FrontRow, Calypso To Merge

  • By Mike Hohenbrink
  • 10/24/11

FrontRow and Calypso Systems will merge into a single entity with the name FrontRow and a focus on communication and device control technologies.

Specializing in classroom audio technology, FrontRow is based in Petaluma, California, and is one of 45 companies within the William Demant Group. Calypso Systems, based in Woodbury, Minnesota, produces a line of AV and command-and-control products along with streaming audio offerings used in approximately 30,000 classrooms.

The move will result in bundling of existing product lines as well as improved interoperability of products. Unified technical support for the product lines as well as distribution and installation help will be available on a national basis.

Discussions about a shared vision have been in place since 2010, the companies announced in a prepared statement about the merger. Customer service calls will begin to be handled out of the California office immediately. That office can be reached at (800) 227-0735. The complete process of the merger is expected to last until 2012.

The new company will offer a combined line of products including:

  • Classroom audio;
  • Media capture;
  • Network paging; and
  • Device command and control.

"Our two companies complement each other extremely well in terms of resources, intellectual property, and culture," said FrontRow President Jens Holstebro. "By leveraging FrontRow's footprint in the classroom amplification space with advanced network products from Calypso, we have secured the position as the leading school communications provider in the industry. Nobody else can deliver better ways to build, manage, and use engaging, media-rich learning spaces--or do it faster."

"Our solutions will make it easier to share ideas and information within the classroom, the school, the district, and the community, all while driving operational and financial efficiency," said Calypso president David Parish.

For more information about Calypso Systems and FrontRow visit calypsosystems.com and gofrontrow.com.

Featured

  • a cloud, an AI chip, and a padlock interconnected by circuit-like lines

    CrowdStrike Report: Attackers Increasingly Targeting Cloud, AI Systems

    According to the 2025 Threat Hunting Report from CrowdStrike, adversaries are not just using AI to supercharge attacks — they are actively targeting the AI systems organizations deploy in production. Combined with a surge in cloud exploitation, this shift marks a significant change in the threat landscape for enterprises.

  • student reading a book with a brain, a protective hand, a computer monitor showing education icons, gears, and leaves

    4 Steps to Responsible AI Implementation in Education

    Researchers at the University of Kansas Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL) have published a new framework for the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence at all levels of education, from preschool through higher education.

  • figures sitting around a round table, discussing over an open book, papers, and glasses

    Alliance for Learning Innovation, Digital Promise Form National Education R&D Advisory Committee

    The Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI) and Digital Promise are bringing together a coalition of education leaders to help develop a national education research and development agenda and foster innovation in schools and districts across the country.

  • red brick school building with a large yellow "AI" sign above its main entrance

    New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators

    In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators.