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January 2021 www.avnews.co.uk
FINALISTS 2021 P10
Panasonic focuses on collaboration for business Panasonic Visual Systems Solutions has 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. “Social and business trends are converging to change the way we work,” explained Hart-
mut Kulessa, European Marketing Manager at Panasonic Business. “The arrival of the Generation Z workforce has raised expectations for intuitive technology and bring your own device (BYOD) policies have created the need for fast, open, and wireless connectivity. There is a move away from formal presentations to more collaborative workspaces and organisations now need a range of integrated, wireless collaboration and presentation solutions that work out of the box in any environment. Panasonic is that provider.” For BYOD workplaces, Panasonic has a range of wireless, plug and play technology to enable employees to turn up and work, whatever their device. For
Rene Buhay, VP of Sales and Marketing at AVer Europe advices 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.” Technology leaders moved quickly to reconfigure everything from basic lesson plans to graduation ceremonies for online access. The contingency plans worked well enough in the short term, but what happens next? Should schools return to the traditional meth-
ods they relied on before the pandemic? It is likely that institutions that were on the fence about digitally transforming their curriculums and facilities, now have a little experience with technology solutions, so are more likely to embrace them going forward. Teachers are likely to feel they are better at using technology after going through the pandemic, which forced changes to their teaching processes. “Many teachers who were once passive about their education technology—simply using the few devices that the school forced upon them—will now actively seek more advanced solutions to help them teach, whether they’re doing so in hybrid classrooms or fully online. Additionally, schools will be afraid of being caught off guard by unplanned disruptions again. This is especially
example, Panasonic’s recently launched PressIT Wireless Presentation System is a convenient and affordable solution allowing up to four people to simultaneously share content at the touch of a button. For organisations requiring a high-end, integrated presentation solution then WolfVision’s Cynap Pure wireless presentation system can be fully integrated into Panasonic’s SQ1 displays using its Intel SDM slot for a completely cable, dongle and set-top box free experience. Panasonic’s wireless projectors also minimise the need for cables and its wireless dongle solution can be retrofitted to many projector models for adaptation to the changing workplace.
Panasonic’s recently launched PressIT Wireless Presentation System is a convenient and affordable solution allowing up to four people to simultaneously share content at the touch of a button.
For creative collaboration and learning, Panasonic has a range of infrared touchscreen displays and InGlass touchscreen displays for the most
there is a solution for every type of collaborative environment. To enable remote workers to communicate with colleagues, Panasonic offers an HD Visual Communications system for remote video conferencing and displays with Built-in CISCO Webex optimisation for ease of use and enhanced sound and picture quality in meetings rooms.
precise annotation capabilities. These are available alongside its comprehensive interactive whiteboard displays and interactive projectors to ensure
Digital transformation for reimagined education
TAP INTO TEAMS MEETINGS Logitech Tap for Microsoft Teams Powered by Lenovo ThinkSmart Edition Tiny
“Many experts and leaders are pushing for what has been termed “reimagining education,” by developing an agile, innovative and future focused hybrid deep learning system.”
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true in the competitive, often profit-driven world of higher education. Digital transformation is now becoming a necessary means of survival as this new digital world requires educators to adapt and adopt digital technologies, methodologies and mindsets.” “Many experts and leaders are pushing for what has been termed “reimagining education,” by developing an agile, innovative and future focused hybrid deep learning system.” Buhay sums up that there is “No way” schools should revert back to old ways of teaching. “Digital transformation is here to stay and AVer can offer educational institutions the flexibility to create customised teaching and learning solutions. By mixing and matching from a wide range of first-rate classroom technology, AVer can provide the latest and best in classroom solutions to en-
WHAT’S NEW IN 2021? Genee Technology supports remote learning for schools and remote working from home; enabling schools and businesses to operate remotely and safely whilst allowing for efficiency in their work. We are now expanding our partner network to support the various specialist markets our products are supplied into. We have a range of new products that are now available. INTERACTIVE TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY New G-Touch® Classic Range available in 65", 75 & 85" screen sizes to ensure competitive advantage where budgets are limited. G-Touch® 4K Plus with Android 8.0 now available in 55" to complete the range with 65", 75" & 86". G-Touch® Premium, our flagship touchscreen range with optical bonded screens available in 65", 75" & 86" screen sizes.
WIRELESS VISUALISERS/DOCUMENT CAMERAS Genee Vision Wireless Visualiser Range developed for remote and home learning available from entry level through to classroom interaction solutions.
REGISTRAR VISITOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM A unique all in one visitor sign in / sign out solution which can be cloud based and offers full control of staff and visitor entry as well as student movement and after hours clubs.
WHY PARTNER WITH GENEE?
GREAT INCENTIVES
We are a diverse manufacturer providing products that have been created to seamlessly integrate with each other. So when you are looking to link interactive products together think Genee.
Become a Genee partner to earn great margin and many other incentives! With Genee you do not have to be an interactive solution expert as we can do this for you.
VIRTUAL DEMONSTRATIONS & TRAINING NOW AVAILABLE
RECEIVE OUTSTANDING SUPPORT
As part of our commitment to stay safe during this time, we are now offering virtual demonstrations and training using our own specialist staff. Your clients can now stay safe while still experiencing our technology solutions.
Our internal sales, technical and marketing teams are always on hand to support your needs as well as your customers on your behalf.
www.genee-group.com • +44 (0)1902 390 862 • sales@genee-group.com @GeneeGroup
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COVID-19 accelerates digital transformation 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. COVID-19 has already begun to accelerate the shift towards cloud-based services, with new research revealing that 40% of businesses are now accelerating their move to the cloud, with 51% planning to move more applications to the cloud to prepare for future COVID-19 shutdowns. Steve Law, CTO, Giacom, explains how the cloud presents numerous opportunities for business continuity during unprecedented times. We’ve weathered the storm this far, but if businesses haven’t yet made this change, they need to act now or face being left behind. Remote and/or hybrid working is going to be at the top of many businesses’ priority lists going forward, so it is critical that businesses remain prepared and offer the right tools and services to facilitate their customers’ transition. With the regular changing of government advice with local and national lockdowns, many physical working environments remain off-limits. Additionally, new research has revealed that two-thirds of UK workers feel uncomfortable returning to a physical workplace. This high-
lights the need for businesses to quickly mobilise themselves by moving their infrastructure to the cloud in order to continue as we head towards a ‘new normal’. The cloud fundamentally offers organisations a central location where they can store their resources online, meaning anyone in the organisation can access the necessary information wherever they are. For company representatives needing to go to their customer’s offices to access necessary tools and resources, that's now out of bounds due to social distancing measures and regional/ national lockdowns. For those businesses that remain with an on-premises infrastructure, this is not a helpful place to be constrained within as the options for maintenance or deploying new tools are limited. Instead, businesses and their end-user customers need to be in the cloud in order for them to operate in an optimum way. It’s not just a centralised hub that businesses can gain value from. It’s important to ensure that workforces are also taking advantage of the features included in their cloud subscriptions. By working with the right Managed Service Provider (MSP) that can provide training, education and support around shifting to the cloud, companies can benefit from a comprehensive list of additional features within their packages to help them manage and grow a business in today’s world – one which will remain uncertain for some time yet. The role of the MSP is to make
this switch as seamless as possible by taking on the planning and implementation, as well as having the expert knowledge of how cloud infrastructure
grators have a vital role to play in educating their end-users on how to gain the most value and productivity from technology with the resources available.
There’s no single one-sizefits-all solution. Both small and large businesses need to have the correct security infrastructure and unique measures in
Digital transformation, particularly cloud migration, is a long-term commitment and can fundamentally shift a company’s capabilities and how it operates. Now is the time to start future-proofing your customers’ businesses. can benefit the business and smooth over any possible obstacles. For example, many businesses have access to Microsoft365 packages, but did not utilise Microsoft Teams across their company network before COVID-19. Now, Microsoft Teams has seen a 70% increase in users due to remote working restrictions, which is clearly a tool that has been taken advantage of to drive productivity, collaboration and communication during lockdown. This is where inte-
With remote working, data access and greater flexibility comes a need for much tighter security controls and processes within businesses. However, security was pushed to the bottom of many organisations’ priority lists at the beginning of COVID-19. As the number of cyberattacks continues to increase, with almost half of businesses suffering from a cybersecurity breach or attack in the last 12 months, the emphasis on data security must be reinforced.
place to suit their organisation’s needs. Additional functionality can be added to cloud networks, including Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Single Sign-On, and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) solutions to ensure a secure cloud environment. Getting the basics right will put your clients in a position to build their business and engage with staff and customers in a safe and secure environment – the cloud. Microsoft’s Chief Executive, Satya Nadella, has said that
Ensuring a consistent and optimum performance in the classroom is one of the key requirements educators have of technology for the classroom. That’s what PPDS found in their research while designing the Philips T-Line and that’s why they’re backing the new product with a free five year de re warranty – a two-year extension on their standard warranty offering. Exclusive to the education market, the extended de re warranty from PPDS has been built based on feedback from educators and from AV and IT managers working with some of EMEA’s leading schools, colleges and universities and has been hailed the most comprehensive offering of its kind available anywhere in the current market. Covering the full range of BDL3552T/00 T-Line interactive solutions from PPDS, the de re warranty is activated immediately out of the box, eliminating the timely and easily forgettable product registration processes that continue to be used by other brands. What’s more, in the unlikely event that a fault occurs with the product that cannot be fixed remotely, the PPDS de re warranty means a dedicated
PPDS qualified engineer will be sent out directly to where it’s installed, removing the faulty unit and reinstalling a replacement, including all cabling, recommissioning and testing, if required. All within 48 hours of fault reports made before midday or 72 hours for faults reported after midday. Harold Niericker, Product Management Strategist for Signage
not necessary in today’s fastpaced world. The extension of our warranty for the education arena is a perfect illustration of us listening to the market and taking away some of the common frustrations.” Niericker adds: “From the moment of delivery, the warranty starts. There is no need for any lengthy calls, form filling or filing, and if something does hap-
at PPDS, commented: “At PPDS our aim is to make the lives of our customers easier and, wherever possible, remove some of the archaic formalities and processes that are simply
pen to go wrong with the product that isn’t a result of misuse, customers have the peace of mind knowing that we will come and deal with it directly ourselves – onsite and armed
they’ve seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months, including remote teamwork and learning and critical cloud infrastructure and security. The recovery to the ‘new normal’ places the migration of physical servers to the cloud as a priority, not only to facilitate secure remote working, but to provide businesses with greater flexibility, scalability and more efficient resources. COVID-19 has acted as a catalyst for businesses needing to be both flexible and agile. If companies are unable to respond to unexpected situations when they occur, such as the pandemic, then they could potentially face devastating effects. With discussions around the likelihood of future waves of the virus, it’s clear that we’re not out of the woods yet. More disruption is anticipated, let alone any hurdles that we don’t see coming, so flexibility and agility are core components for business survival. To continue with a ‘new normal,’ organisations have to adapt and implement a longterm solution, or they could seriously disadvantage themselves compared to their competitors. It’s a survival of the fittest; businesses need to be flexible, agile and able to cope with change. Digital transformation, particularly cloud migration, is a long-term commitment and can fundamentally shift a company’s capabilities and how it operates. Now is the time to start future-proofing your customers’ businesses.
Promethean appoints New Philips 5-year education warranty Midwich as UK distributor Promethean has appointed Midwich Limited as a new UK distributor in a move that aims to strategically align channel operations with the evolving needs of its reseller partners and strengthen its market-leading position in Interactive Flat Panel Displays (IFPDs) for K12. Operating a dual-distribution model that gives its partners increased flexibility and choice, Promethean has appointed Midwich to work alongside incumbent distributor, Tech Data, from 1st February 2021. Exertis UK will continue to supply the Promethean ActivPanel Elements Series until February 2021. Promethean continually reviews and evaluates how it can enhance its channel offering, recognising that a robust route to market is key for strengthening its K12 leadership in IFPDs. Commenting on the drivers behind the move, Simon Port, Head of Channel Operations, UKI & Asia Pacific, said: “2020 has been a year like no other. But, we’ve succeeded in maintaining a two-way dialogue with our reseller partners that has enabled us to closely
monitor how their needs are evolving in light of challenging market conditions. “As an agile company, we efficiently responded by developing enhanced demonstration solutions and launching our Partner Connect communication programme. Identifying that our partners required more focused support than ever before, we’ve appointed Midwich as a specialist AV distributor to address this need specifically.” Midwich is the UK’s leading trade-only distributor of technology solutions. The appointment applies to the UK only. Exertis Ireland will continue to be Promethean’s sole distributor in the Irish market. Alistair Hayward, Head of UKI & Asia Pacific at Promethean, concludes: “To continue leading the market, we need to consistently deliver service and support which aligns with what the channel needs. As that evolves, so must we. Looking ahead to 2021, our focus is to build on the successes of this year and strengthen our market-leading position by working in close partnership with the channel.”
ready with a replacement. The days of incurring costly call out fees or long delays are over. A blank display is of no use to anyone.”
AV News January 2021 P3
Business news
Exertis acquires JB&A Exertis has announced its acquisition of JB&A Inc. JB&A Inc is a leading distributor of broadcast, post-production and pro AV technologies, to system integrators and B2B resellers in North America. Located in San Rafael, California, the company saw revenues of $80 million in the last financial year. JB&A holds a leading position with specialist vendors in the fast-growing broadcast and post-production segments, including CATDV, Gefen, Haverford, Quantum, Newtek and SNS. It also has the exclusive distribution rights for Unilumin in the United States, a leading direct view LED vendor. The acquisition of JB&A continues Exertis’ strategy of building a strong and diverse pro AV, pro audio and musical instrument (MI) value-added distribution business in North America, following the acquisitions of Stampede (2018), Jam (2018)
and The Music People (2020). JB&A is led by Jeff Burgess, chief executive officer, and Greg Burgess, president, who will remain with the business and continue to drive JB&A’s growth strategy. Tim Griffin, DCC Technology, managing director said: “JB&A is a strategic acquisition enabling us to expand our Pro AV business in North America in to the attractive and high value-added niches of broadcast and post-production. JB&A is a great fit with our existing Exertis pro AV business and we will leverage this to benefit our vendors and customers. JB&A is well respected for its value-added distribution and technical capabilities and I’m looking forward to continuing this journey.” “This acquisition provides a great opportunity for both companies by providing new opportunities for our vendors,
Tim Griffin, DCC Technology, managing director: “JB&A is a strategic acquisition enabling us to expand our Pro AV business in North America in to the attractive and high value-added niches of broadcast and post-production.” customers and employees,” said Jeff Burgess, JB&A, chief executive officer. “We’re excited to become part of the DCC family as it expands its presence throughout the world,” added Greg Burgess, JB&A, president.”
Midwich takes controlling stake in the NMK Group Midwich has entered into a binding agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Nicolas M. Kyvernitis Electronics Ent., NMK Middle East FZE and Edge Electronics Trading LLC (“Edge”) (collectively “the NMK Group” or “NMK”). Based in the UAE and Qatar, the NMK Group is a value-added distributor of AV products and represents Midwich’s entry into the Middle Eastern market. As part of the agreement, Midwich will acquire 80% of the voting rights of each of the NMK Group companies. The purchase price comprises an initial cash consideration of AED 49.8 million (approximately £10.0 million) followed by an additional AED 21.0 million in cash (approximately £4.2 million) six months later. Completion, which is subject to local regulatory approval(s) as required by foreign investment laws in the region, is expected in early 2021. Based in Sharjah, UAE, NMK was founded in 1989 by Nicolaos Kyvernitis. Through its operations in Sharjah and Dubai, the business supplies specialist AV products to customers in the UAE and wider Gulf region, with Edge, based in Doha, supporting customers in Qatar. The NMK Group will continue to be led by the existing management team of Alex Kemanes (Managing Director) and Constantinos “Dino” Drimakis (Director – Business Development), who will retain their aggregate 20% shareholding in the NMK Group. Nicolaos Kyvernitis will retire from the business following a period of transition
post completion. NMK is a specialist audio and visual distributor with a strong heritage in the professional audio market where the business operates with high-end specialist brands, such as Shure and Bose. More recently, NMK has expanded its technology offering, including the addition of key video brand Epson to its portfolio. The Middle Eastern market is one of the fastest growing AV markets in the world according to trade body AVIXA. The deal further expands Midwich’s geographical footprint, enabling the Group to extend the support it can provide to customers and vendors internationally. The acquisition further delivers on the Group’s strategy to grow earnings both organically and through the selective acquisition of strong, complementary businesses. The deal follows the acquisition of US distributor Starin Marketing Inc. in February 2020. In the pre Covid year ended 31 December 2019, the NMK Group generated revenues of approximately AED104 million (£21.6 million) and net profit of AED17.9 million (£3.7 million). Net assets as at 31 December 2019 were AED73.5 million (£14.8 million), including net cash of around AED 38 million (£7.6 million). Although the Covid crisis has had some impact on the NMK Group, trading performance has recovered well and longterm prospects appear unaffected. Stephen Fenby, the Midwich Group Managing Director, commented: “This is an exciting day for the Midwich Group as it not
P12AV P4 AVNews NewsJanuary November 2021 2019
only marks the Group’s entry into one of the fastest growing AV markets in the world, but also means we now have a presence in all major global territories. This gives us a truly global footprint, and ensures we are able to support our customers across all key geographies.” “NMK has built a strong reputation for service and its value-add model is an excellent fit with Midwich’s global offering. We are looking forward to working with Alex, Dino and the rest of the NMK Group team to support their growth ambitions and to further enhance our Group proposition. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Nicolaos Kyvernitis for his support through the transaction, and to wish him well in the future.” Alex Kemanes, Managing Director of NMK Group commented: “During our initial conversations it became apparent that Midwich would be the ideal partner to support NMK with its growth ambitions. Dino and I are delighted to be joining the Midwich Group and very much look forward to working with our new colleagues.” The acquisition is expected to be earnings enhancing in the first full year following completion. The transaction will be undertaken on a cash free/ debt free basis. The consideration for the acquisition will come from the remaining proceeds of the Group’s fundraise undertaken in February 2020, having funded the acquisition of Starin Marketing, Inc.
Vodafone Business and RingCentral announce strategic partnership Vodafone became the latest telco to form a closer relationship with a collaboration specialist prompted by the The COVID-19 pandemic. Vodafone Business and RingCentral are set to announce a strategic partnership to deliver new cloud-based communication services. The resulting co-branded platform will provide customers of all sizes with a flexible, easy to use and secure collaboration tool, offering both video and instant messaging capabilities. This will help businesses to transform the way they work and communicate, improving business processes in this more remote world. The next-generation service will support better collaboration and communication for businesses of all sizes across multiple countries, including the UK, Germany, Spain, and Italy Together the companies will create a new cloud-based service that will be the lead Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solution for Vodafone Business, and also offer Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) to Vodafone Business customers. Bringing together Vodafone Business’ mobile first approach, global brand, reach and scale with RingCentral’s deep UCaaS and CCaaS expertise, the platform will deliver
flexible, easy to use and secure services. The platform will be available to customers of all sizes offering all businesses benefits from next-generation communications and collaboration capabilities. Vodafone Business and RingCentral will jointly drive product roadmap, innovation, sales enablement and go-to-market. Both companies will contribute resources to this, creating a joint development capability and also leveraging the RingCentral open API platform for custom integrations. Vinod Kumar, CEO, Vodafone Business, said: “Our partnership with RingCentral will enable customers to rapidly deploy and easily manage the communications services that are right for them, and marks another step forward in our drive to become a platform based business. Together with RingCentral we can transform ways of working, improve business processes, and help companies become ready for a future of increased remote and flexible working.” The partnership will offer Vodafone Business’ global customer base quick-to-deploy, scalable cloud-based communications services
based on RingCentral’s leading Message Video Phone (MVP) platform. As part of the agreement, Vodafone Business will offer RingCentral's integrated UCaaS and CCaaS solutions including RingCentral’s Engage Voice and Engage Digital products. Vodafone Business will provide value-added services in migration, adoption, and integration to ensure customers are realizing the full benefit of the platform. “We're excited to partner with the leader in mobility and 5G to enable a ‘work from anywhere’ world with a new generation of cloud communications services,” said Anand Eswaran, RingCentral’s President and COO. “Mobility is critical to business success, and together with Vodafone Business, we will bring enterprise customers worldwide the capabilities they need, including team messaging, video meetings, and enterprise-grade voice services, to build the digital communications of the future.” Vodafone Business and RingCentral will initially introduce new services to customers located in the United Kingdom and for Vodafone Business’ multinational customers in Europe in 2021. Multiple additional countries will follow, including Spain, Germany and Italy, with the platform tailored to local delivery in each.
Exertis has enhanced its Samsung range by adding the vendor’s fine pixel pitch LED display solutions to its offering, which will be available now. The range features indoor and outdoor products that are suitable for a wide range of applications and settings: corporate (boardroom, open areas, reception areas); control centres; transport (airport, rail); auditoriums; education; retail; public services; and large-scale stadium solutions. Samsung’s LED portfolio combines creative flexibility of modularity with the ability to customise to a variety of sizes and designs, according to spatial needs and aesthetic desires. “We are excited to add LED to the portfolio of Samsung Display solutions that Exertis carries. Their commitment to excellent support for the channel, aligned with their vast operational expertise, gives us great confidence that the next stage of evolution in LED will accelerate with the entry of Exertis,” said Damon Crowhurst, Display Head at Samsung Electronics UK. This extension to Exertis’ Samsung offering means that customers now have access to Samsung’s full range of commercial technology products – from mobile, Galaxy books, TFT, print, large format display, Pro TV and now LED – which
includes the high-end microLED, The Wall. (The Wall is a modular display delivering a revolutionary viewing experience delivering pure black, true colour and Samsung’s AI picture enhancement, making every corporate video, movie, or sporting event larger than life.) The Wall features an exceptionally black base plus ultra-low reflection black technology, delivering pure black for unparalleled contrast and detail. It also delivers robust durability against everyday impacts, with shock-resistant technology, plus superior energy efficiency.
Greg Bennett, Head of AV Solutions at Exertis Pro AV, said: “Enhancing our portfolio with Samsung’s LED range enables us to provide visually stunning display solutions for a wide variety of requirements and locations. Partnering with a prestigious technology partner on fine pitch LED solutions amplifies our growing LED proposition to our customers. Samsung has a fantastic product set and combined with Exertis’ solutions approach and services wrap, along with our logistical and commercial offering, we are hugely excited about our offering to customers and our partnership with Samsung moving forward.”
