I'll assume you mean to say, Hannity because you don't ever agree with him but he is 100% correct? As is many of the other shows on Fox.

Now that's funny. You almost sound like you mean it...

 Its sad for me to hear about manufacturers, distributors, or installers going out of business. But it is necessary for a compression in the market place to happen so that we can get a good balance of supply and demand between customers and installers, manufacturers thriving and reinvesting in R&D, distributors having good stock levels of just in time products, etc.

For installers once this happens they won't have to worry about some install companies that are hanging on by a thread undercutting market prices for labor and equipment.  
Letting the correction happen will help to speed up the recovery process. Now as long as the government quits artificially propping up the economy we can get over this slump and start getting back on an truly upward trend.

nicely put, i agree

Wil,

Wise words! This has been my key to success. When things went downhill a handfull of companies that were prolific whores in my market could no longer survive and went away. Our business was well capitalized and we were able to absorb all those clients and thrive like mad.

Rick, unfortunately the way the vNet lighting product works, there's not much that can be used as a direct replacement. This could mean huge costs for the customers. It's going to be interesting to watch.

I have advised one dealer who has a non-working $27k vnet lighting job to approach Lutron about offering a discount for a re-do. Suggest others ask their vendors to do the same.

Man, totally beat me to the punch on this one. Funny thing is I was starting the trim out on a 6 figure vNet project today. I started it about a month ahead of schedule (they are still working on flooring, trim and cabinet install) from a gut feeling and not wanting to fall behind and it proved true. All the vNet system components are already purchased and in my hands so that was good. I told this client that they are going out of business and we will go a different direction on the video server equipment as it does not link in any way to the Vibe system right now and that he should get any free-standing ipod docks if he wants them now. I am commissioning the system ASAP to test everything about a month before the project needs it as I am sure replacements on failures will be hard to come by. Rumor has it there is a big name company that might purchase vNet... fingers crossed there but not holding my breath.

Guess I need to put a call into C4.

I see that vNet uses an 8 zone wallbox module that installs in a vertical box...

[rant]See, this is one of the MANY reasons why any dealer should investigate not only the product that they are considering using, but ALSO the primary competitors...

You are correct, nobody else installs wallbox dimming modules horizontally...
Why vNet chose to be different than EVERYONE else is beyond me, but it may help explain why they were not embraced by more integrators.[/rant]

If these were installed in a centralized manner, you can simply remove the goofy vertical box and install anyone's dimming enclosures and modules.

If these were installed in a distributed manner througout the house, you still have options.

In HomeWorks, you could replace them with WPM modules, and refit traditional boxes in those locations. Since the WPMs are only 6 zone, you could add Vareo/Maestro dimmers in another box right off the main box. Another option is to combine some circuits, as the 6 zone WPM has the same combined rating (1920 watts) as the 8 zone vNet dimming module.

LiteTouch makes the Neo wallbox dimmer, which can accept up to 8 zones in a 4 gang device.

Vantage InFusion would require serious wallbox surgery, as their wallbox products are 1 zone per gang.

Crestron has the iLux wallbox dimmer, although I am not certain whether it is the easiest/best way to replace the vNet device. I am sure that others more familiar with Crestron's lighting line can weigh in with their suggestions.

So there are some options from the top names in lighting...
Yes, the wallboxes will have to be retrofitted, and there is likely to be sheetrock repair and paint touchup... But I would advise the clients to take it on the chin today (hopefully with a softened blow in the way of manufacturer discounts for the replacements) rather than wait and see and have it slowly disintegrate over time while your client satisfaction dwindles.

I am in favor of full disclosure, and let the client make the decision whether to replace or wait and see.

I always make a note when sales people go out of their way to say how well the company is funded; "Vnet is going to be around a long time" said one perversely incorrect salesman at a previous CEDIA when I asked him about this very issue.

People, haven't we seen this enough to avoid it again? Can't anyone smell the upcoming disaster? Time will tell.

This is the second lighting Co. (I'm aware of) leaving customers to themselves and more than enough history to convince me - never follow a trailblazing, entrepreneur riding a one-trick pony. Too much crap on the way to the glue factory.

I am not surprised by this one bit. The product was mediocre at best and was not cheap either. The keypads were cheesy and the audio was unimpressive. But other than that great stuff...... Not

and RTI

I'm reading your post and thinking to myself, ya I know another light company like this, then I realized you were talking about the same one. LOL

Why? Just source your gear from Best Buy... umm i mean Magnolia.

[Link: cepro.com]

No surprise here, I could never see what market demand vnet was meeting. There was nothing they offered that was exceptionally unique or filling some big market void. Sure, they had a few unique keypads but otherwise it was just one more option to add to the fold, and they had to go after dealers who were not AMX or Crestron dealers, or for whatever reason were unhappy with those companies. For one of these companies (selling automation products at this price point) to succeed they need to offer something unique enough to make AMX and Crestron dealers be interested in selling it. C4 as an example, love them or hate them, offered something unique enough to do that, and also met a market demand (lower priced automation).