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November 2020 www.avnews.co.uk Page16
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Remote learning
XR Technologies
As we sit down to write this piece. The UK government has announced that England will be locked down for four weeks, but that the schools and universities will remain open.
The technologies of Virtual and Augmented Realities, collectively known as XR Realities could hold the key to providing the added value perceived to be ‘missing’ from standard video communication.
Mass resignations forecast among those forced back to offices
Sharp and NEC complete acquisition
With current government advice encouraging all those who can work from home to do so, it’s no surprise that Britain’s businesses and employees are navigating a new normal. Research launched by Owl Labs, the leader in collaborative video conferencing and classroom technology, sheds light on Britain's attitudes to work during a Global Pandemic. It’s no surprise that the majority (84%) of UK full-time workers are planning on working remotely in some form for the rest of 2020, whilst almost half (41%) would be likely to
In a joint announcement Mike Marusic, President and CEO of the Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, and Todd Bouman, President and CEO of Sharp NEC Display Solutions of America, revealed that Sharp Corporation and NEC Corporation, have completed the acquisition of 66% of the shares of NEC Display Solutions, Ltd. (NDS), a subsidiary of NEC. As a result of
a full five day working-week from home, with 55% planning a more hybrid role with one to four days in the office. With working from home likely to become part of the future of working life, 45% of office workers are willing to take a pay cut to continue working from home in the long-term. 15% would be willing to take a pay cut of 5%, the equivalent to £1,518 a year when looking at the average full-time UK salary of £30,353.* However, if companies were to enforce pay cuts without offering benefits in kind, such
their pay as part of cost savings across the business (46%), or if their employer cut their pay if they chose to move to a suburban or rural location to work from home permanently (41%). Companies will need to be agile and open to employee suggestions when navigating this changing working landscape and changing expectations of working life. However, there are opportunities for nimble companies who can move fast to recruit the best talent regardless of location, to cut operational costs with smaller offices, and have a loyal workforce by of-
Almost half of workers (41%) would be likely to resign if they were forced to return to the office against their will. resign if they were forced to return to the office against their will. Almost half (44%) of UK full-time workers plan to work
as freedom to work from home, it’s a very different story. Office workers would be likely to resign from their current role if their company were to cut
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fering flexible hybrid working to better fit in with employees' work-life balance,” says Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs. With the shift in working
practises, it shouldn’t surprise employers that there has also been a shift in employee expectations when it comes to what employers should be providing to their staff, both at home and in office. Three-quarters of employees (74%) believe their company should pay for, or provide, office technology equipment (including laptops, printers, and extra screens) when they work from home, with half (50%) believing they should provide office furniture (including desks and ergonomic chairs). Whilst the shift to increased working from home provides workers with more flexibility and freedom, employers concerned about their workers' productivity should think carefully before introducing remote monitoring technology. When working from home, 61% of employees would be concerned if their company bought in remote activity and productivity monitoring, with over a third (36%) saying they’d be likely to resign if so. Almost three-quarters (72%) were concerned about the use of video tracking, 61% with attention tracking apps, 60% were concerned about keyboard tracking apps, and over half (52%) if their employer were to monitor time spent on certain apps or websites.
a wide range of synergies that we can pass on to the business community and our resellers. Additionally, this venture will add scale and efficiency for our combined product lines across the world, allow us to more competitively pursue emerging categories within the marketplace and combine the immense knowledge, skills and capabilities of both organizations.
Mike Marusic, President and CEO of the Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, and Todd Bouman, President and CEO of Sharp NEC Display Solutions the acquisition, NDS will become a subsidiary of Sharp and a joint venture with NEC retaining 34% of its shares. The joint venture has been renamed Sharp NEC Display Solutions (SNDS) and will focus on the B2B display business. SNDS will be headed up by Fujikazu Nakayama who will serve as Chairman of the new business and Hisatsugu Nakatani will serve as President. This new company represents our deep and ongoing commitment to the B2B display business. The previous Sharp and NDS display businesses are two market-leading brands in the production and development of visual solutions, and the SharpNEC joint venture will result in
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Over the coming months, the Americas teams of both Sharp and SNDS will work closely together to develop our go forward strategies to maximize the value of the joint venture to our partners. During this period, both teams will continue to operate as they do now and continue to support their respective customers as they have been doing. “This is an exciting new chapter for us moving forward. We have mutual admiration and respect for one another along with a deep ethos in quality and innovation. We look forward to sharing our synergetic plans as we move further down this exciting road.”
BECOME A CHANNEL PARTNER WITH GENEE Genee is a UK based manufacturer With over 20 years of experience in the AV industry we are now expanding our partner network to support the various vertical markets our products are supplied into. We have a range of new products that is going to be available from November which include: G-Touch® 65” 4K Classic to ensure entry level competitive advantage G-Touch® 55” 4K Plus to support small area classrooms and offices Genee Vision 4200 Wireless document camera to complete our wireless range.
WHY PARTNER WITH GENEE? We are a diverse manufacturer providing products that have been created to seamlessly integrate with each other; these includes our Visitor Management System, Interactive Touchscreens, Document Cameras & Interactive Software. So when you are looking to link interactive products together think Genee.
RECEIVE OUTSTANDING SUPPORT Our internal sales, technical and marketing teams are always on hand to support your needs as well as your customers on your behalf.
VIRTUAL DEMONSTRATIONS NOW AVAILABLE As part of our commitment to stay safe during this time, we are now offering virtual demonstrations and training. Your clients can now stay safe while still experiencing our technology solutions.
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GREAT INCENTIVES Become a Genee partner to earn great margin and many other incentives! With Genee you do not have to be an interactive solution expert as we can do this for you. www.genee-group.com
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Business News
Midwich distribution partnership with ZeeVee
Calibre launches premium channel partner program
Midwich has announced a UK and Ireland distribution agreement with ZeeVee Inc., a manufacturer of AV distribution products. ZeeVee develops digital technology and products for distributing Audio Video over Internet Protocol (AVoIP) content from one or multiple sources to any number of displays. Its products are deployed worldwide within the education, government, corporate, healthcare, broadcasting, hospitality, retail and housing sectors, among others. ZeeVee uses only open-standard digital technologies for AV distribution to offer the best advantages to both integrators and end-users in terms of cost, quality, longevity, reliability, scalability and upgradability. The full range of ZeeVee products is currently available in the UK (through Midwich) and Ireland (through Square One). Ross Floyd, Divisional Director, Midwich, comments: “This exciting partnership with ZeeVee is a timely agreement, as the need to distribute high-qual-
Under a new Calibre Premium Channel Partner Program, Calibre UK will incentivise companies selling commercial Calibre LED and image display solutions “It takes more than just a product to be the supplier of choice,” said Paul Wilson, Account Manager EMEA at Calibre UK. “We’ve introduced a new Calibre Premium Channel Partner Program to enable our business partners to deliver innovative and high-quality solutions to integrators and specialists across a broad spectrum of applications, markets, and geographies.” “Based on vertical markets, other revenue and business models, the Calibre Premium Channel Partner Program will reward partners with several benefits to help partners win business and make money,” added Wilson. Benefits include online training opportunities, increased knowledge transfer, a web portal for web-based product support, promotions such as e-shots and newsletters, strategic consulting, sales and marketing support, and competitive product discounts, leasing
ity audio-video content has become vitally important and is now essential to many businesses. Partnering with ZeeVee offers our customers a broad choice of products to best suit their needs as they have an AV product to fit all video distribution requirements and its range of cost-effective AVoIP distribution platforms are quick and easy to install. “Ultimately, the new agreement will enable our technical experts to work with the ZeeVee team and our customers to re-envision how to employ video to improve, enhance and deliver new AV services for the user.” Rob Muddiman, Director of EMEA Sales, ZeeVee, comments: “Midwich is the preeminent full-line AV product distributor in the UK and Ireland, and together we seek to further the adoption of AVoIP technology as the standard solution for the reliable and cost-effective distribution of high quality video with near zero latency. The future of this emerging tech-
nology is bright, and we look forward to working with the Midwich team every step of the way.” ZeeVee is a founding member of the SDVoE Alliance along with NETGEAR, Sony and others. The SDVoE Alliance is a non-profit consortium of technology providers collaborating to standardise the adoption of Ethernet to transport AV signals in professional AV environments, and to create an ecosystem around SDVoE technology allowing software to define AV applications.
Queen’s Award for Peerless-AV Peerless-AV is celebrating a momentous achievement with the official presentation of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2020 for International Trade. Members of the Peerless AV EMEA team are planned to be invited to Buckingham Palace for a Queen’s Award winners celebration in 2021. Only around 7000 UK businesses have received this award since 1965 and Peerless-AV is thrilled to be one of them. The EMEA business was formed in 2009 when Peerless Industries Inc acquired UK company BBG Distribution Limited. Despite 2009 being one of the worst recessions in Global history, Peerless-AV was launched and has since won an unprecedented number of industry awards, and has massively increased its sales and profile not only within the UK, but all over EMEA and Globally. John Potts, President & CEO of Peerless-AV, stated, “We are absolutely thrilled that Peerless-AV has been honoured with this Queen’s Award and I would like to recognise the huge contributions that so many of our team have made in winning this award, including Gordon Dutch, Keith Dutch, the late Melinda von Horvath, and all our teams based in the UK, EMEA and globally.” Keith Dutch, Managing Director – EMEA, Peerless-AV, confirmed, “We are obviously delighted to finally receive this prestigious Royal accolade, as it acknowledges the hard work and commitment that we have invested to develop our international business. I am confident that this respected award, and its globally recognised symbol,
will further help drive our export business and the worldwide standing of Peerless-AV to new heights.” In an official letter from the Lieutenancy Office, Robert Voss CBE, HM Lord-Lieutenant
something quite special but to win a Queen’s Award is considered the ultimate accolade. I am well aware that the awards are extremely competitive with many thousands of entries so by winning, you proved that you
Opinion
of Hertfordshire, wrote, “I am delighted to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the momentous achievement of winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. For a company to win any award is in itself
are the crème de la crème of Hertfordshire’s (and the UK’s) businesses and on behalf of the Lieutenancy of Hertfordshire and the whole county, I salute you.”
“We understand that the business landscape has changed and we are deeply committed to our trusted partners. The new Calibre Premium Partner Program is streamlined so our partners can focus on what they do best.”: Wei Wei Yin, Sales & Marketing Director at Calibre UK. of our technology and increase the longevity of sales, which of course helps us grow the success of the industry and our business,” enthused Wei Wei Yin, Sales & Marketing Director at Calibre UK.
Partnering well: getting the most from technology experts Even before COVID-19, many organisations faced considerable IT challenges. Now, COVID-19 is rapidly pushing companies to operate in new ways and IT is being tested as never before. Matt Parker, CEO of Babble, unlocks the secrets to successful technology partnerships.
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire Robert Voss CBE (right of pic) and his Deputy and Vice Admiral Alan Richards CB JP DL (left of pic) present Peerless-AV with its Queen’s Award.
and financing options. Several companies have already joined the Calibre Premium Partner Program: “Working with Calibre and their new partner program has enabled us to provide French-speaking customers based in France with immediate product and support for their video needs. Our partnership with Calibre demonstrates how a reseller and vendor can work together to deliver excellent results.” - Frédéric Collino, Distrimedia, France “The Calibre Premium Partner Program is hugely advantageous for our entire integrator community and it allows us to do what we are good at such as supporting small to large projects looking to capitalise on Calibre LED and video processing technology.” - Nuno Oliveira, Formato AV, Portugal “We understand that the business landscape has changed and we are deeply committed to our trusted partners. The new Calibre Premium Partner Program is streamlined so our partners can focus on what they do best. It rewards and helps loyal and new resellers to grow their business, drive awareness
As businesses juggle a range of new systems, priorities and challenges, including business continuity risks, sudden changes in volume, real-time decision-making, workforce productivity, security and customer satisfaction, leaders must act quickly to address immediate systems resilience issues and lay a foundation for the future. If leaders wait until the other side of the pandemic before applying lessons learnt from the experience so far, it will be too late. Long-term strategies for greater resilience need to be determined now; for many, strong technology partnerships will be critical to this. Here at Babble, we’ve recently been announced as the Five9 EMEA Reseller of the Year for the second consecutive year, so you could say we know a thing or two about successful partnerships. Our relentless strive to build long-term relationships with clients and implement services that guarantee business continuity and eliminate the hassle and expense of traditional on-premise contact centre software, has in turn benefitted our relationship with Five9, driving record European sales for the business.
Long-term partnerships So, what’s the key to building successful long-term partnerships? 1.Seek seamless integration: Firstly, if you lack the skills or resources in-house to deliver business-critical technology solutions, you must look to a partner that can seamlessly integrate into your business - and quickly. But always remember, the best technology partnerships are those that are worth more than the sum of their parts, and these relationships must be mutually beneficial. 2.Look beyond the costs: Cloud technology negates the need for bulky upfront costs, which can boost digital transformation, especially where financing is an issue. However, leaders should not focus on the partnership costs alone. Businesses must carefully consider the supplementary support they need and will receive when it comes to innovation, digital transformation and engineering. It is crucial that decision makers understand this at the outset to ensure they don’t enter into partnerships that are ultimately disappointing, and continued on page
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AV News November 2020 P3
Business news
Covid-19 prompts growth in touch-less displays
Continued from page 3 short term. 3.Leverage expertise: Business leaders must be prepared to put the innovation and investments being made by cloud and technology experts to good use. Most businesses will choose to work with at least one technology provider as they look to leverage their deep expertise and numerous cloud services and getting the most out of them is about committing to a partnership. Don’t think about the short-term – you should be committing to a relationship that allows you to leverage expertise for years into future. 4.Remember the basics – check product functionality/ offering: Don’t lose sight of
what you require the partner for and ensure that the products the chosen partner can deliver align with and provide the functionality that your end users require.