Exertis expands Samsung offering
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Densitron announces new reseller DNEG and Brompton Technology partner partnership Densitron has announced a new reseller in the form of Qatar-based Primecast Technical Solutions. Located in the city of Al Wakrah, the company will serve as reseller for Densitron's innovative products, including the IDS (Intelligent Display System) solution, in Qatar and other key territories in the Middle East. Part of the hugely successful S'hail Holding Group, Primecast Technical Solutions provides systems integration, design, consultancy and equipment supply services to the broadcast and media industries. In recent years it has undertaken flagship design and integration projects for leading regional broadcasters including Qatar Media Corporation, Al Rayyan Satellite Channel, beIN Media Group and Al Jazeera Media Network - the last-named project involving a close collaboration with Densitron that entailed the extensive specification of the IDS solution. The successful deployment of IDS at Al Jazeera’s studios in Qatar - where it provides call timing, indicator lights and core GPIO functionality - further confirmed the solution's capability to the Primecast team. According to Reuben Such, Global Business Director of Densitron IDS: “We have got to know the team well over the
last few years, during which time they have had the chance to become fully acquainted with IDS. As a leading SI and tech supplier they are always looking for systems that can deliver genuine operational benefits and efficiencies to their customers, and IDS fits this description not only in the core area of broadcast - but
nical Solutions, comments: “Densitron's IDS solution is ideally suited to the changing needs of broadcast and other sectors with its flexible, scalable approach to display and control. Following on from its successful integration at Al Jazeera here in Qatar, we anticipate significant interest from other operators around the re-
Al Jazeera Media Network - the project involving a close collaboration with Densitron that entailed the extensive specification of the IDS solution. also in other areas such as AV and the medical sector. We are therefore delighted that they have become a reseller for us and look forward to growing the footprint of IDS in Qatar and elsewhere in the region.” Sameh Qaddoura, Technical Manager at Primecast Tech-
gion and look forward to working with Densitron to maximise our reach as a reseller of the IDS solution.”
DNEG is one of the world’s leading visual effects and animation companies, honoured with five Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects for its visionary work on Inception, Interstellar, Ex Machina, Blade Runner 2049 and First Man. In 2013, it set up a TV episodic arm to expand its offering, which has grown exponentially with the boom of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV Plus. In recent years, and further driven by the impact of COVID-19, the company has developed its offering in virtual production - an exciting venture that has led to a close collaboration with Brompton Technology. DNEG’s amplified focus in the area, and an upscaling in its work on episodic shows in addition to its traditional film work, involved creating a new in-house studio environment tailored to virtual production. This required the company to do some due diligence on the tech they were bringing into the fold: “We are seeing more and more filmmakers becoming interested in the developing possibilities for virtual production,” explains Paul Salvini, Global CTO, DNEG. “This interest has intensified in the last few months due to the effects of social distancing on travel and the number of people that can safely be on set. Our team was excited to work with Brompton
Big data meets digital signage!
because of their expertise and a shared passion for excellence and innovation.” The Brompton team has worked closely with DNEG’s virtual production team, and particularly Head of Virtual Production Isaac Partouche, for the past nine months. “We’ve developed a great working relationship with DNEG, working closely with the entire virtual production team from the start to give them a thorough understanding of how to get the best out of their LED panels on set,” says Brompton Technology’s Technical Project Manager, Adam Callaway. Partouche has been supervising DNEG’s virtual staging requirements for its upcoming shows and remarks on the importance of having Brompton on set with the team. “The Tessera SX40 4K processors have been a great addition to our virtual production set-up,” says Partouche. “The image processing is impressively fast, the ‘Genlock’ options synchronize the content correctly across the LED volume with significantly less latency response and by using Brompton’s Hydra dynamic calibration tools we’re able to get the best HDR results from the wall.” DNEG’s technology requirements are moving rapidly to cater to client demand, and the company has already provided virtual production ser-
vices for Kenneth Branagh’s new take on Death On The Nile and Andy Serkis’ sequel to blockbuster Venom, as well as director Denis Villeneve’s highly anticipated re-imagining of Dune. “We’ve also recently completed some exciting new LED volume tests,” continues Partouche. “Brompton has been very closely involved in these, and the Tessera processing has made a big difference to how easily we’ve been able to set everything up and get it looking great. The initial tests were completed at Dimension Studios in Wimbledon - the footage of our Gunslinger test is online, shot by our Creative Director Paul Franklin, and we have completed subsequent tests on a larger scale at Shepperton Studios. We also have an in-house creative lab setup, which is a useful proof of concept facility.” This in-house set up has allowed DNEG to push the technology to see exactly how far they can go when on set. “Working with Brompton on our virtual production offering has been exciting,” concludes Partouche. “Brompton products have become an integral part of us being able to create real-time worlds and environments, allowing us to create a new way of working and giving both our filmmaking partners and our creative teams free rein to unleash their imaginations.”
on the other hand, at a more technical level, we are in negotiations to implement pre-installed DENEVA licenses in Vestel equipment, in which the customer can activate them at any time. These are two ambitious objectives, but we know that they will be a guarantee of success.
ities and we are confident that new development opportunities will follow that direction. Mirroring systems or content management in real time through the capture of QR codes are some of our new solutions that, as well as enabling much more personalised sales assistance, also avoid tactility, an important factor to prevent any type of contagion. But, of course, these developments are not possible without the help of our network of integrators, as well as different manufacturers such as Vestel. It is fundamental to continue generating synergies that will materialize in successful projects.
DENEVA is a Digital Signage content management software from the Spanish company ICON Multimedia. It is a comprehensive solution that allows the automation and management of multimedia content for a full network of multiple display points within a Digital Signage environment. Rita Balestrazzi talks to Alberto Herrero, DENEVA International Business Manager at DENEVA.
The great potential of DENEVA is its total adaptability to the needs of each customer, in addition to incorporating sophisticated systems of Big Data and Machine Learning that allow us to provide intelligence to our solutions, becoming an essential tool to implement great marketing strategies, as well as to promote an innovative brand image. Behind this platform, there is a great human team located in Spain, Mexico and Colombia. Moreover, we provide a 24/7 customer service, supporting our customers in any stage of their project, always guaranteeing its success. AVN: You have a long-standing global partnership with worldwide display manufacturer, Vestel Visual Solutions. How did it start? Why are you a good match, and together, what can you offer EMEA and other global markets? The partnership between DENEVA and Vestel Group is a result of several years of collaboration and proven success. It comes from the need to integrate our Digital Signage solution and all its functionalities with their SoC (System on Chip) technology, in order to meet the needs of our custom-
ers, backed by a guarantee of uninterrupted operation. Based on the brand image legacy of Vestel, and the experience of more than 27 years in international development, innovation and adaptability of DENEVA solutions, the two companies are jointly drawing up growth plans for the European Digital Signage market. An example of this is the approach of several projects for large corporations in the retail and QSR sectors that we are carrying out with great success, and which we hope to replicate in other continents. AVN: Vestel has recently introduced a DENEVA-approved SoC technology solution. Why is this important? What additional value can it bring to projects? With this milestone, DENEVA has become the only Digital Signage software fully integrated with SoC from Vestel. This means greater profitability, since it allows the customer to save on external player costs and a much more affordable post-sale maintenance, both technically and economically. A cutting edge solution that features renowned hardware, powerful and competitive devices, and ultra-powerful software
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with multiple functionalities, capable of adapting to the requirements of each sector. AVN: The SoC-powered range of Vestel displays are approved for compatibility with your Safe & Tech solution. What does this mean? How does the solution work, and for which applications? What technologies are involved? Safe & Tech solutions is a new range of Smart Tech solutions that we have launched to ensure health and safety against COVID-19. We have adapted our software offering different modules of greater utility for different sectors. In this way, it is possible to integrate into a DENEVA Digital Signage system a capacity control solution, with the aim of knowing the occupation of the establishment in real time, or a biometric system for facial or body recognition, capable of alerting if any user does not respect the established health regulations such as the use of masks or social distance. All these solutions combine the latest technology in Digital Signage with advanced systems of Artificial Intelligence (AI), audience measurement and Big Data, allowing the extraction
of very relevant information that can be applicable for the elaboration of commercial and marketing strategies. Safe & Tech solutions are also compatible with SoC from Vestel. With a great advantage: the combination of hardware and software can be easily reusable for other Digital Signage functionalities, once these applications are no longer useful (we all hope that this situation can happen soon, as it will mean the end of the pandemic). AVN: What is your international strategy for 2021? How do you see your relationship with Vestel evolving on an international level? We would like to continue to strengthen our partnership on an ongoing basis. The DENEVA-Vestel tandem is strategically powerful to continue addressing projects at European level. However, in 2021 we want to take more steps. On the one hand, in DENEVA we have already established an experienced sales and product management team in countries such as Mexico or Colombia. For this reason, we would like to continue working with Vestel, with the aim of reaching key markets in LATAM. And,
AVN: What exciting new developments can we expect to see from DENEVA? What are your opportunities for growth? One of the trends we will see in 2021 will be the management of Digital Signage content through mobile devices. These solutions are already incorporated in our portfolio of DENEVA modules, but we have expanded with other functional-
Technology News
The future workplace – making it seamless and secure After many months of changing lockdown rules where companies have had to implement remote and hybrid working policies accordingly, businesses are starting to look to the future beyond COVID-19 when workforces can return. What will the future workplace look like? Since lockdown changes, according to new research, businesses have found that their employees prefer a mixture of remote and office-based working, with over three-quarters of staff wanting a hybrid approach long term. Proving that they can work just as successfully and
Leveraging existing technologies Technology plays a key role in the smooth transition to a ‘new normal,’ keeping virtual teams engaged while enabling seamless and secure communication within a dispersed workforce. Digital solutions must be able to support both employees who choose to work from home, as well as those who have returned to the office. The channel’s role in enabling seamless collaboration and communication is vital in order to combat any further disrup-
Successfully implementing a hybrid approach is still a work in progress for many, and collectively, the channel will begin to find better ways of working and implementing this strategy productively from home, it is now the employer’s job to adapt their business model to support both remote and office-based working. Steve Law, CTO, Giacom, explains how the channel can support organisations when making this transition in a seamless and secure way.
An evolving landscape
The pace of change businesses in all industries has had to undergo over 2020 so far has highlighted the importance of being agile during challenging times. COVID-19 has accelerated the need for digital transformation, as without the right technology in place, organisations will either sink or swim. The role of the channel has been to continuously support its customers through the journey of adapting to remote working and digitally transforming in order to stay ahead. By educating customers on the importance of security, as well as the available technologies and strategies that can support their transition, they will have the right support system in place to maintain business as usual – or even unlock additional productivity – during unprecedented times. The amount of change we’re experiencing as a nation is far from over, which means that business can’t hold still. Organisations are trying to be agile to survive, but there is always room for improvement. Quickly and easily responding to change needs to become a core competence natively for all businesses to be able to adapt, as it’s clear that this is not a problem that's going to go away – and the likelihood of more uncertainty heading our way is high. By working with a reliable partner, companies will have the right tools in place in order for them to succeed through the pandemic and into the future.
tion and keep businesses functioning. MSP’s must rethink how they can best support their customers, while embracing new and innovative ways of working to fulfil their demands and expectations. Vendors who offer a range of products to fit diverse needs and the tools to deliver outstanding customer service won’t only help businesses right now, but will help unlock long term productivity, security and collaboration. The pandemic has significantly accelerated the adoption and usage of cloud solutions to support remote working. Many businesses already had these tools in place, but just weren’t using them effectively across their workforce. For example, many companies have Microsoft 365 deployed, which includes Microsoft Teams. These organisations have had access to such video conferencing tools, but had not needed to use it effectively until COVID-19. Since March 2020 Microsoft Teams has experienced a mass surge of users, jumping by 70% to 75 million daily active users. Additionally, COVID-19 has acted as a catalyst for the interest in virtual desktop solution such as Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), which provides each member of the workforce with the same IT environment, regardless of the device including Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) they’re using and whether they are remote or office-based. The desktop effectively becomes cloud-hosted, providing a more secure electronic perimeter which replicates that of the physical office, making it easier to manage one central location.
The importance of security When implementing a hybrid
approach, security becomes a complex issue, as the risk landscape has changed. In the office, it’s easier to manage and control security within a physical perimeter and managed environment. As soon as you have a scattered workforce, this perimeter disappears, and now organisations have to put in place additional digital protocols to mitigate any cyber risks. Having a good quality MSP partner that understands the importance of security, and thinks about it in a proactive way is key for end customers. Using technologies such as a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to provide secure access from home into remote business systems enables users to securely access systems that the business wants them to gain entry to, but more importantly, making sure that outsiders can’t. However, fundamentally, the biggest weakness in an organisation’s security infrastructure is the human user. Cybercriminals are always upgrading their tactics, often more quickly than businesses can train their staff. In order to keep up to date, businesses must take a more proactive approach and utilise cybersecurity resources, such as security training and threat detection tools. Solutions such as VADE and USecure helps to educate and alert the user on any potential risks, providing in-time coaching and training so that cybersecurity remains at the forefront of their thinking.
The future workplace Without education and support from the channel, businesses will struggle to keep pace with the amount of change and understand what tools they need to survive and thrive. Reliable partners are needed now more than ever to support companies with workforces working from home and also in the office. Offices will become places that people visit less frequently, perhaps only to collaborate and to host necessary meetings. Successfully implementing a hybrid approach is still a work in progress for many, and collectively, the channel will begin to find better ways of working and implementing this strategy. Of course, existing and new technologies will continue to play a key role in this transition as we undergo the next digital transformation.
Vision mount ready for 85-inch Microsoft Surface Hub
Vision’s VFM-F40 mount is a perfect fit for the imminent 85inch model Surface Hub with its unusual 600 x 600 VESA pattern. Vision today confirms that its VFM-F40 Stand, is fully-compatible with the new 85inch model of Surface Hub from Microsoft, due to ship early in the New Year, and available in three versions available to cover all use cases – wall-fixed, free-standing and mobile. “The 85-inch Surface Hub is a fantastic product that requires a heavy-duty, rigid floor stand and one that is compatible with its unusual 600 x 600 VESA pattern,” explains Vision Managing Director, Stuart Lockhart. “Vision’s F40 is ideal being a robust and proven stand for very large interactive flat panel solutions, whether fixed to the wall, portable or free-standing.”
Power strip, media players and other items can be stashed in the F40’s column, to hide them from users and a give a very clean and neat finish. An optional rear shelf and VFMWVC front bracket are also available to support the addition of a Logitech Tap controller for video meeting rooms. “We expect strong demand for the 85-inch when it ships,” adds Lockhart because the larger screen enables the full Teams room experience with seamless collaboration between remote and in-room colleagues - exactly what businesses need to be more agile and flexible. Installers need to ensure they don’t get caught out by the unusual VESA pattern required for this product.” The Vision VFM-F40 is in stock now and available
Vision’s VFM-F40 mount is a perfect fit for the imminent 85-inch model Surface Hub with its unusual 600 x 600 VESA pattern through Vision’s international network of distributors. Like all Vision products, it is backed by a Vision’s Lifetime Guarantee.
Philips 7000 Series higher brightness LED range PPDS announced the launch of the brand-new Philips L-Line 7000 series – its most flexible and versatile indoor LED range to date. Fashioned on feedback, the new 7000 series – the latest in a growing range of Philips LED solutions from PPDS – overcomes many of the traditional barriers and limitations around size, shape and brightness of LED installations, as well as addressing cost of ownership (power saving) and fire retardancy, for a safer, truly bespoke, imaginative and attention-demanding performance in almost any indoor environment. Available now, the 7000 series bezel-less displays provide 1200-nit brightness – perfect for even the most challenging light conditions, including direct sunlight behind glass – and comes in a range of different size variants to suit any design, shape or size. Martijn van der Woude, director business management at PPDS, commented: “The market has spoken, and we have responded. Whether it’s a corporate office, a retail store or
a public space, with the new Philips L-Line 7000 series, we’re removing limitations and providing the tools and the freedom for our customers to be as creative as their imaginations allow.” All Philips 7000 displays are available as 25 cm height as standard, with 50 cm, 75 cm and 100 cm width variants, each of which can be seamlessly mixed and linked together in any landscape format, whether it’s four screens or 1,000. Equipped to fulfil even the most ambitious and creative designs, the 7000 series is also readily available in stock in standard flat or with sloping bevelled corners (for L-shape
cornering and curvature, 90180 degrees) and in both convex and concave formats for curved installs with perfect results. All units come with builtin cable wiring, keeping power and data cables tidy, while display cabinets are daisy-chained for both power and data to minimise clutter and speed up installation. Available now, the 7000 series bezel-less displays provide 1200-nit brightness – perfect for even the most challenging light conditions, including direct sunlight behind glass – and comes in a range of different size variants to suit any design, shape or size.
Legrand launches dedicated home for smart products According to research by GfK Global, the European market for smart devices was set to grow from €122 billion to €133 billion in value in 2019, a figure which they say has since grown due to changing living and working conditions related to COVID-19. With this huge growth in smart home technology set to continue, User Interface will bring together Legrand’s specialist team of smart building experts alongside its easy-to-install home automation products into one business unit. Designed to offer customers a complete package of functional, connected and smart solutions, the new business unit will include the MyHOME_Up home automation range, Netatmo connected devices, Nuvo
audio systems, Bticino door entry systems, and Arteor & Synergy wiring accessories. Along with smart building products, User Interface will give developers and specifiers a range of stylish and simple use door entry systems. Wiring accessories especially designed to coordinate with the aesthetics of all smart products will also be available. Providing added safety and security assurance of the end user, these accessories help deliver a full system to integrate with the interior design requirement of any space. Richard Hayward, Sales Director for User Interface, explains: “At Legrand, we are very aware that the home automation and smart building industries are growing exponen-
tially. To make sure our clients are equipped with all of the products and training that they require to keep up with this industry, the new User Interface business unit brings together our building-enhancing devices and systems for their occupants. “With a specialist team who can advise on and support projects, we can offer comprehensive, end-to-end expertise for developers and contractors working on both residential and commercial projects. Complementing the other business units that come under the Legrand name, User Interface is our way of demonstrating our expertise and specialism in the home and building automation sector long into the future.”
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Technology News
StarBoard digital signage StarBoard Solutions has collaborated with Repeat Software, a UK software developer of Repeat Signage software, to provide a digital signage solution for StarBoard users. This will enable StarBoard to supply a complete hardware and software solution through its distribution channel. “We are excited at the announcement of our partnership with StarBoard and will be working hard together with their team in Berlin to ensure all customers enjoy the benefits of Repeat Signage as part of their digital signage solution.” Linda Adams, Marketing Director at Repeat Software. StarBoard is a global brand of over 15 years and available in over 70 countries, has begun a new enterprise. “Under our new ownership we have greater resources, staffing and production capabilities to deliver innovative and leading-edge products to make presentations come to life, to make the human and computer interface faster, easier and more intuitive, and to invite making the challenging concept easily understood,” Michelle Bulbring, Vice President, StarBoard.
The launch of their own StarClass software allows the control of StarClass users remotely and to collect and distribute files to selected users, providing an intuitive and interactive collaborative platform between its users. The partnership between StarBoard and Repeat Signage, adds a Windows platform software to its education and corporate solutions.
Kramer has launched Corona Tag, a compact wearable device designed to eliminate the need for sitewide shutdowns in case of a Covid-19 infection in workplaces, schools or any
is other tags’ physical MAC address and the time spent together in proximity. Retrieving the information from the tags can be done only by a certified administrator via a specially
Perfect to switch into digital signage mode, it is easy to create a dynamic presentation with Repeat Signage, providing a powerful communication tool to keep everyone updated on organizational matters. During this pandemic visual messages remind you, your visitors and staff, to social distance, wear a face mask with frequent hand washing.
StarBoard Solutions has collaborated with Repeat Software, a UK software developer of Repeat Signage software, to provide a digital signage solution for StarBoard users.
A London-based start-up brand propelled by lockdown creativity, ‘Smart Screen’, has launched a revolutionary, antibacterial cleaning cloth designed to ensure phones and tablets remain box-fresh. ‘Smart Screen’ is a designer cleaning cloth and pouch tailored to neatly fit into any pocket, a heavier weight than most microfibre glass cleaning cloths making it easier to handle. This premium product has been specifically manufactured with the current heightened awareness of cleanliness in mind, with a silver ion antibacterial liquid treatment applied during the weave process. The ‘Smart Screen’ boasts a durability that ensures antibacterial properties lasts for up to 15 washes.
This lifestyle accessory, though produced predominantly for phone and tablet use, can also be utilised for reading glasses or camera lens cleaning thanks to its’ versatility. Created for a mass market audience, the cloth fits into any everyday scenario – from removing screen smears before entering a meeting, eradicating dirt picked up from the bottom of a handbag or getting rid of greasy finger marks on the family-shared tablet. ‘Smart Screen’ CEO, David Sant explains: “As a serial entrepreneur and businessman I’m always looking for opportunities to spot gaps in the market and bring a concept to reality. During lockdown I have been reminiscing back to be-
ing on busy commuter trains with everyone staring at their phones then cleaning them on jeans, jacket sleeves or a handkerchief. It strikes me that now more than ever we have a requirement for ourselves and a duty to others to live in a more clean-conscious manner. I’m proud to bring such a highend yet accessible product to market to meet a new wave in demand.” The Smart Screen is presented in neat, boxed packaging and is available for purchase in six different colours (Navy Blue, Saffron Yellow, Slate Grey, Powder Blue, Polar White and Camel Brown) retailing at £9.95 each.
Nureva solutions now certified for ClickShare Conference
Kramer launches wearable technology for business continuity and cost-effective way to minimize shutdowns, while preserving an individual’s privacy. The administrator can set the distance and length of encounter parameters to be instantly re-
Corona Tag is designed for privacy in accordance with GDPR and stringent user privacy requirements. No personal data such as names and locations visited is stored in the tags. public venues. Corona Tag frees employees, educators, and organisers from unnecessarily isolating large crowds by quickly identifying high risk contacts to help maintain business continuity. Corona Tag monitors social distancing by tracking the distance and exposure time between tags using low energy Bluetooth signals. It operates automatically when worn and stays active for months without any recharging requirements. Corona Tag is designed for privacy in accordance with GDPR and stringent user privacy requirements. No personal data such as names and locations visited is stored in the tags. The only information they do record
‘Smart Screen’ for your Smart Phone
designated USB cable. The device does not rely on any external hardware, third party technologies or communication signals. This self-sufficiency alleviates the challenges of needing mobile phones or connections such as GPRS, Wi-Fi or GPS. Corona Tag cannot receive data from any other devices. When someone tests positive for Covid-19, an approved company administrator uses the MAC address to access information about all the tags that have come into contact with that person over the last two weeks – so that only the people who are at risk of infection can be notified to take the correct precautions. Implementing this is an easy
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sponsive to ever-changing local regulations. Operationally, no special infrastructure or training to use the administration software is required. The devices store information for two weeks and no central databases of any encounters are created. The battery life lasts up to six months before requiring replacement and the tag is activated automatically with movement, so there is no need to manually power the tag on or off. The compact size means the Corona Tag can easily be attached to a lanyard. Multiple colour options and customized logo additions are available to suit corporate branding and identities.
