This Year and Next

SPOILER ALERT: I get sappy at Christmas. If you don't want to read anything positive and cheerful, turn back now, because the next four paragraphs will either make you smile or gag. Whichever path you choose, I wish you the very best.

Wow... another year has come and gone. It seems like only yesterday I was preparing for the holidays with the cool little secret about URC's two-way MX-6000 stowed quietly away in my desk. It's always cool to watch the evolution of a product as it makes it way to market. It's even nicer when all that hard work pays off with a product that installers immediately see the value of, and are eager to spec into their jobs. 

There's no doubt that this year saw more than its fair share of challenges. It would be pretentious to ignore the economic environment we find ourselves in today. However, as all cycles do, these challenging times will also come to an end, and before we know it, we'll all be up to our ears in the jobs that "had to wait" when times didn't look so cheery. So as I look forward now to 2009, I'm keeping a bright eye on the potential for a better year. This year the United States had a historical presidential election, the iPhone changed the way we all think about software distribution, and HDTV finally took center stage in the average American home. Some of these events are more important than others, and there are many more I won't list here, but the important point is that this has actually been a pretty amazing year if you really look at it.

In the coming year URC has some cool things in store. Some of them you know about already; others you don't. I find myself thankful to be a part of this great team, who so tirelessly dedicate themselves to providing the best solutions for installers. I wish I could pull back the curtain and show the whole world how much my co-workers put into bringing you these products, but alas, doing so would tip our hand regarding what's heading your way next. So let it suffice to say that as this year comes to a close, I am proud and honored to live in this great land, and to be one of the people who helps bring some really cool products to installers and their clients.

Thanks to all of you who specify and install URC products. And a very happy holiday to each and every one of you. As I tug back the edge of the curtain just a tiny little bit, the one thing I can reveal is that things are happy back here. I sincerely wish all of you the same happiness, and even greater prosperity for the coming year.