AV News December 2021

The direct channel to the industry

December 2021 www.avnews.co.uk Page 22-26

Page 28-29

AV and sustainability: our role and impact on society

Highlights of 2021! A little better than 2020 perhaps, but far from a return to normal. Here is our review of the last 12 months and the progress made in the AV /IT markets.

For the last 2 years Coronavirus has more or less monopolised conversations. Now it’s the turn of sustainability – and the conversations will not be limited to a couple of years.

IBC ‘in-person’ event cancelled Maverick SKI theme for IBC organisers have taken the decision to cancel the in-person element of the 2021 event at the RAI in Amsterdam. They felt that the Covid situation in the Netherlands left them with no choice. In a statement, the IBC’s organisers said the move follows growing concerns about the Covid-19 situation in the Netherlands, which has deteriorated over the past week, and feedback from the IBC exhibitor and visitor community. “The IBC Partnership Board made the decision today in order to prevent exhibitors and visitors from travelling to The Netherlands,” added the statement. The event will still take place digitally via IBC Digital. IBC 2021 was due to take place from 3rd-6th December in Amsterdam. Earlier this month the Dutch government announced

it was instigating a three-week partial lockdown, which is due to be revisited on 3rd December. New figures show that a reported 153,957 new cases of

coronavirus were registered in the week to Tuesday morning, a new record and a rise of 39 per cent on last week.

The IBC Partnership Board made the decision to cancel in order to prevent exhibitors and visitors from travelling to The Netherlands. The event will still take place digitally via IBC Digital.

Entourage Pro – future live events partnership Entourage Pro is a world first in production industry crew resources. Built by the industry, for the industry, this new, free to join global networking platform bridges the gap between artists and the production world and is set to revolutionise how production personnel are sourced, accredited and availed to the wider production and music industries. Entourage Pro has a pedigree like no other. It draws on director Joel Perry’s 20 year-plus association with live music production, as well as its partnership with Showcase Music, which has 52 years of indus-

“Entourage Pro has to be as comprehensive as possible and relevant to the industry, both now and in the future,” adds fellow director, Showcase Music’s James Stanbridge. “We are in a critical window of opportunity, and we want this to be our way of helping the industry get back on its feet and bringing it closer together.” try heritage to add to the platform’s offering. “With the global events sector starting to re-emerge, we knew the time was right to launch a

TAP INTO TEAMS MEETINGS Logitech Tap for Microsoft Teams Powered by Lenovo ThinkSmart Edition Tiny

Continued on page 3

ISE 2022

Maverick AV Solutions has announced it will be revealing an IS-SKI themed stand and Aprés Ski bar at Integrated Systems Europe when it de-

Avocor, Barco, Bose, Crestron, Samsung, Lenovo, and a host of other vendors. Integrators and end users looking for innovation in digital signage can

many fundamental changes, many catalysed by the requirements of the pandemic and the call for more businesses to reconfigure their environments

Maverick AV Solutions has announced it will be revealing an IS-SKI themed stand and Aprés Ski bar at Integrated Systems Europe when it debuts in Barcelona on 1st-4th February 2022. buts in Barcelona on 1st-4th February 2022. The Maverick team will unveil a new concept stand, exploring future trends for smart spaces. A journey through the Ski Shop, Ski School and Ski HQ will take users through technology solutions designed to access video conferencing platforms seamlessly and explore the digital signage of the future. The now ubiquitous platforms including Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Zoom, will champion the future of the hybrid work for visitors to explore. The stand will feature solutions from Logitech, Huddly, Vision,

explore how analytics and IOT can expand interactive experiences within an array of environments. From ‘lift and learn’ to live data recording and display, visitors can see how intelligent data will lead the future of networked signage. The stand will feature snowy peaks, interactive features and a signature Apres-Ski bar with Maverick’s famous happy hour moving from the beach to the slopes for three days in the show’s new home of Barcelona. Joel Chimoindes, Vice President of Maverick AV Solutions, explains: “Over the past 18 months, our industry has seen

NOW G SHIPPIN

www.tdmaverick.eu

to flexible smart spaces. As a business, we really wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate this new era of innovation and for us ISE 2022 is the perfect opportunity to showcase how integrators can adjust their business models to take full advantage of unprecedented opportunities in the market.” ISE 2022 which will take over the halls of Fira de Barcelona, Gran Via showcases the world’s leading technology innovators and solutions providers; and will see five days of dedicated conferences, events and experiences.

Meet the number one interactive panel at Bett and ISE

No. See it at Bett on stand SF41

See it at ISE on booth 2K350

clevertouch.com | info@clevertouch.com | #clevertouch

Headline News Continue from page 1

Entourage Pro – future live events partnership service that has real relevance for the live music industry,” says Perry. “It’s an idea that has been in the making for some time and it took considerable resources to define, but that’s because we wanted to make sure we got it absolutely right.” “Entourage Pro has to be as comprehensive as possible and relevant to the industry, both now and in the future,” adds fellow director, Showcase Music’s James Stanbridge. “We are in a critical window of opportunity, and we want this to be our way of helping the industry get back on its feet and bringing it closer together.” Entourage Pro covers 140 professional freelance roles, from front of house engineer, backline tech, lighting designer and rigger to video content creator, LED technician and more. It has been designed to be a quick and easy resource for anyone putting together anything from a one-off show to

a worldwide tour to be able to source verified personnel. “This past couple of years has reinforced what we already knew; this industry is nothing without our people,” adds Josef Valchar, CEO, ROBE lighting s.r.o. “You can have as much technology as you like - but without those to prep it, deliver it, implement it, program it and use it in so many creative ways, we are nowhere. We are proud to be supporting Entourage Pro and the platform it will provide for everyone to get involved and be recognised for what they bring to their profession.” “Our industry is returning, and it will be stronger,” concludes Perry. “Entourage Pro is ready to help it get back to work and to look after the incredibly talented people who deserve to be back out there, doing what they do best. By promoting this talent in a way that’s right for them, we are turning the recent challenges into new opportunities.”

Barco leadership update Barco recently staged a “leadership update” webinar. The two co-CEOs, Ms. An Steegen and Mr. Charles Beauduin, shared their initial assessments of Barco today and thoughts about capturing growth opportunities in the future. In introducing themselves, both CEO’s noted how proud they are to help shape Barco’s future, building on the company’s key strengths including a committed and talented workforce with vast technological expertise and strong leadership positions in healthy markets. In their assessment, the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed a number of weaknesses including a fragile supply chain, an under-leveraged value chain, an insufficient presence in China, a complex organizational structure and an unbalanced set of R&D investments. An Steegen and Charles Beauduin said: “Barco was hit hard by the Covid pandemic. But in every crisis lies opportunity and while the impact of pandemic revealed a number of weaknesses in the company it also opened the way towards a number of exciting new opportunities for growth and enhanced efficiency and organizational effectiveness.” To capture these opportunities, they presented a number of strategic objectives including a strengthened upstream value chain and expanded manufac-

turing footprint; a broader local presence in China; and a more effective new growth development portfolio. “By executing on these strategic opportunities, we intend to build a ‘One Barco’ company, deploying solutions that help make a visible impact, defined around our unique image processing capability and result in commanding market shares in healthy markets”, said the co-CEO’s of Barco. Both CEO’s also shared their reasoning for implementing a redesigned organizational structure as announced on 21 October 2021. This redesign is aimed at putting Barco in a stronger position to deliver on the growth opportunities ahead, with greater empowerment and accountability at the business unit level while enhancing customer and market responsiveness. In addition, the two co-CEO’s presented their delineation of roles and responsibilities based on their complementary background and expertise and plans to maintain joint responsibility over strategy and transformational/break-through product innovation. Presentation and webcast (including Q&A) of this webinar are available on the investor portal of the Company’s website at https://www.barco.com/ investors.

PMA shows positive revenue growth PMA Research (PMA) has published its latest sell-through tracking report on large-format (32-inch and larger) flat panel displays being sold by leading U.S. AV, PC and IT Distributors who typically serve commercial markets. Revenue for sales of flat panel displays through the distribution channel remained strong despite a drop in unit sales, with total revenues up 4% compared to October 2020. Year-to-date, volume and revenues remain ahead of YTD2020 mainly due to the second quarter strength compared to the low pandemic-depressed sales in 2Q2020. Demand remains strong, particularly in education, but sales in the second half of the year have been hampered by supply limitations that may continue to challenge the market through the next few quarters. One vertical market of note was the hospitality market. Hospi-

Year-to-date, volume and revenues remain ahead of YTD2020 mainly due to the second quarter strength compared to the low pandemic-depressed sales in 2Q2020. tality unit sales and revenues expenses taking priority. rose +25% in October as some Other bright spots include sion demand has fallen. Sales hotels refresh and renovate professional +75-inch and of touch-enabled displays rewhere they can. U.S. hotels are interactive flat panel display mained elevated in October, gearing up for more vacationers segments. Supply expanded growing another 4% in units and business travellers as in- for 75-inch LCD displays, both and 2% in revenues over Septernational travel restrictions interactive and non-interactive, tember’s record-setting levels. ease this quarter. This market during the month. Manufactur- October 2021 sales were douis, however, still well behind on ers reported better availability ble last year’s iFPD levels and AV spending with increased hir- for this popular size, particu- backorders remain in place for ing costs and personnel-related larly now that consumer televi- many school district orders.

DTEN’s ambitions for growth across Europe. DTEN have announced the appointment of Romain Vitalas Country Manager for France and Southern Europe. Romain comes with a wealth of experience in Channel Sales across the AV / UC / Collaboration space and has previously worked for LifeSize, Polycom and most recently Pexip before joining DTEN. Doug Remington, General Man-

ager of DTEN EMEA, stated, “We are thrilled to have Romain join our EMEA Team. Romain's natural drive, passion and experience will be of great benefit to DTEN and our customers. He will be focused on accelerating the rapid channel expansion of the DTEN business within France as well as developing Spain, Italy and other emerging markets in the region.”.

Romain confirmed, "I am really excited to join DTEN at such a pivotal time in Europe. Zoom's recent investment, constant innovation, and desire to be the leading all-in-one VC solution is clear for all to see. We are already off to a fast start!" Since expanding to the EMEA region in 2019, DTEN has grown rapidly, investing to build strong channel partner relation-

ships. The EMEA business at DTEN reached record revenues in Q3 2021 with 65% growth in sales YOY. Their flagship product, the DTEN D7, has helped corporate clients advance their Hybrid Work policies and keep their employees connected & productive. Universities and colleges are also leveraging this technology to deliver Hybrid Teaching environments.

86% of decision makers say audio is even more important Virtual communication tools that became indispensable during the pandemic have played an increasingly significant role as the world moves from a state of crisis to recovery, according to the latest report from global audio brand EPOS. ‘Investing in the age of listening: the importance of audio in a reimagined world’ finds that organizations recognize the crucial role that these tools play in now well-established hybrid working models – global businesses reported a 7% increase in investment in individual audio equipment in the past year, and 6% for shared audio equipment. Employees’ return to the office is a gradual process, and fulltime attendance is unlikely to ever reach pre-pandemic levels. Individuals are keen to retain the changes to workflows that they perceive as positive from last year – and for many, hybrid working falls into this category. But the potential for digital burnout caused by strained virtual communication remains a possible pitfall. Organizations are mindful of both of these factors, as evidenced by the increased emphasis being placed on audio quality. Audio contact is now considered essential or very important for three quarters of businesses. The report finds this to be the case across all markets, with the Asia Pacific region expressing particu-

lar conviction: 96% of those surveyed in China and 90% in Australia recognized the increase in importance. Further, the findings do not simply consider the value of audio in isolation. Respondents to EPOS’ report rated audio equipment as more important than a laptop or PC across a range of scenarios, including conference calls, virtual meetings, communicating with clients/colleagues and working remotely. Recognition of the fundamental role that audio equipment plays in contemporary organisations has led to a corresponding increase in the willingness of businesses to invest in superior audio solutions. High quality audio equipment is essential for 54% of decision makers, and nearly three quarters (72%) say they spend more to get a higher quality product. But alongside investment in quality, consultation with employees is viewed as either essential or very important to help inform decisions about audio equipment by the majority (70%) of the survey respondents. 88% of businesses also believe there is a need for better policy and regulation for home working set ups. These findings hint that, over the coming year, we may see consultation with employees about the technology they need to support effective hybrid working (particularly around audio) influencing buying decisions.

Breaking down EPOS’ report findings by sector, Finance organizations are the most positive about future audio investment – 71% of respondents expect it to increase. Manufacturing and IT and Digital are closest behind, with 67% and 64% concurring respectively. Financial companies are also most likely to invest regularly – 46% of decision makers from the Finance industry said they plan on investing every year, with 40% of those from the Media and Insurance industries also planning annual spend on audio. This prioritization of audio spend by Finance in particular, but also other sectors where secure communications are paramount (IT and Digital) is fairly logical. But adaptation to hybrid working is visible across all industries – 50% of decision makers are planning

to provide (or have provided) everyone with one set of audio equipment each (to use both at home and in the office). “The shift from crisis to recovery will require business leaders to step back and listen carefully to their audiences to get closer to what it is they really want – comfort and reassurance,” says Jeppe Dalberg-Larsen, President at EPOS. “If they can get this right, the path to productivity will be easily unlocked. While different sectors have varied needs, the needs of consumers will continue to evolve to push for better quality products and an overall better work experience. Sectors that are less advanced in providing this experience to their staff and customers will need to play catch up at some point in the future.”

P3 AV News December 2021

Build value into your IFPD portfolio For over 20 years, Promethean has developed understanding of the edtech that will best meet evolving needs and the support that schools place a high value on. Promethean enables schools to realise maximum value, and maximum educational impact, over the lifetime of an ActivPanel installation. Give your customers long term value with:

Free orientation training

Now available virtually, on-site as well as on-demand, customers realise value, quickly and easily.

Continued investment

Ready to build long term value into your IFPD sales?

Regular updates

Choose Promethean ActivPanel

Customers can now access free training through a new online portal, Learn Promethean. Over-the-air updates mean schools benefit from the latest ActivPanel software and firmware enhancements, at no additional cost.

Free lesson software

ActivInspire and ClassFlow are supplied free of charge, so no recurring subscription fees.

Leading warranty

A five-year ActivCare on-site warranty gives schools peace of mind. value-add offerings to drive innovation.

www.PrometheanWorld.com/gb

PrometheanUKI

Business News

Peerless-AV signs Kerèn for the Ascentae and Huddly announce focused distribution partnership Benelux Region Peerless-AV has announced that it has signed Kerèn Presentation Systems B.V., a specialist, value-add, Pro AV distributor based in Almere, The

to the various brands, with a special focus on dvLED, kiosk and outdoor Solutions. The distributor will provide pre- and post-sales project support to

renowned and respected customer care team. The new partnership will bring us increased visibility in the Benelux and we look forward to working with

Ascentae has announced a new partnership with Huddly to bring artificial intelligence into UK meeting rooms with compact, wide-angle USB conference cameras. “We’re really excited that Ascentae and Huddly will be working together in the future. Huddly represents another example of our growing

ligent data driven workplace solutions.” “Huddly has put focus on building smart video conferencing solutions that offer a great integration with our existing portfolio of scalable and seamless meeting room products that can support a smarter future workplace.” said Jon Knight,

Ronald Hartsink, Sales Manager, Kerèn B.V and Jeroen Helms, Regional Director of Sales, Netherlands. The agreement covers The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, growing markets where the presence of an established, highly technical and customer centric partner will help educate resellers and systems integrators on Peerless-AV products, drive new business and brand awareness. Peerless-AV joins a host of complementary vendor brands on the Kerèn portfolio, including Philips, LG, BenQ and InfiLed. Part of the Exertis Group, Kerèn will distribute the entire Peerless-AV range of mounts and AV solutions, attaching

customers as well as in-depth training, marketing and channel activities. “We work with the Exertis Group across several European countries and by adding Kerèn to our authorised distribution network we are strengthening this relationship further in line with our EMEA business growth strategy,” said Jeroen Helms, Regional Sales Director for Benelux, France and Iberia at Peerless-AV. “Kerèn has a different market approach and excels in its channel support, providing dealers with technical training, on-site assistance and access to a long-serving,

the team.” “Peerless-AV is the ideal fit alongside our current brands, especially with the quality and expertise the vendor brings in dvLED mounting systems and Indoor/Outdoor Kiosks and Displays since these are exciting areas with huge market potential here in the Benelux,” said Ronald Hartsink, Sales Manager, Kerèn B.V. “Our specialist experience in the field of visual presentation equipment and first-class sales and after sales support will offer great value to Peerless-AV reseller and integrator customers.”

Barco and Getinge strengthen their partnership With the introduction of Getinge’s new Tegris 6.0 integration system, Barco and Getinge strengthen their global partnership in the market of Digital OR solutions. Both companies are joining forces to enable uncompressed, high-resolution video and audio sharing in and between operating rooms and therefore to reduce complexity in today’s operating room setups. Barco and Getinge have built a strong partnership over the past seven years. Both companies have a wide expertise in bringing high-quality video and audio over IP into the operating room. Getinge will make use of Barco’s Nexxis video-over-IP platform to launch its renewed Tegris operating room integration system. “Getinge’s Tegris solution leverages the power of Nexxis for a wide range of operating rooms,” says Hannes Schneider, Product Line Manager OR Integration at Getinge. “This way, we can create a safe and effective OR environment, free from excess of cables or the need for several remotes. From endoscopes, microscopes, room cameras or feeds from outside the OR, Tegris offers a simple, unified way of managing all types and numbers of

Nexxis is Barco’s video-over-IP solution specifically designed for the digital OR and enables sharing uncompressed, high-resolution video and audio in and between operating rooms or wards in a hospital. video sources. It also ensures “Today’s ORs have become quick and easy access to relcomplex, highly technologievant patient images during cal environments,” says Johan surgery through easy-to-use Fornier, VP of Surgical Imaginterfaces and integration with ing and Modality at Barco. “By hospital information systems.” combining Nexxis with GetNexxis is Barco’s video-over-IP inge’s Tegris solution, we prosolution specifically designed vide the flexibility to adapt to for the digital OR and endifferent settings required for ables sharing uncompressed, different types of surgery, from high-resolution video and audio interventional rooms to hybrid in and between operating rooms ORs. By making it easier to or wards in a hospital. Nexxis add devices or switch sources, is designed to be future proof, we also enable surgeons and therefore is ready to integrate clinical staff to provide better and new technologies as soon outcomes for patients. We are as they become available, and proud of contributing to better the surgical teams needs them. healthcare via Nexxis.” In a nutshell, Nexxis scales with the customer’s needs.

Huddly smart cameras deliver a high-quality video conferencing experience, straight out of the box and on any platform. Thanks to onboard AI software, Huddly cameras can see, understand and respond to their environment. ecosystem of brands that forms Managing Director at Ascentae part of the future around intel- Huddly smart cameras deliver

a high-quality video conferencing experience, straight out of the box and on any platform. Thanks to onboard AI software, Huddly cameras can see, understand and respond to their environment. The Huddly Genius Framing feature intelligently automates processes and removes the need to control the camera, making it easier to collaborate and get things done. With the Huddly InSights analytics API, Huddly cameras provide organizations with high-quality meeting room analytics data that, when enabled by platform providers, can help them make better-informed decisions about how they use their meeting spaces. “We are pleased to cooperate with Ascentae in bringing superior video experiences to UK businesses. Huddly’s AI cameras are designed to enable remote collaboration in any type of space, making teams work efficiently regardless of where the team members are located”, says Stein Ove Eriksen, co-founder and CEO of Huddly.