Nureva has announced that its HDL300 and Dual HDL300 audio conferencing systems are now certified for Barco ClickShare Conference, a wireless presentation and conferencing solution. Together, they bring intuitive, platform-agnostic collaboration into any hybrid meeting or classroom environment. Users can wirelessly connect to the AV equipment in the room by plugging a Barco ClickShare Conferencing Button into their laptop and clicking the Button. This automatically recognizes
of Nureva and Barco systems, it’s quick and easy for teams to connect to all meeting room devices with a low-touch experience that is not tied to a particular UC&C platform. Nureva’s audio conferencing systems are powered by patented Microphone Mist technology, which fills a space with thousands of virtual microphones for true full-room coverage to ensure remote participants can hear every word. Nureva’s unique approach to audio conferencing easily accommodates physical
tions of Nureva, offering a complete experience for flexible meeting for both in-room and remote attendees.” “This certification with Barco ClickShare Conference reflects a growing ecosystem that leverages our standard plug-andplay connectivity for interoperability with all third-party UC&C clients, CODEC solutions and device-sharing plugins,” said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva’s CEO. “We are excited to team up with Barco to deliver a user-friendly and reliable BYOM
Nureva’s breakthrough Microphone Mist technology delivers consistent and reliable audio to Barco BYOM spaces Nureva audio systems to create an immersive BYOM (bring your own meeting) experience for inroom and remote participants. The requirement for more hybrid working and learning environments, along with a growing trend toward the use of personal versus shared devices, has amplified the demand for integrated solutions like this with Nureva and Barco. According to a global study conducted by Barco, 85% of employees want to get back to the office, and they’re looking to their employers to establish a technology-driven hybrid working environment that enables them to do so quickly, safely and flexibly. With the combination
distancing requirements, so that in-room participants can spread out, face any direction and move around the space as they talk. The system’s patented continuous autocalibration also means fewer room visits for IT staff. “At Barco ClickShare, we highly value the certified partnership and guaranteed compatibility with Nureva, and together, we promise to bring customers better hybrid meetings and easy-to-install integrations that truly click,” said David Fitzgerald, vice president, Global Alliances at Barco. “Our simple, one-click wireless conferencing solution perfectly connects with the advanced audio solu-
conferencing experience in virtually any hybrid meeting or learning space.”
Technology News
AV News Awards 2021 Finalists – Part 1: solution, project and company Awards Welcome and congratulations to the finalists in the 2021 AV News Awards programme. The 2021 Programme has attracted more entries than ever, and, as usual, the overall quality has been outstanding. Thank you to al those companies and individuals who have taken the time to enter. Following our usual practice, you will find here the finalists in the solution, project and company categories. The winners of the individual and personal categories will be announced in the February 2021 issue of AV News and simultaneously on avnews.co.uk at 8.30 on the 4th February 2021. Category winners will have the option of collecting their trophies at a special reception staged at Fire de Barcelona in June 2021. Alternatively, we can arrange delivery by courier in the UK.
AV Project of the Year (Education) SMART Technologies Cognita schools Cognita schools launched in 2004 and is a group of 77 schools, in 10 countries with 7,500 students and 50,000 students. This project was delivered across 38 UK schools in the group. Cognita schools decided to implement a Technology Refresh Programme with the aim to drive a clear focus on digital learning within the schools. SMART Technologies worked directly with Cognita Schools, namely Andy Perryer, Digital Learning Adviser with a very consultative approach. In total 815 SMART panels (That’s enough to fill 2 x full size football pitches!) were installed in the schools, combined with 3,725 new devices. • The strategic approach and truly collaborative nature of this project between SMART and Cognita Schools group, shows what amazing results can be achieved with Education and the AV industry. Andy Perryer, Digital Learning Adviser for Cognita schools group explains: “The vision was all around actually just enabling the (teaching) staff to not be dictated by where the technology sat in the room…so being untethered.” • Cognita, and SMART together worked on an AV solution that would embed technology and digital learning into the classrooms at the schools. Something that would use industry standard AV equipment, combined with the practical and pedagogical benefits that technology can bring to education. The 815 SMART panels combined with 3,725 new devices, allowed teachers to deliver an enhanced learning experience to their pupils, and the teachers themselves to benefit form a new way of teaching using technology. What this really meant was: Teachers used the SMART AV solution with mobile tablet devices, allowing them to no longer be required to stand at the front of the class. This untethered teaching style allows teachers to move around the class, interact with pupils more and even use their tablet device camera to show objects from anywhere in the room onto the SMART Board. • The sheer scale of this project makes it impressive. 815 panels (SMART’s largest panel deployment to a single customer in the UK) into 38 schools. The team work required between the end customer, SMART Team (including staff from SMART Head office in Calgary, Alberta, Canada who attended on site) and the team at Hugh Symons from sales, technical and management was a big ask for such a big project. The team ensured a very close working relationship between all 3 parties to navigate different the technical infrastructures in the different sites and the varying requirements and possibilities of AV technology in the classrooms. • The project just shows how AV hardware such as IFPs, can work with various other IT equipment, in this case HP tablet devices and Microsoft office 365 software, to deliver a full classroom solution. AV technology is not just about the standalone hardware, but is actually the front line output do deliver fantastic teaching solutions. The IFP brings the whole solution together. Andy Perryer, Digital Learning Adviser for Cognita schools group summrises the project: Born out of necessity, but also wanting to be at the forefront of EdTech, and what is possible in the classroom, being able to teach from anywhere. • To further highlight the new untethered teaching style taking place, Cognita have confirmed that some teachers actually no longer even have a teaching desk in the classroom, simply because it is not being used. This is a direct result of the SMART panel in the room paired with the devices. Cognita gave an example of how, in one lesson, the teacher stood at 1 desk in the middle of the room with the children huddled around, able to watch a live experiment with water and a jug up close, but then using the tablet camera, this was able to be transferred onto the panel at the font of the room, where further teaching about the experiment could take place. Cognita schools group In a post project survey to teachers in the school, the following results were concluded; Are you starting to feel more confident using technology (hardware, software,
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or online tools) than before the technology refresh? RESULT = 90% Is technology starting to be used more in your teaching and learning than before the technology refresh? RESULT = 81% Has face-to-face or online training supported you to use technology in a meaningful way? RESULT = 91% Feedback from some of the Schools in Cognita Schools Group Milbourne Lodge School – Judy Waite “Milbourne is a bastion of the more traditional teaching methods so whiteboards and markers were a revolution here! The prospect of the introduction of new technology was unnerving and discomforting for some, but staff have embraced the challenge and are enjoying developing new resources and utilising the new opportunities for developing stimulating and engaging resources which enhance our delivery of the curriculum. Even I have managed to embrace snip and sketch!” Huddersfield Grammar School – Mike Seaton “Since the technology refresh we have seen an enhancement in our teaching and learning provision Communication and Presentation skills - both in making and presenting Study skills - flipped learning activities, retrieval and revision quizzes etc. Self understanding and social collaborative development - videoing of experiments, physical activities etc allows for peer and self-reflection on skills, linking to LO and encouraging reasoning. Attitudes - in PE this is often used as a tool to be a coach to peers and pupils, alongside the technical information.”
ProAV ProAV’s latest project for LSE the Centre Building Redevelopment project involved the redevelopment of a number of existing buildings on the Aldwych campus, to create a new landmark building and public focal point for students, faculty, and alumni visitors to improve connectivity and wayfinding. The project’s aim was to deliver a state-of-the-art flexible and highly sustainable academic and teaching building, made up of 13 floors and a basement with the basement and first three floors dedicated to providing teaching and learning spaces that facilitate both independent and group study enabling educators to create and deliver innovative teaching. • The Centre Building Redevelopment project was a huge undertaking for the University, the largest in its history, involving a full redevelopment of existing buildings to create a new landmark building and public focal point which would embrace sustainability and encourage academic collaboration. The building itself is the first on the Holborn campus to achieve BREEAM Outstanding and the architect involved from RSHP won the MJ Long Prize at the 2020 W Awards for her excellence in practice. • The main building provides simple flexible floor plans for a range of academic and department uses, allowing the creation of innovative and inspirational spaces. The building design is vertically zoned with most of the public and highly serviced facilities such as the restaurant, auditorium and large lecture theatres situated at the lower levels closest to the newly created LSE Square. On the first and second floors, general teaching provision is accommodated and there is access to a large external terraced garden. These public and student facilities are all connected by the atrium space, which provides a circulation route between the floors with informal spaces to encourage students to come together to explore, debate and collaborate. Above the second floor, a number of academic departments are located on flexible floorplates providing both open plan and modular accommodation. • Unique to LSE is the ‘LSE style’ Lecture Theatre. It seats around 80 with a central teaching position and also uses dual projection on the side walls with four repeater displays, ceiling-mounted, to enable wireless collaboration, presentations, lecture capture and live streaming of events.
• Further lecture and seminar rooms are made up of either dual projection or single projection display, Kramer wireless presentation solutions and Sony PTZ cameras. Wolfvision desk cameras and Echo 360 lecture capture systems combine video management with lecture capture and live streaming to support active learning for students. All teaching spaces feature large extents of writeable walls and a learn and turn desking arrangement to prompt flexible and collaborative working. •The auditorium is a large teaching, presentation and events space with a seating capacity of 200. Equipped to allow a high degree of functionality it includes production lighting, multiple high definition Panasonic PTZ cameras with recording facilities and comprehensive sound system including solutions for programme, voice reinforcement and hearing assistance sound. A twin front projection system was setup using 12k Epson Laser projectors backed up with two 65” NEC repeater screens. A wireless collaboration solution from Kramer, central audio and lecture capture are all managed centrally via an XTP Extron control system through to the Control room which houses a Panasonic vision mixer and Allen & Heath audio desk allowing operators to take full control as and when required. • Beyond the main building the new alumni centre is a dedicated space created for their global alumni and offers business facilities including meeting rooms and relaxed social spaces for events. An Epson laser projector and Screen International projector screen provide large display solutions for events whilst two 65” NEC displays enable meeting room collaboration using Kramer VIA Connect PRO and Logitech ConferenceCam. Audio is managed through Sennheiser Speechline wireless microphones and Tannoy pendant speakers. Tripleplay IPTV and digital signage solutions can be seen in the open zones around reception displaying LSE communications and news on 55” portrait Philips screens.
Testimonials and references Julian Robinson, Director of Estates at LSE, said: “This building delivers on the two key tenets of our estates strategy, creating a world class estate and a university quarter in this part of London. The Centre Building, with its emphasis on sustainability, community and collaboration, has created an inspiring academic environment within which to work and study that will enhance the campus experience for our students, staff, alumni and visitors.” Tracy Meller, Partner and architect, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners said: "The Centre Building project presented us with a unique opportunity to work with the LSE to design a building which really reflects the values of the school, creating innovative and inspirational spaces for students and staff, in which to learn, socialise, study and collaborate. Our proposals went beyond the original brief aspirations placing a new public square at the heart of the campus to improve wayfinding and connectivity, and to give the LSE a much needed new focal point. Embracing sustainable design principles from the offset the BREEAM Outstanding building provides good daylighting and natural ventilation to over 70% of the accommodation, creating workspaces which enhance the wellbeing of its occupants, in addition it reduces embodied carbon by 30%, harvests rainwater and utilises a biomass boiler and PVs as part of its renewable energy strategy."
Modernization and expansion of the exhibition of the Underground City "Osówka" Projekt Multimedia Gloomy, cold, empty hallways got filled with multimedia stations that, like a time machine, take the visitors back to the days of World War II.
AV News Awards Finalists Old information boards, which at this point had their ink long melted, were replaced with stylish light boxes, a scale model with 3D mapping and beautifully illuminated display cabinets. The haphazardly piled artifacts were exhibited on modular podiums illuminated with spotlights. Instead of grotesque mannequins, the tourists visiting the tunnels of Osówka meet holograms of concentration camp inmates, forced laborers and German soldiers. That way they learn the struggle of hard, slave labor of building Hitler’s quarters, while also exploring the mysteries of the facility’s unclear purpose, which still hides a lot of secrets. All of that turns visiting the facility into a fascinating, reflection-provoking tale of the difficult topic of war and holocaust. • PROJECTORS IN EXTREME CONDITIONS The investor demanded a 7-year warranty for the entire exhibition from the contractor. It was quite a challenge because the conditions in the facility aren’t conducive to electronics: high humidity constant at the level of 90% and a low temperature of approximately 8 degrees Celsius. The underground climate makes it necessary to protect each device against moisture. The brand that offered IP5X tightness, a 7-year warranty, and displaying of an amazing quality images with laser projectors in a humid and cold environment was Optoma. Two projector models were chosen during the implementation of this investment: Optoma ZU510Te and Optoma ZU500TST. In total, 8 devices of this brand were used in the entire facility.
DMX controller which allows to turn on 7 different effects. Specially prepared, illuminated graphics with an imitation of a sunken truck and a sunken ship with boxes full of gold are additional attractions. Please supply brief testimonials, references or any other third party statements in support of this nomination: Agnieszka Dobkiewicz, a journalist at Gazeta Wyborcza, one of the leading daily papers in Poland, says in an article on the new route in the Underground Town of Osówka: “When you’re in a WW2era underground location that was dug by concentration camp inmates, and there’s suddenly a hologram of a person emerging from darkness in front of you, it gives you goosebumps”. That’s the exact type of effect we aimed at when creating the exhibition. The AV Integracje magazine, renowned in the A&V industry, has made our project their cover story. The exhibition at the Underground Town of “Osówka” was described in detail on nine pages of the magazine, presenting our installation as an example of proven solutions in extreme conditions.
Projects of the Year (Commercial) The Armoury Dynamo
• HOLOGRAPHY Holographic figures are the guides through the history of the creation of the Riese. We have created three such quarters in the Underground City “Osówka”. In the first one, visitors are greeted by a hologram of the famous Polish actor- Adam Ferency. The virtual figure of an actual size is displayed on a holographic fabric that is stretched over a 300 cm x 188 cm hand-made frame using the short focus Optoma ZU500TST projector with WUXGA resolution. Additionally, while the virtual figure of the actor tells tourists about the history, archival videos from World Wat II are being displayed on the 65’’ Iiyama LE6540 UHS monitor, with subtitles in two language versions. The backlight connected to the control system is responsible for eliminating the effect of double image reflection. The light turns on in the moment when projection starts and turns off after it ends. In the second quarter, the holograms of prisoners dressed in the striped uniforms present the tragic story of the concentration camp prisoners building the Riese complex. There is also a movie about the martyrdom of prisoners displayed on the holographic fabric. The scenography is complemented by a replica of the rock shelter- a metal trolley running on the rails used at the Riese complex. The backlight of the rock shelter turns on automatically when the hologram is being displayed and turns off automatically when the movie starts playing. The projection is displayed with a short focal Optoma ZU500TST projector with a WUXGA resolution on a holographic fabric that is stretched over a 300 cm x 188 cm frame of own production. The third quarter imitates realistic workers working on a stage design scaffolding, which faithfully reproduces the original scaffolding from the period of World War II. An Optoma ZU500TST with a WUXGA resolution was used to display the image. The projection area of 300 cm x 188 cm without the fabric was projected directly on the rocks by means of mapping. Each of the holographic positions is managed by an IntelNuc i5 computer with an original control system. A set of Work Pro Neo 5IP waterproof speakers and the SoundTube SA202 amplifier are responsible for the sound. All devices are in covers. • MAPPING To show the scale of the Nazi’s venture, a model of the topography of the area was made, with additional space for displaying translations into foreign languages, on which historical maps are displayed by using mapping, including the locations of the particular objects and plans of underground corridors. It was projected by the Optoma ZU500TST show throw projector with WUXGA resolution. It is entirely managed by the IntelNuc i5 computer with an original control system. A set of the Work Pro Neo 5IP waterproof speakers and the SoundTube SA202 amplifier are responsible for the sound. • SHOWCASES IN EXTREME CONDITIONS Three display cases finished with weathering steel (corten steel) panels were placed on the tour route. The air dehumidifier system is responsible for the right conditions for the exhibits. Cabinet humidity switch HYW 090 measures the air humidity inside the showcase. If the humidity exceeds the set value, the Dehumidifer for Enclosures PSE 30 L activates, draining the moisture outside of the showcase, leaving an inside atmosphere friendly for the exhibits. This system also eliminates the problem of evaporation inside the showcases. • UNDERWATER LIGHTNING Tourists can choose from several sightseeing routes. One of them is the water crossing. Visitors overcome this route on an old tin boat and sail on it into the ‘dry’ part of the corridors. On this route, we installed the PXM company’s underwater lightning based on a
record revenue sales twice in one month since the refit of "The Armoury" The average basket sale increased from £45.00 to £65.00. In-store staff reported the store as an excellent place to work. The use of AV throughout the store enables them to spark conversations and build rapport quicker than before. The digital mirrors are an ice breaker enabling the upsell of shirt printing and additional merchandise. Staff enjoy showcasing the various interactive displays, in particular the AR screen where the club reported increase in social media following, Instagram posts and Facebook ‘check in’s’.
Testimonials and references Arsenal Retail Director Simon Lilley said: “The newly refitted Armoury is our flagship store at Emirates Stadium and we’re proud to provide a best-in-class retail environment for our fans. Working with adidas has helped us to take our store to the next level, with new experiences such as the cage football Skills Zone. A lot of work has gone in to ensuring that this refurb’ reflects our supporters’ passion for Arsenal and our rich history with adidas, whilst continuing to provide a world-class retail experience.” 442 Studio Director Tracey Forbes said: “Our intention was to design a truly fan-centric super store that positions both adidas and Arsenal as world leaders in experiential sports retail. The Armoury is the world-famous home of the Arsenal brand and therefore the instore experience is a crucial touchpoint with customers and often a pilgrimage! Through integration of high impact AV/digital design innovations, we’ve created a shop that is multi-sensory and interactive, with something for all age groups. It majors on making an emotional connection with the Club, creating reasons to visit, purchase and share content on social media.”
BrightSign At The Top, Burj Khalifa
‘The Armoury’ for Arsenal Football Club and adidas, is described as a game-changer for Football Retail. Dynamo LED Displays and 442 Design’s award celebrates the power of interactive AV and digital storytelling in creating unforgettable customer experiences and delivering commercial results. Creative use of AV injects pace along the customer journey – an immersive ‘audio shower tunnel’, large scale digital wallpaper, digital mirrors, ‘breaking news’ ticker tape, ‘Top Goals’ digital mural and an Augmented Reality ‘Skills Zone’ build an emotional connection with Fans. Shareable content and dynamic product-level promotion delights and informs, increases dwell time and drives sales. In retail, merchandising space is premium real estate. Any space dedicated to activity other than merchandising needs to offer something incredibly compelling, create reasons to visit and provide a ‘sharable’ experience, gaining social media coverage and valuable word-of-mouth advertising. AV interactions throughout the customer journey keep the pace lively and engaging: The new digital frontage sets the scene with clear visibility from 200m approaching the stadium. ‘Digital wallpaper’ welcomes Fans with exciting immersive content; Digital Mural displaying Arsenal’s ‘Top Goals” pulls at the heartstrings. The “Skills Zone” Broadcast Augmented Reality experience offers an exclusive opportunity to “share your skills” with one of your heroes virtually cheering you on, in high definition on an incredible P1.8 mm screen. Content is then broadcast to the Big Screen in the stadium bowl on match days, allowing fan-generated content to play to live audience. Using the big screens to share fan-generated content – a first for Arsenal – creates a valuable connection between the store and the action on the pitch. Match Day traffic is intense and the sales window is narrow. Asking customers to wait in line for a fitting room is a retail ‘pain point’ often addressed by adding mirrors on the sales floor, taking up valuable wall space. For many items, this means people can quickly try before they buy without the wait and minimise dropped baskets. To maximise the return on wall space used by mirrors we conceptualised, prototyped and built the UK’s first ‘Bespoke Digital Mirror’. Pin-sharp digital video content is its default setting, but through sensor activation “magically transforms” into a high-quality reflective mirror when a fan stands in proximity. When they move away out of range, it switches back to content again – providing an engaging way to pique interest and tell stories right at product level. Dynamo, 442, Arsenal and Adidas have collaborated to created a memorable in-store experience, setting the standards high for other “Stadium Retailers” to follow. The Armoury’s digital frontage creates excitement on the approach to the ground, the display screens are used to promote stadium tours with an increase FOOTFALL of 9% compared to the previous year. Stadium tours start and finish in "The Armoury" the conversation rate of in store sales after the tour is now at 50%. Store revenue has increased by 21% compared to the previous year and are 8% above their target for the year. The store broke
‘At The Top’ is a spectacular attraction where visitors to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai can experience a glass floor cracking beneath their feet 456m above the street on the 125th floor of the building. DigiComm and BrightSign created an interactive simulation using motion sensors, floor mounted OLED screens and amazing CGI images to offer brave visitors an unforgettable experience at the world-famous skyscraper. By synching sensors with visual and audio effects within the BrightSign player, the attraction gives the appearance of glass cracking at the exact time a person’s foot lands on a given area of the screen. • The screens display a highly realistic visual animation of the city 456m below, which changes according to the time of day and season, scheduled, and controlled by the BrightSign players, linked to 15 Nexmosphere XDW-M44 motion sensors. • Because the bridge wasn’t made from clear glass, the “view” of the city below had to be designed to accurately represent the time of day, weather and other environmental factors using 3,000 still images from the top of the Burj Khalifa stitched together with animations added with CGI. • The Nexmosphere sensors capture visitors’ movements and trigger the BrightSign players to generate the sound and visual effect of cracking glass, combining high resolution CGI graphics with synchronized audio. • The motion sensors track the activity of around 10,000 visitors per day. • The BrightSign players are deployed and left to run 24-hours a day with minimal management.
Testimonials and references • Writing for The Business Insider, Dubai’s top newspaper, Harrison Jacobs said “Probably the coolest part of the exhibition room is a touchscreen floor overlaid with an aerial view of the Burj Khalifa and Dubai. It's surprisingly vertigo-inducing. It looks very real.” •"The glass floor has really added a new dimension to the At the Top experience for the visitors. It's very realistic. Some people think it’s real and feel frightened," says Abdul Bakhrani, CEO of
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AV News Awards Finalists Dubai-based digital media studio and systems integrator DigiComm. "There are a number of high-tech attractions that together make a visit to Burj Khalifa truly unforgettable. This is a worldclass venue, so it's essential that everything that’s done adds to the exhilaration of being there, and it’s certainly been achieved with the glass floor."
Krispy Kreme GEN8 Cabinets Embed signage Digital upgrade to doughnut kiosks are at the heart of this project with presence sensors, LED strip, stretched displays and shelf edge labels. The GEN8 cabs are a first for Krispy Kreme globally. GEN8 uses digital technology with a purpose for every element. Everything has been meticulously considered to present an exciting customer experience and generate sales. The initial trail was measured by revenue and also included consumer research to analyse shopper behaviour, look at the drivers and barriers to purchase and gain wider feedback. Trial (Completed Jan 2020): 20 units First roll out (Completed Sept 2020): 140 units Initial 2021 plans: 135 units.
• Sales revenue reached 45% increase in Like-for-Like sales in some locations. • ROI was far better than initially anticipated, going well beyond the target of 15%. • Test and Learn strategies were easy to roll out across the GEN8 estate, giving excellent insight into shopping patterns and using that data we were able to implement strategies across all other 1000 non-digital cabinets in the estate. • Brand Love and ‘Worth It’ scores improved with the introduction of GEN8 cabinets, therefore bringing customers closer to the brand. • The project has been a resounding success so it is scaling up and rolling out across 2020/21.