GestureFX multi-award-winning full body gesture controlled projection systems create dynamic immersive experiences on floors, walls, windows, and tables, providing safe and inclusive engagement
for all. The company has announced the installation of 11 systems throughout Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, a member of the Lee Health Network. GestureTek Health has also
been the inventor and pioneer of gesture control for touch-less point-and-control interaction for monitors and displays of all sizes for 30 years. The company has solutions to allow for touch-less control and naviga-
5.Nurture relationships Don’t forget that technology partnerships are no different to any other relationship. The best partnerships are built on a long-term basis, so while it is critical that a strong working relationship exists from the outset, this is not the only consideration. The relationship needs nurturing. Communication is fundamental – and with a global workforce that is now more technologically agile and available than ever before - there really is no excuse.
tion from multiple feet away to just inches off the screen. With the increasing need to sanitize or eliminate touch points in high traffic spaces, this technology is more in demand than ever. See the video of the GestureTek Health installation at: http:// www.gesturetekhealth.com/golisano-childrens-hospital-southwest-florida
About Matt Parker, CEO of Babble
Connected TV initiative to support new advertising ecosystem
Matt Parker has more than 20 years’ experience leading organisations that deliver business enablement solutions Matt Parker has more than 20 years’ experience leading organisations that deliver business enablement solutions to companies around the globe, and as a CEO for over 10 years, has used his entrepreneurial knowledge and executional excellence to scale technology businesses. Before joining Babble, Matt led the talent management business of StepStone from start-up to a team of over 800 people generating global revenues of more than $100m. He was part of the leadership that led the sale of StepStone to Axel Springer in 2009 and subsequently, as CEO, led an MBO backed by Hg Capital of the HCM leader, StepStone Solutions, rebranding it to Lumesse.
Following two years as CEO of VC-backed retail analytics business, Path Intelligence, while holding the Non-Exec Chair role of BGF-backed Petrotechnics, Matt then joined Babble as CEO in February 2016. His second MBO, backed by LDC, was completed in October 2017, before Matt lead the cloud-based solutions company on an ambitious organic/acquisition “Buy & Build” growth strategy. Previously a £7m revenue, break even business in 2017, Babble will exit 2020 with £30m of revenues, and a clear view of how it gets this to £100m.
The European Connected TV Initiative, working in collaboration with Google, Roku, Fincons Group and IPONWEB will work collaboratively with the industry to explore opportunities, and address potential barriers to realising the full potential of CTVs in Europe. Working and collaborating with major trade bodies, including egta and the IAB Europe, the new connected TV initiative will facilitate a wide-ranging dialogue across the industry to explore potential opportunities, identify potential barriers, and identify practical steps that the industry could take, collaboratively and collectively, to unlock the full potential of the CTV ecosystem in Europe. This extensive programme of interactive discussion and debate will involve advertisers, agencies, broadcasters, TV platforms, technology, data, and measurement providers, working together to develop constructive proposals that can help the industry move forwards during the 2020s. The growth and development of the CTV ecosystem is widely regarded as one of the most important developments of recent years. CTVs are powerful distribution vehicles for streaming services and addressable advertising, a source of new data-driven insights for publishers and marketers, a platform for advertising innovation, and an opportunity to support programmatic buying on TV screens. A vibrant, dynamic new CTV ecosystem is developing, one that can support the growth of the TV industry during the decade ahead. However, unlocking and realising the full potential of CTVs in Europe will require collaboration, coordination, and com-
promise across the entire ecosystem. The programme will include a detailed analysis of the current state of the market and discussions about the key questions facing the industry, including: • What is the role of connected TVs in the future of the European TV industry and advertising ecosystem? • What factors support the growth of connected TV advertising in key European markets
seminars across a selection of key European markets, to review developments and explore solutions, with a final report due to be published in 2021. Jens Thenakara, EMEA Head of Programmatic Media at Google Marketing platforms, said: “As people spend more time at home, we are seeing industry-wide shifts toward streaming viewership. Many advertisers are working quickly to adjust and expand their cre-
ative and connected TV usage remains well above 2019 levels and advertisers are very excited by the growing opportunity. So, we’re making it even simpler for digital media buyers to discover and secure ad inventory on high-quality streaming content. We will continue to work with the industry and listen to our partners to ensure that brands can respond effectively to this rapidly developing space.” Mike Shaw, Director of Europe for Roku Inc., said: “The media landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift away from legacy television models of the past to today’s new era of streaming. Europe has entered the streaming decade, where already half of UK households have moved to streaming and the impacts of COVID-19 have only served to accelerate the broader consumer migration towards OTT.”
The European Connected TV Initiative, working in collaboration with Google, Roku, Fincons Group and IPONWEB will work collaboratively with the industry to explore opportunities. – and what are the main barriers, pain points and challenges holding back developments? • What discrete opportunities and use cases are supported by connected TVs and how attractive are they to broadcasters and advertisers? • What steps can and should the TV industry take, collectively, to support the growth and development of the connected TV ecosystem? Launching this month, the new Consortium will analyse the market and convene a programme of industry forums and
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Technology News
Philips updates MediaSuite TVs with Android Philips Professional Display Solutions is offering a complimentary Android upgrade across its range of HFL5014 and 6014 Google-certified MediaSuite hospitality TVs, bringing all the latest entertainment, control and security features to new and existing models, whilst extending product lifetime, maximising return on investment and reducing e-waste for a more positive environmental impact. As part of Philips PDS’ commitment to supporting the hospitality industry, the company’s game-changing ‘Extended Lifetime’ promise ensures its Android-powered hotel TVs get better with age, with regular updates bringing a consistent, high-performing experience in every room, regardless of when the TV was purchased. Extending the lifetime of products through these invaluable software updates brings bigger picture benefits to the hospitality industry and beyond, reducing e-waste, as well as enhancing return on investment.
Figures show a record breaking 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste in 2019, up 21 per cent since 2014. That’s the equivalent of 800 laptops are discarded every second, whilst each year in the UK, an estimated two million TVs are dumped, many of which are fully working but simply deemed out-dated. Commenting on these benefits, Franck Racape, Commercial Vice President EMEA, added: “At Philips PDS we are committed to creating a more sustainable path forward for the AV industry. One that brings benefits to all of our customers, reducing carbon footprints and the effects we are seeing from every type of waste. From reimagining packaging through to extending product lifetimes, sustainability is a key requirement for our customers and a clear deliverable achieved with these updates.” Available now, the latest Android 9 (P) TV update can be installed either remotely, using Philips PDS’ exclusive CMND control and management platform, or manually via software
downloaded onto a dedicated USB stick from philips.com/ p-p. The Philips MediaSuite range was first introduced during ISE 2019, setting a new industry standard for hospitality, offering best-in-class premium 4K performance, plus an extensive array of pro TV firsts. These included Chromecast built-in, access to thousands of Apps via the Google Play Store and extensive remote personalisation and back-end control and management capabilities. Android P further enhances all the existing features being enjoyed by hoteliers and hotel guests around the world today, plus a raft of new ones, ensuring the technology keeps pace with and meets customers’ expectations in the way they choose to access and consume content. These include: Netflix; Disney; Google Assistant; and the latest security patches:
Philips Professional Display Solutions is offering a complimentary Android upgrade across its range of HFL5014 and 6014 Google-certified MediaSuite hospitality TVs.
Panasonic’s PT-RQ35K Projector Series The latest range of Panasonic 3-Chip DLP laser projectors, to be available in December, set new standards for immersive location-based entertainment with spectacular 4K image quality alongside ease of setup and use. The world’s smallest and lightest 30,500 lumen projectors, the PT-RQ35K (4K) and PT-RZ34K (WUXGA) are designed to visually thrill visitors to museums, exhibitions, theme parks and events, and are ideal for projection mapping. Its unrivalled reliability and Quiet Mode (46dB) also make it perfect for use at conferences and in auditoriums. “With consumer behaviour changing, location-based entertainment (LBE) brands and destinations will need to compete with bigger and more stunning attractions to bring visitors back into venues,” said Hartmut Kulessa, European
2-Axis Pixel-Shifting technology to create the clearest and most detailed images (3840 x 2400 pixels; 4K/16:10). Panasonic’s latest laser engine, with red and blue lasers, enhances colour to new levels of realism by expanding the colour gamut to 114% of its predecessor, the RQ32K projector. This exceptional colour quality is maintained throughout the life of the projector through the use of the most reliable laser devices on the market today. This includes optimised blue-laser wavelengths and Dynamic Digital Control to regulate red laser output and cooling for consistent image quality. In addition, the Multiple Laser modules are equipped with Panasonic’s unique Failover Circuitry. If a single laser diode fails, projection continues uninterrupted with imperceptible loss in brightness.
Marketing Manager at Panasonic Business. “Immersive digital experiences will play a huge part in this transition. With its spellbinding picture quality and expanded colour gamut, compact body and simplified workflow, the PT-RQ35K Series is the ideal projector for creating the enhanced in-person experiences that LBE venues need.” The combination of 30,500lm exceptional brightness, 4K resolution with Quad Pixel Drive and an all-new laser engine create immersive images that set a new benchmark for the projector class. Only Panasonic uses
Despite its powerful capabilities, the RQ35K Series is the world’s smallest and lightest projector in its class. At 40% smaller than the current RQ32K projector, it can easily be transported, stacked and installed by two people. Once in place, the series has a host of features to speed and ease set-up. Smart Projector Control, using NFC, enables the installer to prepare for set-up via an app on their mobile phone without plugging in the projector. Remote Preview is a great time saving feature that allows projectionists to check for signal
image and content via a web browser or app with the projector still in standby and shutter on. Thanks to its filter less design and premium optical parts, such as the hermetically sealed DMD block and shielded laser drive, the RQ35K Series delivers 20,000 hours[1] of maintenance-free operation. To ensure the show always goes on, Backup Input guarantees continuous picture display by automatically switching between signals in as little as 0.3 seconds if the signal is interrupted.
The latest range of Panasonic 3-Chip DLP laser projectors, to be available in December.
Disruptive hybrid technology from VuWall VuWall has announced the introduction of their new VuTrex technology, the first of its kind to bridge AV, IT and IP systems to manage and control any visual content across any type of display or video wall. VuTrex is now embedded in each component of the VuWall ecosystem of products. Its unique hybrid and standards-based approach enables seamless interoperability between all devices. VuTrex is the architecture and methodology that is at the core of every software component in the VuWall ecosystem, bringing efficiency to the entire video wall management workflow. VuTrex is responsible for the ecosystem's interoperability, expandability and simple configuration, without the need for programming. “Video walls are becoming
present in all workspaces, and they are now an integral part of most AV installations. Our customers face many challenges when it comes to handling AV and IT content, and big data,” said Paul Vander Plaetse, CEO of VuWall. After several years of intense development, we are proud to bring a unique and disruptive technology to the market that will overcome those challenges and help integrators reduce integration time, reduce project risk and future-proof their end users' investment.” Next week's release of TRx 3.0, VuWall's Centralized Management Platform, will be the first-to-market offering of a single software platform that can distribute AV-over-IP content and provide advanced video wall management and control.
P12AV P6 AVNews NewsNovember November2020 2019
Its redesigned architecture, powered by VuTrex technology,
can manage multiple sources in any source format and easily
route them to single displays or multiple video walls, without
any programming. VuTrex is also embedded in VuWall's hardware components, including its flagship VuScape video wall controller and the VuStream series of encoders and decoders, giving customers a turnkey interoperable ecosystem for all their visualization needs.
VuWall has announced the introduction of their new VuTrex technology, the first of its kind to bridge AV, IT and IP systems to manage and control any visual content across any type of display or video wall.
Technology News
Orbital revolutionises drive-in sound Orbital Sound reports an outstanding summer season for its innovative Car-Link wireless in-car speaker series, designed specifically to address the Drive-In sector’s demand for a high quality, reliable solution. Car-Link was created to address the challenges of delivering consistently excellent in-car audio, overcoming the myriad issues associated with reproducing modern movie soundtracks and live music performances without compromise in the growing Drive-In market. MD Chris Headlam expands: “Car radios fitted to vehicles are all different. Some have big bass speakers, and others just tiny tweeters. None really sound very good, and none are designed for accurate sound reproduction. As a result, it is totally impossible to relay clear and fair sound equally to
gauntlet. So, the Car-Link concept was born – with the brief to build our own self powered, stereo, wireless in-car speaker with true clarity of sound, that would work reliably day-in dayout, and for at least 12 hours on a battery charge. It also had to look great, compliment a car’s design, and be completely “public proof”.” The first model was launched in June as Car-Link Carbon, coupled with Orbital Sound’s own long-range RF distribution system, and was rolled out successfully at events hosting up to 500 vehicles. The system is designed to deliver charging, distribution and storage from a fully integrated system of 50-bay wheeled cases, simply requiring a single power feed to provide 50 automatically recharged units ready to be handed out with ease. Orbital Sound’s Car-Link has been
and software, creating valuable new revenue streams while enhancing visitor experiences. We wanted to change the convention of in-car audio, and that’s been our design motivation. In-car F&B ordering, advertising, donating – underpinned by contactless payments – are the next logical steps, with more new products coming out soon. We are already working with big brands such as the AA and the Drive-in House of Worship market, as demand to find new solutions to deliver safe, secure entertainment escalates. Pantomime is the next obvious candidate, as producers innovate with new ways of delivering Christmas cheer. Car-Link has already proved to be a game-changer – as Drivein provides a beacon of light in what are otherwise very dark times for the entertainment industry.”