Konftel 800 conference phone secures Zoom certification The Konftel 800 conference phone has been officially certified to work with the fast-growing cloud phone solution from Zoom Video Communications, Inc. The flagship Konftel 800 audio device, fully tested to work on Zoom Phone, features an award-winning design and high quality OmniSound with beamforming microphones and audio expansion capabilities. “The Konftel 800 is the first in our product range to be certified to work with Zoom Phone, which when paired together deliver a natural and fluent meeting experience,” confirmed Konftel Product Manager, Torbjörn Karlsson. “Zoom Phone includes traditional PBX features that enable users to talk and interact in new ways for businesses of all sizes. It’s also secure and reliable, delivering secure HD audio with enterprise-class reliability and quality of service. The Konftel 800 and Zoom Phone platform represents a seamless and natural fit, combining exceptional audio with flexibility, ease of use and quick set-up.” The Konftel 800 is suitable for small to very large meeting rooms and has been certified to connect to Zoom Phone as a SIP device. It also features smart microphone and daisy-chain capabilities to extend the audio pickup as well as listening range. Konftel’s Director of Global Sales, Tommy Edlund, says the new partnership further strengthens the appeal of the Konftel 800 and addresses growing customer demand, as Zoom Phone continues to en-

joy a rapid rise in popularity. “Zoom Phone now has over two million seats across 47 countries and territories, doubling from 1 million to 2 million paid seats in less than nine months alone. The Konftel 800 is a powerful flagship hybrid conference phone which when paired with Zoom Phone provides high quality audio communication across a multitude of room types. There’s been a strong customer appetite for official certification and users will now be able to appreciate in ever greater numbers, the synergy, ease of use, reliability and high performance offered by Zoom Phone and the Konftel 800. It’s a compelling combination.” His positive comments were echoed by Jeff Fox, Zoom Senior Product Marketing Manager, who says user adoption continues to accelerate. “Surpassing two million licenses is a testament to the growing need for a rich cloud telephony solution like Zoom Phone. Organizations around the world no longer have to settle for a phone solution; they can choose one that strategically scales with their business. Over the past two and a half years, we’ve focused on creating a phone solution that’s easy enough for small and midsize businesses to use and deploy

Konftel’s Director of Global Sales, Tommy Edlund, says the new partnership further strengthens the appeal of the Konftel 800 and addresses growing customer demand, as Zoom Phone continues to enjoy a rapid rise in popularity. and has all the advanced capabilities large multinational organizations require to support global users. Certification of the Konftel 800 further adds to the appeal of our Zoom Phone service.” The Konftel 800 is the audio centrepiece of the Konftel C20800 Hybrid and C50800 Hybrid video solutions. In addition Konftel offers a wide range of video and audio solutions which are all Climate Neutral certified, meaning all greenhouse gas emissions have been offset, across every aspect of the business. This ensures organisations can conference with a clear climate conscience.

P5 AV News December 2021

Business News VITEC acquires Anevia Hospitality and Enterprise Video Delivery VITEC has acquired the Flamingo hospitality and enterprise video delivery business of Anevia from ATEME. This acquisition builds on VITEC’s core enterprise IPTV business and, coupled with the acquisition of Exterity in April 2021, will position VITEC as the global leader in Enterprise and Hospitality IPTV solutions. ATEME will continue to focus on its core business of video-delivery software for broadcast, cable, DTH, IPTV and OTT, and this transaction will provide existing Flamingo users with a long-term video delivery solution for hospitality and enterprise applications. In 2020, ATEME acquired Anevia, a leading provider of OTT and IPTV software solutions, as a means to address the growing IPTV and OTT opportunity by combining its video compression solutions with Anevia’s content delivery solutions. Following its acquisition of Exterity in April 2021, VITEC identified the opportunity to combine the hospitality and enterprise components of the Anevia business with VITEC to further expand its offering in the Enterprise and Hospitality markets. ATEME and VITEC have an existing business partnership which enabled a rapid identification of the benefits to Anevia customers by mapping

out a strategy to integrate the Flamingo products into VITEC’s enterprise IPTV platform. “This acquisition is a statement of our commitment to expanding our reach in the enterprise and hospitality markets,” says Colin Farquhar, senior vice president sales, at VITEC. “Anevia is especially strong in the hospitality sector in Europe and the Middle East, and we value its experience in these regions greatly as we seek to further develop our presence. Existing Anevia customers can rest assured that it is ‘business as usual’, and they will continue to receive the same levels of service, plus new platform innovations from the VITEC team. We are excited to work with Anevia to further enhance VITEC’s rounded offering.” Laurent Lafarge, Chairman and CEO of Anevia, says: “We are excited to integrate Flamingo and our Enterprise and Hospitality business with VITEC, which is committed to delivering excellence to the marketplace, and look forward to seeing the impact of the combined VITEC and Anevia solutions across Europe and the Middle East. Crucially, this will also free ATEME to focus on its priority OTT market through the combination of the compression solutions it already had and the content delivery solutions it acquired from Anevia.”

VITEC has acquired the Flamingo hospitality and enterprise video delivery business of Anevia from ATEME. This acquisition builds on VITEC’s core enterprise IPTV business and, coupled with the acquisition of Exterity in April 2021, will position VITEC as the global leader in Enterprise and Hospitality IPTV solutions.

ZetaDisplay wins Norwegian airport contract ZetaDisplay has won a prestigious competitive tender for Flytoget Airport Express, Norway's only high-speed train, to deliver turnkey Digital Signage and DOOH solutions and services. Over the next six years, ZetaDisplay will develop solutions that enhance the guest experience on-board and create new and engaging advertising platforms for brands. Per Mandorf, CEO of ZetaDisplay explains: “Following a highly competitive tender against strong adversaries, we are proud to be chosen as Flytoget's long-term partner for the further development of their Digital Signage solution. We are really looking forward to eight exciting years together with Flytoget, one of the most innovative and forward-thinking players in Public Airport Railway Transport.” Flytoget Airport Express provides modern and comfortable

transportation between Oslo Airport at Gardermoen and the greater Oslo area. Flytoget is renowned for being at the forefront of international innovation, service and development and in 2019 transported 6.7 million passengers. The solution from ZetaDisplay will incorporate an array of Digital Signage solutions including hardware specification and installation, proprietary CMS software development and ongoing support. The company has a strong track record of delivering quality solutions in the Public Information and Transport sector. ZetaDisplay is also working with Swedish state-owned railway company SJ, on the delivery of a 10-year agreement to provide on-board Digital Signage solutions for the railroad wagons that will operate across Nordic routes in Norway.

P6 AV News December 2021

Opinion

Small businesses: The future of the new normal Rob Hancock, Head of Platform, Giacom explains why SMBs are the future of the new normal and what the channel can do to enable and equip this growing sector more effectively. It is therefore vital that SMBs are equipped with essential digital tools and technical support. And these smaller organisations that take a cloud-first approach are a ‘new generation’ of business owners that will continue to drive business success into the new normal. The pandemic has forced many (MSPs, VARs, retailers, or discompanies to re-think their cur- tributors). rent processes in order to main- Alongside this, consider that, tain continuity, drive produc- anecdotally, many SMBs have tivity and, in some cases, just fewer internal IT resources at survive. 12-to-18 months after their disposal to support with the first lockdown, society and managing IT (no in-house team business is settling into a new or staff with little IT managenormal, but continues to face ment knowledge). In these similar productivity challenges. cases, they could really benefit Achieving these aforemen- from outsourcing IT requiretioned goals, though, has re- ments to specialist SMB-foquired an increased depen- cused MSP channel partners dency on technology and new who can support them. That processes across companies of way they can focus on growing all sizes. Therefore, many or- their business. ganisations have taken on dig- Additionally, many entrepreital changes to navigate these neurs often don’t have the challenging times. But, within spare time for or access to the this new world - and new nor- training that they need to manmal - we wonder if the pandem- age IT. Therefore, the MSP, and ic has created an environment wider channel, has an opportuthat is more suitable for SMBs nity to educate this market and (small-medium sized business- provide complete offerings to es) to gain the upper hand? it. As you can tell, the opportuSmall businesses are the back- nity is there for the taking. bone of the UK economy, representing 99% of businesses Cloud penetration and employing over 16 million people. Fast-growing and inno- What is more, the need for vative, they help to drive long- cloud technologies drastically term economic productivity and changed for SMBs in recent growth. It is therefore vital that years. The SMB IT market reSMBs are equipped with essen- search and industry analyst tial digital tools and technical firm, Techaisle, points out that: support. Rob Hancock, Head of “as recently as five years ago, Platform, Giacom explains why most SMBs were still evaluatSMBs are the future of the new ing cloud’s use to address businormal and what the channel ness needs and operations. By can do to enable and equip this 2020, the cloud was no longer growing sector more effectively. a future issue: 80% of small businesses and 99% of midAgility is important market organisations use the cloud to support some or all of SMBs tend to be more agile their business processes.” All than larger enterprises because of this, exacerbated by the panthey don’t have the same lev- demic, no doubt. el of bureaucracy to manage. Traditionally, it was thought, Many SMBs can bring on ser- too, that cloud services were vices and tools at a much used more by larger enterprises quicker pace than larger or- with well-developed IT departganisations, that may have to ments, than by the SMB margo through many layers of ap- ket. Even before COVID-19, proval. During the pandemic, there were questions about how agility has never been more businesses would adopt the crucial, too, with the necessity cloud, as many large organisaof remote working, collabora- tions were starting to explore tion tools and security proto- and implement digital transcols to implement. In 2020, formations. And, although 45% of SMBs changed their cloud-based productivity solubusiness models in response to tions have become well estabCovid-19. lished in the enterprise market, Further, there is also a miscon- reach and service to the SMB ception that SMBs can’t deploy market has traditionally been similar technologies to that of more challenging. But, this is larger businesses. This is un- changing and most of the ventrue. Today, SMBs can quickly dor community recognised the develop a strong infrastructure available SMB opportunity. As that is based in the cloud, in- a result, it sought out relationcluding key applications like ships with SMB focused CSPs, security, customer data management, data backup and who can aid MSPs. more. As we’ve all seen, the Covid-19 The channel is the key pandemic has driven a dramatic increase in cloud adoption In addition to this, research too, with social distancing reshows that the cloud will con- strictions recently increasing tinue to be crucial for the SMB the need for remote working market and channel. 71% of and cloud solutions. Over 50% companies plan to adopt cloud of UK business leaders say the tech directly and more than a shift to a cloud business modthird of organisations will rely el, ultimately, saved their comon the channel for support here pany from collapse during the

height of the pandemic. Also, when it comes to embracing the cloud, it’s easier for recently established SMBs; as they’ve typically been ‘born’ in the cloud, when it comes to their technology usage and adoption. These smaller organisations who take a cloudfirst approach are a ‘new generation’ of business owners too. They understand the opportunity and risks from cloud services.

Opportunity vs risk Mindset is everything when it comes to business survival, and often means comparing benefits to risks. When it comes to rolling out digital changes, the opportunities that come from new technologies tend to outweigh the risks. The cloud benefits businesses by providing them with the resilience and scalability they need. SMBs can adapt as they grow and react to market changes; such as their move to remote working, using appropriate cloud software - rather than being restricted by an on-premise infrastructure. Add in the importance of flexible financial models and better business protection during a time when cybersecurity is also priority, cloud becomes more compelling. And, with 43% of small businesses being victims of cyber-attacks, it’s clear that SMBs would want security to be included in the cloud too. However, despite the confidence and opportunity that cloud provides, it can be seen as a risk for IT teams, whether they’re in-house or outsourced partners. This is because when implementing cloud, IT must ensure that any technology used truly contributes to the business and keeps information safe, rather than seeing that firm accidentally become the next ‘data breach’ news headline. This means that the CSP community needs to provide MSPs confidence that they have a strong technology roadmap, that will be able to protect their clients’ data from security breaches and more.

How channel support Often after an economic downturn, there is an increase in new smaller businesses that enter the market,

as insurance companies have seen large year-on-year increases of SMBs. Going forward, these new SMBs aim to have flexibility and scalability, especially if hybrid working is here to stay, as they’ll require more bespoke cloud-based solutions. So, SMBs will turn to IT service providers for their tech needs, as 73% of small businesses identify that developing a digital infrastructure is a key priority. But to be successful, MSPs should be choosing the right services for their customers to benefit from. This means integrators must provide the right mix of technology to their customers as they build their IT estate, beyond offering unified communications suites. Monitoring market trends and understanding the needs of their customers is vital here. Again, this is where the role of cloud solution providers is key, in that they need to collaborate effectively with their intgratir partners to ensure they are aware of the latest technologies available to them, to offer to their clients. Specifically, for SMB end-users, working with a partner who’s focused on the smaller business market enables them to access the right products to support their growth, as they move from basic requirements to more advanced needs. Once more, specialist SMB-focused solution providers, with strong and relevant vendor partnerships, and a solid technology roadmap, can play a key role in supporting integrators effectively, as they strive to capitalise on the SMB market and grow their customer base.

Conclusion Small businesses are the engine of the UK economy. They provide jobs for local people and contribute to driving forward innovation, exporting to the world, and investing in the next generation of talent. Agile business models have never been more important in today’s climate too. To be able to respond to unexpected situations, such as COVID-19, SMBs are paving the way for future growth. Moreover, the landscape is ever-changing as we increasingly move into a digitally led world. However, it’s the resilience and creativity of this SMB community that will continue to drive business success into the new normal – but only if MSPs can provide them with the right tools, technology and education to survive and grow.

Opinion

Hybrid education: is it here to stay? When it comes to dealing with the effects of the pandemic in higher education, there have been no hard and fast rules. Different organisations have responded to the crisis in different ways according to their needs, and we are still seeing that now. Early adopters are looking to further refine and optimise their workflows, while late adopters are finding some of their plans constrained by the global supply chain issues and lengthening lead times on certain key pieces of equipment. Jonathan Mangnall, Managing Director EMEA, Utelogy Corporation and Craig Storey, Sales Director, Lightware Visual Engineering look to the future and ask if hybrid education is here for good?

Jonathan Mangnall, Managing Director EMEA, Utelogy Corporation and Craig Storey, Sales Director, Lightware Visual Engineering.

There are some interesting movements in the market as it adjusts to the current Covid situation. With the caveat that many things might change as we head into the winter months, we are seeing a pivot from remote-first models back to classroom-first operation. At one of our most recent high-profile installations at the London Business School, for instance, they have flipped from an 80/20 remote/classroom split to a 20/80 one on the majority of their courses from the autumn term last year to this year. This has had definite implications for their AV set up. Where once two screens were necessary to handle the number of remote students, now LBS is considering removing one of those screens from some LTs as some feedback has said it is now intrusive and — quite literally — can get in the way of teaching. Happily the way that the LBS system was set up, rather than being locked into proprietary systems that require programming teams to make changes, it has taken a more agnostic and standards-based approach. LBS use Utelogy to create prototype interfaces to prototype ideas rather than undertaking

costly programming that may not reach production. Furthermore Utelogy enables LBS to create an interface for users that can be rapidly developed that to incorporate new technology that is not possible using the traditional method of programming controllers and panels. This allows LBS to dynamically change their AV setup to maintain the quality of its teaching for the Zoomies (remote students), while ensuring the Roomies (on campus students) are not disadvantaged by rooms overburdened with a physical presence of AV kit. As the pandemic creates many twists and turns, LBS need to be agile to teach through the full spectrum from 100% face to face teaching to 100% virtual, with a huge chunk in between as hybrid. Striking a balance though is going to be very much part of the future of education. Educational establishments that have invested in upgrading classroom systems as a response to the pandemic will remain at an advantage as hybrid systems allow them to extend their catchment areas beyond geographic constraints. Hybrid learning is also very much gaining increasing traction in the Executive Education space. LBS hosts up to 80 lectures a day across its campus, to their post graduate students but also to their corporate customers. The corporate customers (Executive Education) have a significant proportion of timepoor executives on high-intensity, short courses. This market is increasingly seeing remote learning as a way of maximising

its time and lowering both its costs and carbon footprint. As a result the need for high-quality hybrid learning solutions is something that LBS and others forecast will persist beyond the eventual resolution of the current pandemic and this has already been evidenced in the uptake of hybrid Executive Education programmes at LBS. Educational establishments are finding increasing uses for AV connectivity too. LBS has leveraged the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) capability inherent in Lightware’s Taurus UCX unified communications platform to set up genuinely plug and play breakout rooms in the campus for both students and faculty. The Taurus UCX leverages the ability to combine video, USB, audio, control and Ethernet signals into one single USB-C cable, which coupled with the unit’s auto switching and advanced room control capabilities provides fast and intuitive set up with no downtime. “They have to be super easy to use; you need to go in there, you just plug a cable in, and it works,” comments Wayne Buttigieg, Director Teaching & Learning Technology at LBS. “With the technology we had before in this kind of room you would generally have to log onto a PC to be able to access the camera data, and if you only have a 15-minute breakout session you’ve probably already wasted a third of that. If that happens technology is becoming a barrier. For breakout rooms to work properly it needs to be much simpler than that and, thankfully, ours new rooms now are. We just need to roll out more!” Indeed, as Buttigieg also points out, breakout rooms can also be spun out even quicker virtually. Management and monitoring can also be virtual by using the Utelogy platform and this has driven out significant costs from the day-to-day support operation. The ability to create smaller groups is a valuable tool for institutions looking to replicate the more social elements of physical education models in the virtual space. New technology is being developed all the time to make the hybrid model more impactful too. Buttigieg talks of potentially using intelligent cameras that are tied into the audio inputs from microphones and will automatically switch between speakers, providing the perfect camera shot at all times. LBS already highlights what can be done with a state-of-theart AV installation. And while the crisis response that saw educational institutions around the world urgently switch to hybrid models is now a thing of the past, the advantages that the model confers are still present for those equipped to take advantage of them and offer high-quality education both onprem and online.

How LG helped Nottingham Trent University upgrade its flexible learning spaces Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is one of the educational establishments at the forefront of new thinking when it comes to university level education in the UK. Guardian University of the Year in 2019 and rated 12th in the newspaper’s 2020 University League Table — a jump of 22 places in two years — NTU is rated increasingly highly on student satisfaction, graduate employment, and quality of teaching. It was also named one of the Top 5 most sustainable universities in the world in the 2020 UI GreenMetric World University Rankings. Like all establishments worldwide, in 2020 NTU found itself having to make rapid and far-reaching adjustments to the way it continued to teach during the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of those efforts that meant identifying, repurposing, and refurbishing between 30 and 40 spaces to create additional classrooms for face-to-face teaching with a reduced capacity as a result of social distancing measures. The challenge for Graeme Bagley, Teaching Space Designer from the Universities Digital Technologies division was to create a highly adaptable environment that could be used in many different ways and respond to the many layout and orientation changes that possibly be required of them both during the pandemic and after it. Working with Yorkshire-based Systems Integrator Roche AV, which they had already worked with several times on high-profile AV projects over the previous 10 years, a stand-based system mounting large format displays and providing AV over IP was chosen as the most flexible approach, and the project was signed off in July. With an extremely tight turnaround for such a large-scale project, Roche turned to LG to provide the 110 large format displays that were going to be needed. The screen chosen for the job was the Ultra HD LG 65UT640S. This provided the correct connectivity for this project, while also providing future flexibility for different use cases thanks to its 3x HDMI 2.0 connections. Crucially it was also available in the quantities NTU required at short notice — a real issue given the supply chain disruptions associated with that stage of the pandemic —, shipped with a three-year warranty, and came in at the right price point. “There was also an element of trust in there as well,” comments Bagley. “Though we

hadn’t used LG screens yet at that point, we knew their reputation for quality and LG is a large, trusted brand. That gives you confidence.” The finalized stands were designed by Roche AV alongside a Nottingham-based fabricator. All feature the LG 65” flat panel display along with an Audac soundbar and Extron Pro AV over IP connectivity. Three Primary Stands originate the AV content, which can be viewed locally on their own displays as well as distributed over the network for viewing on up to five associated Secondary Stands. The Primary Stands take full advantage of the 65UT640S’s connectivity, selecting HDMI program content from a builtin PC or external sources. A Miracast receiver and Apple TV unit allow external content to be shared to the Stand from BYOD devices via Wi-Fi, while an HDMI input jack allows external program sources to plug in via a wired connection. A SWHD 4K switcher in each Primary Stand selects among the sources, which is fed to a NAV E 101 Pro AV over IP Encoder. This passes HDMI to the Stand’s display and soundbar, simultaneously also feeding the AV content from the Primary to the associated Secondary Stands through NTU’s 1Gbps enterprise network. “It’s not just a stand on a screen,” says Bagley. “It’s a fully integrated control system that meets all of the high standards that we have at the University. You can walk into that space, and you can do everything with those stands and those screens that you can do in a full teaching room with a lectern.” Once fully specced out the challenge came with building and commissioning 110 Primary and Secondary stands in 8 buildings over three campuses during the summer 2020 break. That meant a mere four-week period for manufacturing, delivery, integration, testing, and commissioning, with the added complication that installation would have to

be undertaken in a Covid-secure manner. The process was usefully accelerated by being able to copy NTU’s desired screen settings from a master screen via a memory stick to each other screen as it was installed, as well as having complete visibility into the screens’ arrival at the pre-installation staging point thanks to proactive customer service. “LG was extremely accommodating in coordinating the distribution and making sure all 110 screens got on-site — they even sent someone out to make sure they got on site safely,” says Begley. “It’s those little touches of customer service that really make the difference.” Peter Midgely, Sales Director, Roche AV agrees: “From the procurement stage we knew we were going to get 110 screens on an agreed date, and they would arrive when we needed them,” he says. Perhaps more importantly, the system was not only up and ready for the new intake of students in September, but it has functioned superbly since. This has allowed NTU to offer face to face teaching wherever Covid protocols have allowed and given it confidence that it has a system that can adapt to a huge degree of change in a very short space of time. Bagley adds, “Following the changes to social distancing restrictions, we have since increased provision of equipment for this academic year. The project allowed us to easily add more screens to support collaborative layouts and increased capacity, purchasing more UT640S screens over the summer break. The project is like the gift that keeps on giving. They have been 100% reliable since which has helped build further confidence in LG, both at the university and with us at Roche,” says Midgely. “Since then, we’ve used LG screens elsewhere at the University for 24/7 signage displays, a couple of interactive displays and we are also installing an LG LED outdoor screen, and we’re forging a long-term relationship with the company. “LG has allowed the University to achieve best value and provide a solution which is unique in the UK,” he continues. “I don’t think any other University has been able to integrate a system this large in this short a timeframe.”