Testimonials and references “The initial trial has gone very well and we are now pleased to continue the rollout into many more. We are only at the start of this journey and there are huge opportunities moving forwards to further develop the on-screen content to surprise and delight our customers at the point of purchase” Suk Nichols, Sales Director, Krispy Kreme UK “Krispy Kreme uses embed signage across the entire digital signage estate including the GEN8 cabinets. The incredible development of embed makes managing the estate really simple, and yet brings a vast amount of flexibility to all elements of our content. Content is controlled entirely by us, from beginning to end, making changes and updates incredibly fast, meaning we can react to any changes in store or in the market as a whole immediately. The infinite range of resolutions available means maximum flexibility for us. When designing new stores or improving old there are no restrictions on what we can do with digital signage, which gives our stores a really fun and creative feel. Practically all devices are supported too which is perfect. It means that the variety is there to match each requirement. Embed have been phenomenal throughout the whole process, giving incredible insight and training to ensure that we can manage our digital estate to gain the best results we can. The support has been second to none, establishing fixes and improvements all the time to make managing the estate as simple as possible, while still creating a magical experience for customers and full flexibility in regard to content.
AV Project of the Year (Live Events) Vestel proffessional Displays are now ready for breathtaking games in vfl Wolfsburg Arena Vestel, the leading manufacturer of Consumer Electronics and
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Home Appliances in Turkey, continues its prestigious projects with the VfL Wolfsburg Arena Project. Starting with the 2019/2020 season, the project is going to continue for at least two seasons with a possible extension afterwards. VfL Wolfsburg is part of the German Bundesliga since 1997, having won the Championship in 2009 and the DFB Cup in 2015, is currently ranked second after game seven in this year’s season. A new project is unveiled in VfL Wolfsburg Arena, powered by Vestel Signage Series. As the solution partner, Vestel offers impressive user experience, enabling VIP guests to watch the game, recaps, and press conferences from all tables and seats within the VIP areas with minimum transmission delay - all thanks to the new innovative solution offered by Vestel. The close collaboration arose from VfL Wolfburg’s big focus on technical innovation to create a state of the art visual experience for their VIP customers; and after a thorough examination and reference checks, Vestel was identified as the right solution partner with its innovative approach and cutting edge technology. The project started by the VfL Wolfsburg Arena getting equipped with 400 Vestel Professional Displays: in VIP areas, 49” screens will accompany the viewers for unforgettable game days and 55”, 65” and 75” displays in the lounges will enable audiences to reach all the available game information. After this initial step, project includes further plans. Within the wide portfolio of product range, Vestel will bring Video walls, Totems and LED products into use and meet the exact needs of the Arena. The system integration partner for the project is GHMedia whom Vestel has worked with for previous projects as well. GHMedia is converting the video signal into a UDP Multicast stream and have incorporated Vestel LAN Command API and the SoC Multicast capability into their proprietary control software. The signal is processed into a LAN Multicast Stream and sent within a dedicated, separately switched media network using a fibre optic ring throughout the stadium without a need to have any additional hardware. The SoC handles the conversion of the Multicast Stream on board. Not only does this solution provide a fast way of delivering the signal to all screens at the same time with minimum transmission delay, but also it is a big gain in picture quality compared to the old coax cabling technology. Digitalization into Multicast packets, there is no quality loss due to cable length. Vestel Signage Series creates a harmony with the spectacular design of the Arena’s interior and enable VIP customers to enjoy a technologically advanced experience as they watch the games. The cosmetic look and feel, picture quality, brightness and colours were assessed besides end-to-end interaction of hardware and software. Outside of game days, the displays will be used as informative screen. Implementing a secure, and separately switched media network throughout the Volkswagen Wolfsburg Arena, and making sure the displays fit in the already beautifully designed interior of the Arena were some of the challenges the team faced during the project; but eventually the installation process was a success and the project was ready in time for the first game of the season. With Vestel’s experienced team on board, each seat now has perfect vision of the screens and the GHMedia control software is successfully passed to the control of the production team on site. This huge project is the result of extensive planning, construction and integration carried out by the Vestel team who ensured that the project was moving forward seamlessly. Vestel focuses on offering its customers a great experience in all stages of the user lifecycle. This is a part of the unwavering vision of Vestel.
completely out of this world, with 3D developers and modelers immersing delegates in a fully interactive, digital world. The Fusion team work to create, unique, extraordinary experiences built with limitless reality at their heart. 300 international attendees – CIPR saw over 300 delegates tune in from across the globe, including Mauritius, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia. The event was held across three- days allowing the attendees to login and view the content either live or on demand. Live International Speakers – The event heard from 26 high profile speakers, seamlessly brought into the platform from their own homes from across the world including Australia and the USA. Bespoke environment – CIPR wanted to create a fully immersive and interactive environment unique to them and that’s exactly what was delivered. As well as easy access to valuable content and data, their environment showcased the ability to cater for viewer wellbeing and raised engagement by incorporating a virtual Escape Room, Wellness Area, and relaxing Aquarium. Live social media feed – Showcased in the exhibition zone, attendees were encouraged to tweet live from the event using the chosen event hashtag to feature their conversations live on the Twitter rotunda featured in the centre, generating a massive buzz that was perfect for the event narrative. “The Fusion platform really delivered an exceptional virtual experience. It was not just an online conference but a platform where all delegates could explore, engage and learn. I was impressed by the Fusion team’s willingness to be creative and bring my ideas to life, as well as offering their own, which made the project felt like a real partnership. Sparq and Imagin3D were also keen to hear feedback and act quickly to ensure our delegates had the best experience possible. The CIPR National Conference was a huge success this year and although we were nervous about delivering our first online event, we were confident that we had chosen the best platform available. Sponsors, delegates and staff were all impressed and have been speaking about the 2021 event already! “ Catherine Morgan, CIPR Events and Awards Manager
The Essence of EXPO 2020 Pixel Artworks and Dynamo LED Displays Pixel Artworks designed and delivered the Middle East’s most ambitious AV installation for Expo 2020 in Dubai International Airport. A mixture of fixed and flexible LED products in a p2.5mm pixel pitch were specified and supplied by Dynamo LED Displays. The 169m2 LED installation is currently the largest LED display in the world’s busiest airport. Building 10 x 10m tall LED structures with over 32 million pixels, linked together by 9km of military grade fibre, Pixel Artworks created a visually stunning canvas for Expo 2020 to attract, excite and engage over 23 million visitors annually into DXB arrival hall. The ambitious project was designed and delivered within just 3 months and would not have been possible without the amazing team of creatives, engineers and suppliers who exceeded expectations by completing on time, on budget during the airports busiest time of the year in December 2019. • The ‘Essence of Expo 2020’ is an experiential AV installation housed in the arrival hall of Dubai International Airport – the world’s busiest airport. • Pixel Artworks were engaged by Expo 2020 to design and deliver an experiential activation to excite, engage and inspire the 23 million passengers who come into Dubai each year through the arrival hall in Terminal 3. • With just three months to design and deliver the project, receive full approval and certification for all designs and equipment, in a ‘live’ airport, in the run up to the festive period, Pixel Artworks and their partners were up against it from the start!
CIPR National Conference 2020 (Virtual) Sparq, part of the Saville Group, are the dynamic technical event production specialist. No matter what the size or scale of the show, they work in close collaboration with clients to create stunning live and digital event experiences. Successfully pivoting to an entirely on-line offering at short notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their seamless 360 technical event production service starts from the concept of the event journey and ends with an extraordinary delivery. This successful reengineering was made possible by quickly expanding and restructuring the existing digital offering built on over ten years of experience delivering events across the globe. Virtual event on a bespoke platform - Fusion - a new virtual events platform that blends gaming technology with 360 event production. Sparq can replicate an existing venue or create something
• Working closely with Dynamo LED Displays, PixelArtworks quickly ideated a design which utilised the columns and central thoroughfare in the arrivals hall, creating 10 huge LED structures which tower over the audience creating a massive, unified display on which to show Expo 2020’s vision and ambition. • At the base of the 4 entry and exit columns, gigantic ‘halo’s’ were created using Dynamo’s p2.6mm flexible solution, providing a full, 360 degree wrap around screen to present the key content and messaging for the client. • The 32 million LED pixels were driven by 3 Disguise 4x4 Pro machines (2 live machines and 1 understudy) conected to the LED displays over 9km of military grade fibre optic cables. 10 Novastar 4k controllers (5 MCRTRL4K MASTERS, 5 MCLTRL4K Back Up) were configured for transmission with seamless redundancy. Used in conjunction with Novastar CVT Fibre extension system to achieve the required bandwidth. A state of the art 16-channel spatial audio system driven by Timax Soundhub via
AV News Awards Finalists Dante provided an immersive 3D audio experience under each of the installation’s ‘halo’ screens. Pixel Artworks also developed a custom show-control user interface which ran on Medialon Showmaster Pro MkII, providing in-situ and remote control, monitoring and reporting across all of the installed systems, and providing integration into the airport’s BMS and alarms systems. The installation had to go through the airport’s stringent approvals processes including; fire rating, civil and mechanical structural approval and electrical safety testing – a process which can take over three months on it’s own. Pixel Artworks and Dynamo’s in-house technical and engineering teams worked closely with the airport’s engineering and fit-out teams and Atkins Engineering to design and gain approval for a bespoke, standalone structural design which provided no additional structural load on the airport’s columns. The displays are used as a canvas to display beautiful animations designed to show Expo 2020’s vision and key sub themes – Opportunity, Mobility & Sustainability. Pixel Artworks created three chapters of content - 9 minutes in total - taking the audience from ‘sand to the stars’ on a journey which played out across the pillars before bursting into life to present Expo 2020’s key campaign imagery and ‘World’s Greatest Show’ message. This installation is not only the biggest AV project ever to be completed in the world’s busiest airport, it was designed and delivered on time and on budget, in just three months, before the airport’s busiest festive period. The activation sits front and centre for all of the 23 million passengers that arrive into DXB every year, it’s scale, beauty and narrative content is unmissable, an immersive selfie spot and the perfect welcome, from Expo 2020 to Dubai.
Testimonials and references “We wanted to create an incredible experiential AV installation for travellers arriving into Dubai International Airport; initially to excite, inspire and engage people about Expo 2020 and then to convert and sell tickets to ‘The World’s Greatest Show’. Working closely with DXB, we selected the arrivals hall in Termi-
of roses. Then it comes as no surprise that when Kim celebrated her 40th Birthday on a private island this year, Kanye stole the show once again with an unbelievable gift of a hologram of her late father, Robert Kardashian, presented on a Holopops Ultra Display System. We sat down with Liz Berry, CEO of Hologramica and inventor of Holopops for her to talk us through the technology behind the magical and thoughtful gift. Liz explained, "Hologramica produces a lot of holograms, but mostly on a large scale in professional event spaces for which we usually design a bespoke solution. Lockdown and a remote, unknown hotel venue presented a unique set of challenges to creating what absolutely had to be a remarkable and powerful hologram experience. It demanded a high-quality solution that could travel on small planes to the island, and was simple to assemble, as the on-site team would not have seen or used the system before.” Ultra was the obvious choice. It was designed to be portable and easy to rig by two people in just a couple of hours. Holopops just works, putting stunning life-size holograms into small spaces very cost-effectively. The system is composed of a patent-pending 3D Holonet; a highly reflective yet transparent surface which creates bright and convincing holographic effects, an Optoma ZH500UST ultra-short throw projector, a handful of lights, and an all-in-one housing and frame, which incorporates further proprietary technology to control unwanted projection spill which would otherwise ruin the effect. Liz concluded: “The show was an incredible debut for Holopops Ultra, and obviously we were very happy that Kim was so pleased. We don’t normally like to make our clients cry, but we make an exception for tears of joy! “The reason we were able to execute this hologram so successfully is because of the ZH500UST. The list of benefits is endless. It’s so discreet: quiet, compact and lightweight, and the off-axis projection path allows the projector to be rigged above the top of the image, tucking it up into the roof above audience head-height. It has spectacular brightness, and an impressive ability to focus a very large picture, giving a sharp, life-size image. These features are central to the success of the Holopops Ultra."
Testimonials and references “The reaction of Kim and her sisters to Kanye’s unique gift demonstrates the power of communicating by hologram. Robert Kardashian was obviously pre-recorded content, but by utilising broadcast technologies, we can also create real-time, life-size holograms for business use. The ability to see and read body language as well as hear the words allows a far more effective messaging, and it’s an area in which we’re experiencing a lot of interest. Talking to live holograms sounds like science fiction, but it’s science fact, and by using Holopops, it just works” Liz Berry, CEO of Hologramica.
Digital Signage Innovation of the Year nal 3, which sees over 23 million passengers travelling through it each year. The arrivals hall is unique and iconic here in Dubai and hosts hundreds of columns which actually hold up the apron and A380’s above it! We quickly decided that we should base our activation around those columns. Because of the complex existing advertising and wayfinding landscape within the arrivals hall, we had to ensure that what we commissioned complimented the architecture and wasn’t just another bill board, but it also had to effectively inspire and inform our target market of our key messaging. We engaged Pixel Artworks to manage the design and installation of the whole experience from start to finish and we had a tight deadline to meet; ensuring that we were live for the airports busiest time – the festive period - which was just 3 months away. Pixel Artworks worked closely with my team and suppliers Dynamo LED Displays, disguise and Team Visual Solutions to create and procure 10 huge LED sculptures which towered above the first 10 columns as travellers make their way through immigration; an imposing and impressive array of screens which when linked together create a beautiful, exciting canvas. To further provide us with the right real-estate for our messaging, Pixel Artworks designed 4 gigantic circular screens, creating an infinite loop of pixels for us to reach our audience throughout the arrivals hall. The scale, beauty and impact of the finished installation is breath-taking and provides us with the perfect informative canvas. The professionalism, speed and quality of the delivery team was outstanding. Delivering all of this in just three months in such a complex environment is a massive achievement in itself.“ Anthony Ward - VP Marketing, Expo 2020.
Holopops Ultra Kim Kardashian-West's 40th Birthday Even When it comes to lavish and extraordinary shows of adoration for his wife, Kanye West is a force to be reckoned with. In 2016 for Mother's Day, Kim Kardashian-West received a casual wake-up call by none other than a group of female violinists and cellists performing in their living room. And for Valentine's Day in 2019, Kanye asked Kenny G to serenade his leading lady in a room full
Saturn visual solutions AO Project AO prides itself on being customer-focussed, progressive and challenging the norm. The company wanted to create a pilot of five physical stores that would complement its online offering and introduce the brand to those who wouldn’t normally buy white goods online. The stores needed to create a good first impression and support the positive & friendly nature of the AO brand. It was important that they not look or feel vastly dissimilar to AO’s online shopping experience. They also needed to showcase AO’s full offering without the stores feeling overloaded or cramped. AO knew what the store concept and layout should be, that they wanted to use digital signage to bring it to life and bridge the gap between the online and offline AO shopping experience, but not how they should do it. “We considered the customer’s buying experience, how the offline store could enhance it, how it could be personalised, and developed a number of ideas for digital touchpoints within the store that evolved other tried-and-tested technical applications. We identified that when shopping for a TV it is important to be able to compare the different models’ sound and picture quality directly, and that some features would be more important than others, depending on what people liked to watch. We created an application that enables up to 21 different TV screens and sound bars to be synchronised together and used like a TV wall, or to be operated individually. AO staff can use a standard tablet device to switch between using the TV display as an exciting centrepiece to brand the store, or showcasing the picture and sound of individual TVs and soundbars.” “To give shoppers a more personalised experience, we coupled this with a suite of AO-branded content that they could pick from to see how well each model would perform when showing the sort of content they liked to watch – i.e. films, cartoons, football games, and video games - and to experience the benefits of viewing it with a sound bar. We looked at how to make it more fun to shop for smaller electrical items like coffee machines and originally recommended a ‘lift and learn’ solution to show customers relevant product information on a screen when they picked up an item. However, when the coronavirus pandemic hit, we knew it had to be a contactless solution and developed ‘wave and learn’ instead, which uses customers’ hand movements to learn about a product. Shoppers
navigate and select the product information they want to read by waving in the direction of a specific colour-coded motion sensor, thereby avoiding the potential for coronavirus contamination.” To make the digital signage work harder and create a unique shopping experience, we used motion sensors throughout the store to change the content shown on screens, depending on the customers’ proximity to them. When customers are furthest from the screen, they are shown attention- grabbing branded messages to introduce the AO brand (“Come and say hello!”), showcase attractive offers, and display opening times. Mid-distance shoppers are shown offers related to the section of the store they are standing in. When customers stand directly in front of a screen, the content changes to ask what type of electrical goods they are interested in, then (using touchscreen) walks them through the buying considerations and shows them suitable products based on their requirements. • The AO stores experienced a disproportionate surge in sound bar sales, which have traditionally been hard to sell due to shoppers not appreciating the value of them. • Screens at the store’s exit, which invite shoppers for feedback (a recommendation from Saturn), found that 90% of customers loved the AO in-store shopping experience.
Testimonials and references Daniel Kilday, Head Of Brand Delivery, AO.com “We wanted a digital signage company that we could partner with. One that, like us, wanted to challenge the norm, could bring lots of experience and exciting ideas to the table and would be great to work with. Saturn has managed to exceed all of our expectations. What’s great about Saturn is that you can trust their advice and costings. They don’t hide costs, underestimate the time they need, or recommend cheaper hardware to artificially make their tenders look more attractive. They focus on delivering the best long-term value for money that they can, and on sticking to their promises. Saturn’s consultancy team was able to get under the skin of our business, understand our customers’ perspective, and work out what we wanted before we even knew it ourselves. We’ve been amazed at how good Saturn is at stretching what technology can do. The team focusses on what the ideal customer experience should be, then they look at what is available technology-wise and adapt and evolve it as appropriate.” “Our stores look absolutely amazing. Our interactive TV wall is a huge differentiator between AO and every other electrical goods retailer. Our customers love that they can pick and choose which content and screens they want to watch and get a real sense of the quality and value of each one. We love that our customers can use it to get the product that’s 100% right for them. Because all the signage is digital and Saturn is so responsive, we can be really agile with our stores. We can choose to have a promotion on a Monday, and by Tuesday it can be live in stores, which obviously wouldn’t be possible with standard POS.
NEC dvLED FE Series
NEC’s FE Series LED Bundles are complete solutions for different-sized digital canvases starting at 110’’, with 6 fine pixel pitch options (1.2 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.9 mm, 2.5 mm, 3.1 mm and 3.8 mm) ensuring optimum display resolution regardless of viewing distance. Native HD, FHD and UHD resolutions are achieved through configuration of multiple 16:9 modules allowing excellent scalability to fit the available space. Equally capable of wall-mounted, free-standing or integrated installation, the modular ‘off-the-shelf’ LED solutions provide scalable, seamless deployment and superb visualisation wherever businesses need it. We believe the FE series represents a benchmark for the future of large surface visualisation and for this reason is deserving of recognition from the industry. •#Combining precision German engineering with rigorous Japanese quality control, the NEC LED Indoor FE Series brings a sustainable, power-efficient and high-quality solution to a market beset by questionable reliability. Featuring many unique innovative solutions to challenges which traditionally plague LED technology, the FE series is the culmination of NEC’s stringent focus on delivering long-lasting reliable products and a desire to meet the
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Diary AV News andAwards columnFinalists true needs of the market. The FE Series is the result of an intensive product development process following NEC’s acquisition of S[quadrat] in 2018. Brought to market as a bundled solution with everything included for wall-mounted installation and instant set-up; gone is the perceived complexity of dvLED. Easing the transition of LED within the AV sector, NEC offers a standardised package solution which has been designed with the needs of the integrator at its heart, where ease of configuration and maintenance are of primary concern.
included with every player, delivers real-time player control from a remote location. Users can also subscribe to the Content Cloud for the complete set of BSN.cloud content management and publishing features. BrightSign’s BSN.cloud delivers the industry’s most diverse digital signage ecosystem, allowing customers to select their preferred CMS from a choice of 20 leading vendors through a drop-down menu and changing their selection on a player by player basis if required.
• The FE Series is engineered with innovative and patented SMD Multi-Color LEDs for excellent image quality at low cost. NEC selects only the best batch of Multi-Color diodes which offer two key benefits: wider viewing angles and humidity proof operation.
• The unprecedented industry support for BSN.cloud speaks volumes about the value that it brings to the digital signage ecosystem.
• Unlike competitor LEDs with a variable convex surface, NEC’s Multi-Color LEDs have a flat surface enabling a wider viewing angle of up to 160 degrees. The uniform flush surface generates an unprecedented consistency between LED batches when it comes to viewing angles, colour wavelength and brightness deviation. The special polyamide surface creates a matt finish which prevents any reflection of ambient light. • Corrosion due to humidity is a potential issue for surface mount LEDs. NEC’s humidity proof Multi-Color diodes are designed with a so called ‘isolation island’ whereby the crystal fixing area and common poles are isolated from the other components in the circuit to prevent the ingress of humidity and the threat of oxidization. Thus, potential corrosion is no longer an issue and the SMD lamps offer the highest operational reliability. • The FE Series features an all-metal chassis which brings essential advantages in terms of fire-safety, mechanical alignment and thermal management. NEC LED products are suitable for use in public spaces with excellent fire-retardancy results during fire load testing, unlike many competitor products with a plastic chassis. Described as ‘cladding’ in tender documents, video wall products require the same fire classification as construction materials. As a result, by choosing NEC LED displays, no additional investments such as a smoke evacuation or sprinkler systems for protection compensation are required, thus saving costs, saving effort and guaranteeing peace of mind. •High quality LED solutions typically deliver up 100,000 hours life to 50% brightness, meaning this technology can be a 10 year product. But what sets NEC apart is how it seeks ways to protect the investment over this longer time period - NEC’s pixel cards can be removed and upgraded to a finer pixel pitch, or to benefit from any future technology improvement with no requirement to reinvest in the entire wall, or to change the mounting structure. The LED modules are front-serviceable allowing installation even in difficult to access areas or extremely close to the wall with no need for heat management making it a highly versatile technology. The modules are hot-swappable, meaning they can be replaced without turning the display off thus minimising downtime. When a pixel card is replaced, chrominance and luminance calibration can be carried out to ensure continued visual uniformity over the lifetime of the product. • The variation in quality in the dvLED market is vast and there is currently no universal industry guideline for LED pixel defects. In line with its stringent quality control and reputation for reliable, fit-for-purpose solutions, NEC has defined its own standard for permissible pixel faults applicable to each of its dvLED series of products which sets a very high standard for LED quality. Testimonials and references “As a bundled product, the NEC LED FE series is so perfectly simplistic, we are able to deliver quite complex solutions for our customers thanks to its flexibility and scalability. The quality is as you would expect from NEC, manufactured in Germany with Japanese design.The product has a unique chassis design which gives a lot of flexibility, it supports the very long life-time of the technology; with inter-changeable pixel cards we can ensure our customers remain future proof. We chose the NEC FE Series for our flagship retail installations and will continue to work with NEC in the future.” Greg Bennett, Head of AV Solutions, Exertis “A luxury car manufacturer recently selected Commco Ltd to deliver audio visual systems at their new flagship showroom in Central London. An NEC Direct View LED Bundle was specified (FE019i2-165 LED wall) as part of the overall solution, which was Commco’s first project using dvLED technology. I was impressed with the quality of the cabinets and how quickly the LED wall installed to create a high-quality display canvas. You can see that NEC have designed the product with quality and reliability in mind, which brings simplicity to maintain and service moving forward.” Dan Philpot, managing director, Commco Ltd
BSN.cloud BrightSign BSN.cloud is a next-generation, cloud-based digital signage platform, simplifying device deployment, and delivering network and player management and remote diagnostics. The Control Cloud,
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• BSN.cloud is based on open APIs, allowing partners small and large to build solutions addressing the segments and niches that they have identified, creating a powerful new route to market. • Customers can select their preferred CMS in a drop-down menu and provision the BrightSign player or fleet of players for the chosen CMS with a few clicks of the mouse – a level of integration unique in its depth and breadth. • Customers can select a different CMS for each player or group of players, depending on the needs and requirements of that location. • Users can also choose to subscribe to the Content Cloud ($99/ player/year) for the complete set of BSN.cloud content management and publishing features, including the ability to host, manage and access their library of content as well as to distribute, schedule and manage that content in a secure cloud environment. Testimonials and references Commenting on the integration of Carousel Cloud with BSN.cloud, JJ Parker, CEO of Carousel Digital Signage, said, “The ability to deploy this integrated solution directly through BrightSign’s BSN. cloud interface aligns with our strategy of simplifying digital signage for any customer, and for networks of any scale. Our goal is to take our customers directly from shrink wrap to digital signage, without the time and complexities of managing physical configurations on media players, or the concerns of on-site maintenance.”
