Just a question for everyone. How many jobs have you won or lost by being/not being CEDIA certified? In other words, what has the money you have spent with CEDIA done for you lately? I am not trying to CEDIA bash here but it seems to me that with CEDIA going to electrical trade shows to aquire new membership, partnering with AVAD on this D2B program and not raising mortal hell with ANY manufacturer that isnt willing to make certain that the true, trained professionals in this industry are the ONLY people that gain access to their particular product lines, then why belong to CEDIA? Over the last few months it seems to me that our industry is folding in on itself. I have noticed a trend, and maybe its just me
(sleep deprivation can cloud the mind), with manufacturers and distributors trying to market and sell their products on a larger scale even if it damages the people who have put them at the level that they are at today. I choose to beleive this is due to the economy and if these brands are to survive they must move in these directions. It is unfortunate that we (CI) get pissed on but hasnt it always been this way. I, as well as many of you I'm sure, remember sitting through training sessions many years back for DBS systems. Only to be sold and installed by professionals. Now my dry cleaner is also a sat. installer. Such is the way of the A/V guy. I have no solution and only offer my opinion but I do fear that the custom integrator will go the way of the dinosaur (or BETA if you prefer).