P7 AV News December 2021

SELECT YOUR AUDIO TECHNOLOGY PREFERENCES:

MXN5W-C

Networked Loudspeaker

FULLY NETWORKED SINGLE VENDOR SUPPORT SCALABLE STREAMLINED DEPLOYMENT ALL OF THE ABOVE

MXA710

Linear Array Microphone

MXA

Network Mute Button

Shure Networked Audio Solutions for conferencing deliver everything you and your clients could want. Complete the signal chain with audio capture, processing and reinforcement all from a single manufacturer. Microflex® Advance™ Array Microphones, IntelliMix® DSP and Microflex™ Networked Loudspeakers create a complete ecosystem with unmatched ease of deployment. Explore the Shure audio ecosystem at shure.com/ecosystem

Opinion

Opinion

Are customers ready for the hybrid workplace? Do your customer’s employees have what they need to compete in a hybrid workplace? Globalization, automation and digitization have transformed the way we work, and now the workplace reflects those changes. Work has shifted; flexible work hours and physical boundaries are the hallmarks of the new normal. In a new report by Frost and Sullivan, knowledge workers have gained flexibility, time savings and better worklife balance, while businesses benefit from operational savings, built-in business continuity and the chance to tap into a global talent pool. As organizations redesign the office, they must plan for disruption and displacement, which will affect how, where and when people work—sometimes with short notice. The right technology can enable this transition and help companies maximize productivity, flexibility and scalability. Hybrid work requires its own technology, including webcams and headsets that deliver a high-quality, immersive video and audio experience. But these tools must be optimised to work in multiple locations, based on user role, needs and location. Offices will include more meeting rooms and collaborative spaces, designed to allow movement among employees. Remote workers will need easyto-use, enterprisegrade tools that meet company security and compliance requirements and satisfy their diverse needs as they move between home and office. The hybrid Office requires new technology. Independent work will often be done at home or in dedicated productivity-enhancing spaces. In 2019, 5% of the global workforce worked from home. Going forward, we expect that to increase to 40%. Remote operations are the norm. Office presence will be needs-based. Seamless work-life integration will become the norm, alongside staggered schedules and

operational resiliency. Team spaces and apps enabled for video collaboration. Headsets and webcams chosen by the end-user will be joined by AI and rich analytics. In the spring of 2020, companies weren’t prepared for the mass move to working from home, and they couldn’t outfit their employees with the right tools in a timely manner. They must correct that: The workplace had to change—that much is clear. But now that it has, are your customer’s employees empowered with the tools they need to do their (specific) jobs from anywhere? Most companies have already deployed the necessary software tools to enable collaborative work, including unified communications and audio, video and web conferencing. Headsets and webcams are also a key component of any communications rollout in the office. But during the pandemic, a lot of businesses left the purchasing of these tools up to their

users, who often rely on consumergrade products that may be affordable but lack important criteria for business use. The recent Frost & Sullivan survey of IT decision makers found that bring-your-owndevice (BYOD) alternatives were among the top barriers to greater adoption of video and web conferencing tools. The user experience is often less than optimal when companies let workers randomly choose BYOD components. Conflictcausing issues such as network connectivity, a bad driver or a security update will not be anticipated in advance, which means they can’t be proactively resolved. Consumer-grade devices are fine for independent work but aren’t great for collaboration. Since video conferencing is now such a dominant mode of communication, it’s critical that webcams and headsets are optimized for that use case. Headsets and webcams developed with best-inclass audio capabilities and a video-first mindset are the right technology for today’s professionals and

knowledge workers. As companies think about providing headsets to their employees who need them, they should also prioritize webcams for optimum video conferencing experiences. The cameras that come built into laptops are not ideal for business use. The laptop might have to be undocked for use, and built-in cameras cannot be moved, poorly framing the user within the video window. Furthermore, most laptops offer low lens quality, and they rarely include autofocus or auto light correction. These failings make it less likely that users will even turn on their cameras, rendering virtual interactions less productive. If your customers are investing in collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Meet, you can increase your return on investment (ROI) by deploying headsets and webcams that are

certified to support your platform of choice. Certifications and built-in integrations, such as mute capabilities and buttons that invoke platform features, allow headsets to support better collaboration in the relevant applications. Certified tools are also easy to manage all in one place, which minimizes support issues for your IT team and lets it focus on more strategic initiatives. This also ensures that users can get up and running quickly.

100 million users The total of daily active users of team collaboration services are expected to reach 100 million by the end of 2021. Companies won’t realize the full value of their broader technology investments unless they take a holistic approach. Every organization must balance remote and in-office workers to create a hybrid workplace. In the process, employees will need better tools to help them communicate, collaborate and innovate. Investment in leading-edge communications and collaboration solutions that enable rich interactions across a range of locations and teams is a start, but companies cannot forget one of the most important pieces of the productivity puzzle: headsets and webcams. Frost and Sullivan recommends that employees should be able to use their headsets and webcams right out of the box, with no complex integrations or training needed. If tools are simple to use, they will increase engagement, collaboration and productivity. Choice is important, so look for a provider with a selection of models to fit today’s knowl-

edge workers’ needs. You’ll also want a variety of price points and styles. Enterprise-ready webcams should offer autofocus and auto light correction as well as excellent resolution and field of view. It should be easy to adjust positioning as needed. Certifications for video conferencing and team collaboration tools ensure webcams and headsets offer performance, quality and enhanced features available with your chosen platforms. There is no excuse for poor sound quality in the modern workplace. Look for headsets that come with noise-cancelling mics, active noise cancelling (for those that need it), reliable connectivity to multiple devices and a comfortable fit. Think of these devices as you would any other IT deployment and invest only in tools that allow for centralized management, excellent support and generous warranties.

Suppliers? Logitech is transforming work with tools purpose-built for a changing business environment. Webcams provide sharp video clarity and plug-and-play integration. Headsets block out distracting noises while making the speaker sound crystal clear. Choose from a wide range of Logitech headsets and webcams that fit every user and situation. Whether employees are working at home, in the office or at a hot desk, Logitech’s personal collaboration tools are integrated with the video platforms you use every day.

P9AV News December 2021

Technology News

So let us help you find the perfect match. Investing in touchscreens can be a daunting exercise for any education establishment. It’s an investment in time and money primarily, but also an investment in the student and teachers. So make sure you get something they love!

Get in the know... ctouch.eu/buyers-guide

0203 868 2240 www.ctouch.co.uk P10 AV News December 2021

Technology News

Poly and Microsoft Teams Room studio kits Poly has unveiled its updated Poly Room Solutions for Microsoft Teams Rooms. This new lineup of Poly Studio Kits, offer premium audio and video for focus, small, medium, and large rooms, and plus Poly DirectorAI technology. Poly Studio Kits for Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows are described as simple to buy and deploy right out-of-the-box. With an optimised room view as well as speaker tracking and framing technology, Poly Stu-

“Today’s workplace needs have changed, and Microsoft Teams Rooms is introducing inclusive collaboration experiences through concepts like ‘front row’,” says Albert Kooiman, Senior Director of Microsoft Teams Devices Partner Engineering and Certification at Microsoft Corporation. “The new lineup of Poly Room Solutions for Teams Rooms brings users to the forefront of the future of meetings with optimised room views, plus speaker tracking

dio Kits for Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows deliver an

and framing for a more equitable and dynamic meeting expe-

Poly Studio Kits for Microsoft Teams Rooms come in a variety of configurations and can comfortably equip any meeting room size to deliver an equitable experience for all. equitable and dynamic meeting experience for everyone. Poly’s Microsoft Teams Rooms solutions on Windows can be paired with the new Dell or Lenovo conferencing PCs. “Meetings are happening everywhere - from conference rooms to personal workspaces and everything in between. People crave equitable and consistent video meeting experiences no matter where they are,” said Laura Marx, Vice President, Global Alliance and Product Marketing, at Poly. “Poly DirectorAI technology intelligently frames in-conference room meeting participants so anyone not in the room can easily track the conversation.”

rience.” Oftentimes, conference room participants either appear small and are difficult to hear, or the person close to the camera looks fine while the person sitting at the far end of the table looks too small. This leads to other meeting participants finding the experience to be inequitable, uninviting or dis-engaging. Poly’s DirectorAI technology overcomes this disparity and delivers a high-performing meeting experience in any size space. Poly Studio Kits for Microsoft Teams Rooms come in a variety of configurations, and can comfortably equip any meeting room size to deliver an equita-

ble experience for all: Poly Studio Focus Room Kit for Microsoft Teams on Windows – Includes Poly Studio P15 and Poly Room PC for Microsoft Teams Room with Dell, or Lenovo. •Poly Studio Small/Medium Room Kit for Microsoft Teams on Windows – Includes Poly Studio USB and Poly Room PC for Microsoft Teams Room with Dell, or Lenovo •Poly DirectorAI technology provides cutting-edge video experiences •Maximise limited space with powerful all-in-one video bars and clutter-free cabling •Beam-forming microphone array makes sure no one misses a thing •Production-quality group framing and pinpoint-accurate speaker tracking Poly Studio Large Room Kit for Microsoft Teams on Windows – Includes Poly Studio E70, Poly Room PC for Microsoft Teams Room with Dell, or Lenovo •Dual cameras with 4K 20-megapixel sensors covers large rooms •Poly DirectorAI technology provides cutting-edge video experiences •Group framing and speaker tracking, including smooth dissolve video transition between views Poly has been working alongside Microsoft for over 15 years and has the broadest portfolio of Teams certified devices available -- from our headsets and speakerphone devices to our video conferencing gear. Poly’s Microsoft Teams Rooms Solutions with Dell or Lenovo are now available in North America and select regions, starting at $3,150.

Barco Demetra and MediPortal announce new partnership

Barco has announced a new partnership between its Demetra skin imaging systems business with MediPortal, the Belgian-based healthcare software developer. The partnership will integrate Demetra’s skin imaging platform with MediPortal’s Mediris Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, creating a seamless workflow for dermatologists in performing skin examinations. Demetra provides digital dermoscopy systems that support the clinician in making management strategies, diagnosis, treatments and follow-ups with their patients. Mediris is an online platform built to support health care professionals to collect, store, manage and transmit a patient’s electronic medical record in a secure way. The integration will allow a clinician to sync patient demographics from Mediris on Demetra’s point of care diagnostics device and then provide access to the diagnostic imaging via Mediris’ EHR platform. “We are excited to announce the partnership and integration of Demetra with Medi-

The partnership will integrate Demetra’s skin imaging platform with MediPortal’s Mediris Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, creating a seamless workflow for dermatologists in performing skin examinations. tra into the Mediris EHR is a Portal’s Mediris EHR,” states great opportunity for our clinPeter Kinhan, Vice President ical partners to benefit from of Demetra. “MediPortal is an both Demetra’s state-of-the-art innovative and fast-growing technology and our innovative, healthcare software developer, fast-growing EHR. We look forand we look forward to further ward to continuing to partner collaborating with them. The with Barco as they further innointegration will allow dermavate in the field of dermoscopic tologists to connect our imagimaging,” said Cliff De Clerck, ing and analysis technology CEO of MediPortal. into their standard workflow, improving their efficiency and overall user experience.” “The integration of Deme-

Speedy, safe installation with new busbar range Amid the increased construction demand and tight deadlines facing electrical contractors, Legrand UK & Ireland has upgraded its range of busbars and tap-off boxes to offer a wider choice of power distribution solutions that save time on installation. For those working on projects with varying power requirements, the new Zucchini XCP range from Legrand is designed to fit all budgets and power requirements across multi-occupancy residential, commercial and industrial applications. As UK construction grows at the fastest pace in 24 years, there is more pressure than ever on contractors to complete projects on time and on budget. With sectors such as warehouse construction experiencing investment 54% higher in 2021 compared to 2018 according to Knight Frank, Paul Martin, Lead Marketing Manager for Legrand’s Power Distribution business unit, explains how M&E solutions must support contractors with these challenges.

Paul said: “The pressure facing contractors to deliver projects means there is little room for error when installing electrical systems. A particular example of this has been seen in the warehouse construction sector, which has seen a boom in conjunction with the rise in e-commerce over the past year. Along with requirements for time saving, there is an expectation that safety will be prioritised across all installations in any application. To help contractors with these pressures, we have designed the new XCP range to ensure correct installation can be quickly carried out first time, while remaining cost effective and avoiding the need to replace or reinstall.” To support contractors in promoting safety while speeding up installation, the range is quick to install and can be visually inspected for correct connections due to the shear off bolt connections. This can reduce the risk of bad connections which cause over heating problems. The XCP range is also available with a two-times

rated neutral phase conductor option, helping to mitigate the addition of electronic devices into a building. This option helps contractors ensure the system keeps up with any changes in electrical demand and does not overheat due to electrical imbalances. As contractors working on a range of applications require different levels of specification, the XCP range includes an XCP-S (Standard) busbar in addition to an XCP-HP (High Performance) counterpart. Along with this, there is a comprehensive, market-leading selection of plastic and metal tap-off boxes available, rated 25-250A and 63-630A respectively. Paul adds: “With power requirements differing greatly, this range has been created to keep projects within budget. Along with the safety measures, we hope the cost-effective choice of quick-to-install solutions will support contractors with deadlines, budgets and safety concerns for any project size.”

Vivitek introduces Novo Stage wireless collaboration Vivitek is helping unlock the power to perform with the introduction of NovoStage, a Windows based wireless collaboration software solution. Developed to facilitate the wireless sharing of multiple devices’ screens concurrently, NovoStage enables users to present to multiple screens simultaneously on the main display. Ideal for information and idea sharing in meetings, lessons and training sessions,

cost-effective, NovoStage is available immediately. Following a simple three-step process – Install, Connect, Show - NovoStage software is loaded to the Windows display, which can then receive content in one of four ways; via NovoConnect Software, Airplay, LauncherPlus or the Vivitek Web portal (www.launchnovo. com), The multitude of connection methods allows maximum user flexibility and con-

with their Windows-based flat panel displays. The current range of NovoTouch Collaborative Touch Panels can therefore also be used wirelessly using the Windows environment OPS (VKW30-i7). An alternative option for NovoStage users, is to collaborate on-the-fly by ‘carrying’ NovoStage on their laptops, enabling their laptop to serve as a collaborative environment in any location (utilising the same Wi-Fi network).

NovoStage drives new levels of venience, with no additional NovoStage is a great asset to Developed to facilitate the wireless sharing of multiple devices’ screens concurrently, NovoStage enables users to present to multiple screens simultaneously on the main display. productivity and collaboration by combining applications like Zoom and content from Windows Computers and iPads. Engineered to be compatible with content from iOS, MacOS, Android, Windows, Chromebook and Ubuntu, NovoStage transforms any Windows Display into a collaboration solution with just a simple software install. NovoStage is priced at only £225 MSRP (ex VAT) and is supported by free software updates for life. Secure and

hardware or cables required. Being platform agnostic and providing support for all operating systems, NovoStage facilitates BYOD, enabling users to connect instantly and share up to four devices and their content. Unlike competitor solutions, NovoStage works with any Windows 10 based device, ranging from all sizes of laptop to large format displays. Business users of NovoStage can use it to create a collaborative meeting environment

the education sector too, as it has been engineered to be compatible with learning management software like Google G-suite or Blackboard. In study spaces, schools and universities can turn any area equipped with a display and OPS slot into a collaborative study space. In classrooms, NovoStage - along with a Windows OPS - can make displays more interactive by giving every student an Continued om page 13

P11AV News December 2021

INTRODUCING ® THE G-TOUCH EMERALD INTERACTIVE DISPLAY Part of the Gem Series.

THE HOME OF INNOVATION

The new generation of G-Touch® is here! Our continued innovation has helped us develop an interactive touch screen with outstanding image quality. With the highest brightness and sharpest image of any G-Touch® screen we have produced; the latest optically bonded panel technology allows the Emerald displays to have wide viewing angles with next to no glare. Making it ideal for any environment! With Precision Touch the Emerald interactive display gives a responsiveness which is exceptional, and with USB Type C, 20W front facing speakers and even higher durability of glass.

To find out more or to partner with one of the few remaining British manufacturers.

Call us now on 01902 390 862 sales@genee-group.com @GeneeGroup

www.genee-group.com

@GeneeGroup

company/genee-group

@GeneeGroup

Technology News

ViewSonic introduces ViewBoard Vivitek introduces Novo Stage wireless Box to transform classrooms Continued from page 11

collaboration opportunity to participate in a discussion by sharing their device. Outside of the business and education sector, those hosting and attending training and workshop sessions can also benefit from NovoStage. Trainers can ‘carry’ it on their laptops to a training location and enable participants to connect to NovoStage. NovoStage also makes live hybrid workshops a reality for all. A camera on any device can be connected to NovoStage, and screen sharing participants can view the shared camera. This setup is ideal for live and hybrid seminars, workshops and virtual product demonstrations. In all user scenarios, the meeting host, teacher or trainer retains moderator control over the content that’s displayed via NovoStage. As with all of its product lines, Vivitek prioritised data protection and network security when developing NovoStage. As NovoStage is installed on

laptops and displays within a network environment, it is protected by the VPN and firewall installed by IT teams. For additional levels of security, data transmitted is encrypted using an Advanced Encryption (AES) Standard using a 256-bit key. This means that all data shared is protected from unauthorised personnel, and Vivitek’s products are compliant with the ISO 27001 international standard. Furthermore, with link sharing being a concern to many corporates, NovoStage addresses this through Vivitek’s LauncherPlus, which enables guests to present in a virtual meeting without joining a link. This keeps guests out of the corporate network, ensuring network security even during virtual meetings. Holger Graeff, General Manager, Vivitek EMEA, stated: “Content that’s easy to share and easy to display is content that’s remembered. We’re re-

ally excited about the role that NovoStage can play with existing displays to enhance information and idea sharing in meeting rooms, classrooms and training rooms. With NovoStage, Vivitek has created a simple to use, cost-effective yet secure way to upgrade any Windows display to allow multiple participants to collaborate without any cable hassles, while being a perfect entry-level complement to our existing range of wireless collaboration solutions.” NovoStage is designed in line with Vivitek’s Novo Ecosystem – which comprises four categories including Add-On Devices, All-in-One Solutions, Launcher and Software/Cloud applications. However, NovoStage is not dependent on other Vivitek solutions to perform and boost collaboration as it works on any Windows display to offer instant wireless collaboration. NovoStage is available now from £225 MSRP ex VAT.

