Interviu

 
Fiind pentru prima oara cand se organizeaza Computex-ul in mod fizic dupa 4 ani de absenta, am profitat de ocazie pentru a sta de vorba cu o serie de oameni cu adevarat pasionati din industrie, la care cititorii nu au de obicei acces. Unul dintre cei care ne-au raspuns la intrebari a fost Aaron Licht – CEO al be quiet! (Listan Group), alaturi de care am purtat o discutie legata de noile serii de produse beQuiet, precum si de planurile acestora pentru viitor.

1 – Hi guys and thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. First, this year you are celebrating 22 years of existence. How does it feel to be in this business for more than two decades?

be quiet! lives up to its name: more than 20 years of experience in product development make be quiet! products amongst the most silent and performant ones on the market. It feels great to be part of an amazing team which is developing awesome products, which is not only regularly confirmed by awards from the European Hardware Association as well as renowned trade magazines and online portals, but also by the growing community and customers all over the world.

2 – What inspired you to build products for PC enthusiasts and Gamers?

In the beginning, we were seeing the demand for PC components with quiet operation. Undoubtedly the fans are an integral factor in minimizing the noise levels of our products. That’s why the be quiet! assortment features custom-developed fans like the Silent Wings, that are equipped with a variety of noise-reducing features such as special bearings, smooth-operation motors, optimized airflow and anti-vibration decoupling. Thanks to these fans, be quiet! products attain a perfect balance of ideal cooling performance and virtually inaudible operation.

3 – After so many years in the business and after the pandemic years, how do you see the business now? What are the challenges now, compared to when you started?

The need for high wattage power supplies has increased dramatically due to new technologies in CPU and GPU. This is probably the biggest change in recent years. Through our Dark Power, Straight Power and recently Pure Power series in the power supply range, we can cover a power demand up to 1600W. In times of high energy costs, we are also constantly working to optimize the efficiency of our power supplies down to the smallest detail to to provide our customers with the most performant and efficient ones.

4 – Do you think there is still room for an exponential growth in the PC market segment?

In terms of growth, this year the focus is on the US market. I have therefore increased the size of the North American team and expanded the local service and logistics structures accordingly. We will also be adapting product planning and development more closely to the requirements of the US market. But of course, we won’t neglect our usual German attention to detail and our high quality standards.

5 – What are the main areas where we should expect news from you this year?

Customers of be quiet! products are guaranteed to receive proven premium quality and the typically silent be quiet! operation and performance. That’s why we continuously are improving our product range and we show a few new products at the Computex in Taipei end of May.

6 – How important is the ATX 3.0 standard for you? As one of the first manufacturers to offer ATX 3.0 PSU’s to the customers, what were the challenges in developing and deploying this line of products into the market?

The challenges of launching products based on new standards as a first mover is always tough. When we kick of the development, we are planning for future use cases, scenarios and for an ecosystem which is not available at this point in time. But due to our close cooperation with leading industry partners and our knowledge exchange with them we are always more than happy to accept this challenge, because we are sure that we can develop even better products for our fans. Like for example, our new Dark Power Pro 13, a 80 Plus Titanium rated ATX 3.0 power supply.

7 – Do you have any plans of expanding beyond power supplies, cases and cooling systems in the near future?

We are a hardware specialist. With the Listan Group we already had top brands in cooling, cases, power supplies, with be quiet! and Xilence. But just recently we expanded our portfolio through the acquisition of MOUNTAIN, a premium brand for gaming peripherals, in specific mice and keyboards. Therefore, we already made a great step in covering additional needs of our customer base for premium gaming hardware.

8 – What sets be quiet! apart from other PSU and case manufacturers?

Quite simply, our goal is to expand this exceptional brand recognition and grow it into one of the top three brands in the world. The following pillars are essential for our success, German premium quality, great performance, an iconic design and silent products.

9 – In the last years power consumption grew exponentially for both CPU’s and GPU’s. Is it more difficult to build a truly silent PC now, compared to 10 years ago?

It is correct that high wattage produces greater heat. However, with our unique fan technology, such as the Silent Wings Pro 4, it is still possible to build a powerful PC that is still able to run low noise levels. That’s the outcome of our teams never settle and develop constantly new technologies to push the boundaries.

10 – Thank you very much for your time!