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MARKET FOCUS SECTION { AUDIO } March 2015 | Boating Industry | 43 www.BoatingIndustry.com working those devices into their new designs and audio peripherals. "Everybody is holding a computer now, it's not just a telephone," said Robert Oswell, founder and CEO of Roswell Global. "They're walking around with one device that is a per- sonal computer, really: It's got their music, it's got their radio, it's got their GPS and their phone. Everybody on the boat is used to that connectivity and convenience." All those new developments have manu- facturers and distributors pretty excited about the coming years. "We're seeing more new product develop- ment over the past year or so than we've seen in quite some time. It's a very exciting time. There were record number of entries at IBEX for the NMMA innovation awards back in September, there's a record number of new products entered in the innovation awards at the Miami Boat Show," said Pilvelait. "We're probably more excited than we've been in some time with the audio market." The dominant trend is clear: Consumers want more out of their marine stereo systems and the ongoing economic prosperity has them primed to buy. Let's dig into the differ- ent facets of this evolution and see what a few big names in the segment are doing. CONNECTIVITY Just about everyone has a wireless gizmo of one brand or another in their pocket, and the technology is becoming much more usable as the standard way to connect to other devices. In the car and at home, consumers demanded the ability to connect seamlessly with their audio systems – now they are demanding the same on their boats. "I think one of the things that plagued our industry was that we thought boaters were not consumers in the traditional sense, but of course they are. They demand connectivity and ease of use on land, so there's no reason to expect any less from what they demand on the water," said Pilvelait. Just as it did in the home, giving deep lev- els of control to everyone makes for a more engaging experience. "Everybody on the boat now can be the DJ and play their favorite song, and I think that the expectations are being set at home and in the auto industry, and now you're going to see more and more of it in boats," said Oswell. "You know, it's a lot of fun when everyone can get on the boat and interact with the system in a new way." New developments within Blue- tooth technology have also shaped new products. By tapping into a more ro- bust Bluetooth protocol, Jensen Audio is rolling out a deeper way to connect with an audio system. "Our app control will allow for – re- gardless of the brand whether it's a Jensen brand, a Marine Audio brand or a Polk brand – we are going to allow for a free download- able app to the consumer to take over 100 percent control of their audio systems from their smartphone or tablet," said Wood. "Es- sentially anything you can do by pressing a button on a stereo, you'll be able to control from your phone or tablet." He said the new module that includes the newer protocol ID3 (updated from the A2DP and AVRCP protocols) allows users to control the standard play, pause and fast for- ward functionality, but will also allow for more complicated controls to manage EQ, fade and bass treble. The new modules will be included in 2016 with no price increase for OEMs or consumers. Roswell is betting on the continued growth of Apple's iOS platform by creating devices that work well with the ubiquitous iPhone. "We're now a wireless Apple licensee with one of our companies as well, developing con- nectivity, easy to play devices within Apple's The CyBox bypasses the audio faceplate altogether and connects devices via Bluetooth directly to the amp.