By the time Greg Tobin spoke to CDN, the general manager at technology distributor D&H Canada had only spent three hours on the CES 2015 showroom floor. Within that time, he says, he could already feel the excitement of this year’s show.
“It seems to be much bigger, the crowds are larger, and there just seems to be more energy than in previous years,” Tobin said.
As someone who had attended for the past six years, Tobin said this wasn’t always the case.
“Back around in 2009, 2010, the line ups were lower, there was less people in the overall convention, and people were much more inwardly focused on what was happening at the company,” he said.
To him, the amount of buzz at the different convention booths he’s come across indicates that the economy is back and businesses are once again looking to grow.
While Tobin takes a personal interest in the smart cars being demoed by companies such as Mercedes-Benz as well as drone technology, as an IT distributor in Canada, D&H is taking particular interest in wearables and digital health.
While he declined to talk specifics, he said he is looking at closing deals in those areas as well as 3D printing in the near future, and would also approach his company to invest more heavily in security.
One other area that Tobin sees a lot of potential for growth is in sensors and management. He says he could see businesses emerging with services such as ones that allow you to add time to your smart parking meter in downtown Toronto or to reserve a space.
“Where there is mystery, there are business models to be made,” he said.