ViewSonic Corp has launched the ViewBoard Box—a palmsized plug and play device that works with compatible mainstream displays, monitors, and projectors. It provides instant access to the company’s myViewBoard ecosystem and

solution for upgrading existing displays to enable digital classrooms with myViewBoard Suite for better engagement and collaboration. It also offers centralised and secure control over display devices with myViewBoard Manager,

brings enhanced engagement and collaboration to learning spaces. Moreover, it helps IT administrators to streamline the work process by offering device management to centrally control displays remotely with myViewBoard Manager. “At the moment, we are seeing the acceleration of a number of changes that were already underway in education, such as greater digitalisation of in-person classrooms, and the proliferation of remote learning,” said Monica Sun, Director of the Presentation Group at ViewSonic. “Purposebuilt to facilitate communication and engagement, the myViewBoard ecosystem has benefitted more than 4 million customers. With the introduction of the ViewBoard Box, we want to open this powerful visual learning platform to an even greater number of educators, students, and institutions - without the need to undertake major upgrades in their infrastructure.” ViewBoard Box is the ideal

ViewSonic Corp has launched the ViewBoard Box—a palm-sized plug and play device that works with compatible mainstream displays, monitors, and projectors. the web-based device management system. The app allows IT administrators to remotely manage all connected devices, from changing device operation settings, broadcasting tailored messages on multiple devices, to tracking device metrics such as power or data usage, all can be done with a click on the dashboard. Simply connecting to any displays via HDMI, the ViewBoard Box transforms the display into a powerful and interactive device instantly and delivers immersive teaching and learning experiences through myViewBoard. This comprehensive software suite contains digital whiteboarding tools, a vast range of rich digital education content in myViewBoard Clips and Originals, as well as wireless screen sharing with myViewBoard Display to make group collaboration easier. With

its Hexa-core CPU performance and palm-sized form factor, the ViewBoard Box is powered by PoE (Power over Ethernet), eliminating the need for a separate power supply, and keeping spaces clutter-free. This simplifies installations and

saves additional resources and manpower required to run new cables.

AVer launches the VC520 Pro2 professional conferencing system Aver has announced the launch of the VC520 Pro2 enterprise-grade video conference camera and speakerphone which transforms a meeting space into an effective collaboration haven. The VC520 Pro2 is an expert-level conferencing system. Equipped with an 24x total zoom, advanced AVer SmartFrame, IP video streaming, single USB installation, and an extended speakerphone solution, it delivers an extraordinary video conferencing experience. The VC520 Pro2 brings a fluid audio communication experience to any meeting space. Participants can effec-

tively capture audio throughout the entire room with the full-duplex microphone array and echo cancellation on the VC520 Pro2. No more crowding around one speakerphone; you can daisy-chain additional units to pick up voices and deliver crystal-clear sound within a 30ft diameter. The speakerphone offers touch controls that allow for easy muting and volume control for a next-generation audio experience. Installing the VC520 Pro2 is straightforward. All is needed is one USB cable. This direct connection saves time and keeps a meeting table tidy and organized. The VC520 Pro2

presents in extreme clarity and can demonstrate small details with an 24x total zoom. It maximizes team collaboration with smooth video imaging at up to 1080p, 60fps quality. AVer has developed an advanced SmartFrame function. Equipped with this upgraded auto-framing feature, the VC520 Pro2 can detect and frame meeting participants even when they wear masks or present facial profiles from up to 7 meters away. The VC520 Pro2 can greatly improve conferencing efficiency. The Sony sensor embedded in the VC520 Pro2 enables True WDR up to 120dB and effortlessly controls the light values of pixels

and displays constant clarity on the screen. Rene Buhay, SVP of Sales and Marketing at AVer Europe comments “We are very proud of the technological advances made with our sophisticated VC520 Pro2 camera. The health and safety of our clients and the communities they serve is a priority at AVer. We have integrated new premium features including SmartFrame body detection to combat the spread of infection and create a safer workspace through the conference solutions we provide.”

Aver has announced the launch of the VC520 Pro2 enterprise-grade video conference camera and speakerphone which transforms a meeting space into an effective collaboration haven

P13 AV News December 2021

Technology News Opinion

Optoma unveils the UHZ50 Why Employee Power is Driving the New-Look affordable 4K home cinema projector Hybrid Office Optoma has unveiled the UHZ50, a dynamic true 4K laser home projector designed to elevate your home cinema experience in any room. Featuring high brightness, brilliant colour, rich blacks, endless connectivity options, Optoma’s UHZ50 is priced to enable even more people to experience stunning 4K picture quality. Adding to its line of revolutionary and award winning 4K resolution projectors, including the ultra-short throw CinemaX P2, the Optoma UHZ50 features 3,000 lumens and a 2,500,000:1 contrast ratio to produce razor-sharp images with exceptional clarity and vibrancy for movies, TV shows, games, and sports. With the included Enhanced Gaming mode, gamers can enjoy fast-moving action with a 16.7ms response time in 4K at 60Hz and 4ms in 1080P at 240Hz. Utilising Texas Instruments’ DLP technology and Optoma’s DuraCore laser technology, the UHZ50 delivers sharp, high-quality images and to extend the projector’s lifetime, offers 24/7 operation capabilities and up to 30,000 hours of maintenance-free use. The Optoma UHZ50 laser projector offers HDR10 and HDR brightness adjustments with 100% Rec. 709 and DCI-P3

Wide Colour Gamut compatibility, guaranteeing life-like, vibrant colours for cinematic experiences at home. Continue the home entertainment experience by wirelessly sharing videos and images on a bigger screen, with the Optoma Creative Cast app, and share from up to four devices via ultra-fast 5GHz Wi-Fi.

USB ports for media sticks and dongles for easy connectivity to additional content sources and home entertainment hardware. “With the introduction of the Optoma UHZ50, we are bringing true 4K laser technology home to even more consumers by reducing overall costs without compromising the quality of their personal home enter-

Optoma has unveiled the UHZ50, a dynamic true 4K laser home projector designed to elevate your home cinema experience in any room. Featuring warping capabilities, four corner correction, 1.3X zoom, keystone and vertical lens shift, the Optoma UHZ50 provides flexible and hassle-free installation and can fill virtually any screen or wall. The Optoma UHZ50 also features three HDMI 2.0 inputs, with one port supporting eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) audio out for crisp, clear audio integration, as well as two

tainment experiences,” said, Billy Harrison, Product Manager at Optoma. Consumers are seeking more home entertainment and content options that fit their unique needs whether they’re gamers, streaming movies or viewing personal photos, we remain focused on delivering versatile and innovative solutions that take the home cinema experience to new levels.”

Biamp launches Parlé AV conferencing bars Biamp has announced the launch of Parlé audio and video conferencing bars, a line of professional-grade audiovisual conferencing solutions for small to medium-sized rooms. Leveraging Biamp's 40 years of audiovisual expertise, Parlé conferencing bars combine Beamtracking microphones, smart loudspeakers, advanced signal processing, an optional

technology, ensuring the best possible meeting experience for all participants, as well as an incredibly simple set up process that's as easy as plugging in one cable and pressing the Launch button. The result is a sleek, all-in-one conferencing bar, offering professional-grade performance unmatched in the market.” The family of Parlé confer-

telligence to deliver auto-framing and auto-focus, which keeps meeting attendees in view, even as they move around the conference room space. For added security, an automatic privacy shutter covers the camera when not in use. Installation of a Parlé conferencing bar is as simple as plugging one USB cable directly into a UC system for a UC room, or into a Devio SCR-10 for a

The Power Shift Since the creation of the 9-to-5 workday, the power within organisations has for the most part, been in the hands of the employer. However, over the past year and a half the modern workplace has undergone a rapid transformation. During Covid, the home became the hub of everything, working, exercising and socialising from home became the norm. Professionals everywhere were forced to adapt to new ways of working and research suggests that as time has gone on, new habits and working practices have become established. Jon Knight of Ascentae reports on the implications of a recent study. New ways of working call for changes in the working environment. Traditional office spaces were not designed to support meetings and workshops involving people onsite and in remote locations. And employees expect their environment to provide the facilities they need which means companies need to recognise changing needs and utilise emerging technology to keep pace with these changes. A recent study released by BCW, the International Workforce Insights Study, revealed that more than half of all employees say they feel more empowered to influence change in their workplace compared to a year ago. This includes influencing their employer’s business strategy (54%), company culture (55%) and their work experience (59%). Suddenly, organisations are keen to understand the latest trends in facilities management so they can equip their offices to entice employees back to the office. But what do workers actually want now?

Keeping everyone happy isn’t easy Biamp has announced the launch of Parlé audio and video conferencing bars, a line of professional-grade audiovisual conferencing solutions for small to medium-sized rooms. 4K camera with auto-framing, encing bars includes the ABC BYOD room, and pressing the and Biamp Launch, the com- 2500 Audio Bar, which fea- Launch button. This initiates pany's automated deployment tures Biamp Audio Intelligence professional-grade deployment and tuning technology, into one to create a premium audio and tuning, making it easy to plug-and-play speaker bar that experience: a 27-element mi- use and deploy. delivers a premium conferenc- crophone array creates three “Biamp remains steadfast in ing experience. Beamtracking zones that can our commitment to making pro“The explosion of unified actively track and intelligently fessional-grade AV accessible communications deployments mix conversations from around to more people and more room across businesses of all sizes the room; award-winning echo types,” said Andrulis. “Parlé has made it essential that all cancellation and noise reduc- conferencing bars utilize the conference rooms are outfitted tion algorithms provide ex- technology that our integrators with high-quality audiovisual traordinary clarity and quality; are already familiar with, and technology to ensure the best and smart speaker technology users love, creating an easyexperience for users - and IT actively adjusts speaker perfor- to-install, cost-effective, sindepartments - are seeking com- mance to deliver large room au- gle vendor solution for smaller plete meeting room solutions dio from a small room device. rooms with performance that that are easy to set up and sim- Using Biamp Launch, each of matches Biamp's large room ple to use,” said Joe Andrulis, these features is automatical- solutions. The ease of installaExecutive Vice President of ly tuned to meet the acoustic tion, setup, and maintenance Corporate Development at Bi- needs of each meeting room to makes Parlé conferencing bars amp. create an optimal audio expe- an ideal solution that delivers a “Parlé conferencing bars are rience. premium audiovisual experience ground-breaking in that they The VBC 2500 Video Bar adds a for everyone involved.” incorporate all of Biamp's lat- state-of-the-art, 4K ePTZ camest innovations in audiovisual era featuring Biamp Video In-

P16 AV News December 2021

Attracting and keeping the right employees means creating working environments that appeal to employees and support them in their job role. Today’s workforce now spans five generations, from those in their 70s all the way down to those in their late teens. Each generation has different expectations, communication styles, perspectives and technology literacy levels. Differences in generation and job role can

also affect working preferences with some groups anxious to get back to the experience of working in the office with peers and others who have discovered that they’re more productive working from home. Catering to the technological needs of such an expansive workforce can sometimes present a headache to IT managers.

The Hybrid working challenge The pandemic has been progressive in closing the technology generational gap, by forcing everyone to adapt to new devices and software so they can work remotely. But now organisations must look at how they can optimise the workplace to support the changes in preference and working practices that are here to stay. If anything, remote work has only served to increase the need for collaborative technologies amongst co-workers. Organisations across the world, are re-designing their office spaces to fit the hybrid working world, where not all employees will be in the same place at the same time.

Creating an Immersive Office Space with LED Organisations can make use of intelligent tech to help create

lasting impressions on both employees and their customers. MAXHUB’s Raptor series of integrated LED walls offer a simple way to create an immersive experience for employees, whether they are at home or back in the office. Offering easy-to-use controls and settings features, the LED wall ensures participants and presenters can interact naturally, using built in high-quality speakers which provide neat, studio grade audio clarity and features an Android operating system.

Additionally, the Raptor series makes content sharing simple offering screen-sharing for up to four windows and low-latency stable mirroring support to ensure seamless collaboration between teams. Its design allows presenters and participants alike to enjoy a more natural and fulfilling meeting experience. These kinds of practical all-inone solutions are transforming corporate office spaces, not only supporting video conferencing requirements of the new hybrid landscape but also converting dull dreary spaces to open friendly environments for employees and customers alike. Embracing this type of digital transformation within a workplace can have far-reaching implications.

Conclusion The tables have turned in the working world, and the future of work will be heavily influenced by employees and in some cases, they may be actively in-

volved in designing workspaces rather than the employer. The pandemic tipped the scales on the power dynamic, finally recognising the importance of understanding the needs and the role of employees when designing workspaces. This replaces the traditional approach many companies led with for decades. With focus on flexibility and autonomy, organisations that think they can go back to life before Covid and deploy a traditional mindset to workplace design will face serious challenges ahead. Those refusing on board flexible practices will likely see their talent pool suffer and consequently, lose any competitive edge they previously held as a result. Sources: International Workforce Insights Study: https://inside. bcw-global.com/internationalworkforcestudy MAXHUB Raptor Series: https://ascentae.com/products/maxhub/

Application News

PPDS helps redefine retail fashion using Philips videowalls

PPDS has announced that 110 of its advanced 4K Philips X-Line videowall displays have been selected and installed inside the futuristic new Modivo store in Warsaw – the world’s first fully automated ‘phygital’ retail store PPDS has announced that 110 of its advanced 4K Philips X-Line videowall displays have been selected and installed inside the futuristic new Modivo store in Warsaw – the world’s first fully automated ‘phygital’ retail store. Located inside the 85,000 sqm, Galeria Mlociny shopping mall in Warsaw, Modivo – part of the Eobuwie. pl group – is a leading online fashion retailer, with an online catalogue of more than 70,000 items across nearly 250 brands. These include Armani, Boss, Calvin Klein, Diesel, DKNY, Guess, Kurt Geiger, Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, among others. Opened in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the Modivo store – the first under the Modivo brand – has been designed to offer a revolutionary, modern, more convenient and safer shopping experience to customers, fusing the benefits of both physical and digital, online shopping experiences. Working with Modivo’s technology partner Nanovo – a Warsaw based specialist in creating digitized spaces for enhanced client attention and engagement – a total of 110 x 55” Philips X-Line 4K Android displays were selected and installed throughout this unique Modivo store. Designed for 24/7 operation, and with FailOver security (the screens never go dark), the installation includes an imposing, near bezel-less 25 x panel Philips videowall, which,

thanks to its in-built Pure Colour Pro software for delivering higher luminance through custom colour temperature, creates an illuminating and highly immersive environment for visitors when entering the store, while also being impossible to ignore by passers-by. Mariusz Chludzinski, Sales Director Poland at PPDS commented: “With consumer shopping behaviour already shifting online, MODIVO had a vision to bring the same speed, convenience, and cost benefits to their physical stores. A volatile global pandemic added to the mix also meant that the store had to be designed in such a way that it could continue operating throughout the most challenging conditions. Ensuring customers are able to have a comfortable, safe and enjoyable shopping experience.” Breaking away from tradition, the new futuristic Modivo store design does not feature any stock on the shop floor, creating a more open, cleaner look, with fewer staff. Instead, customers entering the store – a theatre of digital displays showcasing the latest fashions, collections and company branding – sit on dedicated sofas to browse the store’s catalogue using a touch tablet. Running on Nanovo’S proprietary digital in-store platform, SIGNIO, all stock is displayed on an easy-to-use interface, which is directly linked to the store’s adjoining ‘automated warehouse’ (stock

room) – which holds more than 100,000 items. Once a customer has made their selection, they then simply enter their mobile number on the tablet to receive a unique code. This code can then be presented at the fitting room entrance and, once scanned, the customer is directed to one of eight available fitting rooms – each named after major fashion capitals around the world, such as Prague, London, Milan. Their items are then made available behind sliding doors located within the fitting room. In addition, each fitting room – which can even be customised, such as by adjusting the light – is equipped with a wall mounted touchscreen display, which shows their initial selection. Again, this display is connected directly to Modivo’s warehouse logistics system for added convenience, allowing customers to view and amend their selections (for instance, by adding new items and sizes), which will again be delivered within moments. The days of leaving the changing room or asking a friend to go and search for items and sizes have gone. Once the customer has made their final decision, they can confirm their order using the display and leave the fitting room empty handed. The items they wish to buy are then delivered to the collection point where they are paid for, concluding the visit. Dariusz Sobczak, Board Mem-

ber, Nanovo, commented: “The retail sector, in the future, will see some incredible changes. MODIVO fits into this transformation by offering its customers a top-of-the-line omnichannel model. It comes down to transferring the experience that customers know from the online world to a physical store’s space.” Mariusz Chludzinski, Sales Director Poland at PPDS add-

ed: “This unique set-up allowed MODIVO to implement a multi-channel sales strategy that achieves their goals of brand efficiency and robustness in an ever-evolving retail landscape. Like ourselves, Modivo is an innovator – recognising the challenges and changes in the market and not content with simply following what’s done before. We’re delighted to have played such an important

role in creating a store for the future and one that we fully expect to see more examples of around the world in no time. The benchmark for retail has been set. With PPDS, the new Modivo more than stands out in the crowd and provides an experience that customers will want to enjoy time and time again.”

• Smart remote updates: MODIVO can push new promotions and product selections across their displays instantly. • Remote upgrades: Nanovo can push new software updates remotely to ensure all displays are running smoothly with the latest features and stability requirements. • Versatile connectivity: Android and CMND & Control enable easy integration of Nanovo’s proprietary digital

in-store platform, SIGNIO. • Futuristic shopping experience: A clean store design with no hangers or clutter seamlessly connects the physical store experience with the digital world, resulting in a pure phygital hybrid store. • Cost efficiency: No display products means fewer staff and less maintenance, allowing MODIVO to keep costs down for the consumer.

Fast facts: • Client: MODIVO • Location: Warsaw, Poland • Project: A physical store becomes a phygital experience • Products: Philips 55” X-Line 55BDL2005X videowall display (100 units), Philips 55” X-Line 55BDL3107X videowall display (10 units) • Partner: Nanovo Benefits of Philips X-Line to Modivo:

P17AV NewsNovember December2021 2021 P17 AV News

Application News

German high school installs 96 Philips interactive displays Hailed as one of the most impressive tech overhauls seen in education in Europe, the historic and internationally recognised Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium (GSG) in Velbert, western Germany, has installed almost 100 new Philips interactive digital displays and monitors to revolutionise the way it teaches and communicates with its students. With 720 students and 55 teachers, GSG carries the name of iconic anti-war activists Sophie and Hans Scholl – brother and sister, and founders of the now revered ‘White Rose’ movement – a resistance group set up in 1942 and run by students at the University of Munich to decry Nazi crimes and the political system. Both Hans (24) and Sophie (21) were executed in 1943 for their views. With high standards and intense efforts to support its students and tutors, GSG wanted to remain ahead of curve by utilising the latest advances in education technology. With both an eye on the present and the future, the vision was to step away from traditional chalkboards and overhead projectors, embarking upon a complete digital overhaul that would inspire its students with immersive experiences and limitless connectivity. Considering the volatility of global events, the GSG also needed a solution that was flexible enough for on-campus student information and distance learning, ensuring education, whatever the conditions and challenges, will continue to be accessible. After an intensive process exploring the global marketplace, GSG partnered with PPDS – the exclusive global provider of Philips professional TV and signage solutions – for a complete digital transformation. The project included the installation of 96 displays – ranging from 24” to 86” and also utilised a suite of products from other leading brands, including TV bracket and wall mounting manufacturers, Vogel’s and SmartMetals. New PPDS partner, Logitech, and German-based digital signage CMS software specialist, mdt Medientechnik (MDT), all came together to upgrade and transform areas – including classrooms, hallways, dining spaces and others – throughout its buildings. Chalkboards were replaced with (or placed beside) thirteen commanding Philips T-Line 86” and 75” multi touch interactive and anti-glare, anti-reflective, 4K education displays, designed to enable advanced levels of collaborative learning through multimedia content and freehand input directly on the display with ‘whiteboard mode’. With up to 20 touchpoints at the same time, students can get creative together by physical interaction on the display, while

students in class and at home are able to take control of the screen from their own securely connected device. In addition, ten Philips 10” T-Line displays were placed outside each classroom for easy-to-read dynamic content, including the name of the room, lesson, teacher, and other important information, enabling greater room scheduling versatility and faster class efficiency. The school was also strategically fitted with a suite of seventeen Philips D-Line and Q-Line displays (49” – 86”), allowing the school to ensure all students and teachers had access to live information at all times. This ranges from health and safety information – such as social distancing and areas where masks are required – wayfinding, school events and activities, as well as timetables. Content and information can be created and shared quickly and efficiently using the exclusive PPDS CMND platform, while all displays are controlled via a custom CMS, which allows for automatic and manual updates from a central location. This reduces risks of disruption, helping tutors to start lessons on time and maximise the learning experience. Lesson management has also been digitised by utilising the recently launched i3LEARNHUB learning software, a cloudbased digital creation and learning platform, designed to enable teachers to bring digital content to students, stimulate collaboration and prepare them with 21st century learning skills. The software provides teachers and students instant access to an extensive range of new educative and collaborative tools, designed to help teachers create fresh, inspiring and feature-rich tailored content to present during lessons, turning classrooms into highly interactive workspaces and facilitating hybrid learning. The platform is used by a growing digital community of over 50,000 educational professionals, in which teachers from around the world come together to share ideas and best practices, with entire lesson plans able to be downloaded. Janine Hager, head of the school parents committee, Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium, commented: “A digital quantum leap. The new equipment with an XXL package of interactive Philips displays for lessons, info displays, digital door signs and additional IT monitors for our IT rooms fills us with a lot of curiosity and confidence for the new school year Frank Trossen, International Key Account Director at PPDS, added: “Education is a key focus for PPDS and we’re working incredibly hard to bring truly innovative and transformative hardware and software solutions to market that address both current and future needs for the modern classroom. We

P18 AV News December 2021

were delighted to have been selected as the standout choice by Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium – a name synonymous with high standards and quality – to play an integral role in what a truly significant and impressive technology overhaul in the education marketplace. At PPDS, our focus is always on the customer, building high quality technology and working with the world’s leading providers in their respected fields, to overcome challenges and obstacles of today and in the future. Whether that’s camera technology or game-changing software designed for education, as a provider of ‘total

solutions’, our aim is to make installations such as this a smooth, fast and effective one. We’re delighted with the result, which will positively impact a generation.”