One Digital Signage Outdoor Hand Sanitiser
digital signage hardware product. It also boasts a market-leading package built around it including intuitive content management systems, powerful management/reporting software and provision of SteriZar skin-kind & zero alcohol sanitiser liquids.
Testimonials and references In relation to the installation of our Outdoor Digital Signage Hand Sanitiser at Loyal Lodge Hotel & Pub, Halesowen: “When we came across One Digital’s Outdoor Hand Sanitiser, we hadn’t really seen a product like it before. The combination of a hand sanitiser dispenser with a digital media unit opened up numerous possibilities for us as our business reopened after lockdown. Because it can be installed outside, we were able to provide hand hygiene facilities at the door of our business, meaning from the moment customers walk in they’re confident we are investing in infection control and they are in a safe space. Where we have positioned the hand sanitiser outside our main entrance also means we can promote all of our menus and latest offers on the display, along with welcoming messages, which is a hugely useful marketing tool at a time when customers have been wary of returning to hospitality venues like ours.” Chad Hudson, Owner, Loyal Lodge Hotel “One Digital Signage is one of the most exciting and relevant brands in the digital signage messaging space. The new distribution agreement will deliver significant benefits to our reseller partners and we are excited to establish this partnership and look forward to the new opportunities it will bring in the future.” Peter Dosanjh, Director of AV, Northamber PLC.
Samsung Samsung Kiosk As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer retail habits have changed and contactless customer experiences emphasizing safety and hygiene have become a necessity. In response to this, Samsung offers the PC-less, 24-inch all-in-one Kiosk. An engaging self-service display that allows businesses offer a safe, staff-free ordering experience. This product proposes a new standard for kiosks, with high quality and innovative digital technology. Samsung’s new Antimicrobial Coating technology, removes any customer concerns using the display. Furthermore, security provided by Samsung Knox keeps customer’s information safe and secure. • The Samsung Kiosk provides customer service, safely reimagined with a built-in and UL certified anti-microbial solution that helps protect the screen against 99.9% of bacteria. The touchscreen is infused with Antimicrobial Coating, a zinc-based additive verified to block microbial growth to keep the screen clean from germs. • The Samsung Kiosk features a compact design to save space and blends into any interior by removing external media player. It supports three types of installation – countertop, floor stand and wall-mounting.
At One Digital Signage, now in our twentieth year of operations, we are a West Midlands-based manufacturer of high-grade digital signage products for the retail, hospitality and public sectors. With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic we switched focus to develop a much-needed range of infection control solutions including LCD screen hand sanitisers and facial recognition infrared thermometers. One of these unique UK-made products, our 22” LCD Screen IP65-Rated Outdoor Hand Sanitiser Station, provides our entry for Digital Signage Innovation of the Year. The Outdoor Hand Sanitiser solution was developed as a result of identifying and meeting the need for hand hygiene facilities in outdoor spaces. This truly unique product is now providing a solution to UK businesses that previously did not exist. • The solution can provide hand sanitiser facilities at the point of entry to a public/commercial space, markedly increasing a business’s ability to maintain a Covid-secure environment. It is built to do this 24/7 and in any weather with its robust IP65-rated design and climate-controlled internals. • Being an integrated digital signage solution, the sanitiser station is able to deliver key visitor guidance, public health and promotional messages with its 22” 1500 NIT high brightness LCD screen.
• The kiosk features device management with Samsung Remote Management solution, which includes remote monitoring to check the operating status and the status of the kiosk. This remote-control feature reduces maintenance site visits. • The product provides a convenient in-store experience with all necessary devices built-in including a printer, card reader/PIN pad and QR/barcode scanner to eliminate additional assembly. Owners can connect additional devices such as vibration bells and queueing management as well as NFC tagging. • The PC-less Samsung Kiosk is highly reliable and has an advanced security system supported by the powerful Samsung Knox.
Testimonials and references “After introducing the Samsung Kiosk to many of Fiserv’s business partners and merchant owners, the feedback unanimously is that it is the most competitive self-ordering kiosk on the market. With its antimicrobial coating technology for enhanced customer protection, and compact PC-less design, partners and owners are eagerly anticipating shipment in Q1 2021.” Jongyoon Kim, VP and General manager of Fiserv Korea
Collaboration Innovation of the Year
• Along with the full range of our infection control solutions, our Outdoor Hand Sanitisers are supporting under pressure businesses in keeping customers and staff safe. Critically, this allows businesses to stay open and continue to move forward in a faltering economy that cannot afford more businesses closing.
Vivitek NC-X700 INSERT PIC
• The Outdoor Hand Sanitiser does not only represent a superior
The NC-X700 and the NC-X900 are new additions to Vivitek’s range of NovoConnect devices. Both add-on devices are ideally
AV News Awards Finalists suited to those who already have a screen or a projector, but wish to enhance or extend their existing AV infrastructure with wireless presentation functionality, or maximise their screen use with digital signage. Vivitek’s new models stand out in the market for facilitating more than just a wireless connection, and instead offer true collaboration. Users of the NC-X700 and the NC-X900 are able to share their content wirelessly from any device to the main screen. • Connection is simple, thanks to the NovoConnect App mirroring the content from mobile devices and laptops, facilitating BYOD and making it easy to bring ideas and content to a big screen. For enhanced convenience, NC-X700 and the NC-X900 users can also connect using the Windows 10 Miracast. In addition, NCX900’s dual-WiFi capacity enables native Windows (Miracast), Mac OS and iOS (AirPlay), and Android (Google Cast) mirroring, eliminating the need of installing any software. Guests benefit from the convenience of the USB LauncherPlus, which is an optional extension for direct WiFi connectivity from any laptop. • As part of NovoConnect’s feature set, there is a complete suite of collaboration tools. Its functionality ranges from the ability to switch participants’ screens dynamically, to displaying up to four participants simultaneously. Meanwhile, advanced moderation functions help the meeting host to remain in control of the meeting agenda. • While meeting participants will enjoy the rich functionality of the new solutions, IT professionals will appreciate that all NovoConnect products offer advanced, built-in security features, which include AES 256 encryption, dual networks to separate guest and employee networks and password protected configuration. As an added bonus, the optional LauncherOne for laptop connectivity, ensures the solution’s true compliance to DLP policies and GDPR guidelines. • A key factor to the successful rollout of a wireless collaboration solution is ease of use and maintenance. All Novo products are designed to be integrated into the network and controlled centrally with the Remote Manager Software.
• Industry-leading patented High Precision Super Glide Touch technology offers the most fluid writing experience on a touchscreen yet with no lag, whether you're using fingers, gloves or the dual recognition stylus. The screen can easily differentiate between palm erase, finger touch and stylus writing, which means there is no need to change settings mid-flow. • The UX Pro can be operated using a mobile device from anywhere in the room, removing the need to touch the panel which has become necessary during the Covid-19 pandemic. • The UX Pro can sync with the user's cloud account so that they can work anywhere at any time. • The UX Pro comes with 'Clever account' profiles with an NFC sensor built into the bezel, allowing the user to tap their NFC card to instantly log in to their profile and continue where they left off. • The UX Pro is also environmentally friendly, using proximity sensors to boot up when someone enters the room, and switch off when the space is empty. As businesses seek to reduce their carbon footprint, it's an ideal addition to communications infrastructure.
Testimonials and references “The Clevertouch UX Pro's open platform approach allowed us to seamlessly integrated the units with our existing technology and software without compromising the security needs of our organisation. We have been blown away but the features and how quickly employees took to using the touchscreens. Ideas seem to flow more as a result, and there has been a definite change in how teams collaborate.” Mark Lewis, Senior Project Manager, Network Rail
Barco
Clickshare Conference Simple, easy, wireless - that’s how ClickShare Conference shares your apps on the room display and connects them to the camera and speakers in the room for better hybrid meetings. ClickShare Conference allows users to enjoy seamless wireless conferencing from their laptop: it works wirelessly with your existing video conferencing system and USB peripherals – microphones, soundbars and cameras – without the hassle of having to use cables or adapters. This makes hybrid meetings as intuitive and straightforward as face-to-face meetings. Meanwhile, remote participants get the best possible ‘almost in the room’ experience, with high quality audio/video interaction for engaging and interactive virtual meetings. • Enables users to deploy any conferencing platform (UC) to set up a conferencing session in any meeting room, local or remote, and invite employees, guests and remote joiners. • Triple agnostic: you can set up meetings from your own laptop, using your preferred conferencing software, and connecting to any hardware in a meeting room of your choice.
UX Pro The Clevertouch UX Pro isn't just a touch screen. Because Clevertouch created an all-in-one Enterprise Ecosystem, combining the new UX Pro touchscreen, our integrated room-booking solutions and UC platform, it offers the user a solution that fits seamlessly into their existing setup. It provides a real-time collaborative workspace that enables participants to work together in an open environment while ensuring that the collaboration systems and the underlying networks remain secure with the added benefit of purchasing at one cost with no ongoing subscriptions. The UX Pro is also voice-activated, making it COVID friendly, and our interface is simple to use, meetings are faster to set up, quicker and more productive.
For the purpose of modern workplaces, CTOUCH have introduced a complete line-up of collaboration products that can be integrated into CTOUCH touchscreens. These products are called ‘BRIXes’. Each CTOUCH BRIX brings an interactive collaboration experience, depending on the end user’s needs. Companies will be able to upgrade or migrate to different BRIX collaboration solutions within their own meeting rooms. The BRIX family includes BRIX For Teams, For Zoom and PRO solutions. https://ctouch.eu/brix Please supply five bullet point statements of why the nominee should be considered for an Award: 1. Cost saving: CTOUCH BRIX is a modular solution, meaning that companies can upgrade over time without the need for big additional investments 2. Ease of use/adoption: CTOUCH BRIX helps the user with functionality that he truly needs, without overdoing it. So the user pays for what he needs, instead of paying for features he will not use in the near future.
Shure IntelMix Room
• The NC-X700 and the NC-X900 join the existing NC-X300, which is Vivitek’s super simple solution for any huddle room or small and mid-sized conference room.
Clevertouch
CTOUCH BRIX collaboration solution
3. Sustainable: upgrading BRIXes instead of changing complete touchscreens has a huge positive effect on the lifetime of a touchscreen. Also the CO2 emission is positively impacted due to a lower need of producing new screens.
• The NC-X700 and NC-X900 offer more than ‘just’ wireless collaboration. Both models add even more value by offering a seamless switch to digital signage in 4K resolution. Thanks to its built-in NovoDS digital signage, creating messages and company announcements is made easy through its intuitive drag-and-drop interface. This enables users to transform idle screens into active digital announcement boards to communicate messages, thus maximizing their investment.
Vivitek offers a full Novo Ecosystem of Add-On models as well as All-in-One solutions with NovoDisplay and NovoTouch flat panels which offer wireless presentation and digital signage combined. The Novo Ecosystem provides one of the most comprehensive product lines designed to enhance any type of visual communication, whether it is for a meeting, digital signage - or both! - at the same time.
“For us, ClickShare Conference is a consistent further development and addition to the previous ClickShare solutions. The topic of BYOM (Bring Your Own Meeting), as well as the standardisation and simplification of meeting room installations, is becoming increasingly important to us, and the CX series came on the market at just the right time. The possibility to use the meeting room technology, with the communication solutions available on your own computer, is a great added value. In addition, the central management and updates of the components in the meeting room are becoming more and more of a focus for us.” Team Smart Workspaces Daimler AG.
• It takes less than seven seconds to wirelessly connect to a meeting room’s hardware and does not require cables or the installation of additional software and drivers to begin a session. • The technology is enterprise-grade, so it is highly secure, connected and cloud managed. Barco is the first manufacturer to have obtained ISO 27001 Certification for a technology of this nature, demonstrating its commitment to the highest international security standards. • The solution is accompanied by a ClickShare Conferencing Button and Collaboration App to deliver wireless connection and additional functionality and features.
Testimonials and references
The first audio processing software for Windows 10 PCs that is fully optimised for use with Shure networked system microphones is now available globally. Announced at Integrated Systems Europe, IntelliMix Room is a ground-breaking innovation in digital signal processing (DSP) for AV conferencing. IntelliMix Room is a software-based DSP that requires minimal customer setup or additional special hardware, which reduces the costs and footprint required to deploy premium AV conferencing. It can be deployed to in-room Windows 10 PCs and meeting control devices that are already in-place to run popular software-based AV conferencing services, bringing premium audio to video conferences. • This new software-based approach also allows systems integrators to install more rooms, more easily, more consistently and more cost-effectively than traditional hardware-based DSP solutions. • Providing up to 16 channels of audio processing, IntelliMix Room deploys the same algorithms as Shure’s award-winning P300 IntelliMix Audio Conferencing Processor, but is installed on the same in-room PC as the conferencing soft codec. • IntelliMix algorithms are specifically designed to optimize the performance of Shure’s range of premium conferencing microphones such as the MXA910 ceiling array, MXA310 table array and Microflex Wireless. • IntelliMix Room aggregates and optimizes the audio output of multiple microphone sources and thus scales-up to support even more complex boardroom deployments. • With Echo Cancellation, Noise Reduction, Automatic Mixing, Automatic Gain Control, and secure Dante routing, IntelliMix Room automatically produces a single channel of conference-ready audio.
Presentation Innovation of the Year Kramer VP-440X Kramer’s VP-440X is the next generation of its highly popular VP-440 presentation switcher/scaler. This advanced model is equipped for high-performance with 18G 4K HDR. This delivers unrivalled video and audio quality with signals extended up to 40m at 4K (or 70m at FHD), ideal for conference and lecture halls, delivering the optimum viewing experience on par with smaller meeting and classroom spaces. It automatically scales the video, embeds the audio, and outputs the signal to two identical outputs
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AV News Awards Finalist – HDMI and HDBaseT, and includes powerful control features for enhanced flexibility. The HDBaseT input makes it easier to install in locations that previously would have been inaccessible. • The VP-440X features HDBaseT and HDMI simultaneous outputs and four HDMI and one VGA input. This presents the ultimate flexibility and streamlines connectivity and installation. • Flexible Digital and Analog Audio — each digital input can be independently configured to select either its embedded audio signal, or its dedicated analog stereo audio input. • Professional Scaler — up–scales, down–scales and cross–scales up to resolutions of up to 4K@60 (4:4:4). The output resolution can be set to the native resolution or manually set to another selection. When the product is configured to scale to 18G 4K resolutions, the HDBT output automatically down–samples the chroma sampling to 4:2:0 coding to comply with the HDBT bandwidth. • Powerful Audio Processing — includes a microphone input, and supports DSP technology featuring audio equalization, mixing, delay and microphone talk–over (ducking). • Smooth Switching — the constant output synchronisation prevents any glitches when switching between inputs, even when no video is detected.
Panasonic PressIT Launched in October 2020, the wireless presentation system, PressIT, is designed to make collaboration quick and simple in any meeting room. It can display content from up to four devices simultaneously, allowing users to present on screen or via a projector at the touch of a button with smooth audio and Full HD clarity. PressIT works with any PC, tablet or smartphone using Android, Windows or iOS operating systems. Connect the receiver to any display screen or projector, and a small transmitter to the display devices, then press the button to present. • Intuitive operation: There is no special software installation necessary for the PC. The presenter's PC can also be switched by simply pressing a button, with no need to reconnect the cable. The user simply presses a button on the transmitter to display the PC screen. PressIT takes the guess work out of dealing with uncooperative, unreliable and complicated technology. PressIT reduces downtime and disruptions resulting in more efficient and productive meetings. • Smart Installation: A simple ‘plug-n-play’ set-up for a consistent, intuitive user-experience. Images can be displayed from a device, PC or mobile with two types of receivers available to suit the environment of the user. The STB receiver type can be used with any pro displays and projectors. Simply connect an HDMI cable. The Intel® SDM standard type receiver attaches to expansion slots on the rear of the SQ1/SQE1 Panasonic display. • High-Quality Images. Hardware processing enables image compression and decompression for Full-HD 1080p resolution. Wireless transmission is IEEE802.11ac compliant for dependable, high performance content streaming. Presentations containing video content are smooth without lag time and choppy buffering for effective, efficient meetings. Plus Low latency image with less than 300ms. • Flexibility for any size meeting or class room. Up to 4 simultaneous display sources, and up to 32 Transmitter simultaneous connections. Touch back functionality: When used with an interactive display, you can control your pc directly from the screen. Manage or edit your presentation while standing. Lock mode functionality: Take a full control of presentation. Prevents interruption during seminars and presentations. • Exceptional performance value: The starter kit includes: Kit Receiver STB box x1, Transmitters HDMI/USB-A x2, Case x1. PressIT delivers the high performance and reliable wireless presentation solution that you would expect from a technology leader like Panasonic at an affordable price point while meeting high security standard requirements. • Transmitter: No need to run files on a device as USB is only for power use • Receiver: Able to easily update to the most recent software via LAN, therefore always up-to-date • Connection Tx-Rx: WPA2 Encryption minimizes risk of data and information leak. No need to access your network. Pairing avoids mis-transmission to nearby meeting rooms.
Education Innovation of the Year Barco weConnect (hybrid) virtual classroom
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Barco collaborated with the world’s leading business schools, universities and corporate learning and development departments, to develop a powerful learning solution. weConnect is a subscription-based online learning solution that allows educational organizations to take a next step towards transformational teaching and training. Its capabilities easily surpass those of video conferencing tools used today with an innovative and differentiating experience that delivers new levels of engagement, collaboration and active learning for learners on-site and remote. As the pace of digitization is accelerating every day, weConnect is an essential and reliable corner stone of your digital strategy.
classroom online. Free and accessible on any browser, EZWrite Live provides access to BenQ’s cutting-edge education solutions without the demand for any specific hardware setup or the purchase of expensive software licenses, allowing disadvantaged school systems to navigate the disruption due to Covid-19 more easily. EZWrite Live transforms remote learning through one intuitive platform.
Testimonials and references
• EZ Write Live allows teachers and students to collaborate from any location, on any device, in real-time. Sharing the same screen, they can annotate in tandem on the same documents, ensuring those learning from home have the same great experience as those in the classroom.
• “While there are different platforms out there that are being used for meetings and conferences, we didn’t feel they were optimal for use with executives,” says Marchi. “They were designed as meeting or conference platforms. They weren’t designed to be teaching platforms.”
• All materials are saved in the cloud so teachers can easily access them from any classroom device. This allows teachers to access files from where ever they are and send documents, homework and communications to their students all in one place, streamlining the education process.
• “What I really appreciate is the ability to be myself in a classroom as opposed to sitting in front of a computer screen,” says Bleak. “It affords the opportunity to engage with participants like they are there and use my physicality to create connections. That’s a critical thing in our virtual environment.”
• Students at all curriculum levels can use their own device to collaborate with the class, without needing to move from their seats or touch the same hardware as someone else. This is great for creating a Covid safe classroom whilst increasing interactivity and engagement.
• “Clients are saying it’s far more cost-effective, they’re not having to incur lodging and ensuing expenses. So I see it as a permanent addition to what we have previously been offering.” - https://www. barco.com/en/customer-stories/2020/q2/university_college_london
• With EZWrite’s Floating Tool, teachers can capture shots of anything on the screen, including content from apps, websites and videos, import the content into EZWrite for further discussion and annotate on a new page. • Teachers can record lectures including the use of third-party apps and audio, making sure that students don’t miss anything and have materials always accessible to watch back.
• “There are many platforms to connect, but we have found that we can use Barco’s system in a way that is not possible with other technologies. The way teachers and students can interact is unparalleled.”
Testimonials and references
• “Students often get signed off at the end and they are told they can progress to the next stage of their training. But with Barco’s weConnect, we can do this in a more digital way. We get the data to assess them in real time and to say we know this person is quality assured and can move on to the next stage of their training.” https://www.barco.com/en/news/2020-11-18-hybrid-and-remotelearning-us-highed-institutions-speak-out US higher education on why they choose weConnect for (hybrid)virtual classrooms.
“The BenQ EZWrite software, built into their interactive flat panels, is a great tool for front of class display, as well as interactive class activities. As an RE teacher, I have often wanted to show connections between ideas, give visual cues for students and make note of ideas and instructions from the front of the room. This software takes the static and often teacher-led activity of whiteboarding and puts it into the hands of the students in the room.” Ben Whitaker – Curriculum Manager, Burnley College & Director @ Edufuturists.
Genee Group G-Touch 4K Plus Screen
Solstice Active Learning
Genee have a strong knowledge in the education sector and has designed a number of solutions best suited to helping teachers spend more time teaching. The new screen has been designed with the future in mind, offering useful tools that allow teachers to deliver engaging lessons. • Innovative technology, software and solutions that open up a world of new learning materials • Technology is put through a rigorous research, development and testing programme to ensure only the highest quality products are manufactured and supplied to all our customers around the world. • Offering constant updates and research to find the best solution during these unprecedented times, with in-house support always on hand. • We have a Covid risk assessment and procedure for site surveys, installations and on-site training and have established full online virtual training sessions, which can either be one-to-one or group based. • One of our core products Project Flow, is a cloud-based lesson delivery tool like no other, allowing presentations, activities, questions and work to be sent directly to student devices.