Christie introduces UV disinfection It has been known for many years that UV light is a highly effective disinfectant that can reduce pathogens in indoor spaces. Businesses and other institutions have long used germicidal UVC light to stop the spread of viruses. The main drawback with most UVC technology is that it uses a 254nm wavelength that can penetrate human skin and eyes, which means these germicidal lights can only be used when people are not present or while they’re wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) that protects the eyes and skin. These shortcomings constrain how these devices must be operated and limit their widespread use in occupied indoor spaces. Christie has announced the launch of the Christie CounterAct line of commercial UV disinfection products with patented Care222 far-UVC light technology for cinemas, theme parks, museums, sports complexes and other indoor spaces. Unlike comparable products, the Christie fixture uses Ushio’s patented narrowband filtered Care222 excimer lamps that emit far-UVC 222nm light - the only UV technology shown to continuously and significantly
reduce pathogens, like coronaviruses, that may also be used while people are present, when used in accordance with specified parameters. Mass production of the new Christie CounterAct fixture starts in January 2021. Developed by Christie’s parent company, Ushio Inc., based on technology licensed from Columbia University, the revolutionary Care222 far-UVC, mercury-free excimer lamp— highlighted in FORTUNE magazine’s annual Change the World list in 2020, includes a proprietary short pass filter that prevents the emission of longer wavelengths of UV light (230nm and higher) that are capable of penetrating human skin and eyes, an especially important feature that other 222nm and far-UVC products do not have. Christie CounterAct introduces an added layer of defence against pathogens in indoor venues when guests and staff are present. Christie CounterAct is a line of fixtures that are simple to control remotely and can be installed on ceilings as easily as a commercial lighting fixture. It is well suited for use across a wide range of occu-
pied, commercial areas such as entertainment venues, including lobbies, auditoriums, and restrooms, as well as other indoor spaces. Our first Christie CounterAct fixture contains two Care222 excimer far-UVC lamps that significantly reduce pathogens on surfaces of any indoor space. The fixture, with fast instant on/off at full output power and its Care222 technology lamps, has been shown effective at reducing pathogens in laboratory tests. And unlike other UV technology, these fixtures with patented Care222 lamps may be used when people are present. A study conducted by Kobe University published in August 2020 concludes that, due to its shorter wavelength, far-UVC 222nm light does not penetrate the skin and therefore may be used when humans are present. Another recent study published in the American Journal of Infection Control shows that far-UVC 222nm light can effectively reduce more than 99.7% of surface contamination of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19.
AVer Zoom conferencing system
Orbital Sound reports an outstanding summer season for its innovative Car-Link wireless in-car speaker series, designed specifically to address the Drive-In sector’s demand for a high quality, reliable solution everybody via the vehicle manrapidly adopted by the indusCar-Link is marketed under ufacturers’ car installation. try’s leading names, including the Car-Link Technology brandAdd to this a raft of other isThe Luna Cinema, with over ing, which is part of the Orbitsues – including car batteries 250,000 deployments to date. al Sound group of companies, going flat, radios auto-switchAs Orbital Sound prepares with the series rapidly expanding off after 5 minutes and to extend the Car-Link range ing, in line with new applicaobtaining an appropriate liwith new models, including the tions for Drive-In as the wider
AVer Europe has announced its support for hybrid working with its AVer EP65 interactive flat panel, completely integrated with Zoom Rooms. A 65-inch display panel featuring 4K camera technology, a Windows 10 IoT processor and 20 touchpoints, the AVer EP65 delivers enterprise grade video conferencing. The EP65 transforms any meeting room into a streamlined collaboration hub for both video conferencing and faceto-face brainstorming, making working practices efficient wherever the team is based. The AVer EP65 offers true allin-one capability and requires no connection of external devices to make video calls. The
panel is also easy to set up with plug and play simplicity and intuitive user experience in seconds. The 4K P-CAP touchscreen on the EP65 is made of level 7 MoHS toughened glass that is resistant to glare and fingerprints. Users can mount the EP65 on the wall or affix it to a mobile rolling stand to take its powerful features all over the office, helping staff to keep safe distances at all times and creating a truly agile workplace optimised for hybrid working. Rene Buhay, AVer Europe Vice President Sales & Marketing, comments: “The EP65 is an ideal investment for hybrid
working, ensuring that staff can collaborate with colleagues wherever they are without having to compromise on quality. “The way we work has fundamentally changed due to the global pandemic and companies need to remain agile so that communication and productivity doesn’t drop. Having enterprise grade products like the EP65 enable companies to be prepared for the future of hybrid working.” The AVer EP65 is available from Nuvola Distribution. For more information, please visit www.avereurope.com. MSRP: £6499 ex VAT.
Vision wireless HDMI and USB
cence from OFCOM, and you face a long and tortuous list of negatives. We recognised that the industry was breaking a fundamental rule: the responsibility of safely delivering the sound to the paying public had been moved from the organiser to the audience itself. Our phone was ringing constantly for better solutions to this hazardous situation, and we knew we had to pick up the design
Car-Link Retail, Chris Headlam continues: “These are well-documented challenging times for the Live industry, but at Orbital Sound we have embraced the opportunity to move forwards and re-invent. Car-Link pushes the industry forwards in a wholly positive direction, opening up new opportunities for promoters and organisers, and importantly, when teamed up with the Retail’s onboard screen
live industry searches for alternatives to seated venues. For over 25 years, Orbital Sound has been the leading creative, technical and logistical force that works with the public, producers and fellow creatives to stage the best possible entertainment for the audience. The company’s operations serve the North American, European and Far Eastern markets.
Sometimes it is just not possible to run cables to an interactive display, so Vision has the answer. Their new wireless presentation product allows HDMI and USB to be sent wirelessly for simple sharing in a meeting. It also supports native Airplay, so any Apple user can share their display with the other meeting participants. And for Android users an app can be downloaded that achieves the same thing. Vision say for smaller rooms it is common for resellers to specify wireless devices as it is more economical when compared to the cost of labour to run cables. The wireless USB feature is in beta and does not support all mouse functions, so Vision advisers integrators to test with their planned displays before committing to a role-out. The TC-WIRELESS - as it is called - is Vision’s 3rd generation wireless product and builds
on extensive wireless experience. Vision’s Managing Director Stuart Lockhart: “these products fill a really important gap in an installer’s tool-box, so it’s important they are as flexible as possible. They use the same frequencies as 5GHz Wi-Fi so this new product has
a configuration page so the installer can set the SSID and Wi-Fi channel to avoid interference. Custom screen savers – including video screen savers - and passwords can also be set now”
The TC-WIRELESS includes a transmitter and receiver and is due in stock mid-November. More details at vav.link/tc-wireless.
AV News November 2020 P7
Installations
Custom Consoles MediaWall goes live LynTec power control for state-of-the-art music dissemination
Custom Consoles has announced the completion of a 5 metres wide by 3 metres high MediaWall for BBC Studioworks in Elstree, Hertfordshire. The new structure is installed in the production control gallery
ly soundproofed, the stage is 1,465 square metres in area and 15 metres high. Located in front of the production control desk, the MediaWall spans almost the full width of the gallery's front
components, it complements our Module-R range of control room desks and storage bays by offering the same design versatility and potential for fast delivery." MediaWall's modularity al-
The new Custom Consoles MediaWall in the George Lucas Stage production control gallery at BBC Studioworks, Elstree. used for the supervision of pro- wall and supports 44 video lows flat screen monitor disgrammes from the George Lu- monitors plus their associated plays of practically any size to cas Stage. under-monitor displays. A stu- be constructed from standard BBC Studioworks operates a dio clock display and speakers horizontal and vertical support complete gallery suite assigned are also attached. Four storage elements. Individual or multito the George Lucas Stages at cabinets are positioned at floor ple frames can be used in fully Elstree Studios, supporting level, accommodating power self-supporting configurations large-scale TV productions. The and signal distribution equip- or coupled directly to the stugalleries have direct access ment. dio wall. Screens can be posito Stages 1 and 2 and have "Introduced in 2006, Medi- tioned so that the edges meet hosted shows such as Strictly aWall continues to be in strong exactly to form a continuous Come Dancing, The Voice, and demand among broadcasters, horizontal display limited only A League of Their Own. George production studios and play- by the boundary of the monitor Lucas used Stages 1 and 2 out service providers around panel. All wiring is fully conduring the filming of the 'Star the world," comments Custom cealed and can enter or leave Wars' trilogy and welcomed the Consoles Sales Manager Gary the structure at any desired opportunity of naming Stage 1 Fuller. "Based on robust and point. MediaWall is available in the George Lucas Stage. Ful- attractively styled standard any required element widths.
LynTec has announced its RPC panels were successfully installed at the Palacio de la Musica in Mérida, Yucatán. Principal consultant and lighting designer Aleksandar Lalicki relied on the award-winning RPC panels to properly power the extensive AVL systems throughout the facility. Packed with the world's most innovative audio, video, and lighting systems that allow visitors to experience live music as well as learn about Mexico's music history and its role in theater, radio, TV, and movies. "Before the pandemic, in any given week, the Palacio would hold up to four concerts, and the museum is open six days a week, eight hours a day," said Lalicki. "That robust schedule is testament to the incredibly high quality of LynTec power control. It's the best way to protect the equipment — the investment — and provide the operator with the reassurance and flexibility to monitor and control an entire AVL installation." Palacio offers three distinct
video walls along with a Datavideo PTZ camera and various recording and streaming equipment that allows the venue to stream events both online and to the plaza on the ground floor. All the AVL is fed through four LynTec RPC panels. Based on the G3 Powerlink hardware platform by Square D and engineered to simplify build-outs by accelerating the installation process, LynTec's RPC power control panels decrease operating costs with simple wiring that allows electricians to quickly and easily complete install, and removes additional steps, costs, and space needed to install a separate relay panel. Available with 30 to 84 controllable breakers per panel, the comprehensive power control system also provides Palacio with additional circuit switching control capabilities in the same enclosure. Further, it grants flexible lighting and AV control across multiple control zones and multiple control protocols, including HTTP, Telnet, sACN, DMX, RS-232, or contact closure control sys-
entertainment areas packed with state-of-the-art audio, video, and lighting systems. In the museum, a Yamaha sound system, NEC video projectors, an Encore Green LED lighting fixture, and a Medialon control system were installed. The concert hall's lighting package features Lightronics house controls; main lighting console from ETC with two 21inch monitors; lighting fixtures by Chauvet Professional; and Altman Chalice house lights with Encore Green wall washers, both mains dimmable. For sound, a PA, point-source full-range loudspeakers, subwoofers, and amplifiers by d&b Audiotechnik were installed along with a Roland M5000 house console. There is an assortment of Shure wired and wireless, AKG, Audix, and Audio-Technica microphones. On the video side, there is an 8700 ANSI lumens Christie projector with Da-lite 300-inch diagonal motorized screen. There are also two Absen LED
tems. Featuring brownout protection, the RPC will automatically shut down selected circuits during over- and under-voltage situations and power up as programmed when voltage regains stability. Within the city, there can be voltage spikes of up to 140 volts, which can cause catastrophic equipment damage. For further protection, a LynTec SGX SurgeX side car was installed. Thanks to the RPC's remote capabilities, users can receive alert notifications via text or email to warn of voltage anomalies. “The Palacio de la Musica is an entertainment and educational space where the people, art, music, and culture come together,” said Mark Bishop, president of LynTec. “This installation demonstrates how today's AVL and power control technology must go hand in hand in order to preserve the city's rich history, culture, and traditions, and ensure that power issues don't interfere
with the distinct guest experiences that make the Palacio a treasure.”
ATG Danmon completes 4K production facility at Lafayette ATG Danmon has announced the completion of a 4K television production and live streaming facility at the Lafayette London events centre. Commissioned by the Venue Group, the new system allows for live relay of stage performances as well as studio-style recording. It includes robotic cameras, an audio/video production control room and a floor-to-ceiling rack of auxiliary equipment. “ATG Danmon was recommended to us by Universal Music Group which occupies most of the building," comments Chris Pollard, Lafayette's Head of Production. "A crucial challenge was how to accommodate a complete control room in the limited amount of space available above and behind the stage. Another was the need to minimise any obstruction of stage performances when viewed from the 600-capacity auditorium. ATG came up with a versatile and future-proof solution which enables the operators to capture full broadcast quality 4K video from multiple positions, including the ability to zoom in from wide angle to very tight close-up. The system
allows us to stream live productions with or without a studio audience.” “Robotic pan/tilt/zoom cameras have developed strongly in recent years both in terms of imaging quality and compactness," adds ATG Danmon Managing Director Russell Peirson-Hagger. "We have installed five Panasonic 4K cameras, each with a 1 inch MOS sensor and integral 20x zoom lens. The cameras connect via two-way optical fibre to a latest-generation remote control unit which allows pan, tilt, zoom and focus all to be managed single-handed using a seesaw lever mounted on a joystick.” “One of the cameras is mounted on Techno point floor track and another on a floorto-ceiling motorised column. A further camera is attached to a fixed wall mount, with the remaining two offering flexible positions via dedicated wall boxes. The whole system runs very smoothly, including gradual speedup and slowdown, so video can be captured from cameras in motion as well as when stationary. Preset movements can also be pro-
P12AV P8 AVNews NewsNovember November2020 2019
grammed. Although most of the actual streaming is likely to be HD in the medium term, 4K is now the preferred standard for practically all new production to ensure content has the greatest possible long-term value.” “At the core of the system are a Blackmagic ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K vision mixer with eight independent 12G-SDI input channels plus a Blackmagic Video Assist monitor and SD-card recorder," details ATG Danmon Head of Systems Integration Jonathan Hughes. "The mixer feeds a 55-inch NEC MultiSync LED picture monitor configured as a preview and programme display above a four-wide by two-high screen group normally assigned to source feeds. Audio is handled through a 48 channel 36 bus Allen & Heath digital mixer, TC Finalizer 96K processor and Genelec active monitor loudspeakers. Additional equipment includes Ross OpenGear glue, ATG wall boxes, a Teradek H.264 encoder and BirdDog NDI codec. The system was completed on schedule and is now fully operational.”
