TFWM: Have you noticed a higher demand for intercom systems in houses of worship in the past 5 years?

Mike Hughes: Absolutely, in fact the worship market is one of our fastest growing market segments. The larger churches are doing more broadcasting and live productions than ever before. This necessitates video production equipment and intercoms for the camera operators. Our broadcast quality PRO850 synthesized wireless intercom is widely used for these applications. And with the introduction of our digital wireless intercoms (which cost about half the price of traditional UHF systems), the small to medium size churches can now afford to go wireless since the pricing is much closer to that of a cabled intercom system. We have seen a higher rental demand for our systems in the worship community due to the unique design of our DX Series. No frequency coordination or site-specific work is required as is the case for other wireless intercoms. Operation is plug-and-play and user-friendly, regardless of the geographic location.

TFWM: Can you tell us a bit about the benefits your DX121 Digital Wireless Intercom System will have for the church market?

MH: The DX121 is a highly versatile system that can be plugged directly into the headset jack of any intercom station or four-wire device that the church may be using. Remote staff can be connected wirelessly at large venues for instant wireless communication. Basically, the church can add the flexibility of wireless communication to their house intercom at a fraction of the cost of buying a complete wireless intercom system. And if you lose power, a fully charged battery in the charger port acts as backup power for wireless communication for 30 minutes, even when your cabled systems are down. For church camps and other off-site events requiring coordination, you can use the DX121 beltpacs for wireless communication of up to 1000 feet and enjoy many of the benefits that traditional walkie-talkies cannot provide.

TFWM: What differentiates your products from your competitors?

MH: Our systems are very simple to operate. A typical worship production may be handled by volunteers who are not trained audio professionals. Our digital intercoms are the only ones that have voice prompts that alert you to a variety of set-up and operating conditions. Our intercoms are super-robust and reliable. Our beltpacs are the ones you see being thrown against the walls at tradeshows to demonstrate their extreme durability. HME’s exclusive Spectrum Friendly™ technology allows users to switch to high band, low band, or the entire frequency band to minimize any chance of interference with WiFi systems. We have several unique options including the world’s only wireless speaker station and an all-in-one wireless headset. Encrypted communication, 20-hour battery life between charges (best in the industry), remote unlatching and more highlight our uniqueness. And it’s all supported by our comprehensive service and support program which includes a 24/7 toll-free call center.

TFWM: Do you provide educational materials for end-users to find out more about how your products operate?

MH: Yes. We sell to the church market through professional audio representatives and dealers that focus on this market and many of them offer training seminars and on-site assistance to churches. We also have a comprehensive website that has many links to educational and technical material about our products that can be downloaded as desired. Since we began providing communications equipment to the worship market over 37 years ago, we have conducted numerous educational seminars and workshops at conventions and tradeshows and will continue to do so.