Extron Electronics makes some great products for commercial environments in need of customized AV systems. Everything from signal processing to distribution to control devices—their products are top notch! As certified Extron programmers, we highly recommend their products after working with them extensively on a wide range of projects, including educational environments, government facilities, and corporate settings.
One thing that Extron does a little bit differently than other companies that manufacture similar products, is that they require companies to use a certified Extron programmer before they will release their products.
Here is a scenario that we’ve seen happen more than once: An organization goes directly to Extron or works with an Extron dealer to purchase their products. Employees at Extron offer product advice and may even help the organization’s staff design a system using their products. However, once it’s been determined what products will be needed for the project, Extron won’t release those products to the customer until they have a certified Extron programmer in place. Even authorized Extron dealers are not able to get hardware released to them until they name a programmer for the project. For organizations that don’t know this in advance, it can cause their project to get held up. They think they are all ready to start their project, but then must scramble to find an approved Extron programmer so they can receive their hardware and start the project.
This may seem like an overly strict policy on the part of Extron, but we can certainly understand and appreciate why they have this requirement. Extron has built a solid reputation in the commercial AV industry and they are trying to protect it. They want their products to be programmed by professionals who know what they are doing and have the training and certification to prove it.
If someone were to program their hardware incorrectly, it may appear to the end user as if the products were defective or of poor quality, when in fact, the fault would lie with the programmer. However, it’s likely that Extron’s reputation and brand would receive the brunt of the damage, and not the reputation of the programmer.
Extron knows that its products are only as good as the programming that goes into them, so their policy requiring a certified Extron programmer is a good one that serves their company well.
If you are an organization looking to purchase Extron products, or if you are an authorized Extron dealer who would like a certified Extron programming company for your projects, contact us at AV Programming Associates. We have many years of experience working on projects using Extron hardware, and we know how to get the best performance out of their equipment. Our Extron programming company is headquartered in the San Diego area but often works on projects worldwide.