Benefits: •Interactive lessons: Philips-T-Lines enable teachers and students to collaborate using multi-touch technology and advanced connectivity from multiple sources including personal devices. •Wayfinding: Vital classroom information, including lessons and teacher info, is dynamically displayed outside each room, enabling greater room scheduling versatility and faster class efficiency. • CMS control: Content can be created and deployed from a central location and pushed across all displays or selected units. • cloud-based lessons: i3LEARNHUB learning software enables on-site and distance learning in real-time across all displays. •Philips desktop monitor with webcam 34” display 346P1CRH (5 units) •Philips desktop monitor with touch 24” display 242B9TL (15 units) •Philips desktop monitor with webcam 24” display 243B1JH (35 units)

LG installs ‘laptop libraries’ in London Schools LG Electronics UK has announced the installation of a new Laptop Library programme at four schools across London, to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with free access to state-of-theart technology and improve their digital education experience. As part of the programme, LG has donated LG laptops to each school and equipped them with a portable and secure store and charge solution which students can use to book out laptops for use at school or home – specifically to support 1-1 mentoring sessions. As a special treat to the students of Wapping High School and to mark the programme launch, England football legend and father of seven, Emile Heskey, visited to unveil the library and give a motivational talk to the students on the importance of education in setting up the foundations for a bright future. Launched in collaboration with ReachOut – a leading UK charity that supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with weekly one-to-one mentoring, helping develop character, raise aspirations, and improve academic attainment – around

Emile Heskey: “With seven children of my own currently in education I can fully appreciate how vital the latest technology is in ensuring a seamless and effective school learning experience.” 2,600 children are set to benefit from the initiative across the four schools. The four schools are Wapping High School, Uphall Primary School, The Totteridge Academy, and Highlands School, with plans to expand the initiative nationwide and donate LG Laptop Libraries to more schools in 2022 and beyond. Hanju Kim, IT Product Director at LG Electronics UK said: “With children back for the 2021/22 school year and considering the new, more flexible way of working

that the world has adopted, a laptop has become a necessity for children in education. However, an Ofcom report from 2020 estimates that between 1m and 1.8m children in the UK do not have access to a laptop at home. The data is shocking, and it must be incredibly tough for some students to keep up without access to proper technology. With our Laptop Library programme, we hope to have a positive impact on the lives of these young people, each of whom deserves a future

as bright as anyone else’s.” Emile Heskey said: “With seven children of my own currently in education I can fully appreciate how vital the latest technology is in ensuring a seamless and effective school learning experience. School education is so important in setting yourself up for the future, and I feel we sometimes take things like laptops for granted when there are some children that simply don’t have access, Continued on page 19

Application News continued from page 18

LG installs ‘laptop libraries’ in London schools

Hybrid working at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

so I’m really pleased to help launch this brilliant programme from LG and ReachOut.” Bejal Shah, CEO of ReachOut. said: “Whilst almost every young person has had to adjust to dramatic changes in their home life, education and routine, for those who were already marginalised, the challenges of the pandemic have often been greater. ReachOut are thrilled to be partnering with LG Electronics UK on the Laptop Libraries programme, that will provide these young people

Poly has announced that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, an inner London borough with royal status, has successfully met its hybrid working goals for meeting equality. The Council aimed for a significant uplift in video collaboration technology adoption and achieved it by outfitting 41 of its rooms and meeting spaces with the Poly Studio premium USB video bar. Poly’s video conferencing solution now provides a consistent experience for workers, whether based in council offices or working from home. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea had already embarked on its digital transformation, investing heavily in Microsoft Teams but staff were hesitant to use outdated equipment in the Council’s meeting rooms. The Poly Studio premium USB video bar brought everyone together in one meeting room, no matter where they joined the conversation from. An additional challenge was finding a solution that was software agnostic to allow the use of multiple video conferencing platforms. Poly’s high-quality video bar’s performance surpassed its official specifications in all tested configurations while any security concerns were automatically allayed thanks to the video bar’s connectivity to the already secured employees’

that we support, with access to our weekly mentoring sessions, and to the resources that will boost their learning and in turn, improve their long-term outcomes.” The Laptop Libraries feature state-of-the-art ultra-lightweight LG gram laptops which are ideal for students and professionals alike. With up to 19.5 hours of battery life, weighing just 1,350g, and featuring an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, they provide power and portability for all.

BrightSign players power perfume experience for Rituals BrightSign, LLC gas announced BrightSign players are powering an interactive perfume display at House of Rituals, the new flagship store for Rituals on Kalverstraat, Amsterdam. To launch the Talisman perfume collection, a new market for House of Rituals, and to mark the brand’s 20th anniversary, Dutch audiovisual company First Impression built an innovative scent display controlled by BrightSign players. Once a perfume is selected based on the customer’s inputs on an iPad, an LED light un-

power such an innovative and customer-focused solution for Rituals. One of the key concepts of the experience store was to start selling perfumes, and Rituals wanted to secure a foothold in this market in a very creative way. We’re pleased to help them achieve this goal with a memorable and reliable display at the flagship store.” Customers can select a Rituals perfume based on their favourite scent in an AV display that connects the Rituals scent profiles with two databases. The customer is invited to en-

laptops. This simplified the Poly Studio implementation and much-needed technological updates to meeting spaces. In just 9 days, 30 of the Council’s rooms were equipped with the Poly Studio intuitive and easy-to-use video bar that ensured meeting rooms could now be used to their maximum potential. This plug-and-play simplicity was immediately ad-

workplace technology at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster City Council, commented. “The only thing they now need to do is plug in their laptop and the rest is business as usual. Thrilled with the combination of price and usability the solution offers, plus the hassle-free nature for the IT support team, we anticipate that the number

Poly Studio intuitive and easy-to-use video bar that ensured meeting rooms could now be used to their maximum potential. opted by workers and is now a core component of the Council’s future hybrid strategies. “People had given up on AV technology before, disappointed by the hard-to-use, outdated devices the meeting rooms were equipped with. A mind-shift only took a split second when their needs were realised with Poly Studio.” Matthew Ford-Enfield, head of

of meeting and executive rooms equipped with this video bar will continue to grow.” Poly recognises that local government organisations across the globe are already looking to ensure public services are available and intuitively accessible online, influenced by the uncertainty of the recent pandemic or other major challenges. Many have already transitioned

to a combination of remote and office work, and security continues to be everyone’s main priority as their teams use the systems to collaborate with each other but also to engage securely with members of the public from any location. Paul Clark, senior vice president, EMEA Managing director at Poly, added: “From virtual team meetings to taking online payments, public sector leaders must ensure the devices and software they’re using for both internal and external collaboration and engagement are safe and secure, protecting both employee and citizen data. Service delivery will have to be re-evaluated in a post-Covid light for the revised needs of service users and employees. Councils that have already invested in their digital transformation, like the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, will see considerable returns from this.” Poly Studio’s high adoption rate, combined with its value proposition, delivers on a very important aspect for local government bodies that bear the obligation to invest resources wisely for the benefit of local citizens and makes the video bar the device of choice for the next round of office refurbishments.

Record growth at The Academia Group

derneath the bottle is illuminated. If the customer picks up the glass pipette from the perfume bottle, a video plays describing the perfume. A fully custom skin around the BrightSign players allows them to interact smoothly with the iPads, and the application delivers valuable marketing data for Rituals to act upon. Menno Huizinga, Senior Solutions Architect at First Impression added, “First Impression was invited into the project to explore how audiovisual technology could strengthen the brand experience and showcase the store’s perfume range. The result is an interactive lab where customers can try out Rituals products, delivering data that the brand can respond to. A key point of anxiety in digital displays has been the time and effort lost in technical glitches, however the reliability of BrightSign players has been invaluable in providing an immersive, professional and very stable scent showcase.” Commenting on the display, Jeff Hastings, CEO of BrightSign, said, “We’re delighted to

ter their favourite perfume on an iPad first, and the system automatically finds the closest scent from the Rituals range. A further quiz invites customers to enter the basic ingredients that they like (eg: white tea and blond santal) and the application illuminates LED lights under all the bottles of perfumes aligned with this scent – narrowing it down to three possibilities, which a customer can then sample and purchase. Two BrightSign HD1024 players control the feature lighting. By this means, the BrightSign players activate the LED strips under the bottles to draw the customers’ attention to the perfumes the application has selected. Furthermore, First Impression has offered House of Rituals a flexible, easy-toaccess approach to managing their in-store brand experience through BrightSign’s BrightAuthor Connected and a custom store control app. At the click of a button, content delivered by the screens can be changed for the new season, or for holidays, such as Christmas.

Managed IT services firm The Academia Group has reported continued momentum in 2020/21 with strong year-onyear revenue growth, strategic customer and market expansion and prominent industry recognition. In the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020, sales grew 17% over the same period in 2019. Profit in the same timeframe leapt from £754k to £1,629k, and profit margin also increased by 79%. Academia Technology Group began as an IT reseller selling to the education and public sectors through government frameworks. In 2019 the Company and all subsidiaries, were acquired by Strive Capital, a capital investment company owned by Andrew Harman, the founder of Annodata. Mark McCormack, Chief Commercial Officer, The Academia Group stated: “Every indication is that demand for Academia’s IT services, particularly centred on thousands of schools, colleges and universities across the UK, will grow considerably throughout the rest of 2021 and beyond According to the government, the UK has the largest EdTech sector in Europe, with a major focus new technologies such as AI, augmented reality, and online education. As a result, this has made the UK a global hotspot for the industry. Last

year the number of EdTech firms surpassed 1,000 for the first time and over the past five years, UK school shave spent over £1bn on digital learning tools.“A large part of this change was of course the pandemic, which has driven change throughout the sector. 2020 will be remembered as the year that millions of children were forced to leave their classrooms and start learning

it has retained its ‘Rank 1’ status on the ‘National framework agreement for products using Apple native operating systems, associated accessories and services ITS6004 HW’ (Apple equipment and services framework for Higher Education). This is the fifth successive year that Academia has retained the framework. The agreement provides a dedicated supply channel for

online – and UK EdTech sector and The Academia Group were there to help,” continued McCormack. The company has also strengthened its finance team with the appointment of a new Finance Director, Paul Nikolov, who’s career spans a number of industry sectors notably eCommerce and IT services. The business recently announced

all UK Higher Education (HE) institutions. Academia has a team of dedicated HE account managers who are specialists in the supply of Apple equipment and related services for HE institutions. The Academia Group team was also recognised at the recent CRN ‘Women In Channel Awards’, picking up two awards in total. Andrew Harman, founder of

Strive Capital, added: “Academia has excellent heritage in providing IT services, particularly to thousands of schools, colleges and universities across the UK and has a very strong and experienced management team. That said the last year has been one of the most challenging I can ever remember, and despite that – and the lockdowns which impacted the education sector so profoundly – the business has simply gone from strength to strength. This is testament to the phenomenal management team, supported by a comprehensive portfolio of solutions and services based on prestigious and reputable vendors. “As the business continues to grow now is the time to not only expand the management team, and continues to build on our framework approach to supercharge our growth into 2022 and beyond.”

P19 AV News December 2021

Rise Up. Reimagine. Ignite the Future. ISE 2022 unites and inspires AV professionals to meet the latest challenges with innovative solutions. The future begins in Barcelona. Fira de Barcelona | Gran Vía 1-4 February 2022

A joint venture partnership of

Discover more iseurope.org

Opinion

Building business success through passionate partnerships Promethean, a leader in the world of education technology for almost a quarter of a century, is committed to transforming the way the world learns and collaborates. Designing learning and collaboration tools that are built for breakthroughs, Promethean builds lasting partnerships which support channel partners in achieving business success. Promethean has long demonstrated its dedication to the channel, with extensive support, award-winning solutions, and value-add services delivered through an open and transparent Partner Programme. Responding to the changing needs of the market, Promethean has further leveraged the power of partnerships with the introduction of Radix VISO device management for its ActivPanel range.

A changing landscape This year has seen a rapid evolution of the classroom. New and still-evolving health and safety guidelines for schools require teachers, administrators, and IT directors to quickly transform educational settings for hybrid and remote learning. This has resulted in a proliferation of new edtech devices, within educational ecosystems that were already complex. Managing all these devices and keeping them secure has never been more important. Supplied as standard with the ActivPanel, Promethean’s award winning interactive flat panel display (IFPD), Promethean Panel Management is ideal for essential management operations such as mass updates, panel grouping and setting configurations. Recognising that there is an ever-growing number of other devices in schools’ technology ecosystems, Promethean has identified an opportunity for channel partners to add even greater value to customers by expanding management to cover a wider set of needs beyond Promethean Panel Management. This has led to an exciting new partnership with Radix, a market leader in device management for education. Radix VISO Device Management and Promethean Panel Management together deliver comprehensive device management, allowing IT to manage growing infrastructures more efficiently, while improving security and ensuring a seamless user experience.

The ActivPanel with Radix VISO Device Management Radix VISO Device Management enables IT Admins to manage all their schools’ ActivPanels, Laptops, Chromebooks and more from one user friendly app. With every new ActivPanel purchase, customers can now access one year’s free Radix VISO license, which will enable the management of virtually any device in a school’s technology ecosystem. As well as adding greater value to customers, this new partnership gives channel partners the opportunity to build additional business and drive new revenue streams.

Through Radix VISO, customers can benefit from:

management. Radix VISO device management is tailored for managing devices in such scenarios with a unique set of tools and interface • Device administration - centrally manage updates, settings and apps across a range of devices – from Promethean ActivPanels and Android OPS’s to iPads and laptops. • Support for devices with remote troubleshooting and remediation for panels • Messaging and alerts module – send eye-catching messages and alerts based on device location. Record and broadcast announcements

• Tailored IFPD management – interactive screens installed in classrooms, meeting rooms and public locations need remote

To explore how the ActivPanel with Radix VISO device management creates a powerful sales proposition and helps to drive additional revenue opportunities, find out more about becoming a Promethean Partner. Visit PrometheanWorld.com/gb/partners/

P21 AV News December 2021

Feature

AV and sustainability: our role and impact on society

Photo by Nick Fewings

If you have had enough of the pandemic just wait until you see what is coming down the track with regard to sustainability. Unlike microbes, face masks and social distancing. sustainability will undoubtedly impact on the design and manufacture of your products and solutions, how they are deployed and the resulting changes in your customer’s working practice, educational and training techniques and social interaction.

Part 1: customer reaction How important is sustainability to your customers currently? A couple of years ago we would confidently said the majority would have said ‘interesting’ but not a ‘deal breaker’. Not any more: Tim Matthews, Senior B2B Product Manager at Vestel said: “The focus on sustainability has definitely increased recently, with the recent net zero announcements and COP 26 bringing issues to the fore. As a result of this, we have seen more and more interest in sustainability from both end-users and retailers in the past few years, such as through the growing request for sustainable cardboard packaging to replace traditional expanded polystyrene (EPS).” One of the issues here is that an adherence to the principals of sustainability rarely the reseller saves any money directly, nut there could a saving for the end-user:. Tim Matthews again: “As a result of the continued focus on sustainability, pro AV equipment is now required

to conform to energy related products (ERP) rules on energy consumption and power. This means that customers buying newer products will use less energy, thereby saving money and reducing their impact on the environment.” This indirect end-user benefit is still proving to be influential. Tim Matthews has found that: “Due to the increased awareness and public discussion surrounding environmental impact, especially following COP 26, it does not seem optimistic to expect end-users to invest in eco-friendly technologies even if there are no direct cost-savings. Brand perception is increasingly important and for many end-users investing in eco-friendly technologies is key. It is also important not to assume that moving to eco-friendly technologies will incur costs in the first place, as retailers are working hard to make environmentally friendly alternatives both affordable and accessible.”

In some respects, sustainability’s place alongside digital transformation is fortuitous. enabling end-users to tackle both issues simultaneously. “End-customers should be looking to transform the entirety of their system when possible. This can either be a gradual or a one-time change, but it is certain that digital transformation will not only reduce their environmental impact, but also save on costs and add versatility and futureproofing to their business,” says Matthews. He is busy providing customers with practical advice on both issues: “We are predominantly supporting customers with their system setup in terms of power and standby scheduling. However, we are also looking into Carbon offsetting and trade-in schemes as part of our wider environmental transformation, so that our end-users can trust that we are supporting their own sustainability objectives.”

Part 2: hybrid working supports sustainability Boosted by the pandemic, the changes to working practice have seen a substantial reduction in the environmental impact of commuting and business travel generally. The consensus is currently that the change to decentralised working will continue, perhaps ensuring that the changes are permanent. The support infrastructure, products and services for home-based workers have improves immeasurably since the early days of the pandemic.

According to Gartner, in 2022, 31% of all workers worldwide will be remote (a mix of hybrid and fully remote). The U.S. will lead in terms of remote workers in 2022, accounting for 53% of the U.S. workforce. With the rapid expansion of distributed work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, streamlining communications and workflows has never been more critical to worker productivity. Fuze. as an example, has announced platform enhance-

P22 AV News December 2021

ments built to deliver improved communication and collaboration for the growing hybrid workforce. These enhancements include new mobile, meetings, and admin features, as well as Microsoft Teams integration updates that empower workers and enterprise organisations with the tools, they need to maximise productivity and maintain business continuity within the increasingly distributed work environment. “The global workforce has changed dramatically over the past year and a half, and the communications needs of the distributed workforce continue to evolve with it,” said Rob Scudiere, President and COO at Fuze. “Workers need to have the flexibility to easily communicate and collaborate across devices, with their peers and customers from any location. At Fuze, our goal is to meet users where they work and address the communication needs of the modern worker as they continue to evolve, and this platform update is a critical step in doing so during these rapidly changing times.”

Improved meeting capabilities such as background blur, improved security, enhanced voice and video quality, and new screen share from chat make collaborating remotely simpler, faster, and more efficient. Other features such as swipe to reply messaging and push-to-talk voice memos enhance the user experience for mobile-first workers. As a vendorof collaborative technologies, Konftel is another urging the wider communications industry to follow its lead and take the greener route to success – after enabling customers to ‘conference with a clear climate conscience’. With the COP 26 UN climate change conference now closed in Glasgow, Konftel has issued a rallying call having become the first manufacturer of its kind to achieve Climate Neutral certification. In an era of agile working with huge demand for conferencing and collaboration hardware, protecting the planet is just as important as connecting the world, says CMO Stefan Eriksson :“We were the first in the

collaboration devices sector to earn official Climate Neutral certification – which has been successfully extended for the second year in a row.” He continued: “For us, it’s not enough to simply provide innovative technology, equipment and support which helps people communicate more effectively without having to travel. We also have to pay attention to our own carbon footprint in a way which encourages others to do the same.

Cut impact at source “The basic benefits of conferencing have always had a positive environmental impact and the technology we produce works in harmony with our climate neutral philosophy. More video meetings means less car and rail journeys, fewer flights, less-full offices, reduced gas and electricity consumption. The two strategies operate together. By choosing Konftel users really can conference with a clear climate conscience from the very first meeting.” Climate Neutral Certified sta-

tus means all greenhouse gas emissions have been offset, across all aspects of the business, from manufacturing and product packaging to transportation. Konftel continues to cut impact at source too. Investment in worldwide carbon credits are in turn used to support controlled and certified projects across the world, such as forest conservation in Cambodia, clean electricity in Indonesia, landfill gas in the USA and also clean cookstoves in Mali. Eriksson concluded: “Today’s hybrid working trends has triggered a huge explosion is conferencing equipment sales. But buying from Konftel ensures there is no overall impact on the planet. As world leaders gathered in Glasgow to make major global changes we can all play our part, however big or small.”

