Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: INTEG Acquisition - How does this affect JNIOR?

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Topic: INTEG Acquisition - How does this affect JNIOR?

Bruce Cloutier
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 161
From: Gibsonia, PA, USA
Registered: Aug 2016

posted 06-02-2018 11:38 AM

Just wanted to post this news personally. There is a press release circulating on the wire that indicates that I have acquired INTEG Process Group, Inc. It is true.

This is a good thing really but don't take my word. If you are at all concerned or just want find out more you can bug Rick at the office 724-933-9350.

I have been CTO with the company for well over a decade and I was already an owner. This acquisition consolidates all of the equity and places risk for anything we do squarely in my pocket. It will position us for growth. One of my goals is to reduce our costs and that will benefit you as well as INTEG.

The BoD had been a bit risk-adverse and we really could not respond to some of your needs as flexibly as a small company like ours should. We can now. If I threaten to produce a rackmount version of the JNIOR, I can follow through and get it done.

None of what you have come to expect from us is changing. Rick Shulkosky is still your inside man. He'll still take care of you as he has always.

Some things will be changing as we will be introducing the JNIOR to a broader audience. For example, as of the last day or so you can now buy JNIORs on Amazon (search "INTEG JNIOR"). We will move to Amazon fulfillment and Prime as we get deeper into it. You can still obtain product through our website (hint: prices for the controllers are better on Amazon right now and include power supplies). Just an FYI. I know that you all have your JNIORs already and aren't generally in need of more.

Although those with Series 3 installations should really consider updating to the Series 4. Having said that I am also a proponent of the "If it is not broke don't fix it" mentality.

If you are within driving distance of Pittsburgh, PA drop us a line. We would like to stop out and say hello. I would love to get some first hand feedback and suggestions. Uh... might depend on what's playing though.

Also if you are near Las Vegas or will be around there next week, we are exhibiting at InfoComm 2018. Last year we did bump into some cinema people at that show. We were just out there exhibiting at CinemaCon and I actually likely spoke with some of you.

Ok, so that is the deal. If you need something now you know who is in charge. It's going to be fun.

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Buck Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 894
From: St. Joseph MO, USA
Registered: Sep 2010

posted 06-02-2018 05:43 PM

Exciting! Congratulations! Thanks for sharing.

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 06-02-2018 10:32 PM

quote: Bruce Cloutier
Although those with Series 3 installations should really consider updating to the Series 4. Having said that I am also a proponent of the "If it is not broke don't fix it" mentality.

One thing that would be very useful is an automated, user friendly software tool to upgrade the configurations and settings from a 3 to a 4. I've had to do a few in the last year, most of them as the result of the Series 3 JNIOR developing a fault (e.g. a relay burns out). Even after making a backup clone from the 3 and uploading it into the 4, it was still necessary to install the cinema module and recreate a bunch of registry settings to get it to work with the automation system it was a part of.

A software tool based on a wizard, that simply sucks all configurations, settings, modifications, and add-on modules out of the Series 3 JNIOR, and uploads them (or their equivalents) into the 4, such that the 4 behaves in exactly the same way as the 3 it replaced after all is done, would save a lot of time in the field.

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Bruce Cloutier
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 161
From: Gibsonia, PA, USA
Registered: Aug 2016

posted 06-13-2018 01:13 PM

Sorry for the delay in reply. Guess I was expecting notification of replies here. I was just checking in and noticed the comments.

Leo wrote:

quote: Leo Enticknap
One thing that would be very useful is an automated, user friendly software tool to upgrade the configurations and settings from a 3 to a 4.

I just had Kevin in here to discuss this. Kevin wrote cinema.jnior for the Series 3 and then cinema.jar for the Series 4. We have more than once over the years discussed a migration tool. It wouldn't be that hard on a case by case basis. The difficulty is in our being able to envision every possible situation covering everyone. Each of you has some slight difference in your set up. Even the simplest variation could confuse a migration tool.

We would have to start somewhere. If any of you would like to upgrade from the Series 3 to the Series 4 and the migration would involve multiple units we would be happy to analyze your specific typical configuration and provide the automated software tool for you. We would be here to assist should there be any hick-ups. This tool then could be made more robust as we do more sites and encounter more variations in configuration settings.

We are confident that the migration will be successful. All I can do at this point is to commit to working closely with you to limit your risk and to make it go as painlessly as possible.

As an alternative we would be willing to pre-configure and validate units for you as drop-in replacements. Say you had 25 Series 3 JNIORs to upgrade. You order 25 Series 4 (corresponding models) and provide us with 25 individual backup/snapshot files. We would ship the new units labeled and configured to immediately function (hopefully) as a replacement for the corresponding Series 3 unit. The connections and even the mounting screws are identical. Just pull out the 3 and stick the 4 there and boot it. We would provide the pre-configuration service say for $25 per unit.

Would that work for any of you?

We love the Series 4 here. It is almost painful when we have to work with a Series 3. We don't fully support them anymore. The batteries have run out the useful lives (user replaceable in the 4). Just saying...

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