LynTec has announced its RPC panels were successfully installed at the Palacio de la Musica in Mérida, Yucatán.
Application news
Epic Games’ London innovation lab Based in London’s Fitzrovia, Epic Games’ London Innovation Lab is a hub for the creative community, offering creators across industries a platform to produce real-time content and immersive virtual experiences, using Epic’s Unreal Engine (UE) software. The new curved LED Volume, recently installed at the Lab and running on Brompton Technology processing, is a testament to the company’s continuous commitment to empower new ways of content creation using the latest technology advances.
Whilst Epic’s Unreal Engine (UE) has been at the forefront of Virtual Production (VP) since the first workflows began to emerge, it is the first time that the company has introduced its state-of-the-art virtual studio, working with partners such as Brompton Technology, ARRI and creative technical production company 80six, to bring the magic of virtual production to life. “Our initial conversations with Brompton took place at this year’s ISE, where we met with several other vendors to discuss our needs to create a virtual production studio at our Innovation Lab in London,”
LED fleet The complete LED fleet - including 144 ROE Black Pearl 2 LED panels, 38 CB3 Carbon 3 full-size and eight half-size panels - has been calibrated with Brompton’s Hydra advanced measurement system to take full advantage of Dynamic Calibration features and Brompton HDR (High Dynamic Range). The space is a mix of lighting emitted by LED panels and also traditional lighting fixtures that one would normally find on a professional film set, with all of the traditional fixtures provided by ARRI. Additionally, the com-
technical service for Epic’s Lab has been provided by the team at 80six. “We were very pleased to have been asked to deliver this permanent installation for Epic alongside ARRI,” comments Ben Annibal, Project Manager at 80six. “It’s always extremely satisfying to install equipment from our long-standing partners at Brompton and ROE.” “Ben (Kidd) has made an excellent choice investing in both brands, not only for the build quality and performance of their products, but also for the level of technical support that both companies provide their clients,” adds 80six’s Director,
Jack James. With all the technical elements coming together to create a beautiful high-spec curved LED screen, the driving power, the Tessera S8, has been chosen by Kidd for several reasons. “The main reason we chose to use the new Tessera S8 was because we wanted to send a smaller number of pixels out of the GPU. Rather than using all of the GPU’s overhead to deliver a 4K signal it now outputs only half of that, with the remaining 50 percent of the GPU’s capacity used to significantly enhance image quality,” explains Kidd. “We have more
grunt inside of the GPU and can still take full advantage of a wide range of the S8’s features, including its full support of Brompton HDR to provide stunning realistic imagery, which was another key consideration for the team.”
Roll out With all final testing sessions completed, Kidd and the rest of the team at Epic cannot wait to put the LED Volume to its full use by opening it up to their Unreal Engine community of creators. “What we stand for here at Epic is empowering people to create content,” concludes Kidd. “Our new facility is another way of breaking down the barriers in content production and allowing great things to happen. Thanks to our closeknit community of virtual production partners like Brompton Technology, we have been able to create a platform that delivers a new level of immersive visual experience. The Innovation Lab with its LED Volume, expert processing and our Unreal Engine software can support all the latest technology advances in virtual production, and we’re excited to see how it continues to transform the art and craft of filmmaking.”
Based in London’s Fitzrovia, Epic Games’ London Innovation Lab is a hub for the creative community, offering creators across industries a platform to produce real-time content and immersive virtual experiences, using Epic’s Unreal Engine.[Photo credit: David Levy, ARRI] says Epic’s Technical Artist, Ben Kidd. “Brompton’s Tessera processing ticked all our boxes, so we were very keen to go ahead and test the full LED solution in situ.” The arrangement was made between teams at 80six, Brompton and Epic to have demo ROE LED screens and Brompton Tessera S8 LED processors delivered to the Lab facility. However, due to the lockdown the project had to be postponed until late April. Following eased restrictions, the equipment was finally shipped to Epic and further tested by Kidd and his team on site for over a month. “Following the initial testing phase, we were very pleased with the ROE and Brompton combo and its performance, and so it was an easy choice to make the full investment,” continued Kidd. “We acquired three of Brompton’s latest Tessera S8 LED processors to drive the entire Volume.”
pany offered its high-end AMIRA camera system with various lens packages for the studio. “At ARRI it’s been clear to us for some time that Virtual Production with LED will be a key part of many of the projects we see and work on going forward and the interplay between cameras, video and lighting is crucial to the success of these projects,” says ARRI’s Regional Business Development Director, David Levy. “We have seen our cameras work brilliantly with Brompton processors in the most demanding environments and this project has been no exception. It’s been a pleasure to work on the London Lab with Epic, Brompton and 80Six to deliver a facility which can be a proving ground for more ground-breaking developments in this field and we are excited to see the content it will produce.” Whilst the design service has been managed by the team of ARRI’s System Group, the
AV News November 2020 P9
Application News
Dalet enables TV journalists produce news from home Dalet Galaxy xCloud will support France Television in enabling agile remote production workflows as required.
Christie laser projectors light up iconic Yellow River Tower An iconic watch tower that overlooks China’s second-longest river – the Yellow River – is magnificently lit by Christie laser projectors for a visually stunning light show aimed at promoting Yellow River culture and boosting the local cultural tourism industry. Located in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, the 90-metre-high Yellow River Tower is the centrepiece of a night-time
Dalet, a leading provider of solutions and services for broadcasters and content professionals, today announced that France Television has subscribed to Dalet Galaxy xCloud to enable critical news workflows from home when needed. Hosted by Dalet, the SaaSbased offering is a full-featured version of the latest Dalet Galaxy five platform that leverages the cloud to facilitate end-toend, remote news production workflows. Once fully rolled out, Dalet Galaxy xCloud gives France Television the flexibility to support the remote work requirements of its 300 plus journalists. The flexible solution will facilitate news production workflows across national channels and the franceinfo rolling news channel, as well as support key newsroom editing applications Adobe Premiere Pro and Dalet OneCut. “Dalet Galaxy xCloud offers us a path to news production with remote editing that is connected to our central Dalet Galaxy systems. Once integrated within production workflows, it will extend the content and
VPN hurdles, security restrictions, license and VDI limitations, and more. While you can bring an on-premises editor into your house, it’s the team collaboration, news production workflow and management of files that is problematic. There is simply no editorial process or metadata management,” states Raoul Cospen, Director of Product Strategy, News at Dalet. “We have been working on mobility solutions with AWS since 2014. Dalet Galaxy xCloud leverages AWS cloud capabilities and securely connects to the Dalet Galaxy five on-premises system. There is no upgrade required. Journalists can use familiar tools like the Dalet OneCut news editor as if they were in the newsroom. They can search the production system, collaborate with producers, edit growing files and more. It’s seamless integration whether you are at home, in the newsroom or in the field.” France Television will first use Dalet Galaxy xCloud running entirely on AWS cloud, connecting high-resolution file exchange with the on-premises
the workflow tools that we use day in and day out to deliver the news beyond the physical newsroom,” comments Emmanuel Gonce, Head of Engineering for the Newsrooms, France Television. “The integrated editing will allow us to be very efficient as well as connected to each other no matter where we’re reporting from.” A cornerstone of the Dalet Galaxy xCloud offering, the remote editing framework features integration with the on-premises Dalet Galaxy five system. It supports advanced proxy editing workflows, mixing of central and local content, with proxy content cached locally to eliminate disruptions due to limited bandwidth. Rendering is offloaded to the Dalet Galaxy xCloud system, optimizing performance to break news faster. “There are many challenges with facilitating news editing workflows from home such as
Dalet Galaxy five system. In a second phase, the broadcaster will move to a hybrid configuration that utilizes the Dalet Galaxy xCloud on-premises gateway component to manage heavy media processing such as creating proxy files and rendering of projects on-premises. Only proxy content will be sent to the cloud, optimizing media transfer between the on-premises system and cloud. The Dalet Galaxy xCloud hybrid implementation will also support low latency workflows such as editing growing files. Raoul adds, “The hybrid configuration is ideal for low latency situations. For example, you are recording the latest press conference in your on-premises system. Dalet Galaxy xCloud makes the proxy immediately available via the cloud so users at home can start editing, even while the recording is still in progress.”
nology, which offers enhanced colour performance and saturation. They are strategically installed to deliver bright and
and applications.” The elaborate light-up ceremony, attended by Lanzhou City government officials and other VIPs, included an engaging storytelling sequence complemented by a slew of brilliant, lifelike projections that provided an artistic and strong visual impact. “The Great Lanzhou” light show, as its title suggests, beautifully showcases the rich heritage of Lanzhou and is poised to elevate the city’s cultural status. Zhongqing Yingye Group’s spokesperson added that the show’s high-quality projections has set a new benchmark for cultural night tourism in China’s north western region, and the client is very satisfied with the outcome. Both parties are honoured to be involved in the government’s push to set up the Yellow River cultural tourism belt, which is aimed at increasing the appeal and vibrancy of Lanzhou and its surrounding regions. April Qin, director of sales, Enterprise, Christie China, commented, “We are delighted that Zhongqing Yingye Group
ing, high-usage applications.” From the smallest venues to the biggest screens, there is a Christie projection system that’s right for every application and budget. Christie’s line-up of 1DLP and 3DLP projectors come in a range of resolutions, and deliver exceptional image quality, brightness, versatility, and ease-of-use. They have become the trusted choice for a number of corporate, cultural, entertainment, and tourism projects across China, such as Guangwu Mountain Dreamscape multimedia show in Bazhong, Hutian Cave projection mapping show in Xuancheng, Nianhua Bay light show in Wuxi, and Nanxun Old Town in Huzhou.
An iconic watch tower that overlooks China’s second-longest river – the Yellow River – is magnificently lit by Christie laser projectors for a visually stunning light show aimed at promoting Yellow River culture. extravaganza titled “The Great Lanzhou”, which made its official debut on September 29 ahead of China’s 71st National Day celebrations. The outdoor show features state-of-the-art 3D projection mapping, stage lighting, lasers, atmospheric effects and live performances to tell the story of the Yellow River basin – birthplace of ancient Chinese civilization, and the most prosperous region in early Chinese history. Projection is accomplished by Christie’s newly-appointed distributor Zhongqing Yingye Group using 32 Christie 1DLP and 3DLP laser projectors comprising DWU2022-HS and Crimson WU31 models featuring Christie BoldColor Tech-
colourful visuals on the Yellow River Tower’s eastern face, as well as the grand stairway and podium in front of it. A spokesperson for Zhongqing Yingye Group said, “We are proud to be involved in this landmark 3D projection mapping light show that highlights the history, culture and development of the Yellow River and Lanzhou. Christie’s high-brightness HS Series and Crimson Series laser projectors, known for their long-lasting solid-state illumination in a rugged and compact chassis, are our top choices for this project. Equipped with powerful and easy to use features, they are well suited for demanding, large venue events
has accomplished this amazing project in Lanzhou that aptly demonstrates the capabilities of our HS and Crimson Series laser projectors. Built tough and always ready to deliver big, bright and intensely colourful images, Christie’s 1DLP and 3DLP projectors are able to withstand the rigors of demand-
AV News November 2020 P9
BlueJeans Telehealth
Telehealth – leading the way through a pandemic
With healthcare costs continuing to increase alongside the new health and safety challenges surfacing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that the healthcare sector continues to explore how video communications can improve both provider efficiency and patient care, whilst reducing costs. The Healthcare Industry has been transformed since the beginning of the pandemic, and since the start of lockdown, medical professionals and font line staff have had to completely change the way they consult with their patients. Understanding the benefits of video conferencing and the delivery of useable, safe and efficient healthcare during the pandemic is paramount.
Healthcare continuity While digital health initiatives had already been at work prior to COVID-19 with the aim to lower costs and become more efficient for both healthcare staff and patients, urgent changes had to be put into place due to coronavirus that would transform the healthcare sector forever. Within a very short period of time, protocols were changed, and the use of digital technology progressed to ensure healthcare workers remained safe, patients were protected, and operations were maintained. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, the goal remains for patients and providers to have access to virtual services, as well as face-to-face services, using a smart phone or computer. Technological shifts and widespread adoption of smart devices are improving the willingness between patients and
healthcare providers, and it is becoming easier to implement video communications for telehealth.
Staff support Video conferencing has changed from mostly being used by administrators and support staff to become the foundation of the healthcare industry. Besides enabling patients to get help and treatment online, clinicians can also access compelling and consistent communication through virtual events, meetings and webinars. Hospitals and Healthcare organisations have an opportunity to accelerate their telehealth and telemedicine practices in a variety of ways. Two of the most effective ways to increase video conferencing usage are through remote collaboration and virtual patient visits. Additionally, video conferencing saves time and money for the provider by ensuring more patients can be helped and waiting times are reduced. Healthcare organizations can supplement their training programs with video. For example, live surgeries can be broadcast to an audience, with the added benefit of real time Q/A between the surgical team and the audience.