Testimonials and references “We were so pleased with the end result that we decided, as part of our ICT development plan, to have more interactive touch screens fitted in school.” Sharon Barrett Old Hall Special School “The customer service from your support team as a whole has been fantastic...We will be sure to carry on doing business with you in the future.” Joshua Blakemore, IT Technician Beacon Primary School
BenQ EZWrite Live The Covid-19 pandemic thrust nearly one billion students into remote learning. Released in May 2020, BenQ’s EZWrite Live is a free, cloud-based interactive whiteboard and lecture broadcasting software that streamlines classroom discussions and makes it more intuitive than ever for teachers and students to bring the
Solstice Active Learning provides software-based video routing for multi-screen environments, such as active learning rooms, overflow spaces, confidence monitors, and training rooms. The drag-and-drop interface allows users to virtually design rooms in minutes and route video in real-time all using the Solstice Active Learning app. As a software-enabled technology, Solstice Active Learning provides a flexible and affordable solution for educators to easily route video and broadcast messages within multi-screen environments to enhance the teaching and learning experience. Unlike hardware-based solutions, Solstice does not require expensive AV control programming, making it easier to design, deploy, reconfigure, and scale multi-screen environments. • Solstice Active Learning’s software-based approach is more affordable and flexible than hardware-based solutions, allowing schools to deploy a greater number of active learning spaces, add new team tables, or reconfigure existing rooms without incurring additional design and build costs. • Solstice Active Learning supports hybrid classroom and workplace environments through (1) a touchless BYOD design that enables socially-distanced collaboration through the devices that students bring into the room, (2) video routing to support overflow spaces and divisible rooms, and (3) remote participation extended through Solstice Conference. • Video routing options provide the flexibility to accommodate different teaching styles and learning needs: one-to-one routing provides teams with peer to peer guidance; multiple-to-one routing enables comparative analysis of various teams’ work on a single display; and one-to-many routing allows the facilitator to focus the entire classroom on a single topic. • Solstice Active Learning’s on-demand messaging feature helps educators guide students through lesson plans, enabling efficient communication between instructors and team tables. • Solstice Active Learning was developed in close dialogue with premier educators, universities, and educational institutions around the world to ensure that it meets the needs of the educational community and has been adopted by universities around the world.
Kramer VIA Campus2 Plus
VIA Campus² PLUS is a simultaneous wired and wireless presenta-
AV News Awards Finalist Business opportunities tion and collaboration solution to facilitate increased interactivity and engagement in hybrid education environments. From their own device, teachers can display or stream 4K high–quality content and play YouTube videos in full frame rate, launch a VC session of their choice on the VIA Campus2 Plus and see all participants on one display, while using a secondary display to share their lesson’s content. Students can, from any personal device, instantly and in real-time, view, edit and comment on shared documents, under the supervision of the session Moderator when required. • Wireless Connectivity is easily facilitated through built in WiFi. A 4K@60 HDMI wired input enables flexible hard–wiring from computers or other compatible devices such as a document camera or a multimedia player. • VIA Campus² PLUS features iOS mirroring via AirPlay™, Windows and Android mirroring – via Miracast™, as well as ChromeBook mirroring. • VIA Campus² PLUS is compatible with leading operating systems and supports popular 3rd party conferencing and office apps including Microsoft Office®, Zoom®, GoToMeeting®, Microsoft Teams® or WebEx®, offering a smooth remote learning experience when needed. • Cloud–Based File Sharing allows users to drag and drop files to the internal VIA storage or to any shared network drive, so documents are accessible from any sign on location, streamlining the teaching process for educators. • The solution can handle any size collaboration or meeting space and is ideal for training venues and classrooms. The RTMP streaming to live servers allows the expansion of the session beyond the physical limitations of the room.
Testimonials and references “Kramer's solution brought teachers back to the classroom, to the natural place. Technology has created a convenient and natural bridge for learning between the teacher and the capsules in the classroom and at home”- Limora Z. - School Director “The use of the system is easy and convenient, and the lesson is delivered to the students perfectly. The most suitable solution for the days of the Corona and after “- Michael N. - Mathematics teacher “Delivering a lesson in the special education classes when some of the students are in the class and some are quarantined at home is a new situation for both the teachers and the students. Dealing with it was impossible in the past and is becoming today a reality, even for special classes, thanks to this easy to use classroom”Lydia C. Special education teacher.
AV Display Innovation of the Year CTOUCH CTOUCHABLE Design Almost all large format displays are similar in shape and size, like traditional TVs. Anyone who has been near, or grown up with TVs has learned to not touch them. CTOUCH’ patent-pending 'CTOUCHABLE' design invites the user to touch the screen and interact: 1. Sturdy rubber edge with appealing colors. Each colour has its own purpose. 2. Implementation of soft textile that invites touch. 3. Interactive touchbar with control functions (CTOUCH button – Mute button – Volume slider) This design system helps teams build high-quality touch experiences for large, interactive displays, as opposed to traditional ‘notallowed-to-touch’ TVs. That way, we stimulate engagement by design from three perspectives: from a far distance, from an intimate distance and into the digital space. https://ctouch.eu/ctouchable Please supply five bullet point statements of why the nominee should be considered for an Award: 1. Innovation - World's first implementation of textiles on touchscreens in IFPD market, with functionality by design. 2. Engagement - stimulates engagement and interactivity. 3. Design - amazing design with intentional colour choices. 4. Functional - slide bar and menu buttons all integrated 5. Character - fits into variety of meetingrooms and markets
The LED Studio Edge 55” The LED Studio was founded by Rob Bint in 2010. It has grown to be one of the largest designers and manufacturers of LED screens in Europe. At their 35,000 square foot showroom and operations centre in Swindon, they display a massive range of screens from fine pitch to advanced outdoor billboards. With all designs in-
house, they are able to react quickly to individual client needs, offering a white label service to integrators. A large part of their work is OEM for many well-known LED brands. The LED Studio leads where others follow (or imitate): 2021 introduces their 55” single die-cast LED videowall cabinet, designed to replace ageing LCD solutions and set to dominate the market with up to 32 inputs on the controller and a 10-year lifespan. This, along with the P0.7 65” full HD cabinet and the ground-breaking Fusion Billboard, places them at the cutting edge of technology. Nowhere else is a client able buy a fine-pitch LED screen from over 500 square metres kept in stock: all UK warranty from HQ, with no dealing with shipping and imports: the LED Studio operation is “see it and buy it”. Due to announcements from LG and Samsung who are pulling away from LCD manufacture in the near future, The LED Studio and their production partner VOD Visual, decided a replacement was needed for the popular 55” LCD screen size. This sized panel has been the best seller for many years, not just as a stand-alone display for use in digital signage applications such as menu boards and in retail environments, but in control rooms and other videowall displays. The LED Studio wanted to offer the complete solution, with both 55” panel as well as a true multi-input videowall controller. Many LED screens are incorrectly labelled videowalls, but this is the first true LED videowall that can directly replace the aging LCD. It is based on their one-piece, die cast 55” cabinet that will accept a number of pixel pitches from P0.9 to P2.5 to allow for various budgets in retail through to mission critical control room situations. The cabinets mount directly together and will fit directly to any wall creating a slimline profile, saving the expensive costs of a traditional videowall mount, being front service. Also, there will be no expensive bezel damage during install as there aren’t any. The cabinets will also accept the traditional VESA mount if being used as stand-alone monitors. Due to the difficulties in colour balancing traditional LCD screens combined with the short lifespan, harder individual component servicing and lower brightness, it is obvious of the advantages when it comes to LED and its 10 year lifespan. As for the Vodex controller, this can be supplied with anywhere between 2 and 32 inputs giving the user complete flexibility for display and programming. You are not bound by the traditional borders of the individual screens and can place any image anywhere, just like a vision mixer. It is possible to zoom in on any image, add tiles to individual displays and pre monitor sources with picture in picture display and titles. With prices comparable to LCD just the life cycle of the product and reduced running costs make this the right display decision in 2021 • Zero Bezel – Unlike traditional LCD videowalls that have bezels between 0.3 and 1.5mm, these LED cabinets butt together with zero gap to obtain an image more like a traditional LED screen. • 10-year lifespan – One of the problems of LCD has been the short, and not very green lifecycle of the product. 4-5 years has been the traditional replacement period. This combined with the ‘replace rather than repair’ mantra from the manufacturers has ensured a steady stream of LCD in landfill. With LED individual pixels and panels can easily be replaced giving double the lifecycle. • Up to 32 inputs – A typical videowall will have a single HDMI input, normally used for just one big picture, but with the multi-input flexibility of our controller, be it DVI, HDMI or other direct interface, not only is this great for mission critical control room situations but may well bring back a return to the art of videowall programming that created such eye-catching displays on TV and in exhibitions. • Low eco running costs – an LCD screen uses a fairly constant power drain from the moment it is switched on whatever brightness. Today’s smart LED panels only draw current when needed in certain sections of the image. This means that LED can use half the power normally required. • VESA mount compatible – The Edge 55” panel can be treated as a stand alone screen. Simply replace an existing screen and mount the new LED panel on the VESA mount.
AV Manufacturer/Developer of the Year Disguise One Officially launched six months ago as a response to the halt on live events around the world, disguise’s xR technology brings to life compelling visual experiences in virtual production, allowing brands and artists to connect with remote audiences like never before. xR empowers the world’s leading brands, artists and production houses to blend virtual and physical worlds together using Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). Combining disguise’s 3D visualisation-based software and high-performance robust hardware, xR seamlessly integrates an array of technologies including camera tracking and real-time content engines to extend a small studio space into an unlimited virtual world.
• xR has the unique benefit of creating a limitless environment, even if constrained to a small studio space or with socially distanced restrictions in place. The screens within the space only need to be as large as the performance area. The virtual set extension places the actors in virtual environments larger than the space available, opening up worlds of opportunity and creating more compelling content to increase audience engagement. The workplace may be smaller, but the end result displays an endless space of limitless opportunities. • disguise xR lets you deliver a virtual environment, which is visible both on screen and on set, making visualisation a constant part of the experience. This allows designers to make better-informed creative decisions earlier in the process, and communicate ideas and final work in a clear, compelling manner. • By using LED screens or projection surfaces in the space, xR allows presenters to be absorbed into the virtual environment where they can see the entire set and even objects added into it, giving directors the opportunity to capture raw emotion. • The integration of disguise’s camera calibration feature allows for calibration of the camera and lens in a matter of minutes, rather than days. Pre-visualising camera shots, without having to build the stage first, enables better coordination between set and camera departments, and virtual environments can be created and iterated on the fly. • The capabilities of xR are utilised in ways far beyond initial blue sky thinking, powering nearly 100 groundbreaking productions since its launch earlier this year. This includes broadcast productions like the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, America’s Got Talent and the US Open, live music performances from artists like Katy Perry, Billie Eilish and Alicia Keys, corporate events for enterprise businesses like SAP and Under Armour, on set virtual production for the Mandalorian and Avatar sequels.
Testimonials and References “disguise xR has helped us to deliver a new paradigm of working, and ways to create incredible virtual performances to promote new music around the world without even stepping on an aeroplane.” JT Rooney, xR Content Producer, Silent Partners Studio "Recently we were able to offer our xR stage in our Miami studio featuring the latest xR technology powered by disguise. Artists are able to walk into our studio knowing that the final product will be taken care of at one place, all done in-house. disguise has always been part of our creative workflow allowing us to create visual results that are astounding and performances are unforgettable.” - Rodrigo Proal, Co-founder, Darmah “There is a new level of interaction that takes place when connecting all core elements of the disguise xR workflow to drive production.” Scott Millar Technical Director, XR Studios See how xR is defining the new era of live production: https://vimeo. com/434079944/7f43b83fe9
Clevertouch Clevertouch is the original touchscreen manufacturer. Our touchscreens embrace the full collaborative and unified communications needs of our clients. We should win the Manufacturer of the Year award due to our unrivalled desire to bring unique and innovative technology to market and provide unique and easy-to-use solutions that genuinely support our end users. We didn’t furlough any of our colleagues in 2020 and everyone received an increase in salary. We are on track for the same revenues as 2019 with greater profits as our global business increases rapidly. At Clevertouch, we pride ourselves on our diversity and our ability to help our customers, end-users, employees, and reduce our impact on the environment. Our growth is a tribute to our forward-thinking, openness to new ideas and building solutions based on listening to what the end-user needs. • Innovation: Clevertouch doesn't believe our duties end at making great products; we always look at how the end-user will use them and how we can support them to do that. One of these initiatives is 'Cleverstore' a free, dedicated educational App store where all apps (even those from familiar developers with big-name licenses) have had all advertising and in-app purchases removed, allowing educators to use them in the classroom with confidence. The range of Apps is growing rapidly, and we have also committed to providing resources for educators to use alongside the apps to complement and enhance the learning experience. This offering is unique. We know our products and solutions have support student engagement. We have allowed teachers to work beyond the classroom using our collaboration tools and software, and we have made it simpler for teachers to teach. Teaching can walk into a classroom, our product will fire up, and they can click one icon to download their class program—no faffing with laptops or USB sticks. Our solutions are fast, engaging and straightforward to use. • Impact of the organisation Diversity and Equality: Clevertouch, over the past 12 months, has been working hard to address the diversity of our business. We are very open about our support of the LGBTQ+ community, and we believe that a balanced and supported workforce is a better workforce. With this in mind, Clevertouch has started a recruitment programme which we hope will allow us to bring in new talent from ethnic and minority groups. Our new
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diversity and equality policy has been created with the support of Geoffrey O Williams Ltd. This consultancy focuses on Inclusion and Diversity, and we've just finished our D&I 2020 campaign – www.clevertouch.com/DandI We have recently recruited from outside the AV sector. These new employees are helping shape our business, bringing with them new ideas, valuable insights and ways of working. • Training Programmes: Clevertouch is encouraging its employees to gain qualifications through AVIXA. We are proud to say that we now have over 70% of our employees who are CTS certified. All our employees attend our Clevertouch academy training, which is also available to our customers through our online training portal. Our training is now run in conjunction with CTS and once completed goes towards CTS renewals. There are Five-course, but we have plans to double this over the next three to four months. We also encourage and support our employees to study for relevant qualifications, offering financial support when appropriate. In the last 12 months, we have funded several additional courses for six employees. • Workplace culture: Clevertouch, at its core, is a happy family business, and we treat all our employees as part of our family. We are always open to new ideas and ready to listen. We are a nurturing company, We care about mental health, wellbeing and equality, and we genuinely value our employees. This is why, during the Covid-19 outbreak, we did not furlough staff, believing that it might lead to anxiety among the team. Our aim was for them to be 'safe and supported'. Those employees who couldn't work from home easily because of the role or because of childcare were asked what could work for them. Our 'pandemic' campaigns were the result of these conversations. Our sales teams turned from product demonstrators to 'kids' TV presenters', making short YouTube videos at home with their own families on how to teach and entertain children during lockdown - Learn at Home. The campaign allowed us to keep our employees happy and to give parents at home who were suddenly faced with home-schooling a little extra help. • Green credentials: Clevertouch has run for many years a recycling scheme for our technology. In this scheme, we refurbish and upcycle older screens that can be purchased at a reduced rate, meaning schools with limited budgets, and pupils from lower-income families can have access to our technology. We will also remove any old technology we take out and send for recycling. We are adding two new initiatives in October 2020 that will pave the way to being carbon neutral by 2025. The first will provide templates so that end-users can create furniture from our packaging and the second will be the planting of new trees for each Clevertouch panel purchased throughout Q4 in 2020. If this is successful, we plan to continue the project.
Testimonials and References “The Clevertouch UX Pro's open platform approach allowed us to seamlessly integrated the units with our existing technology and software without compromising the security needs of our organisation. We have been blown away but the features and how quickly employees took to using the touchscreens. Ideas seem to flow more as a result, and there has been a definite change in how teams collaborate,” Mark Lewis, Senior Project Manager, Network Rail. “We have been an advocate of the Clevertouch brand since its inception, and there are many reasons why we have worked with them for so many years. Clevertouch has consistently stayed ahead of the market with ground-breaking innovations, be it their superb app store or easy to use collaboration, Clevertouch read where the market is going not where it currently is. Added to this, the products exceptional build quality, and they have, in my opinion, the best interactive product available in the UK. However, it's not all about the product, and the team behind Clevertouch are what makes the whole package work. Passionate, friendly and dedicated, the team at Clevertouch genuinely care about their business and their customers. Clevertouch would certainly be a worthy winner for Manufacturer of the year,” Darren Clayman, Managing Director, IDNS. “We use Clevertouch in our school; they are so much better than interactive whiteboards with projectors. You can have more than one child writing on them at the same time; they don't need calibrating, the software has loads of great functions too. The features of Clevertouch are what make it so great. I recommend!” Charlotte Stone, Deputy Head. Handcross Primary School. “I came across some of your Learn at Home videos after a friend sent me a link on WhatsApp, as a primary school teacher with a five-year-old of my own I would like to say thank you! Not many technology companies would take the time to put together material to help support parents in such difficult times. I will be passing the link to your YouTube channel on to others and look forward to watching more of your videos with my son who you have helped me entertain this week,” Laura Ellis, Teacher, Abbey Junior School.
Shure For 95 years, Shure has been at the forefront of audio technology innovation and continues to set the worldwide standard for excellence in the industry. From microphones and wireless systems, to in-ear monitors and conferencing systems as well as various wired
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and wireless listening products for the everyday consumer, the global audio equipment manufacturer is widely known for its quality, performance and durability. Shure is committed to developing audio solutions that perform flawlessly in today’s boardrooms, conference rooms, universities, and meeting rooms, making it virtually effortless to connect. • The first audio processing software for Windows 10 PCs that is fully optimized for use with Shure networked system microphones was launched this year. IntelliMix® Room is a ground-breaking innovation in digital signal processing (DSP) for AV conferencing. IntelliMix Room is a software-based DSP that requires minimal customer setup or additional special hardware, which reduces the costs and footprint required to deploy premium AV conferencing. It can be deployed to in-room Windows 10 PCs and meeting control devices that are already in-place to run popular software-based AV conferencing services, bringing premium audio to video conference calls. • In legislatures, international conferences or executive boardrooms, products like Microflex® Complete help keep meetings on course and provide powerful features like voting, agenda, interpretation, and identity verification. Shure understands that last-minute meetings are a fact of life. The Company developed Microflex Complete Wireless that can be set up quickly -- even by staff members with minimal training -- making it possible to go “from cart to conference” in minutes. • While pro audio and live events will always be Shure’s breadand-butter, the Company is continuing to support new markets. In the last 18 months, Shure has set its sights on amplifying its work to support theater and film. The focus on these verticals were driven by innovation and upgrades to key products in the Company’s portfolio to ensure flawless audio performance no matter if customers were charged with performing on stage or delivering the nightly news. Take for example American Utopia by David Byrne. During its run on Broadway, the production relied heavily on Shure gear to ensure exceptional sound no matter what. The engineers depended on Shure’s new subminiature microphone, TwinPlex, which captures sound perfectly, to ensure premium audio quality even as performers moved around the stage as well as changed instruments throughout the show. Due to the chains on set and the constant movement from the musicians, capturing the sound seemed impossible for engineers. However, Shure’s ADX micro bodypack transmitters made it possible to produce high-quality audio in a durable package. Plus, engineers were able to have complete control of their environment allowing them to adjust remotely as needed. This is just the beginning as Shure continues to drive value for sound engineers and performers in theatre/film. • As the availability of usable wireless spectrum continues to evaporate, the transition to digital wireless is inevitable. Staying on top of industry trends and needs enabled Shure to lead the pro audio industry’s transition to digital technology. Shure’s reliable wireless systems enable broadcasters, theater, corporate facilities and educational institutions to navigate and operate in even the most crowded RF environments by enabling the ability to fit more channels into the condensed airspace for optimal performance. • But beyond developing standout products and services, Shure leads the industry when it comes to how it trains, serves, and supports its partners and employees. For example, Shure recently expanded its webinar schedule to provide more frequent content given the global pandemic that we are all facing. While the Shure Audio Institute (SAI) typically provides monthly training sessions, programming is now delivered weekly, with three times the audience tuning in for recent training sessions versus previous webinars. Shure recognizes the importance of providing audio professionals with technical insights and training.
Testimonials and References The Professional UK body, the Institute of Acoustics (IOA), installed Shure Microflex Advance MXA910 microphone to complement an innovative Voice Lift system at the organization’s Milton Keynes headquarters. Students undertaking courses now benefit from crystal clear speech across the space, while students collaborating online via distance learning are delivered the same audio as their classroom counterparts, with the system raising the quality of the lecture captured content. An exclusive interview with Chief Executive Allan Chesney and senior Shure executives on the deployment of the Voice System at IOA can be viewed here: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=80b8cX07eDA Before the NBA Finals, Scotiabank Arena in Toronto looked to install an innovative new technology into the massive scoreboard hanging over the playing surface to better capture the sounds of the game. Shure’s Microflex® Advance™ MXA910 Ceiling Array Microphone — a microphone originally designed for office applications — was mounted into the scoreboard. The beauty of this type of microphone is that its recording patterns can be customized with software and remotely adjusted to fit the specific needs of the venue. Two Shure MXA 910s are now installed on the bottom of the giant scoreboard hanging over the playing surface. For nearly four weeks last summer, the Swiss town of Vevey on Lake Geneva came alive when one million visitors participated in the 12th Winegrowers’ Festival. The Fête des Vignerons takes
place once in a generation and pays homage to century old traditions of wine-growing. To ensure a flawless performance, the audio team selected the Shure Axient Digital wireless system and PSM 1000 in-ear monitoring system to power the 20,000-seat venue. A total of 324 channels of Axient Digital and 40 channels of PSM 1000 were used, making it one of the largest displays of wireless systems planned and realized at a single venue. “Not many systems have been deployed at events of this magnitude,” said Audio Consulting AG’s Martin Reich, Head of Audio at Fête des Vignerons. “Due to the extremely challenging brief, we decided on Shure and Axient Digital.” To guarantee safe and efficient transmission for this number of wireless and communication signals, the production team decided to use IP-based signal pathways and a glass fibre network. “This was another reason to use Axient Digital. Dante integration is so well designed we were able to use the networked systems pretty much as plug-and-play components,” commented Reich.”
