SCN Exclusive: New CEO Has Big Plans for Yamaha UC

Sotaro Nishida wants to build a better audio experience for as many people as possible. Not exactly a modest goal for the man who started as CEO of Yamaha Unified Communications on Oct. 1.

Now based in Southern California, Nishida has been part of Yamaha since 2002, most recently in Yamaha's European headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, where he served as manager, strategy and marketing, Pro Audio Division. He's also had previous stops in Japan and South America (good thing he speaks three languages). As he works on improving efficiencies within the company, Nishida said Yamaha UC will remain very focused on the corporate and education verticals.

"High-quality audio supports Yamaha's insistence on quality and authenticity in products and services, and comes from five technology building blocks: microphones, speakers/amplifiers, DSP processing, routing, and acoustic technology expertise to create the ultimate sound quality," Nishida explained. “Because audio is such a complex accumulation of technologies, I think what is important for Yamaha is that we continue to come up with integrated systems with all those components to serve these verticals."

While he can't reveal all the details yet, Nishida said the Yamaha UC teams are developing new products. “The innovation that defines the Yamaha culture is propelling us toward some thrilling developments in the coming months," he said. "I am genuinely eager about the impact these upcoming releases will have on our industry and the integrator community."

Today, ceiling microphones are arguably the best-selling products for Yamaha UC, but Nishida would rather focus on providing the company's full ADECIA systems, which provide all the necessary audio components (including ceiling mics, where appropriate) for collaborative environments. He said the system approach not only provides integrators with a one-stop solution but also makes installation and operation more efficient. "We want to give everyone the whole audio experience," he said.

[SCN Hybrid World: Expert Insights and 16 Speakerphones to Know]

Videobars, which Nishida said is a challenging and competitive product segment, will also remain an important part of Yamaha UC's business plan. The company entered the fray when it announced the CS-800 4K video sound bar in late 2022. The product's differentiating technology is its SoundCap Eye AI and six beamforming microphones that track meeting attendees, suppress background noise, and "drastically improve sound clarity," Nishida noted. The CS-800 is also certified for Zoom and Microsoft Teams.