Video conferencing can improve hospital administration by enhancing daily operations like communication, procurement, vendor management and recruiting. First responders can now be connected directly to their patients in transit or on the ground and medical experts can offer medical advice over two-way video. These early actions can save lives and prepare hospital staff for incoming patients. With video conferencing, patients in the ICU can be monitored and attended to at a moment’s notice. For times when in-patient visitors are not allowed, friends and family can check in with patients over interactive video—something that has been shown to improve mental health and help speed up the recovery process.
Patient support Video consultations are just as valuable as in-person consultations and are a quick substitute for various outpatient appointments. Healthcare providers and GPs can continue to use standard audio phone calls, but video provides a more personal interaction and the closest replication of an in-person meeting. Patients are more comfortable and can be helped more efficiently within the allotted time of the consultation. Telehealth as a concept has been present for a long time, but
technical complexity has made implementation on a wider scale challenging for providers and patients. IT managers who evaluate and implement video conferencing tools for virtual appointments need to keep the patient’s experience in mind. Regardless of whether network conditions are periodically poor, modern video conferencing must be able to perform well and ensure a smooth experience. Virtual waiting rooms and private meeting links can be used by providers to ensure privacy and reduce waiting times. Accessibility also needs to be considered, with features like color contrast, screen reader options and closed captioning coming into play. These will make the user experience more comfortable and help to ensure that video consultations are available to all those who need them. NHS trusts must ensure that all healthcare leaders have access to secure video conferencing facilities across all networks, especially during COVID-19. High-quality patient treatment is vital, and video technology enables healthcare staff to collaborate and provide the best possible care for them. Knowledge can be shared in real-time and patient information is consistent because data is being shared digitally, providing the best care possible.
The BlueJeans platform BlueJeans video conferencing platform allows MDTs to have team meetings to make crucial decisions, from various remote locations instead of traveling to meet their peers. Video conferencing, supplemented with tools like chat, screen sharing, and taking electronic notes, makes video conferencing the best way to meet patients’ needs. Live-in carers are also able to access vital information. They can use video meetings to get the support they need while in isolation with their patients. BlueJeans is a cloud-based, interoperable and scalable solution that can be extended across personal devices, desktops and room hardware systems so that practices and hospitals can take advantage of existing conferencing systems. Regardless of where they are in their telehealth adoption journey, healthcare providers can easily and rapidly utilize telehealth options during critical times with BlueJeans. BlueJeans’ video conferencing platform comes with monitoring and analytics tools to quickly troubleshoot any issues and help organisations understand usage to ensure that consultations are not disrupted. Telehealth with BlueJeans saves valuable time and resources and eases the burden on the invaluable medical staff
who are working tirelessly to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
About BlueJeans BlueJeans is the meetings platform for the modern workplace and the first cloud service to connect desktops, mobile devices and room systems in one video meeting. Our mission is to make online meetings fast to join and simple to use. Thousands of companies and government agencies use BlueJeans every day for conducting video, audio and web conferencing meetings and hosting large interactive events, so people can work productively where and how they want.
P13 AV News October 2020
Diary and CTouch Whitepaper column
From the new normal to the ideal normal The speed at which the new way of working has become the new normal has taken everyone by surprise. CTouch argues that this is all the more reason to accelerate the shift to the ideal normal! Remember this? ‘The future’s way of working: flexible jobs only?’ This was the title of one of our previous whitepapers, published in late 2019, when the world had never heard of COVID-19. Of course, no-one could have guessed just how foresightful this would be, but the fact is that the new way of working has become the new normal at an unprecedented speed. In many cases, it is no longer even a question of whether we ‘want’ to work flexibly. We have been overtaken swiftly by events. Flexibility has become a necessity. But because we always like to make a virtue out of necessity, it seemed a good idea to pool and update all our knowledge about ‘the new way of working’ in this white paper. What are the advantages of working from home (spoiler: most people wouldn’t want it any other way, seriously!) and what can be improved (which struggles can we tackle)? We’ll clearly outline the best and worst practices for you. We’ll then talk about our views on hybrid working and, finally, we’ll provide you with a number of practical tips that you can apply immediately. Over the years we have, of course, already built up a lot of knowhow, so take advantage of that. Or even better, get your employees to take advantage of that. Because there is still much to improve, so that we can move from the new normal to the ideal normal.
The advantages: the new normal Working from home, at your own desk, with your favourite music in the background, a nice cup of coffee and no annoying office sounds: almost 60% of employees throughout the world are currently enjoying these working conditions1. Research shows that no less than 98% would like to continue working from home throughout his or her career2. Gartner predicts that generation Z will increasingly force this trend. This is the generation born between 1995 and 2010, the true digital natives! These young people have spent their entire lives communicating digitally, and digital contact, as opposed to personal contact, is the norm for them. As generation Z prefers to work remotely, over time, teleworking will be the default3.
Change can be forever Some farsighted multinationals have been ahead of the curve since the corona outbreak4:
One added bonus is that people find it easier to conduct difficult business conversations by telephone or through video conferencing. With such resounding figures, surely we can roll out the red carpet for flexible remote working? According to a survey of financial directors, more than 74% of them plan to make the recent shift an established practice5. That is because there are also huge benefits for employers: from increased employee happiness to a positive effect on the environment. That is why employers primarily see the abrupt transition to the new normal as a crash course in ‘successful remote working’. A course packed with worst and best practices through which they can adjust their policy and technological infrastructure to a new standard for the long haul. With less commuting and more videoconferencing, a company will save around 44,000 tonnes in CO emissions6. Employees who work fulltime and remotely are 22% more likely to say they’re happy in their jobs than their office-based co-workers. Although they were not asked about the presence of DIY-enthusiastic neighbours or infamous barking neighbourhood dogs, you could have the misfortune of experiencing these. [Tip: good noise cancelling headphones work wonders...] Consequently, there is a strong enough case to embrace and improve the new normal. We can certainly think of this vast adjustment as a kind of revolution, and inherent to revolutions is that no-one knows exactly what to do or how to do it until the dust has settled.
• Fujitsu has announced a permanent work-from-home plan for its staff. • Twitter has told its staff they can work from home ‘forever’. • Facebook and Google will allow their employees to continue working from home until (at least) the end of the year. The good news is that the vast majority of employees recognise the advantages of working from home. Aside from wearing loungers, the main reasons cited are the flexible scheduling, making it easier to maintain a work/life balance, the fact that they can work from anywhere they wish and no daily commute to and from the office. For this reason, particularly people with (young) children are completely in favour of it: before the outbreak of the virus, 46% of them wanted to work from home and that percentage has now almost doubled to 86%.
These are the advantages of remote working: • • • •
32% 26% 21% 11%
flexible scheduling flexible location zero travel time more time with the family
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The disadvantages of the new normal? OK, let’s also take a look at the worst practices. ‘Switching off’ appears to be the most contentious issue amongst employees. As a consequence of this, in the new normal, the average working day is around 48 minutes longer, with additional surges when sending emails and attending online meetings. Furthermore, without a defined workplace and working hours, work and home life are more likely to blend together. Research also shows that many employees have difficulty with the lack of personal contact and that a third of employees are even afraid
that, because of this, their dedication will be valued less2.
The struggles in brief: • • • • • • •
22% unplugging after work 19% loneliness 17% lack of personal contact 10% distractions at home 8% staying motivated 7% taking (sufficient) vacation time 3% reliable Wi-Fi
Not unimportant details for the new workplace. So, how do you keep everyone ‘on board’ whilst they are all floating around the flagship in their own dinghies at the same time? By making sure that those dinghies are as effective and as comfortable with one another as possible and that the ‘main deck’ on the flagship stays in contact with them. In other words, by making the right technology available to them! As working from home will be here to stay, it is even more important to set up the digital workplace of the future in the best possible way. Fortunately, the technological possibilities in the new normal are endless. Not only to enable remote working, but predominantly to simplify it and to keep distributed teams together. To remove as many struggles as possible, thereby generating even more conviction and confidence amongst employees and employers. The suppliers of relevant technology are also responding to this, by aligning their services and products more effectively with the practical needs that have arisen. Microsoft Teams, one of the most commonly used programs for videoconferencing, grew from 44 million daily users at the end of March to more than 75 million daily users. On average, the company saw more than 200 million meeting participants in a day, generating more than 4.1 billion meeting minutes. The latest record was 2.7 billion meeting minutes in a single day7.
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These figures speak for themselves, however a word of warning should be added: the disadvantage of (too much) videoconferencing is that the brain tires after 30-40 minutes and that’s not conducive to productivity and creativity. So keep it short and sweet!
Digital transformation: from AI to remote monitoring In the new normal, innovation is definitely no longer just about so-called workplace tools for videoconferencing, or to enable agile scrumming, but increasingly also about assistive technology. The recent digital transformation requires increased investment in ‘the framework’: the cloud, time-tracking software, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, remote monitoring platforms and predictive maintenance tools, just to throw a few terms at it. All are necessary to maintain/strengthen a company’s IT service and capacity and to add value to your company. This may seem like a costly investment, but simply not keeping up, is something no one can afford. That is also shown by figures in various survey reports5,6. For example, 42% of financial directors worry about the effects of the new normal on the company’s productivity. In addition, 41% of technical managers have noticed that their IT resources are under pressure. Just like the protection of the increased digital data: for 40% of auditors, IT security has become the main concern of the crisis. Expectations are that remote working/remote teamwork presents new challenges for cybersecurity, for which new individual, collective and business solutions are emerging. Those developments are in full swing.
Finding that balance Thanks to the innovative spirit of the technological sector, we are gradually getting closer to the ideal normal: a situation in which we work remotely just as pleasantly, easily and safely as we do at the office. So that every employee can open his or her laptop where and when it is most convenient. That is, in a nutshell, the balance in terms of flexible working that we were still missing. The ideal normal is, therefore, not entirely at home, but also not entirely at the office, but the right mix of the two: i.e. hybrid working! This means that both the advantages and disadvantages of working from home fall into place.
• Don’t disappear into a vacuum. Respond regularly to messages, telephone calls and chats. You can, of course, go offline temporarily to focus on a task or project, but do keep your finger on the pulse in between. Does this whitepaper leave you wanting more? Previously we wrote a whitepaper about 7 tips for an effective meeting. It can be downloaded
Hi, we are CTOUCH
This is how you take the first steps towards a successful and safe hybrid working environment: Provide good collaboration tools Everyone should be able to work anywhere, at any time and in any location. Look for systems and tools that enable effective cooperation and communication in both the physical and virtual worlds.
Prioritise safety Working safely and cybersecurity are still new to many people, whilst the risk of data leaks is increasing. Now that hybrid working is becoming the ideal normal and people are predominantly working from home, the foregoing will play a more decisive role in the security of valuable data. We anticipate that the shift to hybrid working will also have a marked impact on the way in which office space is organised (wherever that may be) and we will examine this further in future whitepapers and blogs.
8 top tips for working remotely We stay on top, of course, of all new developments so that we can help companies in every way possible in their search for the new normal. In the meantime, much can be gained from these top tips for remote workers: • Better to have communicated ten times too many than once too little. Be clear and unambiguous to each other about what everyone is doing. • Keep a close eye on your schedule. Plan and monitor your working hours and projects and update your colleagues about that. • Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. They are sacrosanct and create structure in your day. Worried about meeting those deadlines? Communicate this as soon as possible!
References: 1. Global research remote working Capterra: https://www.capterra.nl/blog/1516/wereldwijd-onderzoek-thuiswerken-capterra 2. 6 charts that show what employers and employees really think about remote working: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/coronavirus-covid19-remote-working-office-employees-employers 3. With Coronavirus in mind, is your organization ready for remote work: https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/with-coronavirus-inmind-are-you-ready-for-remote-work/ 4. Netflix boss: Remote working has negative effects: https:// www.bbc.com/news/technology-54063648 5. The Implications Of Remote Working As The Workplace Of The Future: https://www.forbes.com/sites/traceywelsonrossman/2020/04/28/the-implications-of-remote-working-as-theworkplace-of-the-future/ 6. Working remotely: what it is and why your organization should be doing it: https://www.workplace.com/blog/working-remotely/ 7. Microsoft Teams Sees Jump in Usage as Remote Work Surges: https://www.statista.com/chart/21191/daily-active-users-of-microsoft-teams/ 8. Tips to stay productive when working remotely: https://www. pwc.com/us/en/library/covid-19/tips-to-stay-productive-whenworking-remotely.html
Looking for the perfect technological solutions for your meeting? CTOUCH helps organisations create a modern workplace in which people can collaborate more efficiently. We stimulate interactivity, productivity and involvement during meetings, workshops – and anywhere else too for that matter. How? By implementing the endless possibilities of touch screens – for inspiration, for sharing knowledge, for so many things! That way, we provide you with support for any environment in which you would like to see or which requires more collaboration. We’ll take care of that, and you’ll be surprised at what we manage to achieve – guaranteed! Or contact us at: + 31 (0)40 261 8320 or info@ctouch.eu www.ctouch.eu
• Keep your contact information up to date. How can you be contacted and when? • Keep your autoreply and voicemail up to date. Explain what other people can expect from you in terms of response time. • Reach clear agreements with your family. Try to minimise interruptions. •Plan and take breaks. These are essential, both for your productivity and your own wellbeing. If necessary, ask a colleague to ‘monitor’ you (remotely).