CTOUCH CTOUCH have taken vast steps in putting the environmental footprint and circularity of touchscreens a key topic on the agenda of the AV industry. This goes way beyond the recycling of product packaging as we believe sustainability is much more than recycling. CTOUCH, conducted research on the CO2 impact of the manufacturing and use of interactive flat panel displays (IFPD). This research gave many new insights and has led us to initiate several new, innovative projects that will benefit the environment, as well as schools, universities and companies that are planning to invest in new technology. A true win-win concept, of which CTOUCH is very proud. Several of the key initiatives are stated in the bullet points below. More information on CTOUCH circularity vision can be found here: https://ctouch.eu/sustainability
Promethean Limited At a time when schools have been faced with more challenges and pressure than ever before, Promethean has drawn on its education pedigree and understanding of this market’s needs to support schools and teachers with maintaining learning continuity and driving forward progress. Remaining fully operational while much of the AV industry ground to a halt, Promethean responded with empathy and innovation. This agility is best exemplified by the global education technology company not only retaining its position as the K-12 market leader for interactive flat panel displays but going on to secure growth against the backdrop of a declining market. • When national lockdown came into force virtually overnight, 100% of staff remained fully operational, enabling Promethean to maintain its high standards of service – from 24/7 customer support to regular blogs on how to navigate the crisis. • With more than 3,500 subscribers, during school closures Promethean utilised its industry leading blog to disseminate practical advice and resources to educators - including an ActivInspire Screen Recorder Guide which offered advice on how to use existing ActivPanel lesson resources to support students learning at home, without increasing workload. • In response to the changing needs of schools, Promethean evolved its demonstration approach to offer increased flexibility and choice – launching ‘Experience the Elements’ which provides access to virtual, remote and on-site demonstrations. • For the past five years, Promethean has plotted edtech trends, reporting on cutting edge insights when it comes to UKI schools’ technology use. Attracting over 2,000 respondents this year, the Promethean State of Technology in Education report is the only survey of its kind that can provide access to five years of valuable data and insights into the impact of COVID. • When 2020 saw the needs of schools temporarily shifted, Promethean rapidly mobilised investment to ensure that teachers could use the ActivPanel to support students in class and remotely, leading to the launch of a new Screen Share App, Panel Management and Cloud Connect.
Testimonials and References “Our ICT strategy is built around several technology partners that can help elevate our delivery. As a trust, we wanted to select an established education technology partner that we could forge a long-term relationship with, for financial stability but also access to industry leading hardware and knowledge that align with our strategy for the future. There is no denying that the ActivPanel is a world class system that is transforming teaching and learning across Cidari – but moreover, we are benefiting from a fantastic relationship with Promethean as an active edtech provider that is going above and beyond to add value through wider support,” Peter Ashworth, Chief Executive of Cidari Multi Academy Trust.
The Year Ahead
2021: predicting the unpredictable! One day last February the AV News team was enjoying the hospitality of a very comfortable hotel in Zaandam, taking a pleasant train ride into the RAI to carry out our ISE tasks. Who could have precited that within a month we would all be locked down in our UK HQ, waiting for the conditions to improve. Things haven’t changed much, but here is. with the assistance of some of our regular contributors, our best guess of what 2021 will bring. While sales and marketing of AV solutions have been difficult over the last year, some sectors – such as collaboration and remote learning - have undeniably prospered. Leading technology distributor Exertis reports that opportunities and trends for the channel in the year ahead include the strong digital and value-add capabilities vital for businesses to thrive. The channel has a critical role in the continuing acceleration of digital transformation. Gartner has spoken of a CIO reaction around ‘respond, recover, renew’. The potential for enterprise spending to pick up again will emerge as postponed projects restart. With business models and IT needing to be adjusted to the new reality, digital transformation, automation and Edge solutions will continue to be huge opportunities.
Societal changes The Covid-19 impact likely to continue to disrupt, but the channel will benefit from supporting 2020’s societal and business changes into 2021. With the new year imminent, Jonathan Wagstaff, business intelligence manager, Exertis Group, predicts that 2021 will see digital transformation and automation continuing to be huge opportunities, Wagstaff says: “These will be the key drivers alongside the growth of Edge solutions that will support the expected IoT systems, vehicles and devices dependent upon them. Unlike centralised cloud provision, Edge needs the channel to push out rather than pull back in, so to speak.” Looking at potential threats, the Exertis Group’s business intelligence manager believes the macroeconomic shock of Covid-19 combined with the UK leaving the Customs Union could impact both consumer and business demand. “At DCC Technology (the Exertis parent) we benefit from a strong balance sheet and diverse portfolio/geography,” he says. “However, the channel players who lack these advantages, or are lagging in their digital capabilities, may struggle.” “Now, more than ever, channel businesses without strong digital and value-add capabilities will be at a disadvantage,” Wagstaff continues. “Like any industry we are at the mercy of macroeconomic trends, but a situation where vendors and customers struggle with complexity in the supply chain is going to be beneficial to those organisations who specialise in navigating such complexities.”
This includes a solidifying of working from home practices, he says, “along with business’s networking/device/cloud requirements, and an examination of digital capabilities with the huge and transformational shift online we’ve seen over the last year. Clearly the rush to supply devices was going to be a largely 2020 phenomenon, but we still expect the channel to benefit from supporting these societal and business changes long into 2021.”
eCommerce So the potential for a decent year is there, but how will end-users buy? Following a year like no other that saw eCommerce hurled five years ahead of its time, 2021 is set to see emerging eCommerce trends that will centre around preparing for the unpredictable. eCommerce platform provider Kooomo argues that: “If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that nothing is out of the realm of possibility as far as the future goes,” says Ciaran Bollard, CEO of Kooomo. “Bricks and mortar retailers were forced to place digital transformation at the top of their agendas and online retailers have had to respond to the immediate, and unprecedented changes to consumer behaviour at the hands of COVID-19.” Kooomo says that the key trends it expects to see in eCommerce in 2021 are: • More brands will go Direct to Consumer (DTC) More and more brands will experiment with Direct to Consumer eCommerce, as sales are expected to grow by 24.3% this year to $17.75 billion. While third-party distributors (for example multibrand outlets) are likely to always play a part in the consumer
Pent-up demand In terms of the focuses and capabilities of different sized companies, there’s still evidence of pent-up demand for devices for some verticals, he says. “However, there’s an expectation that enterprise spending will pick up again in 2021 as postponed projects start to restart. We also expect the acceleration of digital transformation to continue; here the channel has a critical role. The largest organisations will likely be further down the road of cloud migration. However, small and medium-sized businesses are still going to need the channel, particularly in countries where cloud adoption is lagging.” So, what does the future hold, after a turbulent year for many? “Nobody has a functioning crystal ball,” Wagstaff says. “But there are core assumptions amongst the leading market trackers. Even with the good news around vaccines developed in record times, the Covid-19 disruption will continue into the new year. Gartner has spoken of a CIO reaction around respond, recover, renew. ‘Respond’ was about keeping essential functions operating (issuing WFH equipment), ‘recover’ is about stabilisation – which is where many businesses are now. What will be very interesting to see, will be the renewal cycle where business models and IT will need to be adjusted to the new reality.”
goods sales mix, there’s a lot to be said for brands owning everything from logistics to supply chain and everything in between. That, paired with the fact that a large majority of bricks and mortar stores have had to close this year, be it temporarily or permanently, makes DTC a very attractive option for brands. • Sustainability and belief-based buying will be top of consumers’ list of priorities No huge surprises here. Sustainability has been at the forefront of demand in recent years, but with online being the main channel for sales in the wake of the pandemic, excess packaging, and the environmental impact of deliveries are going to be highlighted even more in 2021. Not only that, but the lockdown has also sparked a movement of belief-led buying among the masses - opting to buy and support local as much as possible. Now, more than ever, consumers are pledging to vote with their wallets - a trend we fully expect to stretch into 2021 - and beyond.
Ciaran Bollard, CEO of Kooomo. “Bricks and mortar retailers were forced to place digital transformation at the top of their agendas and online retailers have had to respond to the immediate, and unprecedented changes to consumer behaviour at the hands of COVID-19.” • Social commerce will continue to grow (but will it take over completely?) Removing friction from the online shopping experience has long been a topic for businesses to consider, with the primary focus being on the checkout user experience (UX), but more recently on the browsing experience also. By 2021, the global social commerce market is predicted to grow by 34%[2], and more channels are hopping on board the eCommerce train - most recently with WhatsApp adding a shopping button to business chats. But while social channels are a no brainer for playing a key part in resellers’ omnichannel strategies, the likelihood of social commerce replacing websites entirely is highly unlikely. Resellers want to be able to maintain control over their customer experience (CX), which is a key differentiator for eCommerce right now - and they will be very limited in what they can then do to set the customer journeys apart if all businesses solely rely on social channels to sell. • More suppliers will invest in augmented reality What could arguably have been considered a ‘nice to have’ feature on resellers’ online stores until now, augmented reality is fast becoming a ‘must-have’ in the wake of the pandemic. The try in-store, buy-online tactic hasn’t been available to consumers for much of 2020, meaning that the digital doors must now open for products that have traditionally been deemed ‘something you couldn’t buy before you see it in person’. Augmented reality is the virtual answer to try before you buy, and will be key to supporting buying decisions, so expect to see more and more brands integrating it into their eCommerce strategy in 2021. • Content will have to play a greater role in eCommerce Competition has always been stiff in the online space, and it’s only going to intensify as resellers put digital to the forefront of their strategies. So how can merchants stand out? Well, the expression ‘content is king’ has been doing the rounds for years, but 2021 is the year that retailers who marry eCommerce and content to enrich the customer journey will really get ahead. Similar to the rise of augmented reality, we envision more brands weaving content into their online stores as a means to showcase their brand values, as well as replicate the in-store experience. Expect to see more product ‘how-to’ videos, as well as storytelling through blog posts, videos, and podcasts. We also expect to see more website pages dedicated to brands’ sustainability pledges, as well as deliveries, returns, meet the team, and more. • An omnichannel strategy will no longer be optional Implementing click and collect has probably been the quickest measure used by retailers to deal with the pandemic. In 2018, an average of 52% of online stores had omnichannel capabilities. 2021 is likely to see that trend not only continued but broadened into full omnichannel strategies by businesses of all sizes. This means synchronisation of stock, real-time inventory updates, online and offline loyalty point collection and redemption, unified customer service channels - the list goes on. Ciaran concludes, “With digital transformation projects sped up this year, 2021 is set to be an exciting year for eCommerce. While there may still be some difficult times ahead for the industry as a whole, those who implement these strategies, and other innovative
AV News January 2021 P19
Diary and column Application News
Philips deploys PeopleCount in accountant’s office Located in the city of Hengelo, is Acar Accountants & Adviseurs – a young accounting firm, specialising in areas of accountancy, tax advice, business advice, financial services and business valuation. Situated over three floors, the company’s modern and stylish offices are a hive of daily activity, housing an assembled team of 15 specialist staff and a relentless flow of visitors – including new and existing clients, enquiries and deliveries. With the safety and wellbeing of everyone that passes through its doors of paramount importance – more so than ever before due to the ongoing concerns and threats surrounding COVID-19 – Acar sought a cost-effective solution that would not only meet new essential social distancing safety requirements, but also instil confidence and trust in those frequenting it, as part of reopening. Managing capacity levels was key to ensuring social distancing was possible at all times but investing in a full-time security guard or redeploying existing staff to self-manage foot flow, manually counting or clicking a button as people enter and leave the building were not viable options, with both bringing a potential and long-lasting drain on resources and likely to impact quality of service. Acar turned to Fidato, a national AV integration and project design specialist from
Arnhem, which has provided innovative a wide and varied range of display, audio and software solutions to a variety of markets and verticals, including corporate, government, hospitality (hotels), education and healthcare. Founded in 1992, Fidato has an extensive knowledge and reach of the AV market, priding itself on keeping itself abreast of all the latest ground breaking products and solutions available around the world, in order to best support its customers and meet their ever chang To meet Acar’s needs, PeopleCount, a new solution from PPDS using Philips displays combined with an intelligent camera from Bosch, was the standout choice for Fidato, not only meeting safety requirements but also opening up new opportunities, relevant both now and in the future. A long-term partner of its national neighbours, Fidato had been testing trialling PeopleCount – created as part of a direct response to help businesses overcome the challenges faced by COVID-19 – since the solution was first conceived back in April. Already rolled out across Europe inside a growing number of leading retailers, restaurants and bars, PPDS PeopleCount uses intelligent cameras and displays to keep count of the number of people entering and leaving a premises or space – sending visual and/or audio alerts around capacity, inform-
ing people when it’s safe and unsafe to enter, due to social distancing being compromised. For this important project, Fidato installed a 32-inch Philips PDS 32BDL4051D display, positioned and installed in portrait mode and connected to a Bosch IP Counting Camera to greet people as they enter Acar’s reception area insides the building’s main entrance. The Bosch IP Camera 3000i was strategically mounted on the ceiling near the entrance, automatically counting the number of people entering and exiting the offices. The data is then used to provide automatic live visual information displayed on screen – with an immediately identifiable stop and go traffic light system. Additional company messaging, including bespoke details surrounding social distancing and safety inside the building, plus information (i.e. wayfinding) and general company marketing and branding messages are also now displayed – guaranteeing a professional look and a wide range of benefits that are relevant both today and in the future. Installed and up and running over the course of just a few days (completed June 1), PeopleCount has ensured it remains business as usual for Acar, and an uninterrupted and high quality service for its customers. Maurice Hurxkens - CEO at Fidato, commented: “Having conducted numerous stringent testing, the PeopleCount
solution from PPDS was the standout choice in order for us to meet Acar’s high needs and demands in order to create the safest environment for its staff and customers.” He continued: “Feedback since the installa-
tough economic times, may not seem a desirable approach for everyone. However, with the price of PeopleCount comparable to just one month’s salary of a security guard, plus opening up a variety of new offerings,
Benefits: • Safety and security – Using PPDS PeopleCount, Acar can automatically manage and monitor capacity in is fast paced corporate office to enable safe social distancing among staff and visitors. • Built with the future in mind – The benefits provided by PeopleCount will far outlast COVID-19, opening up new opportunities to communicate and engage with visitors, whilst also creating a highly professional image among visitors the second they walk in.
To meet Acar’s needs, PeopleCount, a new solution from PPDS using Philips displays combined with an intelligent camera from Bosch, was the standout choice tion has been extremely positive, with staff and customers adapting to the system, with the importance of maintaining a 1.5 metre social distance now an almost natural and instinctive part of their day, helping everyone to feel more comfortable.” Isa Acar - CEO at Acar Accountants & Adviseurs, shared his delight with the performance and impact of PeopleCount: “When we first approached Fidato, we had no idea anything like PeopleCount existed but am delighted to say it’s so far surpassed all our expectations. Investment in technology, particularly in these
this has very much been money well spent. Trust is a key part of our business.” Roeland Scholten, Sales Director Benelux & IKAM EMEA, concluded: “The popularity of PeopleCount continues to exceed our expectations, with its versatility now supporting a whole range of different businesses, to overcome the various challenges faces cause, primarily, by the pandemic. “We were delighted to play such an important role in this installation with our valued partner, Fidato, and help Acar achieve on their ambitions. The positive feedback speaks for itself.”
• Cost effective – PeopleCount can be installed in just a few days and unlike a manually managed capacity solution – PeopleCount is more accurate, does not take breaks or holiday and starts at less than an average month’s salary of a security guard.
Boxlight rollout of Clevertouch Interactive Touchscreens Boxlight Corporation (Nasdaq: BOXL) has announced one of the largest school districts in Texas has completed its phase one rollout of Clevertouch interactive touchscreens. Boxlight won the three-year contract with its multi award-winning Clevertouch IMPACT touchscreen along with its accompanying software, LYNX Whiteboard and Clevershare. The initial rollout within the Texas school district included the installation of 615 front of classroom interactive touchscreen displays, encompassing 40 campuses serving 25,000 students and 2,500 faculty members. The initial phase for 615 IMPACT Clevertouch touchscreens will be closely followed up by a second order for a further 1,200 IMPACT touchscreens in 2021 with an overall total of 3,000 Clevertouch touchscreens to be installed by early 2022. The contract will generate approximately $5,000,000 in revenue over the three-year term. With phase one now complete, teachers are now eagerly awaiting their IMPACT touchscreens. Boxlight continues to support the Texas district with its Clevertouch solutions as it incorporates technology to improve their student learning environments.
“Working with the School District in Texas has been brilliant as they were very clear on the requirements of the new technology coming in,” says Daniel Morris, Clevertouch Texas Sales Manager. “We were chosen over all other touchscreen brands because our IMPACT touchscreen met the challenges of improving learning outcomes, needs of teachers, students
and IT requirements. We’re proud to be their chosen touchscreen partner with IMPACT.”
The initial phase for 615 IMPACT Clevertouch touchscreens will be closely followed up by a second order for a further 1,200 IMPACT touchscreens in 2021.
P20 AV News January 2021
About Clevertouch IMPACT Designed specifically to meet the needs of the digital and conventional classroom alike, the Clevertouch IMPACT series is more than just an interactive touchscreen, it delivers a truly intuitive and collaborative experience. Filled with features to support teaching and learning your way, Clevertouch IMPACT offers the solution needed to add value to your lessons and free teachers from the constraints of restrictive, traditional technology.
Sizes available: 55" 65" 75" 86"
Practical differentiation: Teachers and students are more connected than ever, with easyto-use mirroring and touchback on up to 50 devices at any one time. Use split screen mode to show the work of 4 students at once. The teacher can use their mobile device to control their Clevertouch, giving them freedom of front of class instruction while enabling effective individual, small group and peer learning to help close the attainment gap.
Express connectivity: Elevated connectivity allows you to share content with Android, iOS, Windows and Chrome devices. As expected, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and a slotin PC option ensures your connectivity is covered. Including 4GB RAM, extensive storage for those noncloud needs, Gigabit LAN integration, 4K User Interface,
OTA Updates and Remote Management – just some of the features of this product.
Teachers can concentrate on teaching: With mobile device management (MDM) and over the-air updates (OTA), the update of software, apps, firmware, and troubleshooting is all controlled remotely by your IT department, leaving teachers free to teach.
Integrate effortlessly: With Clevertouch, teachers are not limited to one type of presentation suite, software provider, platform or OS. Teachers are free to use existing resources - and convert old resources tied to other providers - easily and quickly. Teachers can also switch seamlessly between Android and PC modes and continue using existing services such as Google Classroom or Microsoft packages effortlessly within your Clevertouch suite.
The Year Ahead
2021: predicting the unpredictable! developments will certainly differentiate themselves from their competitors and have a better chance of succeeding in 2021 and beyond.”
Services The importance of support and customer service has never been more apparent than during lockdown. Avaya predicts that the contact centre will become the “context centre,” no longer siloed from the rest of the organisation. The pandemic has made clear what we’ve known for so long: the contact centre is about much more than your agent workforce. It’s about every employee across the organisation working to create an effortless and unified customer journey - not just in the contact centre but across all teams, departments and lines of business. It doesn’t matter what your title is, what your job duties are, or where you are located; we’re all working towards the same goal. Some things will need to happen to create this “context centre.” Most important will be enabling every employee with contact centre capabilities or technologies they can take advantage of. Everyone can benefit from intelligent routing to the right resource, conversational intelligence for real-time conversation transcription, or AI-powered screen pops that help employees anticipate needs and deliver more proactive service. Every employee in the organisation is an extension of the contact centre, and that means everyone should have the best tools to meet customers in the context of the service journey to deliver experiences that matter. No one could have predicted what would happen in 2020, but we all rose to the meet the challenge. Whether or not my predicted shifts happen, we’ll see the emergence of disruptive new ways of working and thinking that will profoundly impact customer and employee experience in 2021 and beyond.
Video conferencing boost If all the services benefitting from digital transformation video conferencing must be among the leaders. Paul Scholey, SVP and General Manager, BlueJeans by Verizon predicts how this sudden uplift in video comferencing usage will continue in 2021 and beyond. “Predictions are always a dangerous game; more so than ever in these wild, unprecedented times! Whoever would have forecast this time last year that video conferencing would explode and become essential to the way we live and work? Playing it a bit safer this year, what follows are three predictions based on what I’m already starting to see play out in our customer base and the
Organisations will also introduce a wider range of virtual meetings and events for employees. One notable casualty of remote working has been the office ‘watercooler moment’. wider market.” • On a ‘burning platform,’ Digital Transformation gains new urgency In 2021 I predict that companies whose digital transformation programmes stalled will step hard on the accelerator. Even though most companies built strong business cases for digital transformation, some didn’t feel a sense of urgency to move beyond the planning stages. However, when the Covid tide went out it became clear which players were ‘swimming naked’ - to paraphrase Warren Buffet. The early digital innovators with robust UC systems proved so resilient they made a virtually overnight transition
to remote working and virtual events. The rest scrambled to play catch up; not only to implement technology but to introduce new processes and adapt the culture. In that sense Covid-19 became the first ‘burning platform’ for Digital Transformation. This crisis year has injected real urgency into innovating for agility, flexibility and resilience. Deloitte Insights outlined seven ‘digital pivots’ that enterprises must make to achieve digital maturity. One is implementing a ‘flexible, secure infrastructure that balances security and privacy needs with the need to flex capacity according to business demand’ - the very definition of IT resilience. Unified communication - so key to flexible working - will be a top priority in enterprises’ transformation programmes. Fortunately, there is no longer any need to choose between flexibility and security. Smart companies will insist on both. •Internal comms will become top priority and more sophisticated Along with a rush to digitally transform, next year I predict organisations will work fast to mature their internal communications programmes. With so many people working remotely, internal communications, once seen by many organisations as ‘nice to have’ (and given minimal resources) will become a top priority in 2021. One thing that’s become abundantly clear is that organisations need to fine-tune their meeting strategies. Everybody’s starting to feel burnt out from attending too many virtual meetings - just like they did with in-person meetings. A lot of this is down to ‘virtual presenteeism’ as people feel added job insecurity and want to be seen to be involved and delivering value. Again, a similar phenomenon occurred with in-person meetings. To address this, I predict that organisations will communicate and train staff on new ways to prevent meeting burnout, ensuring both productivity and employee wellbeing. One tactic that some are likely to take is changing organisational structures to democratise communication and improve flow. Tall corporate hierarchies that rely on information to be cascaded down becomes very inefficient in virtual office settings and leads to meeting overload. We’ve flattened our own hierarchy so that our CEO communicates to ten reports, rather than two. Organisations will also introduce a wider range of virtual meetings and events for employees. One notable casualty of remote working has been the office ‘watercooler moment’. Unified comms providers are offering more capabilities to let people spark quick, impromptu chats to address this. At the other end of the spectrum, we see organisations hosting more ‘town hall’ meetings to update employees on key events and answer questions. In 2021 videoconferencing platforms like ours will help organisations deliver increasingly sophisticated internal comms pro-
grammes by adapting to a range of formats beyond the standard meeting. Smart meeting features like whiteboards and annotations, for example, are ideal for creative brainstorming sessions; personal meeting IDs are ideal for ‘watercooler moments’; and intelligent transcriptions that log written meeting highlights and action items support those people who can’t attend every meeting and want to avoid “FOMO”. • Virtual events will endure and be judged on their own merits Those old enough to remember the early days of online events in the late 90s and early 2000s might recall great expectations followed by major disappointments - all due to technical immaturity in areas of internet bandwidth AV quality, meeting functionality and security. This year’s crisis led to a renaissance of virtual events. Many were highly successful and boosted this time around by huge technical advances in all the key areas listed above. And while virtual events will never replace the live experience, they
Paul Scholey, SVP and General Manager, BlueJeans by Verizon predicts how this sudden uplift in video conferencing usage will continue in 2021 and beyond.
have brought many unexpected and unique benefits. That’s why in 2021 I predict that people will stop comparing virtual events to live ones and start judging them more on their own considerable merits. What are those merits? Above all, video communications technologies have ‘democratised’ events in several important ways. Firstly, they have opened up events to more people from every corner of the world. With many organisations having tightened the purse strings on long-haul corporate travel, so-called ‘global’ events were attracting the majority of delegates from the host city or country. Salesforce, for example, attracted 80,000 live viewers to its first virtual ‘World Tour’ event in Sydney; the live event was only expecting to attract 15,000 attendees. Virtual events democratise events in other ways beyond attendance numbers. It’s often the case that many people who would like to attend industry events get left behind in favour of more senior or sales executives. But even many of those people who are lucky enough to attend events don’t get to ‘access all areas’. Typically, some attendees are restricted to the exhibit hall, while the more senior people get to attend the inspirational keynote talks and popular breakout sessions. With most virtual events, everybody’s a VIP. This year event participants have been able to take part in live discussions with renowned speakers from the bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell to the millennial YouTube and comedy sensation, Lillly Singh. Even more democratising is the fact that many of these events are offered free to qualified, registered attendees. Finally, virtual events provide accessibility to more introverted people who are shy about asking questions, contributing ideas and socialising at live events. One customer told me about their annual company meeting, which ran breakout ‘ideation’ sessions as part of this year’s virtual format. Surprisingly, she found that the quality and quantity of ideas had improved this year because some shier people with great ideas felt more comfortable contributing from their home offices. Paul concludes: “I have every reason to believe that in 2021 as (hopefully) live events re-emerge in some geographies, organisations will continue to run virtual events in order to continue to engage with people in more countries, more roles and more personality types. These events will increasingly be part of an integrated events strategy of live and virtual and assessed on their own merits.”