End-user opinion But where does ‘sustainability’ rank in your end-user customer’s list of requirements? Jeff May, UK Sales Director at conferencing manufacturer

Feature Konftel said: “There’s no doubt sustainability is becoming more and more important on a customer’s wish-list. Go back a few years and it wasn’t as big a consideration for many organisations but that’s definitely changing now.” “Awareness and desire is growing on a weekly basis. Conferencing has always been great for the planet in reducing carbon footprints. Now more and more people are positively responding and engaging and embracing the benefits. Rather than it being a ‘one-way push’ there’s more neutral engagement now.” “The benefits of conferencing are generally well-known in terms of reducing travel, saving time and costs, delivering greater productivity and being kinder to the environment. A typical return of investment can be just one plane ticket or a couple of rail journeys. The equipment can be used on a daily basis if required, over many years so the ROI continues to grow. Equally I think there’s more higher quality conferencing available at a lower cost now (compared to five or ten years ago)”. “ROI is a big factor. Every organisations’ expense accounts were reduced massively throughout the pandemic. But yet people were still able to perform their roles very effectively via video meetings.

As an industry we’ve proven we can save customers money. They don’t need to go back to the expense of travel, big hotels and being stuck in traffic on motorways and in big cities. Eco-friendly technologies are the way forward.”

Digital transformation With the hybrid workplace beginning to dominate, it’s important companies adopt long term and flexible strategies for their employees. Everyone has different criteria and working practices. One size doesn’t fit all and taking an holistic view is generally the best approach. For those not ready to take giant strides straight away we do enable a step-by-step approach. This ensures companies can address their immediate requirements confident that their investments are compatible with their long-term strategies. New ways of working are going to be the norm. Companies need to make good investment for all their staff wherever they are working. A consistent, high-quality, long-term strategy is crucial. They need to plan ahead for more people working from home as well as more meeting facilities in offices and other locations. Plan wisely and make smart decisions! To encourage customers to make them move to eco-friendly technologies. Vendors do of-

fer trade-in schemes from time to time. The real advantage for organisations is that they will automatically be reducing their carbon footprint by investing in more and better equipment – saving costs as well as carbon. It’s a natural process, as sustainability is definitely becoming a more prominent part

of tender processes. A lot of public sector bids require ways to show environment benefits often based on a points system. Certain targets have to be hit. It’s a big box to be ticked now. Konftel is the first company of its type to secure Climate Neutral certification. This means all greenhouse gas emissions have

been offset across all aspects of the company. This ensures customers can conference with a clear climate conscience whenever they buy our products. It’s a key customer message. In many ways Konftel is an industry pioneer and we are proud of this status. Sustainability is an on-going conversation we have

with all our customers. We offer webinars and training plus there’s a wealth of information on our website. Konftel offers very comprehensive marketing support too. Sustainability is a key part of our business and it will play a deeper role across the whole industry in the years ahead.

Part 3: devices and sustainability Device manufacturers have wasted little time in supporting sustainability initiatives. To their. CTouch were among the first to announce a wide-ranging programme of initiatives. Absen has recently got on board, launching a new green initiative, Absen Green, that brings together its efforts in sustainability, environmental protection, energy efficiency and corporate social responsi-

bility and reaffirms its commitment to a better future for all. The LED display manufacture has long had some of the most energy efficient products on the market, but the launch of Absen Green marks the first time Absen has brought together its environmental efforts under one brand and signals a major statement of intent in the company’s 20th-anniversary year. “Energy saving is a virtue, but

environmental protection is an attitude. This is our attitude,” explains Rubel Rengel, Absen’s senior vice-president of global business development. “It’s what the Earth deserves.”

Planet-first Among the planet-first measures announced under the Absen Green banner are the use of only sustainable, environmentally friendly materials, rigorous safety standards to prevent damage to the natural world, and an energy efficiency programme which has saved 700,000 tons of CO2 over the last five years and made Absen a carbon-neutral business. Energy saving is achieved by a combination of four technological innovations. LED common cathode technology reduces energy consumption and heat output by more than 20%, while the use of a high-efficiency power supply offers energy conversion efficiency of close to 90% (compared to 75%–85% for products using traditional power supplies). LED lamps with high luminous efficiency further bring down energy consumption, and a comprehensive heat-dissipation design reduce the power consumption of the displays’ internal circuits. With this four-pronged approach, products such as the A1099, Absen’s large outdoor

LED display, and the A1021D/ A1621D, its LED digital outof-home (DOOH) advertising solution, deliver energy savings of up to 50% and 65%, respectively, compared to similar products on the market. The real impact of the savings

offered by these and other Absen products is equivalent to the carbon dioxide absorbed by nearly 14 million trees in a single day, and has helped the company achieve its goal of carbon neutrality, or net-zero

4

carbon dioxide emissions.

Energy efficiency Increased energy efficiency also significantly reduces emissions of sulphur dioxide and other harmful gases, preventing

P23 P23 AVAV News News December October 2021

Feature

the build-up of damaging sulfuric acid in the atmosphere. These high environmental standards similarly apply to the manufacturing stage, with Absen using only eco-friendly raw materials – all of which comply with the European Union’s RoHS 2.0 directive restricting the use of hazardous substances – and ensuring all its products meet EU waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) regulations, which promote the reuse, recovery and recycling of waste by-products. On average, these products have a reuse/recycling rate 25% higher than their non-WEEE-certified equivalents. “Absen advocates green, low-carbon, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly manufacturing,” continues Rengel, “following the tenet of sustainable development.” All Absen LED displays are also compatible with 3C, CE, UL, ETL and other domestic and international safety standards, certifying that the products meet strict requirements for fire protection, electromagnetic interference, AC dielectric withstand, current leakage, insulation resistance and ground resistance, as well as OHSMS health standards on eye protection (from blue light), electromagnetic compatibility and more.

Light and sound In addition to highlighting how Absen minimises its physical environmental footprint, Absen Green underscores how the company is tackling other, less obvious sources of pollution: light and sound. All Absen products feature a fanless design, which allows its products to operate at a noise pressure of under 10dBd (for comparison, the volume of a normal conversation is about 60dB), while Absen’s innovative automatic brightness adjustment

technology ensures its displays adjust to the brightness of the surrounding environment. Further reduction of light pollution is achieved with 16-bit high grey correction technology and unique fog surface processing to reduce glare and eye strain. Absen Green also includes Absen’s complementary dedication to corporate social responsibility, which covers the company’s management systems, business ethics, and employees’ rights and benefits in addition to its environmental and safety commitments. “From using only environmentally friendly materials to reducing energy usage, waste, and light and sound pollution, the initiatives set out under Absen Green show how Absen is meeting its responsibilities to the planet and humanity,” concludes Ruben Rengel. “The adverse effects of climate change are undeniable, and we want to be part of the solution, now and into the future.”

Sustainability on the move Holger Graeff, CEO of Vivitek, believes that sustainability is on the move up end-user customer’s list of requirements when buying AV and IT. “It’s been moving further up the list for some time, but it has been accelerated recently by a combination of extreme weather events, the global climate change protests and, of course, the commitments made to addressing climate change at the recent COP 26 summit.” “From a consumer perspective, the increasing number of Ultra-Low Emission Zones along with the more drivers migrating from ICE vehicles to EVs, means that consumers are now more considered in their purchasing decisions. We’re now seeing this awareness spill over into the corporate decision-making process, where products’ sustainability

P24 AV News December 2021

is coming under much closer scrutiny.” Most customers will be aware of the societal issues surrounding the environment but are there specific business benefits to end-users from the latest generation of AV and IT solutions? “Typically, devices that have been designed to be eco-friendly consume less energy, so they are less expensive to run and maintain over their lifetime. Investing in eco-friendly devices is evidence that companies are putting their environmental promises into action with respect to the devices they use day to day.” “But, customers buy on more than just cost savings alone. Even if a device doesn’t offer a cost saving, it may have other eco-friendly qualities that matter to that organisation, such as being made of recycled materials or it is easy to recycle at the end of its useful life. It is important therefore that we don’t measure the ‘worth’ of an eco-friendly device based just on whether it will realise any cost savings.” That being so. should end-users be planning to adopt digital transformation in its entirety? “Planning to adopt digital transformation and the solutions that support it, provides more of an opportunity to make more informed and considered decisions about what solutions to buy, and ensuring organisations buy with a view to the future. Ad hoc purchasing may suit some budgets and may provide ‘the right solution, right now’, but it may not be able to scale effectively in the future. In that scenario, an organisa-

tion may find itself having to purchase additional solutions in the future, which runs contrary to the more thoughtful and sustainable consumption that’s now being encouraged. How important is sustainability to Vivitek? “Vivitek is part of Delta Electronics, a company founded 50 years ago. Delta’s mission statement – ‘To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow’ – has put the environment at the heart of everything it has done in the past five decades. Therefore, the environment has been a core part of Vivitek’s DNA from day one and is expressed not only in the products and solutions we offer, but also in the manufacturing process at all levels. Furthermore, corporate social

ing capabilities and our strong emphasis on environmental considerations with regard to the use of any material, substrates or components in our products.” “To that end, for Delta Electronics energy savings goes above and beyond the manufacturing process of products. For decades, with our green office buildings efforts, Delta Electronics has demonstrated what can be done to drastically reduce energy consumption and improve the overall working climate. In all of Delta’s customer communications, we reiterate how important it is to consider such factors. It’s thanks to this investment in the environment that Delta is one of the few companies invited to participate at COP summits,

responsibility is another key pillar of our company’s positioning.” So what guidance do you offer to customers keen to accept their environmental responsibilities? “Vivitek invited many customers to our manufacturing facilities in China to demonstrate our manufactur-

the most recent of course being COP 26 in Glasgow.”

Green signage Digital signage is amongst the most public expression of electricity consumption and therefore runs the risk of undermining the goodwill it creates or

does it?. Sharp NEC Display Solutions has been awarded the Green Signage Award 2021 by Invidis Consulting. With green issues being the most trending topic in the industry, we are proud to be at the forefront of sustainable management. Bernd Eberhardt, managing director of Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe GmbH, says “Our achievement is so much more than pioneering ecological production processes and eco product features. The mainstay of our sustainable approach is the durable long-life of our products, backed by our repair, reuse and recycle initiatives.” Whilst the electronics industry will always face challenges when it comes to the fight against climate change - carbon-neutrality will most likely never be entirely achievable there is much that can be done to limit its impact on the planet. Aspects of environmental protection and sustainability are playing an increasingly important role in purchasing decisions. Customers are looking for brands or business partners who take their responsibility seriously. The last century has seen a societal attitude which is inherently wasteful with an increase in the production of non-durable or disposable goods. This consumerism is now widely criticised as we become increasingly aware of its impact on the planet. Our industry has been slow to react to this change in society and many manufacturers are still producing products with a very short 1- or 2-year life cycle with no thought to recycling or sustainable waste management.

Feature Peoplewatch

Extended life cycles For many manufacturers who are solely focused on their P&L, the idea of extending the life of its products would be ludicrous. Sharp / NEC’s approach is very different - centered around the customer, not the sale. By offering support for the repair and refurbishment of our products, we are providing the greatest possible added value whilst helping customers to achieve their sustainability goals. “Our digital cinema projectors for example already have a proven long life cycle of 10 years or more. Sharp/NEC introduced a Prism Refurbishment Program to extend the peak performance of cinema projection to maximize the lifecycle and provide greater value to cinema operators. Even projectors which are out of warranty are included for a fast and cost-effective cleaning, repair and refurbishment process.” “dvLED technology is becoming more and more predominant as the technology of choice for large digital surfaces. It offers At Sharp/NEC, reliability and durability is fundamental to the brand credibility. “We take

pride in the quality of our products and are trusted in the industry as a quality manufactur-

er. Choosing quality is the most significant thing we can do for sustainability; the longer the

an extraordinarily long lifetime of over 10 years which is remarkable. Many manufacturers are focused on the sale, but as a long-term technology partner, Sharp/NEC is driven to ensure its customers enjoy the best possible experience over the entire lifetime of its products. We have developed a comprehensive, tailored service program to accompany our LED products to ensure our customers gain all the long-life advantages that LED promises.” “Sharp/NEC was the first in the industry to support customers globally. Our global service and support program enables digital signage integrators to repair or replace displays in any market, regardless of where they were purchased. The repair will be managed by a local service provider, not shipped to a centralized repair center. To this day, it is common in the industry to return products for RMA to the country where they were purchased, this shipping process increases the environmental impact whilst defective

life cycle, the less we consume, reducing exploitation of natural resources and limiting waste.”

Photo by Carlos Muza

4

P25 AV News December 2021

Feature products are disposed of before their typical period of use. The key role that extending the life of an electronic device plays in reducing its environmental impact has been recognised through more stringent ecodesign rules, a major element of the new EU Energy Label. The availability of spare parts and the recyclability of a product is taken into account.

Recycling “Before bringing a product to market, right from the point of conception, we are thinking about the entire lifecycle, including how that product will be recycled once it is no longer fit for purpose. Sharp/NEC uses recycled materials for all its products and avoids hazardous substances. Our large format displays, at 97.4%, are almost entirely recyclable, which is remarkable in our industry.” “We predominantly use metal housings and components for our large format displays and LED modules, a material that plays a decisive role in both durability and safety. Metal naturally dissipates heat from heat-sensitive electronic components to enhance longevity. Many of our competitors chose plastic or polycarbonate. Unlike plastic, metal can be 100% recycled and returned to

the cycle again and again.”

Reded energy consumption “Green signage is not only about how a product is produced, but also how it is used, and for how long it is used. More than 80% of the CO2 footprint of a display is created during usage, so improving the energy efficiency is our greatest lever in reducing the impact on the environment.” “A built-in Ambient Light Sensor assists in setting the appropriate brightness level of the display, automatically adjusting according to the ambient light conditions, whilst the Human Sensor detects the presence of the user and powers up/down accordingly to optimize power usage. Displays have an on-off scheduling function enabling them to power up or down at pre-determined times. On a larger scale, our free NaviSet Administrator software enables IT personnel to manage their large estate of displays more efficiently, centrally setting usage schedules and preempting maintenance requirements to reduce the draw on resources. All Sharp/NEC displays are shipped in an energy-saving preset because, in our experience, the end user rarely makes any adjustment to the factory setting

“In partnership with Intel, NEC was instrumental in the industry adoption of the OPS slot and its recent successor, the SDM, for embedded computing. Built-in media players con-

sume less energy because they share power with the screen. In addition, the computing power of our products can be upgraded and individually adapted according to the customers’

changing needs without having to replace the entire display.” Every year, invidis presents awards to the top place winners of its yearbook rankings. In recognition of its efforts to provide

sustainable display solutions and a long product life cycle, invidis has awarded Sharp/NEC with the Green Signage Award 2021.

made by better managing the use of technologies. An excellent example of this is powering down devices when they are not in use. For Interactive Flat Panel Displays (IFPDs), panel management software centralises control which enables schools to turn off all devices at the same time every day. This

avoids electricity being wasted should individual users forget to switch them off when leaving a classroom.” “Some IFPDs, like the ActivPanel, also have an energy saving mode to help reduce electricity consumption, even during normal use. That said, electricity usage is just one small element when it comes to the wider sustainability agenda. Best case scenario will always be to undertake a complete digital transformation. This will bring a whole estate up to the latest standards at the same time, ultimately delivering the most efficient and sustainable operations. In reality, schools are already facing much bigger challenges with hitting sustainable targets. With ageing buildings that are poorly insulated, it’s more common that upgrading AV and IT equipment has to be phased alongside wider infrastructure improvements.” Energy efficiency “Energy efficiency targets have been evident in buying policies for some time. These typically focus on power consumption, with the target for Interactive Flat Panels Displays (IFPDs) being set at 100w. We’re also increasingly being asked to evidence the environmental credentials of products, with Energy Star certification widely accepted as a trusted mark of energy efficiency.” “While policies to date have focused on product, in future

we anticipate this will broaden to the wider environmental impact of the AV and IT supply chain. When this comes into play, manufacturers will need to be prepared to evidence what measures are in place across all operations, including product manufacture as well as packaging and logistics. What kind of support guidance do you offer to customers keen to accept their environmental responsibilities: “The first pillar of our Corporate Social Responsibility Programme is environmental responsibility, so we are well prepared to share our initiatives and achievements with customers who are keen to accept their own environmental responsibilities.” “For example, we achieved carbon neutrality in 2019 through offset purchases. We’ve also improved our outbound transportation model to reduce emissions by 30% and reduced packaging materials - this has increased transportation efficiency by 20%. In terms of our own carbon emissions, the current target is to achieve a 25% reduction by the end of 2025. We will achieve this focusing on our buildings, staff mobility and good transport. Beyond carbon neutrality we consistently review product design to make products that are as sustainable as possible.”

Part 4: Sustainability and education Even before the pandemic. changes to education practice saw the education sector becoming a volume user of AV and IT solutions Jim Wallis, Head of UKI Markets, Promethean. He has seen in little change in attitudes among customers of late: “In education, AV and IT procurement is primarily driven

by the impact it will have on teaching and learning, manufacturer support, and available budget. When all these are equal, sustainability can come into play as the ultimate differentiator, but at present – at least in our experience – it is not the driving force behind buying decisions.”

Photo by Jeswin Thomas

P26 AV News December 2021

“The biggest business benefit is reduced energy costs. As the world strives to reduce environmental impact, energy efficiency has come to the fore in AV and IT system design. This has led to increasingly lower power consumption without compromising on performance. Further energy efficiency gains can be

Peoplewatch Review Feature

Highlights of 2021 The dawning of 2021 saw recovery from the pandemic get properly underway. Sadly, as the year draws to a close, it is clear that we still have some way to go. Nonetheless, AV and IT sectors have played their part. facilitating working from home, decentralising education and keeping the general population entertained while staying safe. Here is our selection of highlights over the last year.

January 2021 Panasonic focuses on collaboration for business

Panasonic Visual Systems Solutions announced that it will expand its product offering in 2021 with a wider range of collaboration solutions to address the changing needs of European businesses. The increased focus on wireless presentation and communication solutions, alongside its established touchscreen displays and projectors, will enable businesses to more easily share, collaborate and present information. In addition, Panasonic will be able to provide a complete range of technology solutions, as a single integrated provider, to fulfil any requirement.

Digital transformation for reimagined education

Rene Buhay, VP of Sales and Marketing at AVer Europe advised that schools need to keep on top of the new technology available to them in a post pandemic world. “When COVID-19 struck and we moved into a pandemic, the lack of digital capability of some schools was exposed. Many of these schools were likely planning for slow digitalisation before the pandemic. But their long-term plans suddenly became very short-term actions, and many administrators adapted admirably by accelerating digital transformation to reimagine education.”

NowSignage extended license uplift to NEC & April 2021 BrightSign bundle NowSignage has announced the launch of a ‘special offer’ that Europe’s most popular tech brands: allows unlimited promotional NowSignage licenses to be attached to the sale of the newly available NEC and BrightSign bundle, to provide a digital signage solution that is quick and easy for NEC customers to get up and running.

With our lives revolving around technology more so than ever before, RebootOnline.com were eager to find out more about how our relationship with big tech companies has changed during the pandemic. Through utilizing online analytics tools Ahrefs and Google Trends, experts at RebootOnline.com conducted a study looking into Europe’s most popular tech brands and how their popularity has altered over the past year. Facebook, Google, and Instagram stand as Europe’s most popular tech brands.

Exertis Pro AV bolsters UCC team

Exertis Pro AV has announced three new appointments in its Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) team. Andy Pollard, Pre-sales Architect, Haifa Jinadu, Pre-Sales Architect and Jon Grundy, UC&C Business Development Manager, will all report into Greg Bennett, Head of AV Solutions. The new recruits have almost 40 years’ experience between them.

New ‘roaring 20s’ party mood post pandemic? March 2021 PMA Research - improving sales through the channel When the first national lockdown in England happened back in March, many businesses initially panicked but believed that by summer, life as we knew it would return to normal. Now, with a second national lockdown, organisations have quickly come to realise that this is not a temporary problem, which in turn means, they can no longer justify a temporary solution.