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Business opportunities
Remote learning: does it provide an alternative for all? As we sit down to write this piece. The UK government has announced that England will be locked down for four weeks, but that the schools and universities will remain open. Opinions vary as to the contribution of education to the spread of the Coronavirus and the necessity for in-person teaching. We thought it would be useful to talk to expert technologists about the practicality of remote education across the piece. When UK students returned to their universities around the 29th September. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said, to Parliament: “At the beginning of September, we saw the successful reopening of our schools and colleges. Universities have been working just as hard to make campuses as safe as possible, including through enhanced cleaning measures, social distancing on campuses and changes to timetables to stagger and manage attendance on site.” “We have now seen the new intake of first-year students who are beginning a new chapter in their lives at university, together with those who are returning to carry on their studies. I know that this will not be the start that any of them would have wanted or expected, and I would just like to say that I am pleased to see that universities and students have followed the guidance in a responsible way, putting themselves, their friends and the local community in a safe place and out of harm’s way.” The national average R rate for England was significantly below 1 at the beginning of September/ Today, the average is between 1.5 and 1.7, with ‘hot spots’ in university town and cities following the students’ return.
ers. Unlike universities, where online education has not only been accepted but embraced by universities already some way down the track towards collaborative teaching and learning. In schools, there is far greater reliance on the role of the teacher. Jim Wallis, Head of UKI Market, at Promethean. believes that: “Within a learning space, the main requirements to support student development and outcomes are ensuring children can comfortably see and hear, access and interact with the information a teacher is delivering. Albeit the current climate has resulted in learning taking place in physical and virtual environments, but ultimately, to bolster pedagogical best practice, these factors remain imperative.” “As UK government guidance explains that it is essential for students to be in school, formal considerations must be given to reduce contact and minimise the contamination potential for students as far as practically possible. With this in mind, front of class display systems have become incredibly important to the learning space.”
son delivery and engagement. The Promethean ActivPanel is a front of class display unit that has been specifically designed for the classroom, creating connected learning spaces that encourage interactivity and collaboration,” says Wallis. “When circumstances dictate the need to deliver remote lessons, ensuring the same quality lesson content that would be received in the classroom can be replicated online is important. Having an AV device that can operate in conjunction with video conferencing software and embrace cloud-based lesson delivery to maintain that interactive element is essential.”
The picture in schools is far more complicated, with the interaction between parents, their children and teach-
The modern classroom The various demands on a modern classroom obviously demand investment: “A classroom is required to satisfy four catalysts of learning, engagement, collaboration, feedback and personalisation. To do this, a modern classroom must have technology, space and pedagogy. More than just having these
Jim Wallis.“When circumstances dictate the need to deliver remote lessons, ensuring the same quality lesson content that would be received in the classroom can be replicated online is important".
Integrating school and home Should the lockdown be, as seems likely, extended it is vitally important that school-based learning be integrated with home-based provision to avoid a fragmented and disjointed re-
Promethean ActivPanel is a front of class display unit that has been specifically designed for the classroom, creating connected learning spaces that encourage interactivity and collaboration
The school’s dilemma
learning, the classroom space is naturally evolving. With students having instant access to information from a number of sources it is important that a learning environment is adaptable and accessible,” adds Wallis.
sult. “Engagement within the classroom environment is more important now than it has ever been, and ensuring teachers have high quality interactive materials to use will help to support les-
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Fortunately, the move to ‘flipped’ or collaborative teaching models, while far from complete is at least a step in the right direction: “As traditional pedagogy moves towards active
things, the way it is used and how teachers can collaborate with students can enhance classroom activity and promote student outcomes.” Wallis argues that recent developments have accelerated this process: “Over the past few months, the learning environment has been impacted exponentially, with students learning from home where necessary. One thing that has become apparent is that students need to be in the classroom. As social learners, this is the environment in which they thrive.” “As schools return to a certain level of normality, every school will have its own challenges, risks and responses to local authority guidance. As well as creating an effective learning space, it is imperative that a classroom is safe and bolsters use of classroom technology to continue to deliver a good education.” So what should the priorities be in the light of the circumstances? Wallis believes that: “To do this, consideration must
be given to lesson preparation and delivery. Adopting a digital-first approach can help schools to respond to temporary changes in the learning environment with ease, without impacting on teacher workload. “Utilising a front of class display device, like the Promethean ActivPanel, can create engaging and interactive lessons for use within a classroom, but can be quickly adapted to digital resources if a student or a group of students are required to learn from home. When considering a classroom setup, ensuring the tools and resources available so teachers can maintain educational continuity, wherever learning takes place, is imperative to student development.”
The toll on teachers Investment in education technology is not the only cost associated with education in a pandemic: “The Promethean State of Technology in Education Report has revealed that long
hours and high workloads are still the biggest threat to the retention of teachers. Additionally, budgetary restrictions are barriers to edtech uptake and have resulted in a significant drop in technology training and support.” “When equipping learning spaces, it is important to consider how these factors can impact the development of a classroom environment. Technology can enhance and learning space, immersing and engaging students within their lessons, whilst also helping teachers to develop resources that create dynamic and collaborative environments.” “To support the modern classroom, it is important that technological solutions are reliable, easy to use and have been developed for use in the classroom. Additionally, ensuring users have access to online tools and resources that support best practice use of the technology to make the most of the investment is a fundamental priority. The Promethean ActivPanel has been specifically designed for education and comes as standard with award-winning lesson delivery software ActivInspire. Recognising the time constraints of teachers, Promethean’s Resource Library also contains access to free, bitesize training sessions to
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Keeping edtech Covid secure! bolster use of technology solutions in lessons.”
Ongoing impact What will be lasting lessons learned from the pandemic? “The Covid-19 crisis has seen schools rely on technology more than ever before. As practical government advice has encouraged classrooms to have all children facing forwards, high-quality AV solutions are more important now, than ever before to the learning space.” “One practical challenge within classrooms and learning spaces however is re-engaging students after a period of disrupted education and impact on social activities. With this in mind, classroom activities have to be more engaging than ever to retain the attention of the students,” says Wallis. “Intelligent AV solutions that encourage collaboration and interactivity are fundamental to this challenge. Front of class display devices have the potential to transform the classroom into a stimulating and engaging environment. By adopting apps, tools and VR resources, teachers have the potential to create connected and collaborative environments that immerse students in their development”. Of course, and particularly in the early days of digital adoption, there was some concern about the legitimacy an propriety of some digital content used in education. CTouch believes that this less of a problem today: centrally stored content for education is a huge step forward in efficiency and security for teaching and learning. Not only can teachers access and create lesson content from any location, be it at home or in whichever classroom they work from, and the cloud obviously provides them the ability to share this content with their colleagues seamlessly. Our touchscreens offer seamless integration with the most popular Cloud storage platforms. This is a far safer way of storing information, as well as a more cost-effective solution vs on-premises storage which requires a greater level of monitoring, protection and expertise.
With the initial concern about the transmission of Coronavirus through hard surfaces, since downgraded but not cancelled entirely, the AV community was quick to respond. CTouch, for example, says: “Touchscreens should be treated like any multi-use surface during the pandemic. They should be cleaned regu-
to bundle a cleaning kit with its displays: the company announced that all its latest touchscreen models in the UK will ship with a specially developed screen cleaning kit. Gregg Ringer, Head of UK Market Development for CTOUCH commented: “In a time where surface cleaning is at the forefront of every-
kits will ship with all the new CTOUCH Riva touchscreens. For customers who have already purchased, they can also claim theirs through the CTOUCH website. Geneeworld are currently supplying all their customers with microfiber cloths and cleaning solutions for their screens. They have advised all of our
terial glass to ensure that they are completely safe during the pandemic” Here is a brief guide on how to stay safe:
• After the application, dry the cover glass with a clean and dry microfibre cloth.
1.Turn off the device
• Using only lightly dampened fabric to avoid malfunction and possible permanent damage to electronic parts, lightly clean the surface of the product, avoiding any connection points or ventilation holes.
2. We recommend using Dettol’s surface spray cleaner. Spray the Dettol antibacterial onto a microfiber cloth and then wipe the display from the lefthand side to the right. 3. Use the same technique to clean the accessories such as pens or remote controls. 4. Once the display is cleaned please ensure it is dry before turning it back on.
larly with appropriate cleaning fluids and delicate surface cloths. A good cleaning regime combined with hand washing etc. means touchscreens can be as safe as ever. In businesses we would recommend leav-
one’s minds, we want to ensure we are doing our bit to help our customers. As a company, we have launched a series of initiatives which ensure we are as environmentally and socially aware as we can be, and this is
customers on the safest way to use our technology in the pandemic. “Our G-Touch range are extremely safe. One of the key aspects of all our existing screens is that they can be cleaned using anti-bacterial
The full guide can be found on our website www.genee-group. com. “We also have a Covid risk assessment and procedure for site surveys, installations and on-site training and have established full online virtual training sessions, which can either be one-to-one or group based.” Finally. Promethean recommends the use of 70-90% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) or 70-90% Ethanol in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for effective surface disinfectant against COVID-19: • Disconnect the product from its power source. • Lightly apply 70-90% Ethanol or 70-90% IPA to a 100% cotton microfiber cloth (recommended to spray onto the microfiber cloth). Do not apply liquids directly to the ActivPanel or any Promethean device.
For ActivPanels: • In a single direction, wipe down the cover glass of the ActivPanel making sure to avoid the narrow sides of the touch bezel. Do not apply excessive pressure to the glass.
ing cleaning fluids in meeting rooms where our touchscreens see heavy usage and also provide messaging to users to clean the screens after each session.” CTouch was among the first
another example of many more to come. We want to provide peace of mind for our users, so they are as comfortable as possible when using our new Riva touchscreen.” The branded ‘Wipe & Shine’
wet wipes. We have advised all of our customers to sanitise their hands before using the touchscreen and for the screen to be cleaned frequently. Our new G-Touch screens are developed with anti-bac-
Touchscreens –external control To avoid any risk, however slight. of infection from a touchscreen a number of manufacturers are offering a touchfree method of interacting with the display. Geneeworld explains that the G-Touch screen comes with Gesture control. Gestures reduce the number of touches needed on the screens as complicated functions can be completed with simple swipes. In addition, one of our core products, Project Flow, is a cloud-based lesson delivery tool like no other, allow-
For all other products:
• After the application, dry the product with a clean and dry microfibre cloth. • Please follow all safety and handling instructions listed with the cleaning solution and keep out of reach of children. For schools conducting an overall deep clean of their facilities, here are steps to appropriately protect your Promethean ActivPanels and projectors in advance of chemicals being sprayed or fogging devices being employed: • Disconnect the product from its power source. • Cover the product to prevent damage to internal electronic components. • Remember to remove any covering before use. • Please ensure that those with access to the ActivPanel or projector are aware of the cleaning procedure. If your Promethean product still has stubborn marks, please contact Promethean Technical Customer Support for further advice. Good personal hygiene practices of washing hands should be employed before and after use of Promethean products.
• For the other surfaces use only the lightly dampened cotton microfibre cloth to avoid malfunction and possible permanent damage to electronic parts, lightly clean the surface of the product, avoiding any connection points or ventilation holes.
ing presentations, activities, questions and work to be sent directly to student devices. Finally, our G-Touch Range has a built-in screen sharing software which allows users to display their personal devices, directly to the interactive display. Users are able to cast Windows, Apple, Android and Chromebook devices. And other vendors? “At CTOUCH we use various wireless casting software solutions across our touchscreen portfolio. Each of these allows for the screens to be
controlled via a personal devise using touchback, as well as sharing the screen content to multiple devices in the room. This allows students or meeting participants to follow what is on the screen from their own devices if so desired.”
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Futures
XR Realities: the missing element in collaboration The technologies of Virtual and Augmented Realities, collectively known as XR Realities could hold the key to providing the added value perceived to be ‘missing’ from standard video communication. These new technologies can make digital communications more immersive, information-rich and persuasive than a simple video image and audio call. At the very highest level. XR technologies can create a total environment that collaborators can share and use as a platform for interaction. In a week that would usually see the AV News team in Amsterdam for VR Days we assess the state-of-the-art. It has been a few years since we started to attend about Virtual and Augmented Realities, and in that time we have seen a variety of new technologies emerge and claim a place in the market. And yet event after event sees us presented with projects, proofs of concept and trials. What we a re yet to see are commercial solutions and products available to buy. Before we consider why this might be, let’s review our expectations. Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience in a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information, sometimes across multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be defined as a system that fulfils three basic features: a combination of real and virtual worlds, real-time interaction, and accurate 3D registration of virtual and real objects. The overlaid sensory information can be constructive (i.e. additive to the natural environment), or destructive (i.e. masking of the natural environment). This experience is seamlessly interwoven with the physical world such that it is perceived as an immersive aspect of the real environment. In this way, augmented reality alters one's ongoing perception of a real-world environment, whereas virtual reality completely replaces the user's real-world environment with a simulated one. Augmented reality is related to two largely synonymous terms: mixed reality and computer-mediated reality. In a collaborative interaction, perhaps we might consider a development project in which an architect’s schematic is augmented with material specification or budgetary information. This would provide collaborators with immediate feedback on the costs of any changes. [One can’t help wondering how much time and money this might have saved when the late Zaha Hadid was presenting the designs for the 2012 Olympics to the then government minister Tessa Jowell?] An enhanced and interactive computer model with additional and useful information integrated should a relatively straightforward solution to sell - provided the cost is reasonable. So what solutions are available?
