom@summitmanor.org
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