Harman and Universal Media Corporation, a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor for consumer electronics devices in Europe, have announced today a new strategic alliance.
Harman sound technology will be implemented across the UMC television portfolio, including Sharp & Blaupunkt brands as well as number of private labels under UMC management. The alliance will include the use of both Harman/Kardon and JBL audio brands.
As Star Wars creator and noted director, George Lucas, once said, “Sound and music are 50 percent of the entertainment in a movie.” With that in mind, it was the intent of theHarman audio engineers to design a truly cinematic experience for UMC televisions, offering superb dynamic range and exceptional accuracy. Customers will discover that the Harman/Kardon audio system for UMC televisions creates a significantly more immersive experience than the average flat screen TV.
UMC’s CEO, Aslan Khabliev, commented, “UMC is extremely excited to partner with Harman . The exceptional sound quality from Harman/Kardon and JBL will bring our products to the next level, enhancing the end-user experience and assuring top market positioning for all of our brands and private labels. We expect this partnership will help us grow our business significantly.”
The use of Harman/Kardon and JBL audio branding is important because it immediately tells the TV shopper that a UMC TV will give them a better entertainment experience than other offerings. HARMAN engineers designed, developed, and optimised specific speaker modules for each TV platform, ensuring that the end-user customer will have an audio experience that meets the very high standards for Harman/Kardon and JBL branding and provides an amazing entertainment experience.
David Rogers, Senior VP and General Manager ofHarman’s Consumer Audio Business Unit, said, “Consumers deserve an immersive audio experience that matches the stunning visuals from UMC televisions. Together, UMC and HARMAN are giving consumers a leading-edge entertainment experience.”
The televisions will be manufactured at UMC’s state of the art facilities located in Torun, Poland. Production is expected to begin May 2016 with shipments to retailers throughout Europe following shortly thereafter.