AR tools and solutions AR is still young, with many new types of technology still emerging. Some of the main types of AR software on the market at the moment include: • AR visualization software – This type of software enables organizations to create immersive experiences for consumers to interact with. AR visualization software users can upload 3D content and scale the image, adjust the colour, and incorporate the additional details needed . • AR content management system (CMS) – An AR CMS lets users bulk upload raw 3D content that will eventually become the basis for AR experiences. This content can be managed and edited within the platform. • AR SDK – These tools allow users to build digital objects that will blend into the real world that will eventually become fully fledged AR experiences. • AR WYSIWYG editor software – This software enables users with limited to no coding background to create customised AR
experiences. These tools have drag-and-drop capabilities that let users upload 3D objects and drop them directly into previously designed scenes. • AR game engine software – These solutions give game developers the framework for creating AR video game experiences. Using AR game engine software, users can create and edit 3D characters that can interact with the real world. • AR training simulator software – AR training simulator software leverages AR technology to train employees for certain jobs. • Industrial AR platforms – These solutions are typically used by organisations in the industrial field. These tools include interactive AR content that improves these employees’ productivity, effectiveness, and safety. Examples of highly rated AR development software include: ARCore; ZapWorks; and Vuforia Engine. AR Game Engine software titles include: Unity; Unreal Engine; and HeroMirror. Finally, AR training simulator software products include: Amazon Sumerian and MaestroAR
(although the latter is not yet rated). Software costs aside, one of the biggest factors that has hindered AR from becoming mainstream is the cost. It can be very expensive to purchase the hardware to support AR technology. Streaming the content can also very costly. Content for these solutions needs to be streamed in a very high resolution and rendered at a high refresh rate. This content also requires a large bandwidth for streaming. All these factors add up, making potential users wary of adopting AR.
Business case Of course, the cost comparison with an AR project can often be expressed in terms of the end result. For example, let’s take a retail example: users in the retail industry can leverage AR technology so consumers can virtually test out products before they make a purchase. AR retail applications allow users to upload a photo of themselves and visualise what a particular piece of clothing would look like on their body. Shoppers could also use these kinds of applications to
visualise what a piece of furniture would look like in their house. Both examples here would offset the costs of the AR solution against the likely costs of customer returns of rejected goods. Other potential users of AR technology are students and school pupils. If a teacher was conducting a lesson on astronomy, AR software could project a map of the solar system so students could visualise the subject in an exciting and immersive way. Later in life, employees performing manual labour can wear AR glasses to help with repair and maintenance jobs. AR software can be used to project valuable data and guide the user in the task. At the other extreme, surgeons, can use AR technology for training purposes. AR technology can help trainee surgeons visualise what the actual act of surgery would be like.
Virtual worlds There is a growing consensus around the value of Augmented Reality but taking up a lev-
One of the companies in the high-end VR field that AV News follows regularly is ST Engineering Antycip. One of the company’s recent CAVE projects saw The University of Huddersfield install a state-of-the-art VR CAVE system at its new Barbara Hepworth Building.
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el to the creation of complete virtual environments seems to prompt talk about science fiction, Holodecks and the like. Why should this be? While consumer level VR is concerned with gaming and headsets, professional applications are largely concerned with Virtual Reality Caves and simulators. A VR ‘cave automatic virtual environment’ (better known by the recursive acronym CAVE) is an immersive virtual reality environment where projectors are directed to between three and six of the walls of a room-sized cube. One of the companies in the high-end VR field that AV News follows regularly is ST Engineering Antycip. One of the company’s recent CAVE projects saw The University of Huddersfield install a state-of-theart VR CAVE system at its new Barbara Hepworth Building, named after the famous sculptor. Home of the School of Art, Design and Architecture, the building boasts a 7,500 sqm space and is designed to support multi-disciplinary learning. The VR CAVE, housed in the School’s Phidias Lab, was installed by VR integration specialist ST Engineering Antycip (formerly Antycip Simulation) on behalf of its client Roche AV. Designed to function as an experimental AR and head-mounted display (HMD) facility, the Phidias Lab promotes the development of the school’s digital strategy through encouraging the creation of digital content and immersive VR. It is home to an eight-screen video wall with several modes for exhibiting and presenting, a motion capture area, a feature sound and lighting system and now, a highly advanced immersive CAVE system. Surrounded by a 16-camera Vicon motion capture system, the CAVE supports a wide range of virtual environment needs. It provides students from a variety of academic subjects the opportunity to develop their design concepts, without the need for potentially expensive physical models or printed material. Antycip was tasked with providing a software platform that uniquely offers the ability to instantaneously bring industry standard applications into a stereoscopic VR environment, saving engineering time and effort while providing a fully interactive and unforgettable virtual experience. Antycip designed a threeface CAVE, comprising of three
Opinion
Maverick Smart Learning Making the case for Teams in the classroom! In the wake of massive changes to our education systems across Europe, now is a crucial time for teachers and educators to become fully trained up on the digital platforms which enable them to work together and connect with children remotely, as well as in the classroom. Recently, Maverick AV Solutions undertook a beta test for teacher training, getting to understand the issues faced by teachers in the classroom. David Johnson shares the insights after working with teachers for 3 months in lockdown.
While consumer level VR is concerned with gaming and headsets, professional applications are largely concerned with Virtual Reality Caves and simulators. solid state Barco F90 laser projectors. Boasting 4K resolution and 3D capability, the projectors are equipped with ultra-short throw lens optics to address the primary front projection face of the CAVE and the wing face positioned on the right side. Both projectors are inverted and enable huge savings on the real estate required for the rear projection throw distance behind the solid specialist rigid acrylic substrate screens. A third F90 projector utilises a specialist mirror to fold the light path down to the floor, where the content is combined with the two rear projection surfaces, thus offering a truly immersive display environment. Each projector is fed a high bandwidth stereoscopic signal using pure fibre optic based cable links to avoid potential electromagnetic interference. Vicon spatial tracking cameras are calibrated to offer an interactive volume within the display, so that a dynamic eyepoint can be tracked for a single user wearing the supplied RF synchronised active shutter glasses. This tracking system also supports the interactions from a wireless handheld device, used for navigation within the virtual content as well as to initiate and control any interactive feature activated from the TechViz software while immersed. The CAVE design enables unique folded lens optics to maximise the room’s real estate while offering vibrant high-resolution images to this faceted array. The solution is driven by dedicated PC-image generators with GPUs synchronised in both hardware and software to address the demands of rendering large complex datasets. Due to the varied use of the CAVE, the university required a system which could be used by students from a range of technical backgrounds and abilities. “We needed to mitigate the need for complicated programming or the use of additional programmes before a model could be viewed in VR,”
said Stephen Calcutt, technical manager and co-ordinator for the University of Huddersfield. “ST Engineering Antycip recommended that we use the TechViz software as its support of native applications such as Solidworks, Navisworks, Revit and Rhino, which are used by the School of Art, Design and Architecture, makes it a vital component of the ease of use system. It allows students to create and instantly display 3D stereoscopic interactive content within the CAVE that is dynamically linked to the applications they know, without having to convert complicated data first.”
Training potential Related to education applications, high-end VR has found a growing niche in training. Bau Bildung Sachsen (BBS), the competence centre for construction machine technology in the Free State of Saxony (Germany), has taken delivery of six of CM Labs’ Vortex Edge Max simulators to help train the next generation of construction workers in the region. The simulators will be used at BBS’s Glauchau location, where they will help facilitate initial vocational training in over 20 trades in the construction industry, including exercises to support fine motor skills, endurance, and accuracy when using heavy machinery. The deal came about thanks to a three-way partnership between ST Engineering Antycip, CM Labs, and KRS Solutions. The simulator comes bundled with a full fleet of cranes, CM Labs’ complete earthmoving catalogue, or both, for a total of 10 machines in one unit. BBS decided that the full package would be ideal for its broad offering, making the simulator’s versatility one of the key factors in choosing the Vortex Edge Max. “The benefits of using virtual training methods are myriad,” said Enrico Salcuni, sales manager for Italy-DACH, ST Engineering Antycip. “They provide
a secure and granted return on investment, as well as allowing operators to train in a safe and hazard free environment. These systems are becoming more and more common among companies, schools, and training centres alike, and I would suggest that everyone try it first-hand.” The Vortex Edge Max simulators were delivered to BBS fully embedded with CM Labs’ Smart Training Technology and a motion platform that replicates the feel of the real equipment, as well as best-in-class visuals and exercises that replicate work site conditions. “The graphics, motion feedback, and dynamics are all so well defined and accurate that it really feels as if the trainees are operating a real machine,” continued SalcuniS. “This method can really help institutions to save money on equipment, fuel, and maintenance, as well as enabling you to make mistakes that, in the real world, would be dangerous or even catastrophic. Trainees can learn from these mistakes, improve, and return to their families safe and sound; for this reason alone, the Vortex Edge Max is invaluable.”
Across Europe we were seeing shared issues with teachers working remotely from the classroom. Google, Microsoft and many of the other collaboration platforms provided incredible support, ensuring that lessons could be taught remotely but we saw emerging trends which are set to affect our industry for the next twelve months and beyond. We interviewed teachers at all levels of the education process and provided Microsoft Teams training for a selection of teachers to see how quickly we could advance their knowledge and ability to work within its eco-system.
Digital skills shortage With teachers covering such a wide range of disciplines, teaching styles and subjects, the ability to ensure everyone has the same level of digital skills is a pretty hard job for schools. What we found from our test group is that many teachers
What also became apparent is that there were teachers who went into lockdown not enjoying Teams and becoming quite anti-collaboration, because they didn't have the knowledge and understanding of its capabilities. Teachers leaving just one training session were total converts because the platform could do everything they needed, but no-one had shown them.
Risk of overload A potential risk which we’ve encountered is that in trying to fill this skills shortage with training we potentially run the risk of overloading teachers with too much new information at one time. Some of them found that they couldn't fully explore the interactivity of Teams because they were busy absorbing information within it. So, what’s crucial moving forward is the structure and development of the way this kind of training is delivered. Staggered learning
David Johnson is general manager at Maverick Europe. To talk about how Maverick can help the channel to deliver connected classrooms in the new normal, email info@tdmaverick.eu.
tion of new technology, without the appropriate level of follow up training. Every one of the teachers on this course, before undertaking was asked to rate Teams. The ratings on average were between 3 and 6 out of 10. After the training, they were then asked to reassess this value. The averages shot up to between 6 and 10 out of 10. This, combined with anecdotal feedback tells is that the education sector should be focused on the training and education of technology, as well as imple-
Cost benefits Of course, the costs of CAVE and other high-end VR solutions can be daunting, but the value in VR solutions, for research and development, is reflected both in the savings they represent when compared to physical prototyping, and in the benefits they bring with greater flexibility earlier in the design process. Virtual reality is more than just another research method: “Virtual reality allows you to maximise the success of your design projects by continually reviewing and modifying them before manufacture and launch. It helps inform marketing strategies and campaigns, “says John Mould of Antycip.
only started to use Microsoft Teams during lockdown, so until it happened they didn't really know all that much about it and how it’s features could help them overcome the challenges they were facing. We were finding that on a very basic level, teachers were unaware of a majority of the features and functions which Teams offers. Even something as simple as a background change – which, when highlighted, they thought was a great idea to really reinforce the sense of place of being in the classroom, by replacing backgrounds with school branding.
structures, with time to take in the information which has been presented is key, as is the way information is taken back to schools and shared with teaching groups and departments. Train the trainer is still as important as ever with busy teaching schedules. There’s no need in having an entire faculty all in attendance, that’s just going to make things difficult for both teacher and trainer.
Training over Tech This is a crucial takeaway from this initial training run. One of the main issues facing teachers today is the implementa-
mentation and installation of new hybrid solutions.
So what’s next? The next steps will no doubt see our joint industries in lock step with one another, working simultaneously and collaboratively to ensure the quality of education provision. The future lies with collaborative specialists and professionals providing teachers and educators with the skills and knowledge to be able to perform at their absolute peak, in any set of circumstances.
AV News November 2020 P19
Diary and column Peoplewatch
peoplewatch
Technological Innovations Group (TIG) has appointed Jon Rhodes as its new European Sales Director of Unified Communications. Leading TIG's team of UC sales professionals and focussing on the Enterprise product range from Crestron, Jon will be responsible for growing the UC division. The appointment comes as TIG increases its focus on being able to provide a consistent unified user interface and user experience across multiple devices and media types. On his appointment, TIG CEO Robin van Meeuwen comments: “We are thrilled to welcome Jon to lead our growing team of Unified Communications specialists. Having worked in the UC and video communications industry for over 20 years, his knowledge of the sector is second-to-none and he demonstrates a range of important skills such as Business Development, impressive Solution
difficult times, it’s exciting to see the market continue to grow and evolve. AVM has a clear strategy for growth that attracted me to the role, and I’m looking forward to working with vendors and integrators and playing my part in fulfilling their plans.” Exertis has announced the restructure of some key staff in its UK finance team. The business is pleased to announce Gary Hollington as Business Transformation Director. Gary's knowledge of Exertis makes him a natural fit for this role and will focus on optimising front and back office business processes ensuring that they are easily scalable, driving operational efficiencies, and enabling the provision of timely and quality decision support information. Gary said: “Operational excellence is a key part of the Exertis strategy, and I am delighted that I will be able to support delivery of this through the Business Transformation Director role. For me it’s a great opportunity to widen my knowledge base in Exertis and apply my previous transformation experience to help our business spend less time looking internally, and more time supporting our vendors and customers.” Chris Banks will be stepping up to replace Gary as Group Financial Controller. Richard Hinds, Chief Operating Officer, Exertis UK&I, said: “Recent months have seen businesses impacted in a variety of ways, and at Exertis, we are constantly assessing how our business is best equipped and structured. I'm confident that these steps will help us respond to any future challenges in the best possible way. We wish each of these individuals in new roles every success for the future.”