PMA Research (PMA) has published their latest All-Displays sellthrough tracking report on professional large-format flat panel displays (32” and larger) and professional projectors (above 500 lumens) being sold by leading U.S. Distributors who serve commercial markets. The unit volume improvements seen late in the second quarter of 2020 continued into the second half of the year as sales improved markedly when compared to 2Q 2020. Fourth quarter sales were nearly flat compared with third quarter, movement that was counter to the usual trend of a much softer fourth quarter versus third quarter.

February 2021

disguise recognised for fastest-growing international sales

COVID-19 accelerates digital transformation

Barco reveals untapped potential in virtual education

97% of organisations are now using virtual classrooms to support learning and development, with over half (53%) reporting that they have proved to be their most successful learning platforms during the COVID-19 crisis. This data is part of new research conducted by Fosway Group, Europe’s #1 HR industry analyst, in partnership with Barco, a global provider of networked visualisation solutions. It follows Fosway research earlier in 2020 which showed that 95% of learning leaders believe L&D has changed forever because of the pandemic.

AV News Awards 2021 – winners announced!

This year’s AV News’ Awards feature both emerging technologies and suppliers relatively new to the market. For example, the astonishing work on the recreation of an underground city by the Polish Projekt Multimedia is a fine example of virtual reality and projection mapping to create a truly memorable visitor experience. Other examples of winning entries include digital signage projects that truly integrate with ecommerce operations and remote education solutions that provide economic assistance during the pandemic.

New Europe-wide research commissioned by Epson reveals a high proportion (83%) of people are planning to go to the same or a greater number of events once lockdown restrictions are lifted. Designed with the assistance of a leading psychologist and expert Professor Steven Taylor, a specialist on the impact of pandemics on social behaviour, found that the ‘life is short’ sentiment resonates strongest amongst Baby Boomers (64%), the Silent Generation (63%) and females (61%). Over two thirds (69%) also said social events are ‘good for my soul and make me happy’.

disguise secured a spot in the 12th Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200, as the sole live event technology provider among Britain’s mid-market companies with the fastest-growing international sales. This year’s special Covid-19 edition highlights the important contribution that private companies have made during the pandemic and marks the fourth consecutive year disguise has made it in the publication’s Fast Track league.

Consumers show growing interest in voice-control

Despite a challenging business environment, the global Technical Consumer Goods (TCG) industry has inched back to $799 billion (excluding North America), which is a 2 percent value growth in the full year. The smart product segments performed better than average, resulting in a revival of 24 percent to $28 billion across EU7* (Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium markets) Alert detectors, robot vacuum cleaners and cooking ranges enjoyed high demand driven by the ‘stay at home’ focus. Sales of voice-controlled products saw explosive growth of almost 61 percent in 2020, making them one of the best sellers of the year.

4

P27 AV News December 2021

Feature May 2021 Sharp launches the world’s largest 8K display

Sharp has announced the availability of a new 120” 8K UVA LCD electronic display for professional use - the 8M-B120C. The new large format display is the largest 8K monitor available on the market, specifically designed to convey unparalleled lifelike image detail and quality, ideally suited for professional environments that need high levels of visual clarity and precision. Sharp/NEC enhances digital signage with new Raspberry Pi MediaPlayer

Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe has launched a new MPi4

NEC MediaPlayer Kit to augment large format display solutions, giving customers access to an advanced media player solution and content management system (CMS) capabilities. When bundled with any new NEC large format display, the MediaPlayer kit is ideally placed to meet the needs of retail, quick-service restaurants, transportation and corporate environments as well as leisure and museum applications.

TeamViewer acquires Viscopic

TeamViewer has announced the acquisition of Viscopic to expand TeamViewer’s enterprise AR portfolio, with pioneering solutions for interactive 3D visualisation and Mixed reality (MR) workflow digitalisation. Customers of the Munich-based startup including blue-chip companies Audi, Siemens Energy, and Deutsche Bahn use Viscopic’s highly innovative technologies for production, maintenance, quality assurance, and training purposes.

Barco: “Meeting rooms take centre stage in the hybrid workplace”

Barco ClickShare has revealed the results from its annual research on meeting trends and engagement. As the Meeting Barometer, Barco's meeting quality index, takes a plunge from +17 in 2020 to -25 now, the report marks 5 trends in work and meeting on the verge of returning to the office post-covid. Hybrid meeting creates opportunities for business leaders to change work culture, redesign the workplace and invest in usability and technology fully in synch with employee needs.

installation market. It also provides logistics, refurbishment and staging services for network devices to some of the largest Telecoms operators in France

ISE London achieves networking objective

Last month’s educed scale ISE event provided a much needed, and therefore welcomed in=person event. While in no way comparable to the regular ISE event – with the next full-scale show due from the 1st to the 4th February 2022 – the London event provided an in-person supplement to the ISE Digital service.

May flat panel unit sales exceed May 2019

PMA Research (PMA), the worldwide market information experts on large displays, have published their latest sell-through tracking report on large-format (32-inch and larger) flat panel displays being sold by leading U.S. AV, PC and IT Distributors who typically serve commercial markets. Large-format display sales through U.S. distribution grew in May, rising 11% in volume and 17% in revenues when compared with April. Year-over-year showed the expected growth over pandemic-suppressed May 2020 with units and revenues up more than 30% and 40% respectively, when compared to last year. In fact, May 2021 display sales exceeded May 2019 sales by 5%, a positive sign that segments of the market are returning.

New way to reach elusive ‘invisible’ influencers CTOUCH UK partners with Mozaik Education

Touchscreen manufacturer CTOUCH has announced an official partnership with one of the World’s leading Educational Software developers Mozaik Education in the UK. The software is renowned for producing an extensive range of incredibly detailed 3D content for education of all levels covering audio files, 3D multimedia content, static images, and lesson plans. The software boasts some impressive figures for educators and learners alike, with 40 languages, 1258 3D scenes, 119 tools and games, 1094 videos and 250 digital lessons to name a few.

Control digital signage and interactive touchscreens with ClevertouchLive

Clevertouch has released ClevertouchLive - a new digital signage Content Management Platform (CMP) that will challenge the norm and deliver revolutionary technology to enhance the user and audience experience. ClevertouchLive is a cutting-edge solution, there is no other platform on the market with advanced features designed to create a truly effortless experience for users and satisfies the demand for different functionality moving in to a Post-Covid world.

With ‘invisible influencers’ posing a growing threat to B2B marketers, a global story selling agency is introducing a new way to reach out to powerful yet elusive users. Story Hero sets out to reinvent the traditional case study, supporting marketers as they create and publish engaging, persuasive, and shareable content with those who can get it in front of the right audiences.

Christie appoints Visualization as UK distribution partner

Christie has announced a new UK partnership with Visualization. The UK-based company will be joining Christie as the UK’s Technical Distribution Partner, offering a full system design, build and supply of services and products, to the integration and dealer channel. Visualization is an associate company of AV Rack Build and is able to draw on a long-established relationship with Christie and its products. The new arrangement gives integrators a onestop-shop for system pricing, orders, and an opportunity to take advantage of additional AV engineering services and technical expertise each step of the way.

August 2021 Pro AV outlook positive despite decline in 2020

After peaking at $259 billion in 2019, pro AV industry revenue dropped to $214 billion globally in 2020 due to the pandemic, according to the new 2021 AV Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) produced by AVIXA. IOTA forecasts revenue will reach $232 billion in 2021 and grow to $329 billion in 2026, representing a 7.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

June 2021

Sharp/NEC unveils new WD551 WCD

Manufacturers turn to digital transformation to enhance operations

Following the concerns bought about by the Covid pandemic, over half of manufacturers now have their sights set on digital transformation initiatives to enhance their operational performance, according to research from InfinityQS. The company’s 2021 Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey reveals that 52% of respondents have already or are exploring the option of adopting a digital transformation initiative, with advanced analytics (24%) as their top priority.

July 2021 Fuze study reveals gaps in trust in flexible work

Fuze has announced the results of a new global study of 8,800 workers, which reveals that as flexible work is increasingly viewed as an expectation for the working world, but attitudes continue to vary widely across industries, roles and geographies. The Fuze report, “FLEX Study: Global Findings on the Future of Flexible Work”, reinforces that organisations and business leaders should not consider flexible work as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ benefit, but a personalised experience that should be tailored to an individual’s unique work preferences, role within their team, industry practices, aligned to goals and expected outcomes, and established through a foundation of trust.

Exertis expands footprint in France

Exertis has announced it has now completed the acquisition of Azenn Holding Développement (‘Azenn’) after receiving regulatory approval earlier this month. Azenn is a leading distributor of structured cabling solutions and network devices to the French

P28 AV News December 2021

Sharp NEC Display Solutions Europe has launched the NEC MultiSync WD551, a Microsoft Windows collaboration display that provides an integrated smart solution for modern meeting spaces. The WD551 is a room peripheral certified for Microsoft Teams designed to support maximum flexibility in hybrid working practices, enabling Bring Your Own Meeting (BYOM) scenarios - users simply connect their own device via the display’s secure USB-C cable to immediately share content and start video meetings.

Feature Vivitek set to create a memorable impression in large venues

As large venues start opening their doors and welcoming back visitors and guests, Vivitek has announced the new D6000Z Series of WUXGA Large Venue Laser Projectors. Comprising the DU6198Z and the DU6298Z, the versatile projectors - with a single chip DLP and laser light source technology – have been designed to deliver a brightness of 8500 and 10,000 ANSI Lumens respectively, outstanding picture quality and high flexibility for installation in any venue.

September 2021

October 2021 Research values hybrid working over a 10% pay rise

Asked whether they’d prefer autonomy over where they worked or higher pay, 72% of office workers said they’d rather have the option to continue working remotely than extra cash. New research from IWG shows the pandemic has had a significant effect on employees’ priorities. According to their recent survey, 72% of office workers would prefer a hybrid way of working to a full-time return to the office – even if reverting to the old Monday to Friday routine meant earning 10% more money.

Exertis appoints Director of AV

DTEN agrees strategic investment from Zoom

DTEN has announced an investment made in the company by Zoom Video Communications, Inc. The investment allows DTEN, recognized for its all-in-one collaboration technology, to accelerate new product and services innovations. “Zoom and DTEN are both dedicated to future-forward technology, seamless user experiences and a relentless pursuit of customer happiness,” said Wei Liu, DTEN founder and CEO. “With this investment, DTEN is able to innovate even faster to support and advance the Zoom-connected world.”

BrightSign accepts majority investment from Graham Partners

BrightSign has announced that Graham Partners has made a significant investment in the company. Graham Partners is a private investment firm targeting technology-driven advanced manufacturing companies. The investment is expected to fuel BrightSign’s growth initiatives to continue providing the most powerful digital experiences for a variety of high-growth markets including retail, healthcare, education, attractions, stadiums, and transportation, among others. BrightSign was sourced on a proprietary basis through Graham Partners’ Investment Theme Program with a specific focus on digital signage. This outreach ultimately resulted in Graham Partners’ investment in BrightSign. The company’s founders will continue to be significant investors alongside of Graham Partners.

Exertis has today confirmed the appointment of Jamie Brothwell as Director of AV. With 19 years in the channel, Brothwell brings with her a wealth of experience and has proven herself to be an effective leader of teams by transforming the performance of the areas she has accountability for. Most recently, Brothwell has done this with Exertis’ Accessories, Peripherals and Own Brand Division in role as Commercial Director. Prior to this, she held roles in Business Development for B2B and led Exertis’ Print business to deliver record sales and revenue growth. Brothwell held roles at Samsung and Midwich Group prior to joining Exertis and has relationships with a number of key AV vendors.

CDEC launches ‘CDEC live’ Exertis enhances its cloud services offering with Adobe partnership

Exertis’s intelligent cloud services platform portfolio has announced its second new partnership in recent weeks, with the addition of innovative software giant, Adobe. A full range of Adobe products including Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, Premier Pro, Adobe Acrobat, and Adobe Sign are all now available for Exertis Cloud partners. Customers can easily buy and deploy Adobe products for their end customers through the Exertis Cloud marketplace, and Exertis Cloud has also launched a time-saving renewal process to help customers manage their Adobe licenses. More than five million organisations worldwide rely on Adobe products for the creation, management, editing, and sharing of essential business documents.

CDEC has announced the launch of ‘CDEC Live’, a new division of the AV integrator that specialises in live streaming. With largescale physical events no longer able to take place due to COVID-19 restrictions, many have now become hybrid or online offerings, prompting CDEC to invest in a specialist team to provide the quality of experience necessary for a successful streamed event.

Sharp UK announces new partner programme

Is Hybrid working here to stay?

Yes, according to eFax if businesses want to retain talent. Three quarters (76%) of UK IT decision-makers believe their organisation could have made the transition to a hybrid model sooner if they were aware of the pros and cons before the pandemic. This is according to the latest research from eFax, the cloud-based fax solution for businesses.

DCC forms Exertis North America business unit

DCC Technology has announced the formation of a new business unit, Exertis North America, to manage the operations of its recent acquisitions Jam Industries and Stampede. According to Tim Griffin, Managing Director of DCC Technology, Marty Szpiro, the long-time President and CEO of Jam Industries, is stepping up to serve as President & CEO of Exertis North America. Stuart Frenkel, Jam Industries’ current CFO, will become the new President of the renamed Exertis/Jam. Stampede, which rebranded as Exertis in 2020, will operate under the Exertis Pro AV banner led by John Dunne, its President and Managing Director.

Holdan acquires Intro 2020 Holdan, part of the Midwich nounced the acquisition of certain assets of Intro 2020, tributor of imaging products. 1971, Intro 2020 is one of the suppliers of photo and pro-vidcarrying such brands as CamCotton Carrier, Hoya, Kenko, Tech, Plustek, Samyang, Slik, Tamrac and Velbon. The acquiimmediately, with the migraand data taking place over the Every effort is being made to transition is as smooth as pos2020 customers.

Group, has anthe business and a specialist disEstablished in country’s leading eo equipment, Ranger, Cokin, Lenspen, Op/ Steiner, Summit, sition takes place tion of systems coming weeks. ensure that the sible for Intro

Sharp UK has announced the launch of its new Technology Partner Programme. The new programme supports partner growth, rewards success, and increases opportunities for a wide range of businesses. Structured with three tiers, as partners move through the tiers, they unlock more benefits – from sales and product training to additional tender assistance and marketing assets. The new programme reinforces Sharp’s commitment to its dealer partners and supports them in responding to post-pandemic business needs. The new programme will provide essential support and resources for growth and increase opportunities for Sharp’s technology partners the Technology Partner Programme has been created specifically to support partner growth, reward success, and increase opportunities for a wide range of businesses.

November 2021 Partnership responds to market demand for hybrid working

Resonate, a Microsoft Gold Partner, specialising in implementing advanced Microsoft unified communication solutions globally, and Kinly, a leading global provider of visual collaboration services and support announces the launch of their hybrid focused video and voice services for Microsoft Teams. The era of hybrid work is truly here, organisations and their employees need solutions and services to help them work together in the new hybrid workplace. According to Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index, ‘Employees want the best of both worlds: over 70 percent of workers want flexible remote work options to continue, while over 65 percent are craving more in-person time with their teams. To prepare, 66 percent of business decision makers are considering redesigning physical spaces to better accommodate hybrid work environments.’

PPDS announces partnership with Logitech

This latest PPDS partnership combines Logitech’s advanced range of video conferencing and audio solutions with the dedicated Philips-branded corporate and education display ranges to offer extensive, unrivalled online meeting and collaboration capabilities for hybrid working and learning. Adding even more choice to

December 2021 IBC ‘in-person’ event cancelled

IBC organisers have taken the decision to cancel the in-person element of the 2021 event at the RAI in Amsterdam. They felt that the Covid situation in the Netherlands left them with no choice. In a statement, the IBC’s organisers said the move follows growing concerns about the Covid-19 situation in the Netherlands, which has deteriorated over the past week, and feedback from the IBC exhibitor and visitor community.

PMA shows positive AV revenue growth

PMA Research (PMA) has published its latest sell-through tracking report on large-format (32-inch and larger) flat panel displays being sold by leading U.S. AV, PC and IT Distributors who typically serve commercial markets. Revenue for sales of flat panel displays through the distribution channel remained strong despite a drop in unit sales, with total revenues up 4% compared to October 2020. Year-to-date, volume and revenues remain ahead of YTD2020 mainly due to the second quarter strength compared to the low pandemic-depressed sales in 2Q2020. Demand remains strong, particularly in education, but sales in the second half of the year have been hampered by supply limitations that may continue to challenge the market through the next few quarters.

4

P29 AV News December 2021

Peoplewatch

Peoplewatch Meyer Sound has announced the filling of six positions spanning education and training, sales management, and technical services, with new hires based in the USA, the Middle East and China. In her new position as Training and Education Program Manager, Robyn Bykofsky will oversee the company’s global training and education programs, including online platforms as well as in-person, hands-on training sessions. Bykofsky has strong credentials in both education and media technology, including top-level positions at the UC Theatre Taube Music Hall in Berkeley, Youth UpRising in Oakland, and the Ninth Street Independent Film Center/ TILT in San Francisco. She holds a master’s degree in education with a focus in technology from Harvard University and is based at the Berkeley headquarters. As Technical Services Specialist, Middle East and Africa, Sana Romanos will offer a range of support services throughout the region, including customer tech support and coordinating design services as well as facilitating demos and education programs. She holds a B.S. degree in physics from American University of Beirut and a master’s degree in audio engineering from Université Blaise Pascal. Her industry experience includes technical management and front of house/monitor mixing positions with international touring artists and major music festivals, notably the Roskilde Festival in Denmark. She is based in Beirut, Lebanon. As the new Sales Manager, Middle East and Africa, Andrea Granata will take on primary responsibility for supporting and building Meyer Sound’s dealer and distributor network in the region. He brings to his new position extensive experience in both the technical and marketing sides of the industry, including regional market development for Shure and work as an installation and touring audio technician. He is based in Dubai, UAE. In his new role as Technical Sales Support Specialist, a returning Theodore Huang works closely with Meyer Sound’s distributor in China and resellers throughout the Asia Pacific in presentations as well as design and commissioning of systems. Previously, Huang had served with Meyer Sound in business development and technical support positions, in the interim holding key technical positions with Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and Universal Beijing Resort. He is based in Shanghai, China. With the appointment of Blake Vackar as Residential Sales Manager, Meyer Sound will leverage its recent growth surge in the high-value home cinema market. Vackar brings to his new post more than 25 years of sales leadership in residential systems at both the dealer/integrator and manufacturer levels, most recently with Screen Innovations. Berkeley-based Technical Services Associate Leonard Blanche will join the team providing broad-based customer support across all product groups. A native of Italy with an M.A. degree from the State Conservatory of Florence, Blanche comes to Meyer Sound with extensive experience and training as both a performing and recording musician as well as a sound engineer with in-depth knowledge of advanced digital audio systems. “Once again we are gratified by the high level of talent and commitment to excellence that we find throughout our global team, including these new additions,” says Meyer Sound Executive Vice President Helen Meyer. “We are proud that Meyer Sound is a worldwide leader in professional audio technology, but we also recognize that it takes exceptional people to make sure our advanced technology connects with audiences in ways that excite, inform, and inspire.” Matt Shaw has joined Collabtech Group as vice president of business development bringing with him over 10 years of experience at Microsoft and a wealth of knowledge about the ever-evolving hybrid workplace. Matt took the lead on major projects at Microsoft within the unified communications arena. He was the global marketing lead for the Microsoft Surface Hub and responsible for establishing it as an industry-leading front-of-room collaboration device for the modern workplace. Working closely across Microsoft business groups, Matt and a team of dedicated collaboration and communication experts tightly integrated Microsoft Surface products into the Teams devices portfolio led by the Microsoft Surface Hub 2S as the premium Microsoft Teams Rooms all-in-one category. As VP of business development at Collabtech Group, Matt will be using his in-depth understanding of customer behaviour and needs to develop new lines of business that complement the company’s deploy, adopt and maintain mission. These include a focus on modern management of the meeting space, a strategy for supporting and refining the digital workflow and proactively supporting the channel with forward-thinking knowledge acquisition. Matt Shaw, VP of business development at Collabtech Group explains: “I’ve always been hugely impressed by the work of Collabtech in advancing collaboration in the workplace. Even more so when the pandemic hit and improving AV collaboration practices became centre stage. With fresh challenges around the deployment, adoption and maintenance of new AV solutions, there has never been a more exciting time to be joining the team as they continue to lead into the unknown but exciting hybrid future with new business ventures.”