UC’s awesome potential “The symbolic act of starting a fresh new year provides us all with a sense of hope and optimism. However despite all 2020s challenges, let’s remember how people around the world connected in virtual communities to do truly astounding things in the fields of technology, science and medicine. In that sense, it was an awesome global showcase for the power of unified communications.”
AV News January 2021 P21
Peoplewatch Diary and column
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VuWall has announced Paul Brooks as territory manager, based in London. Paul is responsible for implementing the company’s sales strategy and expansion in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Paul has more than twenty years of experience in the audio-video industry, with a strong focus in mission-critical applications and the control room market. His experience spans across various vertical markets including government and defence, corporate, utilities, oil and gas, and emergency services. Paul understands the needs and technical requirements of integrators, consultants and end users alike. He’s recognized for building strong and dependable business relationships with a consultative approach to sales and a passion for technology. Prior to VuWall, Paul held sales and business development roles at Diversified, Barco, AVI-SPL, Feltech, and Electrosonic. Reporting to Eric Henique, vice president of international sales, Paul will be in charge of implementing and managing sales activities, identifying new market opportunities, and generating new growth in his region. “Paul is a great addition to our European sales team. He brings years of industry expertise and a proven track record for building lasting customer relationships.” said Eric Henique, vice president of international sales at VuWall. “With demand growing quickly for visualization solutions throughout Europe, it is imperative that we are able to grow and service the UK market with a dedicated and local resource. I am very pleased to welcome Paul to our team.” “It’s a really exciting time to be joining VuWall. The convergence of AV-over-IP has ignited so much potential for VuWall’s unique and innovative technology in the UK. I’m looking forward to hit the ground running by servicing the market with the best of the best and contributing to the growth of the company.” said Paul Brooks, territory manager at VuWall. “I am thrilled to be joining an organization with such high product standards and unique company culture, with a team that has already welcomed me like family.”
Alliance Media and 10 years at Universal Pictures. Most recently, Pat served as Chief Financial Officer at Clevertouch. Pat’s global business experience is a significant asset to Boxlight “Following the acquisition of Sahara Presentation Systems and the Clevertouch brand, we’re thrilled to appoint Shaun and Pat to key executive roles at Boxlight as we continue to build a strong and experienced leadership team. Additionally, with Mark Starkey, appointed as President earlier this month, and Hank Nance, COO, we are committed as an executive team to take the company through its next phase of growth and financial stability,” comments Michael Pope, CEO at Boxlight”.
Laila Hede Jensen, chief commercial officer at ZetaDisplay explains: “René brings an incredible amount of experience to our sales team and we’re excited to have him lead us into our next phase at ZetaDisplay. He will help develop and grow our team to provide our clients with the best solutions possible for their businesses.” ZetaDisplay has announced the appointment of René de Jong as director of sales for ZetaDisplay Netherlands.
Shaun Marklew has been appointed as Chief Technology Officer and Patrick Foley will be appointed as Chief Financial Officer on January 16, 2021.ZetaDisplay appoints new director of sales
VuWall has announced and welcomed Paul Brooks as territory man-
UXG, the leading Leeds-based digital solutions provider has expanded its team with the appointment of Ryan Hill as product design manager. Ryan takes on the role left by Garry Pullan, who has been promoted to a newly created head of operations position. Ryan brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the team, having worked for five years at Decorative Panels, Europe’s leading supplier of flat pack furniture, as a designer on a range of projects for well-known retailers including Wickes and Dunelm. In his new role, Ryan will be responsible for taking client briefs and internal instructions and creating 2D AutoCAD layouts and 3D models to assist in the manufacturing process. He will also lead on the creation of Bill of Materials, providing a comprehensive inventory of the raw materials, assemblies, subassemblies, parts and components, as well as the quantities of each, needed
Boxlight Corporation a leading provider of interactive technology, digital signage and software solutions, today announced that Shaun Marklew has been appointed as Chief Technology Officer and Patrick Foley will be appointed as Chief Financial Officer on January 16, 2021. Both Shaun Marklew and Patrick Foley held senior executive roles at Clevertouch, a company acquired by Boxlight in September 2020. Shaun Marklew brings over 20 years of experience in the professional audio, visual and interactive technology industry including over 9 years at Clevertouch, most recently as Chief Operating Officer. He was responsible for building the global, multi award-winning interactive touchscreen and digital signage brand, Clevertouch. Shaun’s knowledge and passion for technology continues to be the driving force behind the innovation and success of the Clevertouch ecosystem. Boxlight will leverage Shaun’s talents across the Company’s broader solution suite. Graduating with a Master of Science – Strategic Business Management at The Manchester Metropolitan University, and a Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA / CGMA), Pat Foley has an enviable pedigree in financial management which includes over 17 years’ experience in senior leadership roles with 13 years at Arts
P22 AV News January 2021
ZetaDisplay has announced the appointment of René de Jong as director of sales for ZetaDisplay Netherlands. René has over 25 years’ experience specialising in complex AV and Digital Signage hardware and software within in the retail, sports and hospitality industries globally. He has excelled in roles including as sales director for a global display manufacturer, establishing distribution channels in Europe for Chinese OEMs and pioneering the first use of digital signage in QSR environments. He joins ZetaDisplay at a time of rapid growth and will work with the team to further increase the company’s market share in Europe and across the world. René De Jong, director of sales at ZetaDisplay Netherlands comments: “I’m thrilled to be joining ZetaDisplay at what is a truly exciting time for the whole organisation. Today’s climate means that every touch point with consumers is extremely important and with ZetaDisplay’s full-service portfolio, I’m excited to work with our clients to extend and enhance the customer and guest experience through transformative digital signage solutions.”
Leeds-based digital solutions provider UXG has expanded its team with the appointment of Ryan Hill as product design manager. to manufacture each product. Commenting on Ryan’s appointment and Garry’s promotion, UXG director Alistair Wright said: “These are exciting times at UXG, with our growing team working on a series of pioneering new projects and products. Garry’s recent well-deserved promotion has left some big shoes to fill, but we’re confident that in Ryan we have someone who can take our design capabilities to the next level and wow clients with his creative thinking.” On his appointment, Ryan said: “I’m proud to have joined such a talented and driven team. UXG
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is renowned for its industry-leading capabilities and products, and I’m looking forward to playing my part in helping the company to reach new heights of success.” Operating out of a 14,000 sq ft state-of-the-art design and production facility, UXG designs and manufactures digital, LED and retail displays for a range of clients across the UK and Europe, including Pioneer, Halfords, Dixons Carphone and Yo! Sushi. UXG was also responsible for the upgrade of the digital strategy and wayfinding media for Leeds Playhouse, as part of the theatre’s eight-figure transformation. In June, UXG unveiled Auto-Q, a bespoke digital signage solution which allows retailers to measure the number of customers inside their store at any given time and monitor hot-sports. It also provides a ‘traffic light’ system for automatic control of entry to the store, along with the additional ability to advertise key information to waiting customers. Promethean has announced that Chris Hand has joined the company as Chief Revenue Officer. Mr. Hand joins the executive team leading the strategy, growth, and execution of the Promethean worldwide sales organization. Mr. Hand has over 30 years of experience in the technology space, helping clients and corporations build new digital data transformation solutions across enterprise, governments, and service provider platforms. As CRO, Mr. Hand will be responsible for revenue generation and managing key strategic initiatives essential for global growth, delighting customers and partners. “The notability of Promethean’s solutions and efforts in elevating the world’s educational capabilities and resulting improvement in people’s lives is remarkable,” said Chris Hand, CRO of Promethean. “I am excited to join a global team, contribute to their strong momentum, and look forward to many stages of future growth in bringing Promethean’s technology to learning environments around the world.” Most recently, Mr. Hand held the role of senior executive and CRO at Arm, a SoftBank Company. Prior to this, he held senior positions at leading SaaS and IT enterprises, including Inovalon and CA Technologies. His tenure in the technology sector has delivered impressive growth, win rates, and improvement in sales cycles. As an industry tech veteran, Mr. Hand has led businesses of all sizes ranging from $100M to $1B+, and his ability to help businesses scale will be paramount in driving Promethean’s strategic go-to-market direction. “As the world of education is constantly evolving, especially during a challenging year, Promethean delivers educators the tools they need to enable hybrid and remote learning across a multitude of learning environments,” said Vin Riera, CEO of Promethean. “Chris brings extensive digital transformation technological expertise to this role, which will serve us well as we continue to expand globally and transform the way the world learns and collaborates.” Promethean has announced that Chris Hand has joined the company as Chief Revenue Officer. Mr. Hand joins the executive team leading the strategy, growth, and execution of the Promethean worldwide sales organization.
Elections SMPTE has announced that Hans Hoffmann, head of media fundamentals and production at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), has been elected by the SMPTE membership to serve as SMPTE president for the 2021-22 term. He currently serves as SMPTE executive vice president and, on Jan. 1, 2021, will become the first European to serve as the Society's president. "Hans is a wonderful leader in so many ways," said Barbara Lange, executive director at SMPTE. "While he has a uniquely deep understanding of emerging technology in the modern media landscape, he also is a proven talent-builder. He has great instincts, a knack for defining a clear direction, and the leadership skills to bring everyone along. With Hans at the helm, SMPTE will be well-positioned to meet our industry's rapidly changing requirements and opportunities with purpose and agility, and I look forward to working with him." Hoffmann, a SMPTE Fellow, joined the Society as a young engineer and progressed through roles leading standardization groups, acting as chair of various technology committees, and serving as a Board governor for the EMEA Region, vice president of standards, and vice president of finance before becoming executive vice president. He has been involved with SMPTE, the EBU, the ITU, and other international standards bodies throughout his career, and more recently with newer groups including founding the Inter SDO, an informal but valuable group of international standards bodies that meets regularly to compare work. Hoffmann has decades of experience working on future media production technologies, with a current focus on media in the cloud. From 1993 to 2000, Hoffmann worked at the Institut fuer Rundfunktechnik in research and development for new television production technologies. In 2000, he joined the EBU as a senior engineer in the technical department. Hoffmann has chaired the EBU project groups P/BRRTV and P/PITV, which were both involved in standardization activities such as SDTI and file formats. Hoffmann is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the FKTG (Germany). He earned his diploma in telecommunication engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Munich and earned his Ph.D. at Brunel University West London, at the School of Engineering and Design. Hoffmann is the 2020 winner of FKTG's Richard Theile Medal for outstanding services in television technology. The honor recognizes his services in the development of HDTV and UHDTV television systems and his significant contribution to international standardization committees.
The SDVoE Alliance has confirmed its Board of Directors for 2021. Made up of pro AV experts from the six steering member companies — Black Box, Christie, IDK Corporation, NETGEAR, Semtech and ZeeVee — the Board also includes Grandbeing, who won this year’s election to represent the contributing member companies. Justin Kennington retains his role as president of the SDVoE Alliance. Heading into its fourth year, pro AV’s fastest growing industry alliance has grown to 51 members shipping over 500 products, and more than 1300 certified SDVoE Design Partners. “Despite the challenging year in our industry, we’ve been able to expand our audience reach with two successful in-person tradeshows — ISE in February and InfoComm Beijing in September, numerous online events, a network design help program, an online SDVoE product guide and more than 50 new courses in SDVoE Academy,” said Kennington. “We’ve got big plans for 2021 and I’m particularly excited about SDVoE LIVE! Tuesday Talk with AV Pros which launched Dec. 1. We start with ‘an Englishman and a Texan walk into a bar’, and end with high-quality pro AV education. A new episode airs every other Tuesday at 1PM ET.” Watch the recording of the first episode, “A New Architecture for Network Convergence”, of SDVoE LIVE! in SDVoE Academy or on the SDVoE Alliance YouTube channel.
"It's an honor to be elected to this leadership position at SMPTE," said Hoffmann. "I look forward to collaborating with the fantastic SMPTE team in White Plains, the SMPTE Board, and our membership to identify the Society's gravity points — strengths and areas we need to develop to grow now and in the near future. We have a world of opportunity ahead of us, and we need to be agile in positioning the Society to delve into the areas that address the rise of the cloud, IP, remote workflows and media creation, artificial intelligence and machine learning, software in place of hardware, and personalization and 'immer-
SMPTE has announced that Hans Hoffmann, head of media fundamentals and production at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), has been elected by the SMPTE membership to serve as SMPTE president for the 2021-22 term. siveness' in media consumption. "Equally important, we need to consider the perspectives of younger generations of media professionals and engineers and provide them with purpose and solutions that will help carry them forward. While SMPTE already is a global organization, we will continue to think more broadly and work more closely with industry and partner organizations worldwide in delivering concrete initiatives that speak to the interests and needs of our diverse industry. I am thankful that the EBU is supporting this important post, as it will obviously bring mutual benefits to user organizations and industry."
Individuals serving on the SDVoE Alliance board of directors for 2021 include the following industry leaders. Their biographies can be found at https://sdvoe.org/board-of-directors/. Ryohei Iwasaki, IDK Corporation Keith Kennedy, Grandbeing Laurent Masia, NETGEAR Jonathan McCune, Black Box Bob Michaels, ZeeVee Don Shaver, Semtech Clark Williams, Christie
AV News January 2021 P23
Diary and Events column
Research proves the value of in-person events During October last year, Integrated Systems Europe commissioned research, targeting AV professionals to evaluate visitor appetites for conferences and events following COVID-19. The research, completed before news of a COVID-19 vaccine, was carried out by Fusion-Insight to gauge interest in face-to-face, digital and hybrid event formats. The results show that 98% of the audience missed attending in-person AV industry events.
Almost 70% of the audience is ready to attend in-person trade shows and 57% would be ready to visit international ones. Given that this research was conducted before news of a vaccine, it shows a desire to get back out to physical events again. Mike Blackman, Managing Director of Integrated Systems Events explains: “We felt it very important to listen to our industry in shaping our offering for 2021 and so we com-
talking and build relationships with others as well as the opportunity to learn from experts at in-person training. These are all massively important factors for professional integrators who want to grow their knowledge and continue to do good business. That’s why we support the safe return of the ISE event in June 2021.” As well as the independent market research study, ISE also spoke to key exhibitors who also confirmed their desire to return
RISE Spotlight on digital learning Harness the Power of Digital Learning is the latest in our new series of free online events called RISE Spotlight. These two-hour events feature global subject experts, technology entrepreneurs and startups. Attendees of previous RISE Spotlights have been impressed by the structure of the event, the interactivity of the platform and the calibre of the speakers. Remote learning has been given a sudden, massive, global boost by the pandemic – going almost overnight from an option for businesses and academia to an immediate necessity. The need to keep students and staff engaged in the learning experience has increased the roll-out of existing tools and driven the adoption of new ones. With remote learning becoming more and more established in our daily lives, we will examine the technologies that are boosting digital learning experiences and find out where investment opportunities lie. We’re bringing together corporates, AV/IT experts, educators and entrepreneurs for a rounded conversation on the future of digital learning.
Speakers will include:
ISE was forced to postpone its Barcelona debut in February 2021 due to the global pandemic. In the absence of in-person events, there has been a sharp rise in digital events to fulfil education, networking and profiling agendas. Indeed, ISE launched its own series of digital events called RISE Spotlight, which has been welcomed by the industry. Virtual events are useful for lead generation, deepening customer relationships and building brand profile but live experiences such as touching, seeing and hearing AV products, are yet to be replicated. ISE wanted to explore the general feeling towards faceto-face events in 2021. The research consisted of a webbased survey sent to ISE’s database and a collection of in-depth interviews with ISE exhibitors. Over 700 (711 completed responses analysed and used within the research by Fusion Insight and Strategy) people from 96 countries (71% of respondents were based in Europe, 13% North America, 8% Asia, 5% Middle-East, 1% Central and South America, 1% Australia and New Zealand, 1% Africa) responded to the survey with 95% having attended ISE before (60% in February 2020). Key findings The research and the results overwhelmingly endorsed a return to in-person as soon as it is safe and practical to do so. Findings show that 98% of the research audience missed attending events, with 42% of these missing meeting and networking with people the most; 32% missing the live experience of products, ;and 21% missing the direct exchange with suppliers and customers.
missioned independent market research specialists to conduct this intelligence project for us. The results clearly demonstrate that, for an industry at the cutting edge of immersive technologies, there is no substitute to the touch-see-hear experiences that are at the heart of the AV industry and shows such as ISE. We are working very hard towards the goal of ISE2021 in Barcelona in June next year and it is reassuring to confirm that strong demand is there too.” “The annual calendar of trade shows provides a rhythm and cadence to our ever-changing and advancing industry,” said David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA. “As individuals move in and out of roles within the industry, these shows have always provided a touchpoint that allows us to reconnect with the people we do business with. I am certain that all of our past and future attendees are anxious to meet again in person soon, and the research reinforces that emotion. The incalculable value of ISE to the exhibitors as a platform for engagement and thought leadership and to the attendees as a community from which to learn and grow compels us to do everything in our power to ensure that there will be a safe return of ISE in 2021 and an exciting debut in Barcelona.” Opinions Giles Sutton, Co-CEO of CEDIA adds: “In our industry, the experience is everything. Home technology products need to be touched, seen and heard if integrators are to recommend and specify them on projects for their customers. More than that, our industry is a community that benefits from meeting,
P24 AV News January 2021
to in-person activities: Peter Pauwels, Vice President Sales EMEA, Barco NV said: “Together with you, the AV partner community, we make the choice to look forward, not backwards. The new normal will be hybrid, but for real connection we need to meet in person and ISE Barcelona is a great place to meet up.” Michelle Downey, Harman Marketing Director, EMEA comments: “2020 has been an uncertain year for our industry and we look forward to returning to some kind of normality for 2021. We are excited to attend ISE and have the opportunity to meet our customers face-to-face again.” Finally, Eva Claudi of Lang-Iberia commented: “Our industry is one of the largest economic sectors. In addition to commercial events, events in the business environment are essential for the success of the economy. Only in an emotional, experience-oriented environment we can succeed in developing and fostering customer relationships through face-to-face communication. Positive emotional experiences, through the use of AV technology, promote socio-cultural development and also the connection of people of different cultures and countries. The language of emotion is international. For this experience there is no digital alternative with a similar effect. Health and safety come first, but an event like ISE is highly professionally organised and well planned, which means that risks can be avoided and protective arrangements can be implemented with the highest precision. We are looking forward to ISE 2021 in Barcelona and we are 100% committed.” Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2021 will take place at the Fira de Barcelona, Gran Vía, on 1-4 June 2021.
Mercedes Bent Partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners Varun Sawhney Director, Global Learning and Development, Netflix Elizabeth Lembke Chief Talent Navigator, Transforming Talent Robin Støckert Project Manager for SALTO, NTNU
Register your place RISE Spotlights are noted for their interactivity. You can ask questions, network with other attendees and participate onscreen at one of the virtual hangouts. Harness the Power of Digital Learning begins at 15:00 CET (14:00 GMT) on Tuesday 12 January. It is produced in partnership with The Next Web and registration is available at: https://hopin.com/ events/rise-spotlight-harnessthe-power-of-digital-learning?utm_campaign=ISE%20 2021&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ISE%20 -%20RISE%202021&utm_ content=Make%20digital%20learning%20work%20 for%20you%20-%20 ISE&tid=TIDP546796X87366CC7104E4E638D9372A2D67F771CYI5&utm_ blocknumber=137
AVIXA hosts first event collaboration AVIXA, the Audiovisual hosted its first event collaboration, D=SIGN: the Digital Signage Conference, on Dec. 8-9, 2020. The virtual event brought together AV professionals from around the world to explore the digital signage ecosystem with 30 speakers across 18 sessions. Total registrations for D=SIGN came
D=SIGN sessions are available to view on demand until Jan. 29, 2021, D=SIGN conference will make its in-person debut at InfoComm 2021 in Orlando to 2,540, and 41% were from outside the U.S. During the highly interactive event hosted on the rAVe Agency’s LAVNCH virtual platform, 57,504 chat messages were exchanged, and 3,465 poll responses were received. “We were thrilled to collaborate with the Digital Signage Federation to host an engaging event exploring the vibrant world of digital signage,” said David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA. “Learning and connecting cannot come to a halt because we’re unable to meet in person. Seeing the exchange of ideas and connections reaffirms that pro AV professionals are committed to improving their skills to deliver extraordinary experiences.” Laura Davis-Taylor, Chief Strategy Officer for InReality, kicked off day one of the conference with her keynote D=SIGNing for Present and Future: Revisiting and Recharging Your Potential, the highest-attended session. Davis-Taylor discussed the role digital signage has played during the pandemic and the vast opportunities ahead for this solution. Rounding out the top five highest-attended session are New Tech Lightning Round for Displays, Digital Signage 201, From Hardware to the Cloud — The Many Advantages of
Cloud-Connected Digital Signage Networks, and Projection Technology Transforming the Customer Experience. Beth Warren, Senior Vice President of Creative Realities, delivered a keynote to start day two of the conference on Customer Experience Across the Digital Ecosystem. Warren emphasized that a digital signage journey starts with an individual, not with a screen. She stated that pro AV professionals need to focus on how to connect individuals to the things they want and need in the places they love. “The content and connections were exceptional during D=SIGN,” said Brian Gorg, Executive Director of Digital Signage Federation. “We heard from DSF members who felt the time was enriching professionally and that the quality of the work and thought was topnotch. The networking was also lively and the DSF felt very welcomed as a partner of AVIXA. Our thanks go out to their leadership and members.”
AV News November 2020 P24