d&b’s new Immersive business unit will lead the company’s vision, strategy and planning, including the Soundscape and SmartStage teams.
Resolutely renewing its commitment to providing immersive solutions for the event world, d&b has appointed Al McKinna as vice president of its new Immersive business unit, which will include the Soundscape and SmartStage teams. Launched in 2018, d&b Soundscape now represents an immersive audio platform that creates deep and intense Connessioni between audiences and performers using object-based mixing and acoustic space simulation. SmartStage, on the other hand, is an immersive video environment that allows the speaker to interact with the content intuitively and has become the ideal immersive video solution in vertical markets such as education, corporate communications, broadcasting, e-sports and so on.
The creation of the new Immersive business unit will be a key factor in d&b’s holistic, immersive vision, a brand that spans audio, video, lighting, media, and extended reality (xR). Al McKinna will report directly to d&b Group CEO Amnon Harman and, in his new role within the company, will be responsible for d&b’s global immersive strategy, developing the company’s roadmap, establishing strategic partnerships and driving future innovations. McKinna’s assigned organization will be divided into three divisions: Product Management and Architectural Design, Software Development, and Customer Enablement.
Al McKinna, over the past two decades, has held leadership roles in both professional and commercial audio, focusing on both hardware and software technologies. Prior to joining d&b, he was Head of Product for Optimal Audio at Focusrite, and before that he worked for an impressive 15 years at Avid, in sales and senior product management roles.
It is fitting, then, to yield the floor to Al McKinna for comment, “d&b,” he said, “is leading the way with its integrated immersive vision, and I am excited to play a key role in making that vision a reality. We have a tremendous opportunity to enhance the audience experience with d&b’s immersive technologies and I am honored to work with this exceptionally talented and experienced team for the purpose of moving the boundaries of what is creatively possible.”
He was echoed by Amnon Harman, CEO of the d&b Group, who said, “Today’s announcement marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for d&b, not only because we are acquiring Al’s experience and talent, but also because this marks the transition of all of d&b’s immersive activities under one business unit. A truly immersive performance consists not only of an immersive sound experience but also the fusion of light and video, which puts d&b in a unique position. This new organization allows us to build an immersive business roadmap, including both our Audiotechnik and Solutions customers.”
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