P30 AV News December 2021

new strategic direction and lots of new partnerships and customers. We are poised for growth in Europe, the Middle East and North America with a range of solutions for various customer types. I’m excited to see how we progress over the coming months.” With vast experience of the market challenges and opportunities and knowledge of installation, project management and commissioning, Jon understands the benefits and flexibility of a software solution like SmartCore, and how it can benefit various stakeholders within the industry, including Smart Building Consultants, System Integrators, M&E Contractors and OEMs. Jon Couch comments: “I am delighted to be joining amBX. I have known about the company for years and watched them grow and develop from afar. I am blown away by the potential their software holds, and I’m excited to get stuck in and start working with a growing, dynamic likeminded team of passionate individuals.”

Matt Shaw has joined Collabtech Group as vice president of business development bringing with him over 10 years of experience at Microsoft and a wealth of knowledge about the ever-evolving hybrid workplace. Jon Sidwick, president of Collabtech Group, comments: “We’ve seen some fascinating tactical and responsive activities happening across numerous areas of digital collaboration. But the future success of collaboration depends on us removing barriers and gaining a better understanding of what works best for business in order to develop the services and programmes that empower the future of modern management and flexible working. It’s great to have Matt, and his extensive experience, joining us at this crucial time as we launch new initiatives to support the channel across these areas.” amBX announced that it has appointed Jonathan Couch as Product and Solutions Director, a brand-new role for the business. As an experienced Product and Engineering professional with an extensive smart technology and product development background, Jon will bridge the gap between commercial and technical and assume responsibilities. As a well-known and respected industry expert, Jon has worked for many established organisations, including Au-

amBX announced that it has appointed Jonathan Couch as Product and Solutions Director. rora, enModus and Microlights. He is an IoT and innovation champion and speaker across the globe with experience of working with a number of diverse integration partners. Jon will bring together his experience and knowledge of lighting product development, sourcing, smart technology, innovation, market needs, delivery, smart buildings and IoT to effectively develop SmartCore and align it with varying customer needs. Phil Cross, Chief Executive Officer, amBX commented: “I have known Jon for a number of years and have always admired his work. We have had the pleasure of working together a couple of times, and I’m delighted to have him on board and joining the team at amBX. I know Jon will deliver real value and fit into the team seamlessly. It’s a very exciting future for us at amBX; with a

MediaStar Systems, developer of the powerful MediaStar range of IPTV, streaming, and digital signage solutions, has announced the appointment of AV expert Scott Craig to Regional Sales Manager for North-eastern, United States. With a wealth of expertise drawn from a career devising and implementing visual communications solutions, delivering impactful training, and influencing product marketing strategies, Scott Craig will work with the MediaStar team to boost business development and sales in MediaStar’s Eastern region of the United States. Scott Craig has worked for a number of leading AV organizations, most recently Key Digital Systems where he was National Northern U.S. Sales Manager and hosted live broadcasts on the company’s social media outlet ‘Coffee with Key and Unlocking AV w/ Mike T’. He also headed up sales at Aurora Multimedia in New Jersey, and prior to that was at Magnolia Home Theatre and at Technomedia Solutions. He has a good overview of the AV ecosystems in end-client companies and excellent contacts with the channel, consultants, and the system architect community. Shaun Oxenham, CEO at MediaStar Systems, said: “Scott Craig is a technologist with a deep understanding across all parts of the audio visual spectrum. He has spent years working in corporate sales management and instinctively knows what will work from a technology perspective, and this will be highly valuable to the continued expansion of our footprint in the United States. We welcome Scott on board and believe he will quickly become a highly valued member of our team.”

MediaStar Systems, developer of the powerful MediaStar range of IPTV, streaming, and digital signage solutions, has announced the appointment of AV expert Scott Craig to Regional Sales Manager for North-eastern, United States. Pixotope, the creator of the world’s leading Virtual Production solution, has appointed Sergio Cardenas as their Regional Sales Manager in Southern Europe. Sergio’s passion for audiovisual systems, live and broadcast productions, and innovative technology have driven his high-end broadcasting career over the last 20 years. Specialist in real-time graphics, virtual studios, and virtual reality solutions, Sergio’s previous experience includes roles at companies such as Orad Hi-Tech Systems and Avid Technology. Sergio Cardenas commented: “Pixotope’s ground-breaking mixed reality and virtual production solutions are leading the market, and I’m really excited to help drive this moment of growth. I’ve been following their technology for a while now and look forward to being part of a team that is pioneering virtual production, providing broadcasters with the tools needed to deliver the most demanding live productions in the world”. Sonosphere started the next chapter in its journey to bring all areas of immersive audio to the live, studio and broadcast markets by completing a management buyout which sees existing director, Ja-

Peoplewatch

Peoplewatch mie Gosney, joined by Duncan Bell, one of the best-known names in the audio industry. Sonosphere’s mission has always been to make immersive audio accessible to the industry at large. Over the past 18 months it has been part of the ground-breaking 5G Festival (part of the DCMS 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme (5GTT). This award-winning project aims to utilise the 5G network to revolutionise the live music industry, creating new commercial opportunities for arts and entertainment, and giving artists and audiences new ways to interact with each other. Its work with 5GF partner Metropolis Studios, has also helped create the highest resolution Dolby Atmos certified studio in the UK, which has hit the ground running since opening in July. “I became a shareholder and director of Sonosphere last year and I could see the huge potential the company had,” says Gosney. “When the opportunity to take over the ownership was presented, I knew that it was too good to miss. But I needed to have the right team in place to take it forward and make the most of all the opportunities that are presenting themselves.” Gosney and Bell have decades of experience in the audio industry, and first met when Gosney was working as Front of House engineer on a show for Autograph in the mid-80s. Whilst Gosney left the show and went on to forge a successful career as a studio owner, mix engineer and audio systems designer, Bell stayed with Autograph, working his way up the ranks to the position of Group Financial director, a position he held for over 20 years. Having been an instrumental part of the company becoming one of the most successful entities in the theatre market, growing to an annual turnover of over £12 million, Bell decided that after 35-years’ service, it was time for a new challenge and left Autograph in the spring of 2020. With time on his hands during the pandemic, he soon found himself engrossed in the #WeMakeEvents campaign and subsequently formed his own consulting business, Wideband Consulting Ltd, which among other things, continues his work campaigning for spectrum access for the sector. “We talked about what was happening at Sonosphere shortly after that, and I mooted the idea of him joining us at some point in the future,” Gosney recalls. “I’m more than delighted that he has now decided to throw his hat into the Sonosphere ring.” “I’d learned about Sonosphere with great interest and followed its progress, and it became clear it had quickly built a name synon-

Sonosphere started the next chapter in its journey to bring all areas of immersive audio to the live, studio and broadcast markets by completing a management buyout which sees existing director, Jamie Gosney, joined by Duncan Bell, one of the best-known names in the audio industry. ymous with spatial audio,” adds Bell. “Theatre productions have been immersive for many years, but developments in the last few years, coupled with ultra-low latency 5G technology have come together to provide great opportunities to deliver object based spatial audio to all audiences far and wide. The work with Metropolis and the other 5GFestival partners is exciting in itself, and Jamie’s vision and enthusiasm is infectious, so when he told me he was buying the company and wanted me to be part of the new structure, I jumped at the chance.” The first project the pair worked on together was to deliver the spatial audio for the album launch of a major artist at the end of October. “This was an amazing first job for the new company structure,” concludes Gosney. “The results were fantastic and we’re looking forward to many more projects that are equally exciting.” CJP Broadcast has announced the promotion of Kieran Phillips to the role of sales manager, broadcast & virtual production technology. He joined the company in July 2019 as sales & service executive, gaining experience across CJP's broad spectrum of product sales, system integration and media archive management. “Kieran has proved an efficient and effective addition to the company, pulling his weight through every project we faced him with,” comments CJP Broadcast founder and managing director Chris Phillips. “The company has grown in strength, size and visibility over the past two years, thanks in no small measure to Kieran's

CJP Broadcast has announced the promotion of Kieran Phillips to the role of sales manager, broadcast & virtual production technology. grasp of broadcast technology and the ways in which it can be used to achieve specific practical goals. One of his most recent tasks was a new 4K-UHD virtual studio which we completed in Q3 for the University of Sunderland. Kieran secured the contract and managed the project from concept to completion. He also contributed very effectively to our live sports production activity, following the action as a key member of the camera team.” “Working in the broadcast and wider media business is both a pleasure and a challenge, as almost everyone in the industry realises,” Kieran Phillips adds. “CJP's role as a hands-on production service provider is particularly useful as it creates opportunities to gain hands-on practical experience in using the type of systems we specialise in supplying. Working with our various supply partners is also highly motivating given the combination of advanced engineering, affordability and operational versatility which they encapsulate. New developments in virtual production, IP and cloud-based software are examples of the advances which will ensure the broadcast industry continues to be exciting well into the future.” Leading management process automation provider, ActiveOps, has announced the appointment of Jim Kilsby, former IBM Vice President, as their Regional Chair based in Australia. Jim will supporting the sales strategy alongside Jane Lambert, Regional General Manager - APAC whose focus will be to expand the brand presence in the Australian market. Chief Revenue Officer at ActiveOps, Julian Harper, said: “The APAC region is a key strategic market for ActiveOps and operational management practise here tends to lead the world. Our long-term customers locally include NAB, ANZ, Westpac and AIA and we have a great team on the ground across the region. On to this solid foundation, it is now time to further build our capabilities in and commitment to the region and drive further expansion into the market.” Jim is an experienced Senior Executive who has led growth in businesses through all cycles. More recently, he has run a farming business, a start-up in landscape/heritage construction services, as well as providing consulting services to the international IT&T sector. With four of IBM's global top ten accounts to his name, he comes to ActiveOps with experience in leading complex integrations and transformational change programs. Since leaving IBM, Jim has worked with two smaller companies, focused on the digital marketplace and integrating cloud technologies to achieve greater customer satisfaction. Jim Kilsby, said, “ActiveOps innovation, is helping the world's largest financial services firms manage the pace and complexity of running operations. I am looking forward to joining this growing and focused group and be a part of a growing team in ActiveOps Australia.” Jane Lambert, Regional General Manager, stated: "We are delighted to welcome Jim to the ActiveOps family. His extensive knowledge in the digital marketplace and technological expertise will demonstrate outstanding business acumen. We look forward to moving the company forward with Jim's creative and innovative solutions to strategic business challenges with vision.” As one of the world's leading providers of management process automation solutions, ActiveOps has helped organisations improve how they measure and manage employee productivity, capacity, and wellbeing by using robust data capture tools and intelligent automation software. In 2020 the world paused, and the future of operations became unclear for so many. ActiveOps guided its customers with high-quality data, giving operations leaders their 'eyes and ears back' while managing remote work. As we have all moved through the ups and downs of the last 18 months, we've learned a lot, and now as we look ahead (knowing what we know now), we want to share that experience. Having Jim as our Regional Chair will only strengthen our focus and global vision across the company.” concluded Harper. VuWall has announced the appointment of Fadhl Al-Bayaty as director of product management. This new leadership position will

be focused on consolidating the company's software and hardware product strategy, ensuring cohesive and harmonious growth. “Fadhl is the ideal choice to break new ground in leading product management efforts for our entire line,” said Paul Vander Plaetse, founder and CEO of VuWall. “He comes to us with a deep knowledge of the industry, years of relevant experience and a hands-on approach that will make an immediate impact. We are thrilled to welcome Fadhl to our growing team.” Al-Bayaty has a master's degree in software engineering from Concordia University. He was formerly with Matrox, serving in a progression of roles including applications engineer, product manager and business development manager. In his leadership role, Al-Bayaty will head product strategy for the entire life cycle of every product in VuWall's ecosystem, ensuring interoperability between all products as well as many third-party solutions. He will be responsible for maintaining the product vision and strengthening the VuWall product roadmap with innovative solutions that increase productivity and enhance visualization experiences in control rooms and corporate workspaces. Al-Bayaty will also play an important role in product marketing efforts, working in collaboration with the marketing team for product launches and educating the market on new technology and solutions. “I have always been so impressed with VuWall's innovative solutions and company culture,” said Al-Bayaty. “I am very excited to be joining such a talented and passionate team in a position that will allow me to take my career to the next level. I am grateful for this incredible opportunity, and I look forward to accelerating the company's growth even further.” Al-Bayaty is VuWall's latest hire of many in the last 12 months, contributing to a 20% growth in staff, both in their Montreal and German office as well as in their U.S.-based sales office.

VuWall has announced the appointment of Fadhl Al-Bayaty as director of product management. Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of William Wong as the company's regional sales manager for Southeast Asia. Wong joins the company with more than 20 years of experience in the broadcast video industry. He will be responsible for leading both direct and channel sales across the region. “With years of experience in broadcast technology sales in Southeast Asia, William has a terrific understanding of markets across region, an impressive network of connections Riedel Communications has across channel partners and announced the appointment of direct clients, and a reputa- William Wong as the compation as a knowledgeable and ny's regional sales manager for personable sales professional,” Southeast Asia. said Simon Roehrs, Director APAC at Riedel. “We're very pleased to welcome him to Riedel.” Wong joins Riedel having most recently served in roles as senior sales manager and regional sales manager for Southeast Asia for EditShare UK. He earlier served in similar roles at Imagine Communications and Matrox Video. He began his career as a product manager for Matrox in Malaysia. Over his career, Wong has worked with leading media organizations across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, and Vietnam, and he has worked closely with channel partners in managing sales, after-sales, and support of key regional clients. “While offering renowned communications and real-time media network products, Riedel continues to innovate and deliver new solutions that are shaping the future of the broadcast and production industries," said Wong. "It's an exciting time to be joining the company and bringing greater awareness of Riedel solutions to territories across Southeast Asia.” Wong will be based in Singapore and reports directly to Roehrs.

4

P31 AV News December 2021

Diary and Events

Over 700 exhibitors confirmed for ISE 2022 Nureva XT classroom solution debuts at ISE 2022 ISE 2022 returns with a vibrant and inspiring edition, a redesigned show floor and new demonstration areas guaranteed to enable exhibitors to ‘Rise Up. Reimagine. Ignite the Future.’ Exhibitors are signing up in significant numbers to take part in ISE 2022, the destination for world-class brands to showcase the latest technologies in pro AV. With over 700 exhibitors already committed, including bellwether brands Barco, Crestron, KNX, Kramer, LG, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony to name just a few. The show floor has been redesigned and will

returning to strength. We are delighted that we already have 700+ exhibitors confirming their presence at ISE 2022 and we expect more to confirm in the coming days. With a vibrant thought leadership content programme and inspiring show floor, we are very much looking forward to getting back to business in Barcelona in February next year.” A regular highlight of ISE, Crestron has exhibited at every single edition since the show’s launch in 2004 and is a key booth to visit in the Multi-Technology Zone. Brad Hintze, Executive VP, Mar-

have been released since the last time we were all together in person. Crestron is deeply committed to dealer success, and we look forward to the conversations and the opportunity to develop new business at ISE 2022.” Six technology zones Taking advantage of the large, modern venue at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Vía, ISE’s new home, provides ample space for a new approach to the show floor. Six technology zones, set out over five spacious halls, group together exhibitors in the major technology areas, making it simpler for delegates to plan

Nureva Inc., inventor of ground-breaking technology that simplifies audio conferencing, announces its participation in ISE 2022 with the worldwide debut of Nureva XT, an integrated end-to-end solution that combines Nureva audio with a camera and premium services for hybrid classrooms. Visitors to ISE at FIRA Barcelona, Gran Via from 1-4 February 2022, can visit Nureva’s stand 2F250 in the Unified Communications and Education Technology Zone to learn how the company’s game-changing audio-conferencing systems make it easy and affordable to get consistent, full-room audio coverage in mid-size and large meeting and learning spaces. Nureva systems deliver the audio performance that customers demand without the cost and complexity associated with installation, setup and maintenance of traditional multicomponent DSP solutions. Powered by patented Microphone Mist technology, Nureva systems are the only audio-conferenc-

including the additions of Voice Amplification Mode for training rooms and classrooms, the launch of Nureva XT, the company’s newest offering for learning environments, and analytics and insights in Nureva Console that give IT staff information about device usage and acoustic performance. Visitors to Nureva’s stand can also learn about the Nureva Developer Toolkit, which includes a growing collection of cloudbased APIs and support documentation for Nureva audio systems, and the newest product integrations and certifications with Microsoft Teams, Logitech and Barco ClickShare. Nureva XT was designed specifically for educators who want the flexibility to extend the in-classroom experience to remote students or classrooms, provide enriched learning opportunities for their students and support virtual administrative meetings and teacher PD sessions. The Nureva XT solution combines a Nureva audio system (HDL300 for mid-size class-

ing products that fill a space with thousands of virtual microphones to provide full-room pickup. This allows students or meeting participants to be heard throughout the room regardless of their location, the direction they face or the presence of unwanted sounds such as HVAC fans. ISE is the destination for the world’s AV industry, and the 2022 event marks Nureva’s first participation in a largescale conference and trade show since ISE 2020. The company will showcase numerous recent developments

Nureva’s booth for ISE 2022 - “ISE continues to be a significant event for Nureva, and we are delighted to be back in 2022 to give attendees a first look at the many additions and developments to our expanding audio conferencing product line,” said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva’s CEO.

warranty and advance replacement. In addition to showcasing what’s new, Nureva will continue to recruit distributors in select countries and engage with end users to discuss how the company’s line of products can solve their challenges. Nureva has experienced tremendous growth in its customer base since 2020, including the addition of Michelin and L’Oréal in France, Accenture and Heidelberg University in Germany, Universidad de las Americas and Universidad del Desarrollo in Chile, River Island and Deloitte in the UK, and Ritsumeikan University in Japan. “ISE continues to be a significant event for Nureva, and we are delighted to be back in 2022 to give attendees a first look at the many additions and developments to our expanding audio conferencing product line,” said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva’s CEO. “Hybrid working and learning has never been more important, and our audio solutions avoid the significant

Integrated Systems Europe, ISE 2022, will take place at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Vía on 1-4 February 2022. The ISE Conference programme runs from Monday 31 January through to Friday 4 February. For more information, please visit www.iseurope.org also feature a brand-new Discovery Zone, highlighting 40 new companies exhibiting for the first time. Mike Blackman, Managing Director, Integrated Systems Events comments: “It is very heartening to see that globally, events and exhibitions are

keting of Crestron comments: “ISE continues to be a vital connection point for our industry across the residential and commercial spaces. We are eagerly anticipating this year’s show as a platform to showcase the many award-winning and category-defining solutions that

their visit and find and compare the wide variety of solutions they need for their integration projects.

The six zones are: •NEW: Unified Comms & Education Technology (Hall 2) – newly combined zones •NEW: Residential & Smart Building (Hall 2) – newly combined zones •Multi-Technology Zone (Halls 3 and 5) •Digital Signage & DooH (Hall 6) •Audio (Hall 7) •NEW: Lighting & Staging (Hall 7) – featuring special Lighting Demo Zone Registration is now open. Don’t miss out, book your ticket to ISE 2022 here: https://iseurope.org/ register.php ,

Bett is back for 2022 On 19-21 January 2022, Bett is back at the ExCeL London for three days of inspiring content, networking and innovative product demonstrations from our solution providers. This year, as we move to three days, we will be introducing Bett After Hours on 20 January until 20:00. The perfect opportunity, for visitors who cannot attend during class or work hours to explore the show and experience more product

discovery, more CPD and great networking moments with their peers. •Discover the fantastic programme offering the most enlightening and thought-provoking sessions at Bett 2022. •Navigate the inspiring speaker line-up with over 225 of the biggest names in education who are ready to take the stage in January. •From returning market-leading companies to exciting new

P32 AV News December 2021

EdTech startups, there are hundreds of different exhibitors that fill the halls in January.

Venue ExCeL London Royal Victoria Docks

rooms or Dual HDL300 for large classrooms) with the new Nureva CV30 classroom camera kit and a three- or five-year subscription to Nureva Pro, which includes advanced device management features in Nureva Console, 24/7 technical support, extended product

costs and complexities that other systems inevitably come with when outfitting larger spaces. Nureva offers simple, reliable audio solutions that are easy to scale and support across a business or education institution.”

Video Watch a video with Nancy Knowlton discussing Nureva’s participation in ISE 2022: https://nureva.wistia.com/medias/rdv9lqq8ps

Dates and Times Wednesday 19 January 10.00 – 18.00 Thursday 20 January 10.00 – 20.00 Friday 21 January 10.00 – 19.00