As Skratch AV forges ahead with its continued growth in the AV industry, the company has announced changes to the management structure which will further improve client interaction and project delivery efficiency. Lee Jones, who has been with Skratch for several years, has now assumed the role of Company Operations Manager, taking control of the day to day running of the in-house engineering team as well as all technical aspects. It is a proud day for Skratch as Lee joined the business as an engineer and has worked his way up through the ranks to now take responsibility of a number of departments that he once was part of. Dan Codling who previously held the role as one of the business project managers now takes control as the Sales and Marketing Manager for the UK and Europe. These changes will push Skratch to the forefront of AV providers and the structure change comes at a time that is critical for the business to deal with the ever-growing demand. Ian Beeley, Skratch AV’s Managing Director, has commented saying “Promotion from within has always been a core value at Skratch, we firmly believe in investing in our employees and as the company grows, our team grows with us. Both Dan and Lee have been instrumental in delivering projects and expanding our client base over the last few years, as we continue to take on larger projects its crucial to have a team that can deliver the high level of customer service that Skratch is renowned for. I wish them both the best of luck and look forward to working closely with them in their new roles.”
Technological Innovations Group (TIG) has appointed Jon Rhodes as its new European Sales Director of Unified Communications. Leading TIG's team of UC sales professionals. Selling and fantastic Leadership. It is amazing to see the rapid growth in remote working that we have experienced recently, and Jon's appointment reflects TIG's commitment to providing any-size business with the right UC and AV expertise when embarking on their digital transformation journey.” Jon adds: “We are living in difficult times and it is rewarding to see UC technology helping businesses of all sizes remain efficient, even in the face of such adversity. TIG and Crestron have an unparalleled, market-leading portfolio of solutions that improve the ways in which people work and communicate. I am very happy to join TIG to help more companies and individuals realise the many enhancements to their working environments we can deliver.” Customers are invited to book an appointment with Jon at TIG's new Experience Space in London, where they can discover more about TIG's ecosystem with in-depth demos of the solutions available. Audio Visual Material is growing its business development team with the appointment of Guy Ready as business development manager. Ready has a decade of AV distribution experience, and brings particular expertise in flat panels and digital signage solutions to the Northamber owned company.
Exertis has announced the restructure of some key staff in its UK finance team. Gary Hollington will be the new Business Transformation Director. Gary's knowledge of Exertis makes him a natural fit for this role and will focus on optimising front and back office business processes ensuring that they are easily scalable.
Ahead of the world’s first award ceremony being delivered in virtual reality (the VR Awards taking place on the 12th November, the event organisers - the Academy of International Extended Reality (AIXR) - are today announcing the winner of the Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award, Cher Wang, founder of the consumer electronics giant, HTC. Selected on the basis of their impact on the industry through her life’s work and voted for by the AIXR steering committee, Cher has received the award (the highest accolade given) in celebration of her outstanding contributions to virtual reality.
Audio Visual Material is growing its business development team with the appointment of Guy Ready as business development manager. Mark Nisbet, |MD of AVM explains: “The display and signage side of AVM’s business is becoming increasingly important to us. As we pursue growth through our strategy of employing technology specialists, Guy’s evident strengths in these areas made him a clear choice to join the team.” Ready will be focusing on cementing relationships with current vendor partners including: Philips, Vestel, Cayin and NowSignage as well as exploring new opportunities. Speaking about his decision to join AVM he said: “Even in these
P20 AV News November 2020
Cher Wang, founder of the consumer electronics giant, HTC.
Ian Beeley, Skratch AV’s Managing Director: “Promotion from within has always been a core value at Skratch, we firmly believe in investing in our employees and as the company grows, our team grows with us. Both Dan(left) and Lee (right) have been instrumental in delivering projects and expanding our client base over the last few years.”
Peoplewatch
peoplewatch Utah Scientific has announced the retirement of George Wicker after an illustrious career in the broadcast industry spanning 30+ years. Wicker has served as a territory manager for Utah Scientific for 11 years, most recently as Southeast territory manager. Michelle Maurice is returning to Utah Scientific as Southeast regional sales manager. “Working with the outstanding Utah Scientific team and selling state-of-the-art products made my experience here an absolute pleasure,” said Wicker. “I know I am going to miss the daily activity, but Michelle is the ideal professional to take over, and she will do a great job taking care of our customers.” Dave Burland, Utah Scientific's president and CEO, commented, “George has been instrumental in revitalizing the Southeast territory. It is tough to lose a prized member of our team, but his time here was valuable and greatly appreciated. We're looking forward to a smooth transition between two excellent salespeople, both of whom care deeply about their customers.” Brett Benson, vice president of sales for Utah Scientific, added, “We consider ourselves lucky to have worked with George, and now to have the opportunity to work with Michelle again. In her prior time at Utah Scientific, she advanced from technician to one of the most successful salespeople in our company's history. I believe customers in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas will appreciate Michelle's professionalism and deep experience with our products and the marketplace.”
Michelle Maurice is returning to Utah Scientific as Southeast regional sales manager.
Women in Technology Futurist Award In a virtual presentation, Jade Kurian, president and co-founder of latakoo, a leading developer of software solutions for the broadcast production industry, was honoured with the prestigious Women in Technology Futurist Award. The award was presented at TVNewsCheck’s tenth annual Women in Technology Leadership Awards ceremony and reception. The award recognises that Jade Kurian epitomises the quality of taking a long-range view of where the television industry should be moving and figuring out how to get it there. The Women in Technology Futurist Award celebrates women who have pioneered new technologies or who, although not working in the sciences, have significantly influenced the development of media industry technology. The award supports the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation’s Technology Apprenticeship Program, which provides training and industry internships to graduating engineers who are women or people of colour. Jade’s multifaceted experience spans the entire gamut of broadcasting, including management, communications, and technology. She has a comprehensive understanding of video workflows from codecs and formats to editing and transfers. Jade has managed news staff, coordinated crews while travelling the world,
run operations, scheduled teams and managed budgets. Her experience encompasses the ground-up building, management and launch of a news bureau for a US national network. TVNewsCheck co-founder and publisher Kathy Haley said: “Jade Kurian’s pioneering end-to-end workflow solution enabling users to quickly, easily and securely move video files from anywhere to anywhere, regardless of file size or internet connection, has fundamentally changed the options available to broadcasters challenged with a need to produce far more content far more efficiently”. On accepting the award Jade Kurian said “I am humbled and honoured to receive this award that salutes, encourages and emboldens women working in technology. While I believe that individuals can singularly impact change, there is no substitute for a great team and I am the beneficiary of the excellence of our team. They are among the smartest and best people who show exemplary commitment to offer the best solution to our clients every day”. Jade Kurian, president and co-founder of latakoo, a leading developer of software solutions for the broadcast production industry, was honoured with the prestigious Women in Technology Futurist Award.
Diaryand andcolumn Events Diary
AVIXA and the DSF to Host D=SIGN: The Digital Signage Conference Dec. 8-9
AVIXA sessions to watch North America Work Remote video series On demand AVIXA’s Work Remote video series answers the basic questions on how to improve audio, video, lighting, and network performance.
AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, and the Digital Signage Federation (DSF) will host D=SIGN: the Digital Signage Conference, powered by LAVNCH, Dec. 8-9, 2020. This free, virtual conference will explore the solutions, innovations, and big ideas around digital signage and digital out-of-home (DooH). Since registration opened on Oct. 22, more than 1,000 people have signed up to attend D=SIGN. During this two-day event, attendees will learn about the digital signage ecosystem and its ability to uniquely inform, educate, entertain and communicate. The sessions will uncover what’s new and next in the ad world from agency experts and media professionals. In addition, the conference will host New Tech Lightning Rounds, a popular feature at InfoComm 2020 Connected, which will examine the latest technologies and solutions in digital signage, including displays, media players, software, and more. “D=SIGN is the place for AV professionals to convene virtually to learn about one of the fastest-growing solutions in our industry – digital signage,” said David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA. “The Digital Signage Federation and AVIXA are working hand in hand to bring the freshest content from a wide-range of perspectives on the future of digital signage.” The conference will feature sessions led by digital signage thought leaders, including DSF Board Members Laura Davis-Taylor, Chief Strategy Officer for InReality and Beth Warren, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Creative Realities, and many more. “We’re really excited to kick off our partnership with AVIXA with this first event,” said Brian Gorg, Executive Director of Digital Signage Federation. “D=SIGN will marry two orga-
nizations deeply rooted in serving up rich education content that advances innovative ideas. We’re looking forward to these two days of highly interactive learning.” The event will also feature evening networking events, including Trivia Night on Dec. 8 and a mixer hosted by Sixteen:Nine on Dec. 9. “We’re thrilled to host D=SIGN on our LAVNCH virtual platform. In addition to polling, chat, Q&A, and gamification already built into LAVNCH, we will debut a new interactive networking feature during D=SIGN that will completely remove any talk of virtual event fatigue,” said Gary Kayye, Co-Founder and Director of THE rAVe Agency. “The timing of this event is perfect, as our industry needs the leadership that AVIXA and the DSF will provide in guiding AV pros into the digital signage market.” D=SIGN will take place Dec. 8-9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, and the content will be available on demand until Jan. 29, 2021. Registration is currently open at http://avixa.org/ dsign.
Mersive The Hybrid Workplace 2021 Thursday 12 November 2020 12.00 PM MDT / 19:00 PM CET It’s clear that in the post-pandemic world, the workforce will require more flexibility with remote and in-office accommodations. How will you adjust to this new hybrid workforce model? How can your organization prepare its offices to meet the challenges of 2021 and beyond? Join us on Thursday, November 12th for a panel discussion as Mersive’s Christopher Jaynes, PhD (Founder and Chief Technology Officer) and other technology leaders from Panasonic, Yamaha, Nureva and Red
Thread discuss the physical and digital implications of the new hybrid workplace. • The physical workplaces: The office and at home/remote • The importance of Unified Communications solutions • The new corporate live event – reach your audience no matter their location with greater efficiency. • Ensuring productivity, seamless workflows and communications no matter the physical location. • The increased role of AV over IP Join these industry experts: • Michael Bergeron, Senior Product Manager, Live Production - Panasonic USA • Nancy Knowlton, President & CEO at Nureva • Christopher Jaynes, Founder and CTO at Mersive • Tim Mackie, Field Systems Engineer at Yamaha Unified Communications • John Mitton, CTO/VP of Audiovisual Technology at Red Thread • Moderated by Cindy Davis, contributing editor to AV Technology Register here: https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobby Servlet?target=reg20.jsp&referrer=&eventid=2745377&sessionid=1&key=D7A-
Webinar:
Transition to Distance Learning and Remote Working Nov. 9, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST In this session, we will discuss some of the best practices of an audiovisual setup for individual video conferencing and some of the simple things we can do to ensure a good quality and consistent experience every time we communicate to other remote partners.
Webinar:
Smart Buildings Power Hour: Energy Nov. 11, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST Energy savings and energy management remain the number one driver of smart building adoption: it’s all about the ROI from cost-savings. On top of explaining the latest in BEMS (Building Energy Management Systems), we’ll explain what AV/IT integrators need to know about BEMS integration.
Webinar:
Digital Signage Power Hour: Commercial Real Estate Creates Digital Experiences Nov. 17, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST In this webinar, industry experts will discuss how direct-view LED and complementary technologies are being used in commercial real estate, as well as the creative thinking, execution, and implications behind the projects. We'll discuss some key projects and outcomes, costs, and challenges.
EMEA Digital Signage Organization Retail Webinar Nov. 4, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. GMT AVIXA is presenting this DSO round table focusing on customer experience and the opportunity for signage in the retail market now and beyond.
Owen Ellis (DSO), Jenny Hicks (Midwich Group), Harry Horn (Scala), and DSO board member Leif Liljebrunn will explore how well-managed customer signage is more reliable than human presence and provides a better customer experience. Level Up! Nov. 10 – Dec. 8 The Level Up! education program is for AV professionals in the EMEA time zone who want to brush up their AV knowledge and collect CTS renewal units. AVIXA has gathered industry experts for a series of online education sessions to cover AV/IT, audio, and distance learning. Sessions will be held live online for five consecutive Tuesdays, starting Nov. 10 at 11 a.m. GMT.
Asia Pacific InfoComm India GoVIRTUAL Nov. 18-20 At the virtual InfoComm India show, attendees can watch virtual product demos by exhibitors, interact with them in real time, learn from experts at Summit webinars, discover the latest product and technology offerings, chat and schedule meetings with solution providers, and network with industry peers.
AVIXA India Awards 2020 Presentation Nov. 20, 4 p.m. IST The AVIXA India Awards ceremony will take place during InfoComm India GoVIRTUAL. The awards program celebrates AV industry professionals who have shown outstanding achievements and contributions to help the industry grow. Volunteer members of the AVIXA India Advisory Group have voted for nominated pro-
fessionals in the following categories: CTS Holder of the Year; Educator of the Year; Women in AV; Young AV Professional of the Year; and Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award. In a sixth category, the Volunteer of the Year award is bestowed by AVIXA staff. Latin America
Congreso AVIXA The event has come to an end, but the recordings are available for free until Nov. 20 inside the same event platform (MeetAPP Go App). If you are not registered for the event yet, visit https://meetappinvite.com/congreso-avixa/2020
How to Improve Your Team's Productivity and Happiness in Remote Team Management Nov. 4, 12:30 pm EST Learn about the concepts of leadership, management, and motivation that have become the key points to ensure the engagement and productivity of remote teams in a remote environment. Webinar presented in Spanish.